The Lengths We Will Go To

So, just what kinds of tasks are left to the tour director less than one week before the Arctic Quest tour?  Weekend duties included the following:

• Beg, borrow and steal numerous provisions and housewares from friends
• Research snowshoeing routes ONE more time
• Prep food for the coming long nights of aurora watching
• Attend the Yukon Quest fundraiser dinner; it was pretty much Cat Herder, Collin and the entire mushing community of Interior Alaska.  It was held at the Musher's Hall (all Alaska towns of any significant size have one), and DJ music was provided, primarily ABBA tunes.  (Maybe mushing has some distant ties to Sweden?)  Mama mia!
• Ascertain whether or not a 14-foot trailer holding Dave, the reindeer, can turn around in our driveway
• String twinkling lights around the house
• Assemble an "Animated Buck"
• Answer lots of last-minute emails from participants who pose such vexing questions as: Will we be able to watch Downton Abbey on Sunday night?
• Ponder what it would be like to have a Parkwest tour experience a 7.1 earthquake, like the one that rocked Anchorage this morning
• Review various preparations of moose and caribou meat for our Farewell dinner