If you go to Alaska, you will see mountains…and glaciers…and more mountains.  You had better like looking at mountains because there are many of them. Personally I found the different scenery fascinating--and have  pictures to show.  Picture 1 is inland mountains.  Picture 2 is Hubbard Glacier.  Picture 3 is the elusive Denali (Mt McKinley) partially obscured by clouds (left side of picture). 

Transportation in Alaska

 

Our cruise tour included a variety of transportation:  a riverboat, trains, airplane rides (big planes and 7-passenger float planes), motor coach rides and (of course) a big cruise ship.

The Great Race of Mercy

The Iditarod Race began as a mercy mission.  In 1925 people in Nome, Alaska, were dying from diphtheria.  10,000 people of that region were at risk from diphtheria, a contagious bacterial disease which caused people’s airways to become blocked by a thick coating in their throat. 

The Nome, Alaska doctor, Dr. Curtis Welch, recognized the illness and quarantined people (kept people at home to decrease the chances of spreading the disease.)  He recognized the danger to his people but did not have the medicine they needed.  Diptheria antitoxin was available—in Anchorage, Alaska (many miles away.) 

How could the diphtheria antitoxin be delivered?  The Alaskan Territorial Governor came up with a plan.  By using relay teams of 20 of the best mail carrier mushers (dog sled drivers) and 150 dogs, the antitoxin could be delivered to Nome (674 miles). 

The heroes took the antitoxin through blizzards, temperatures of 50 degrees below zero as they traveled day and night in an effort to save lives.  This “Great Race of Mercy” was completed in 5 days and 7 hours.  While five children died from diphtheria, the heroic efforts of the dog mushers saved many lives.  What a great story from history.  The Iditarod commemorates the heroism of these brave men.  http://www.cdc.gov/24-7/SavingLives/diptheria/index.html

P.S. If you are wondering about the danger of diphtheria, we receive vaccines to protect us when we get DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus).  I’ve never seen a case of diphtheria (and I’m thankful.  It sounds like an awful way to die.)  

I took this picture during a dogsled demonstration at the home of Susan Butcher (4 time Iditarod winner before she died from cancer in 2006) and her family.  Her family continues to promote dogsledding.   

Our Alaskan vacation

David, I and our travel buddies, RJ and JL just returned from a wonderful 16 day cruise tour of Alaska.  The next several days I will share some pictures and thoughts about our vacation.  We’ve been actively planning this trip for 18 months (saving vacation days and vacation dollars) and we decided while we were going that distance, we would do everything on our list.  It was amazing and great fun.  

We flew into Fairbanks and stayed there for three days, then we traveled down to Denali National Park entrance area.  We stayed there for two days, and then we traveled to Talkeetna for a two day stay.  Then we traveled by train to Whittier/Anchorage and caught a ship for a 7 day inside passage.  On the Sapphire Princess, we spent a day cruising Hubbard Glacier, one day cruising Glacier Bay.  We stopped at three towns, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan and we finished our trip at Vancouver, British Columbia.  

I hope you will check back and share our vacation pictures and memories.  

Hubby's Nascar ride

Recently my husband spent a weekend with our daughter and her family.  While I was at Mo Writers Guild conference in St Louis, he went to Dallas.  (Now we understand why grandparents have so much fun with the kids.  In this case, it is two adorable girls.)  The official reason for the Dallas trip was an invitation to play golf at the CH Robinson charity golf event.  This golf event benefits Curesearch.org.The research of this organization seeks to find cancer cures for children.  As a part of the charity golf event, David (and other attendees) got to ride around the Arlington Speedway race track in a Nascar type car.  David commented he enjoyed the ride.  At 160 mph, his ride flashed by too quickly.  The golf event included a full day of 18 holes of golf, a wonderful meal, the Nascar ride and fun with good friends who invited him.

An equally important reason for the Dallas trip was spending time with Kerri & her family.  David stayed at Kerri’s home and enjoyed fun times with the family.  Saturday involved golf and family time.  David was taught the fine art of sidewalk chalk decorating by two young girls.  (You grandparents will understand.)

In the News: Continuing declines in cancer death rates since early 1990s.

This headline gives wonderful news. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has been tracking cancer deaths since 1975.  During the past 30+ years the death rates for all cancer has slowly declined and this trend continues in the most recent report which looks at the years 2004-2008.  This success gives hope to people dealing with cancer. 

But wait, there is more good news.  The Incidence (new diagnosis) of colorectal and breast cancer has declined for American men and women also.  However, some cancers (pancreas, kidney, thyroid, liver and melanoma)have increased during the years of 1999-2008. 

Did you know that being overweight and not getting physical exercise contributes to your cancer risk?  “Esophageal adenocarcinoma, cancers of the colon and rectum, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, endometrial cancer and breast cancer among postmenopausal women are associated with being overweight or obese.  Several of these cancers also are associated with not being physically active.”  http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p0328_Cancer_deathrates.html  The experts believe that excess fat in our bodies makes hormones which can contribute to development of cancer.  

While much progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, there is more to be done. The experts continue to work at early diagnosis and best treatments.  Are we doing our part to keep our bodies healthy? 

In the News--Exercise decreases risk of cardiovascular disease and dying

“Poor physical fitness correlates strongly with all-cause mortality, and particularly with cardiovascular disease.  Lack of exercise and obesity go hand-in-hand.  Fat people don’t move around much, whereas thin people are usually on the go.  So which of these—obesity or inactivity—is the real killer?

Research from the University of Pennsylvania shows that fit people who exercise (whether overweight or normal weight) have a lower risk of death.  These researchers emphasize that “fat people who are fit have a low risk of death” and conclude that a huge part of the obesity epidemic is “really a couch potato epidemic.”   University of Pennsylvania, Http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletter.aspx?id=1559

Hmmm, I guess I better get off my computer chair and go for a walk.  How about you?