Ramy is leaving out of Takotna at 6:47 a.m. (give or take a few minutes). For those of you wondering why he's not leaving at 4:07...remember, Ramy left in first place. You have to add 2 minutes for every place you leave ahead of the last musher. 80 places time 2 minutes (time between starts) is 160 minutes, or 2 hours and 40 minutes.

The Alaska Public Radio Network had a profile on native mushers last night, mentioning three that were in the top 20. They neglected to mention Ramy. He's the top native musher in the race right now. Part of the reason that Ramy mushes dogs is to call attention to the old Native way of life. Modern society is bringing advances in technology, sanitation, health, and economics. Change is good, but we risk losing our appreciation for the traditional way of life of our ancestors. The Iditarod is one of the few major events that focus on the historical roots of Native Alaska. It is a heritage that all Alaskans, native or not, can be proud of (even the odd Montanan - right Doug!).

Ramy is doing a *FANTASTIC* job. Dee Dee has received a lot of attention for her young team, and focused on making this a building year. Ramy reflected yesterday that only two of his current team are veterans, the majority of his athletes are two year olds. His team is looking excellent and they are definitely contending. They are going to be on top for many years to come! (Editor's Note: We love Dee Dee and would LOVE to see her come in second. We were rooting for her to win last year while Ramy was out winning the Quest)