SPIN #4 (SP Interesting News)

FIRE
"As of 8:00 p.m. July 15, the Evacuation Watch for residents of Two Rivers along Chena Hot Springs road between Mileposts 16 and 27 has been lifted," writes the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center (AICC). Hooray!! Our fire is now 57% contained at 84,475 acres. The fire continues to grow slowly to the east and northeast into State recreation land with few people or structures. Our west side is 100% contained. But we remain vigilant.

According to Ray, who is the manager of AICC, our Stuart Creek 2 Fire is now the #1 fire (biggest and baddest) in the US. That's a title we certainly didn't want.

VISITORS
Sunday was a first for SP Kennel. At about 10:30 AM a luxury coach (big bus) drove down our mile of dirt access road, into our gravel driveway to the narrow trail at the Skunk's Place sign. Out climbed the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Baseball Team, 30 young men, and their coaches. The Pilots are a college summer baseball team headquartered in Anchorage. They are among the finest players from colleges throughout the US.


The Pilots' 'luxury coach' couldn't quite fit.


The Anchorage Glacier Pilots with Aliy and Mac.

So our team of canine athletes got to meet this team of human athletes. The humans learned a bit about sled dog training and racing. The canines learned that baseball players give pretty great back scratches.

Athletes' mutual admiration.

Three hours after they left the kennel, the Pilots beat the Goldpanners 9 to 1, in the last game of a weekend series. Great job, guys! We'd like to think that SP Kennel helped get you psyched for the game.