Alaska For Fur

During these past two weeks, Fur Rendezvous (aka Fur Rondy!) has been the big excitement around town. Historically, it was the time of year that the fur trapper/trader dudes began to come back into the city with all of their hides, pelts, and furs. (Now, what is the difference between a hide, pelt and fur?) Anyway, they would bring them back and auction them off to the willing buyers. A bunch of other festivities have been thrown into the mix of this celebration too. And, then it all leads up to the Iditarod, which is this weekend (March 8)!! Don't worry....there will be coverage of the Iditarod to be uploaded to the blog shortly thereafter! But for now, enjoy some pics from Fur Rondy!

Also, in case anyone was wondering, there were absolutely no "indecency or cruelty" to animals hurt in the process of making this blog.
As you can see, there's a short sled-dog race the first weekend of Fur Rondy that is kind of a warm-up to the Iditarod.
I had never seen a sign like this before, especially in the middle of the downtown of a city.
I thought this picture exemplified the lifestyle of these dog-racers - sled on top, dogs in back - ready for their next adventure.
Brr!! A little cold for outside entertainment and dining...even with all the outdoor heaters!
We also decided to check out the fur market.
We even found ourselves at the fur auction....and yes, we got some fur!! (When in Alaska, do as the Alaskans, right?) I would show you the gorgeous red foxes we bought for Ann, Justin's mom, for her birthday this month, but then it wouldn't be a surprise! If you want a pretty good idea of how beautiful these creatures are, check out an older post with pics of the red fox in our backyard.