“Winter and ice may not be the most comfortable of seasons compared to spring or summer, but it has its own beauty. The frozen water droplets encase foliage, buildings, and rooftops, forming their own version of deformed gargoyles and stalactites.” We are half-way through multi-block now and the sculptures are progressing. The sound of chainsaws can be heard today, now that most patterns have been transferred. They haven’t taken on their unique lives yet but that magic spark isn’t too far away. The blocks are slowly being maneuvered into place. Joan Foote, the official head of sculptor support, told me today that some teams carve the entire time with their blocks in their final position while other teams carve various aspects of their sculpture and when completed, have the pieces lifted into position. Team six has what looks like a giant yeti emerging from a giant tower of ice. Team one has various parts of their sculpture scattered around their site. Team three has arranged all their blocks into a solid long wall and will be carving directly into the wall. It is interesting to observe all the different techniques used to create the same goal. There were many visitors in the park today. Lots of people were enjoying the games available in the “game room”, especially ping pong and checkers. The chess board has suffered a slight set back. The chess pieces stick to the board and several of the pawns have broken when force was used to move them. The pawns will be recarved, and a sign will go up saying to use the provided spatula to loosen the pieces before attempting to move. There were many visitors in the gift shop today and I noticed there have been several bids for the silent auction. There has been one fantastic addition: Alaska Railroad has donated two round trip tickets between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Stop by the fairgrounds, watch the competition progress, check out a slide and bid on an exciting prize.