Nor was the work over then.  The next day, we had to clean up the work site.  The Parson - dudes (and dudettes) insisted on helping me with this.  The Parson dudes are beyond cool.  :) -I had to do this all by myself last year, and it sucked.  :P

      I was soo tired from all the weeks of work I had to do on this year's entry--that I felt a certain satisfaction, throwing all these things in the dumpster.  However, I felt a pretty solid pang, throwing out the following:



      This is actually a part of the previous year's entry.  It was one of the "wheels" that I cut.  I have a "meatspace ablity"!!  -I can cut round wooden wheels with a saber saw!  -Had it not been for my participation in construction of our craft for the 2004 Red Green River Regatta, I might never have know that.  :)

      Quite some time after that (November 1st, 2006), our grand prize "winning paddle" (Winners of the Red Green River Regatta are presented with a custom[-made] paddle.  :) -You can't imagine what it means to me--to *FINALLY* have that paddle. . . .  :) ;) ) was placed on display in the "physics booth" at the NSF (Natural Sciences Facility).



      Some time after that (April 13th, 2006), we were able to put in a trophy that "Bubbles" had won, and post a little from the physics department's page on the Regatta:



      Now WHAT could "Bubbles" even *POSSIBLY* win a trophy for??!!  :) Well, take a closer link:



      Mystery solved.  (This trophy was mailed as a Christmas gift by Laura's younger sister Grace---it's gotten no small amount of attention since.  :) ;) )

      I have to get a link up about that.  It's a story in itself.  :) :) ;) ;)

      Well, I guess that that is about it.  I hope you've enjoyed this little "virtual sojourn" at the 2005 Red Green River Regatta.  This next year's should be even better: It will be the tenth annual---and it is even rumored that Red Green (a.k.a. Steve Smith :) ) will be making an appearance.  (!!!!) (He used to show up for some of the earlier ones.  They had a competition to see who could make the tallest tower with some sort of rods and a roll of duct tape--and raced belt sanders down the aisle of a local hardward store.  -Now, can you think of anything "more Alaskan" than that??  :) :) ) So, if ya' wanna' compete--just remember to get your barrels early.  (The dumpsters get more and more heavily scrounged as the event approaches.) And oh, yeah! Make sure you get your duct tape well in advance.  Even with the major stores in town stocking up specifically for the event (I'm completely serious.  :) ), you can't get duct tape for the month of the regatta in this town.  :) (One roll is required by the rules; I believe our craft used 17 & 1/2 pounds.  :) )