Beatrice's cousin Rosemary gave Beatrice her copy of The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto* when we were in Chile and it made a huge impression on Beatrice. So much so that she decided to create her own holiday, Balto Appreciation Day, on November 5 to honor Balto.
(We actually wound up celebrating Balto Appreciation Day Observed a few days late so that my family could join in during their recent visit.)
Beatrice wrote a six-act play (five plus an epilogue) that retold the story of Balto. (Originally she had wanted to make the play five-and-a-half days long, to retell Balto's story in real time, but I managed to talk her out of that.)
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| Beatrice gave herself an A+ on this painting of the Northern Lights over an icy landscape. |
Beatrice wrote, directed, and acted in the play as both Balto and the Narrator. She also made the programs and designed the costumes and set. Arthur was cast as Gunnar, Balto's sled team driver, a part he played somewhat reluctantly. Gillian and I were both Stage Managers, which mostly meant we were in charge of making sure the painted backdrop didn't fall down.
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| Beatrice thought it was important that the Narrator be unseen, so she hid underneath the table while doing those parts. |
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| Arthur did not enjoy wearing his Gunnar costume in the 85-degree weather. |
We went apple picking last week, so we used the apples to bake a pie and then topped it with five and a half candles, one for every day of Balto's harrowing journey. Happy Balto Day, everyone!
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| Balto Appreciation Day pie |
* In 1925, in Alaska, the lead sled dog Balto and his owner Gunnar were part of a dog team relay that carried medicine from Anchorage to Nome in time to stop a diphtheria outbreak. This relay later inspired the Iditarod.
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