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..o0o.. Listen
as Hope reads selections from her books!
Against the Tide
My Little Book of Manatees
Isaac Johnson |
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HOPE
IRVIN MARSTON
Eye on the Iditarod
Aisling’s Quest
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Aisling's Mushing Competitions
for 2012
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January
14-15 : |
Norman Vaughan Memorial,
Hamilton, MA
Unfavorable weather this weekend
in Hamilton, MA.
The race was postponed until
February.
Aisling is totally frustrated.
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January 21-22
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Mushers Bowl, Bridgton, ME
(Postponed)
More discouraging news for
Aisling!
Due to poor poor track
conditions resulting from
lack of snow, the Mushers Bowl
dog sled races
have been rescheduled to
February 18-19.
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January 28-29
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Tamworth, NH (Cancelled)
Here’s the latest from Aisling…Sad!
“Tamworth has been cancelled.
Right now it doesn’t look like
we will be racing at all.
I’m very upset and disturbed.”
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February 4-5
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Farmington Frolic, Farmington,
ME
Saturday, February 4:
The good news: The Farmington
Frolic took place.
In Saturday’s run Aisling’s dogs
got tangled, her lead dog
Danu had to poop, and Steele got
his neck line caught
under his arm pit.
Aisling came in last, which was
just two minutes behind
everyone else.
Her goal is to make up
those two minutes tomorrow.
Go AIS!
Sunday, February 5:
Aisling rearranged her team for
Sunday’s
race and shaved a few minutes
off her time. It wasn’t
enough
for her to move up from seventh
place.
Poppy (her grandfather) and his
six dogs finished first over
all.
He received the good
sportsmanship brass because on
Saturday
he picked up a musher who lost
her team, and he carried her
for two miles, finishing second.
On Sunday Poppy shaved six
minutes plus off his time and
blew everyone away!
Aisling says, "I am glad for
him. Next week I am
rearranging
my dogs big time and hoping for
the best."
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February
11-12
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Eastern FISHING & Outdoor Expo
at the DCU Center
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Aisling and her lead dog Danu
will attend a Meet and Greet
Book Signing. Aisling will
be a guest of her Native
Performance
Dog Food sponsor.
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February
18-19
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Mushers Bowl, Bridgton, ME
Saturday, February 18:
Aisling finished 2nd to last, in
pain and sick to her stomach.
But she felt pretty good helping
someone who needed it.
Sunday, February 19:
Cancelled because of lack of
snow.
See
more details on the
Home page.
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February 25-26
: |
David D. Merrill Memorial
Race, Newport, ME
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March 2-4
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Northeast Championship, Jackman, ME |
Watch
MORNING INTERVIEW: 'EYE ON THE IDITAROD'
December 8, 2011
Click
HERE or on the image above
to watch the interview in
.MP4 format
Click
HERE to download the video
to your computer ( in
.WMV format)
(Need help? Contact the
Webmaster.)
The book can
be purchased now via
Finney website.
Click
HERE to purchase this book.
Eleven-year-old Aisling Shepherd (pronounced “Ashley”)
holds her second Bronze Medal from the
International Sled Dog Racing Association.
Bronze Medal detail.
Aisling and Jake prepare to go bikejoring.
My Illustrator Bob Renaud and I in his studio.
Our smiles have become perpetual since our book
has been released by Windward Books.
“Used by permission of the Carthage Tribune.”
Hope tells of the need for this
book:
The Iditarod Race,
considered to be “The Last Great Race,” has a huge following
throughout the United States. When the 2009 race
began, my local newspaper, The Watertown Daily Times,
featured the race in its weekly syndicated children’s page
(Universal Press Syndicate). “The Family Circus”
cartoon by Bill Keane also carried an Iditarod theme.
Diane Johnson, Director,
Iditarod Education Department, says, “Each year thousands of
students are involved with Iditarod activities in all 50
states and in many foreign countries.” Students in
preschool through university level use her department’s
study materials. Many teachers utilize creative lesson
plans downloaded without cost from the “Iditarod Insider for
Educators” website at
http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/insider-for-educators
.
Despite the popularity of
the race here in the “lower 48”, I have found no books for
young readers that portray the nitty-gritty of training sled
dogs. Several young people have written
autobiographical accounts of winning the Junior Iditarod.
They are rather brief accounts of their climb toward this
exciting accomplishment for young mushers.
Click
HERE to access a 2-page PDF file.
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