March 17: Happy St. Paddies in Nome

The day began early at the mini front desk, then trips to the post office for mailing postcards, watching a speaker at the museum,watching mushers come in, then getting together to watch Robert Service program before eating homemade pot roast and finishing puzzles.

Of course,the Ketchikan contingent is beginning to amass-we run into and ask each other if there is any news. We scrutinize the tracker. Angie is on the ice, one person says. Another person points out when she is moving or not moving. We move our Angie Taggart booster buttons to the frontof our jackets. She is overnighting in Koyuk. Her next run from Koyuk through Elimis onerun,then the required 8 hours in White Mountain. It won't be long now. MUSH ON TEAM TAGGART!! Go Angie Go!

The winds are picking up-noticeable in that they are cutting through three layers of clothes. Mushers that came in today were well swathed and bundled. (See above-two teams arrifve under the arch at the same time). Their teams looked great-and the kids begged for booties in padded kuspuks, snow suits, and mukluk boots. There was quivit making today-did not get to that-but tomorrow is my first stint at the dog lot, 6 am to 10 am. Minus -20 C expectedtonight with possible snow.