Favre’s decision: ‘I’m in’ for 2006-2007 Season

Brooke & Morgan Turn 15! Our Girls are Growing up too Fast ...

Eagle River Glacier Bears Finish 3rd in State

The Eagle River Glacier Bears ended there season March19, 2006 by finishing 3rd in the State Bantam C Division. After battling to a hard fought tie on Saturday night, the Glacier Bears put themselves in a do or die position Sunday morning to get into the championship game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. The Bears lost to the Moose 1-4 with Morgan scoring the team’s only goal. After 8 long months of conditioning, practices, games and tournaments, the season came to an end.

Now it is onto the spring hockey league and summer hockey camp. Both venues will assist Morgan in enhancing her skills come the official start of the season in September. Morgan has been invited to play on the Team Alaska women’s team. Though I have some concerns, it appears at this time that she will pass on the Team Alaska offer to continue to play with the boys (dad grunts) at the U16 boys level. Ouch! Of course, she will be a sophomore on the Eagle River-Chugiak High School girl’s team next school year, which should compete for the top spot in the state in the 2006-2007 season.

MT. Augustine_Alaska

Photo by CALVIN HALLClick on photo to enlarge
Augustine Volcano is less explosive now than it was in January, but two lobes of lava are flowing down its north and northeast flanks. According to Tina Neal of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the small, bright red spot at the top probably marks the main vent where the lava is welling up from the interior of the volcano.

North Pole Moon_Sun

Are the Seawolves playoff bound?

As the "keeper of the shot clock" for UAA mens & womens basketball, Tyler, Brooke & Booke's friend Brittney sat behind me at the officials table for last nights game and witneesed one hell of a b-ball game. It was the last regular season game in a "do or die scenario". The GNAC will decide today if the team will move on to the post season in Seattle. Last night was my last game of the season. Fans and players including Brian Hills, above, celebrate on court following UAA’s 99-95 win over Western Washington to keep the Seawolves’ playoff hopes alive Saturday evening Mar. 4, 2006 at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

UAA men are one and done
DIVISION II TOURNAMENT: Silverswords' 84-67 victory ousts Seawolves in 1st round.

Batty about Belfry, Montana

Photo of my nephew, Mark Payovich.
The Belfry Bats finished the season 17-7, their
most impressive campaign in several seasons.
The Bats will likely be a force to reckon with
next year as well. They will lose five varsity
players to graduation, but six will return, including
Gary Bangert, Payovich and Jade Giovetti. Jade
is my cousins son.

Konnor Payovich is in the House!

Congratulations Paula!

Birthdate 02/20/2006
Birthtime 03:10 PM
Weight (lbs,oz) 6.6
Length (in) 18.5

Here is the picture that is on the BillingsClinic.com. He is perfect and has two very proud grandparents and a very proud mother.

The Last Great Race on Earth

You can’t compare it to any other competitive
event in the world. A race over 1150 miles of
the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother
Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain
ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate
tundra and miles of windswept coast at the
mushers and their dog teams. Add to that
temperatures far below zero, winds that can
cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of
overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous
climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod.
A race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska.
From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome
on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12
to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles
in 10 to 17 days.

Earlier today, as heavy morning fog gave way to clear
blue skies, Iditarod XXXIV got underway in downtown
Anchorage. Thousands of race fans from all over the
world were on hand to be a part of the 'Last Great Race
on Earth'.

Less than 260 miles now separate Swingley and King from the finish line beneath the burled arch in Nome. The first one there stands to collect $69,000 and a new Dodge truck, but Swingley said he's not going to try to press.

Jeff King Wins Iditarod XXXIV
The Denali Musher Claims his Fourth Iditarod Title

Under a full moon, with festival lighting strung overhead, Jeff King stood on top of his sled, arms high in the air: And the crowd roared. Early Wednesday morning, revelers headed out onto Nome’s Front Street to welcome the previously three-time Iditarod Champion Jeff King. After 9 Days, 11 Hours, 11 Minutes and 36 Seconds, his team glided under the arch, looking just as strong as they did arriving in Unalakleet two days earlier. Upon arrival, King was reunited with two members of his family: Daughter Ellen and wife Donna were equally excited as he by his fourth Iditarod victory. His two other daughters, Cali and Tessa, couldn’t make it to Nome from the colleges that they are attending, but that didn’t stop Jeff from talking to them: “Guys, we did it!” he said through the camera. After completing one last ‘sled check’, Jeff’s time and win became official. He now joins the elite club of four-time winners, including Martin Buser, Susan Butcher, Doug Swingley and Rick Swenson (who has won 5 Iditarods). King also has the distinction of being the oldest musher to win the Last Great Race, at the age of 50.With one musher in and seventy-one still on the trail, the Iditarod is far from over. Doug Swingley will arrive later this morning, and 6 other teams are currently completing the final run from White Mountain to Nome. Tonight, however, the streets of Nome belong to Jeff King and his team: Another chapter in Iditarod history has been written.

2005/06 Eagle River_Chugiak Girls High School Hockey Team

Morgon is kneeled bottom left. 1/31/06 Morgan’s Eagle River-Chugiak girls High School team lost in the first round of the State Girls Hockey playoffs last night 0-2 to the first place team Dimond-West High School. The girls never quit all year long and they fought to the bitter end last night. This was their first year in the league and the team is mostly freshman and sophomores, which means we will be back with vengeance next year and for years to come!

2006 Morgan_Arvada, Colorado Hockey Tournament

And they told me my daughter should try out for a girls
team. Who said girls can't play on a boys hockey team?
I wonder if this young man wishes he wasn't playing
against a girl as Morgan checks him against the boards!

I spoke with Morgan this morning, in Arvada Colorado, where
she just finished up the week at the Arvada Winter Festival
Hockey Tournament. Though I don't have the scores as of
today, The Eagle River Glacier Bears had a respectable
performance at the tournament. By all accounts the team
represented the League well.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2006
The Bears lost their first game to Littleton, CO. Morgan said the team did not play up to their potential. Nerves? Elevation? Who knows?

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2006
The Glacier Bears win their first tournament game against Arvada Hockey Association Gold!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2006
Morning game. The Glacier Bears play to a tie against Foothills.

Evening game. The squad beats the Texas Aces for their second tournament win and post a tournament record of 2 – 1 – 1. Very respectable! Morgan reported that the team tied for second overall in total points.

There is some confusion as to why they were unable to move on to the championship rounds Monday morning. I will update this site when I get a full explanation when they return to Alaska Tuesday (Feb 21) evening.

For now, it is on to the state tournament at the Eagle River Mac Center in March. Go Bears!

2006 Tyler "Mr. X-Box"

Tyler Being Tyler to Cool for School!

Our Faithful Lab Tanner

Holy Rattler Batman

My buddy Mike's Texas Rattler!


They don't make 'em
Like they Used too

Fish On! Alaska Style!

2005 Kenai River Eagle Rock King Salmon. Photos include Marty's nephew Billy from Washington State, “Coach” from Three Forks, Montana, Marty’s King #1, Marty’s King #2, my Kodiak Island @ Chiniak Rock White King, my good friend “Big Daddy” Dave Jones, Unalakleet River Silver, Unalakleet River
Grayling, Kenai River Morgan Dip Netting and Tylers King's.