Finally, after all our adventures coming down the river, the Regatta was drawing to a close for us.  (Actually, we went down MUCH faster this year--as the Chena [River] was so much higher---due to the rain. . . .) There is this this sort of "fork" in the river, where, one can go to the left, and into the end of the race in a sort of "bay" at Pioneer Park---or, one can go to the right, and continue down the Chena.  I believe the next stop is Nenana---about 60 miles down.  (We joked about that---if we weren't able to make the turn into the Park.  :) :) )

      Although we could barely stear our boat, we were able to make it into the left "fork." There, we got into some turbulence, and spun totally out of control, and for a surprisingly long time.  (I was (and still am :) ) positively *DUMFOUNDED*--that we didn't wreck into anyone.  Without control, trust in God.  :) :) :) :) :) )

      FINALLY, our nose was getting pretty near the shore.  A harried, and exhausted, young man came around the side, and said something to the effect of, "I've towed you this far---but I'm not towing you anymore." Our visiblilty towards the front of the craft was SOO bad--that none of us even knew we were being towed!!  We all mumbled thanks and apologies.  Then, the younger (and more daring) of us hopped out---followed by some anxious doggies.  :)

      The two on the left in the foreground are my advisor, Dr. Antonius Otto, and Dr. Dirk Lummerzheim, who is on my committee.  Show also on the right are "Little Beavis" (It's probably preferred that he be called "Xander." :) ), Eric, and his wife Casey.   Shown also in the background is the dashingly handsome captain, and Rosie.  :) :) My advisor was "extremely critical" of my participation in the Red Green River Regatta.  However, when he saw the boat, I think even he was swayed a bit.  :)



      These are like, the peeps that share my office, 'n stuff.  Shown from RIGHT to LEFT, are . . . Fred, who works on magneto-tail something-or-other; Eric, who works with the cusp (a region of converging magnetic field lines at either the north or south "magnetic poles"---I not infrequently say that he, "Looks like he's on the 'cusp of new science.'" That was probably pretty funny---the first 104 times I said it, or so. . . .  :) :) )---and "Little Beavis"--who is a child prodigy who works on quantum field theory.



      Our craft beached---with Heather in the wheel:



      We joked that Heather, running in the wheel, produced one "Heather Power"---or one H.P.  (Hmm. -Maybe ya' have to be a physicist, to appreciate that one.  :) ;) )



      (Our dean, Dr. Joan Braddock, is shown in the background.)

      Continuously producing one H.P. can be pretty exhausting:



      :)

      Jennifer, the dashingly handsome captain, "Bubbles," and Heather---taking a well-earned rest. . . .



       . . . Ya' know--I keep looking at the captain, in such a complimentary position, and thinking: "Better than mortal woman deserves, eh?" :)

      I don't know who this is. . . .  I suspect it's Dr. Price.  Regardless, it really "sets the tone" of . . . just how exhausted we all were.  :P



      At this point, I was faced with a choice.  As captain, I should be the one to go see the governor.  (If one wins [any prize], one get one's picture taken with the governor---even with a population of only something like 650,000, it's still quite an honor.) Or, I could stay put, and be interviewed by the TV crew.  (They had said that they wanted to interview us.) I made a "command decision---and Ro-Sie :) :) :) :) and I headed off for the park's main pavilion.

      Well, as it turns out, I was too late for the governor---AND, by the time I got back, I had missed being interviewed.  I missed out twice.  (Probably just as well---moderately autistic peeps generally don't interview well, 'n stuff.  :P ;) )

      Some chick getting interviewed: Mostly I added this one because of the almost surrealistically cute doggie in the foreground:



      :) :)

      On to more pics of the Regatta aftermath.