When I get bigger I'm going to run and run and win this Quest
People of all ages wait eagerly for the first dog teams to appear..
This reminds me of the days when everyone would come out because a plane was coming in
I had fun finding the different faces of Fairbanks, through the people who showed up to watch the end of the Yukon Quest.
University of Alaska, Fairbanks has a large animal research farm close by, and we were able to view the animals they have.
A storage shed on the Large Animal Research farm at UAF
It is interesting to see reindeer in captivity. They do seem more docile than the reindeer on St. George, but these must be "city" reindeer. We were able to get up-close-and-personal with Yessie the musk ox. It was fun to run your fingers through his thick coat, and feel the softness of the kiviat (the undercoat).
It's hard to say who is looking at whom. Yessie the musk ox turns a baleful eye toward her audience.
No trip to town would be complete without a stop at the local museum, and of course the gift shop. I was able to pick up some things for my students, and of course, some new books for myself. Then it's back to the hotel for a quick "run" and dinner.
Tonia and Miriam waiting for the winners to come around the corner
Miriam and Tonia live in the Pribilof Islands. We know how to keep warm.
Our hotel is hosting a lecture series on various items of scientific interest. Tonight we were fortunate to have an expert on volcanoes. We learned how the ash cloud is created, tracked, and why it is such a threat to transportation and aviation. I listened to the lecture with one ear, but was more interested in the audience that voluntarily participated. It is my observation that most of the people fall into the age category of 46-55. This says to me, that people are hungry for information - they love to be educated, and want to learn.