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Life in Alaska -- part XXXI


Nanuq

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I just chased a big fattie out of the driveway, he's the biggest one I've seen yet this summer. Nice big strong healthy black bear. Beat it, Yogi!

post-32-131106381867.jpg

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Well, it starts with politely. Let's see if he's reasonable. Most of the time you go out and tell him to scram, and he's off like a shot. If not? Then it escalates.

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Thanks db2, but I try to limit them. It's so bizarre and fascinating living here, people would think I was smoking something if I posted a third of the stuff that happens. So I just put up a snippet now and then.

Like... there's this guy that lives down the mountain from me, and he likes rabbits. So in the spring he gets a pair and lets 'em run around outside and before winter comes, there's tons of bunnies out there hopping around. Then the first snow hits and it's all white with these dark bunnies sitting there thinking "uh ohhhhhhhh". Then the lynx start to show up and every time I drive past there's a lynx sitting there in the brush watching me go past. And a couple weeks later, no more bunnies ... and no more lynx.

Or last week Mama Moose was bedded down in my backyard with her two calves and they were all chillin' then a yearling bull made the mistake of sticking his head out of the woods 50' away. She was on her feet RUNNING after him in a blink, with her calves on her heels. That bull beat feet down through the woods like his tail was on fire, and she was right there looking for blood.

Or the night last winter when I heard a wolf howling in the woods right beside the house. So my favorite wife says "You have to go look, he's injured!" Yeah right. :brow: Injured. A wolf. So I put on my boots and parka and started out into the woods, the snow was waist deep and I'm floundering down the mountain into the trees, toward the sound of the howling. Not a big deal. I get about to where I figure it is, and there's no stinking wolf. :brow: So I stand there a minute and I hear it howl off to my right real close through the trees, so I head that direction. It's cold out, maybe -25F and I'm starting to sweat from the exertion, I get there and the stinking wolf isn't there. :g: So then I hear it howl over the other direction, 100 yards off through the woods. So I head over there, and then get into a little clearing and in the moonlight I see the ground is COVERED in wolf tracks. No blood, just lots and lots of big tracks. :huh: The buggers were playing me. So I turned and headed back up through the woods, up the mountain back to the house, floundering in the deep snow. By the time I got up to the driveway I was exhausted and soaked in sweat, and realized how much danger I just put myself in. That was really REALLY dumb.

That's life in Alaska.

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Thanks db2, but I try to limit them. It's so bizarre and fascinating living here, people would think I was smoking something if I posted a third of the stuff that happens. So I just put up a snippet now and then.

Like... there's this guy that lives down the mountain from me, and he likes rabbits. So in the spring he gets a pair and lets 'em run around outside and before winter comes, there's tons of bunnies out there hopping around. Then the first snow hits and it's all white with these dark bunnies sitting there thinking "uh ohhhhhhhh". Then the lynx start to show up and every time I drive past there's a lynx sitting there in the brush watching me go past. And a couple weeks later, no more bunnies ... and no more lynx.

Or last week Mama Moose was bedded down in my backyard with her two calves and they were all chillin' then a yearling bull made the mistake of sticking his head out of the woods 50' away. She was on her feet RUNNING after him in a blink, with her calves on her heels. That bull beat feet down through the woods like his tail was on fire, and she was right there looking for blood.

Or the night last winter when I heard a wolf howling in the woods right beside the house. So my favorite wife says "You have to go look, he's injured!" Yeah right. :brow: Injured. A wolf. So I put on my boots and parka and started out into the woods, the snow was waist deep and I'm floundering down the mountain into the trees, toward the sound of the howling. Not a big deal. I get about to where I figure it is, and there's no stinking wolf. :brow: So I stand there a minute and I hear it howl off to my right real close through the trees, so I head that direction. It's cold out, maybe -25F and I'm starting to sweat from the exertion, I get there and the stinking wolf isn't there. :g: So then I hear it howl over the other direction, 100 yards off through the woods. So I head over there, and then get into a little clearing and in the moonlight I see the ground is COVERED in wolf tracks. No blood, just lots and lots of big tracks. :huh: The buggers were playing me. So I turned and headed back up through the woods, up the mountain back to the house, floundering in the deep snow. By the time I got up to the driveway I was exhausted and soaked in sweat, and realized how much danger I just put myself in. That was really REALLY dumb.

That's life in Alaska.

You have more like this and you don't share them??? That was one of the coolest posts I've ever read! This man needs his own section!

...except for the part where you were reigned into a clearing with surgical precision by several bloodythirsty wolves... That was uber-cool! ;)

Hey, is it true that you guys can see Russia from there?

:p

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Hey, is it true that you guys can see Russia from there?

:p

Sure thing, here's the view from Little Diomede island, that's Big Diomede island across the water... part of Russia. It's that close.

diomede04.jpg

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Don't forget Alaska was Russia, the reason they sold it to the USA for 3 Babe Ruth cards and a jello sandwich is that they now have a State full on communist spies in America. B)

Ken :animal_rooster:

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Don't forget Alaska was Russia, the reason they sold it to the USA for 3 Babe Ruth cards and a jello sandwich is that they now have a State full on communist spies in America. B)

Ken :animal_rooster:

Only about 150 million, wasn't it?

The question about Russia, though tongue-in-cheek, regarded this article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/01/cnn-sarah-palin-has-never_n_130752.html

Here's the transcript on the 'Alaska' question:

COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia--

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.

Oh that Palin brings a tear to one's eye :)

Edited by subbiesrock
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Only about 150 million, wasn't it?

The question about Russia, though tongue-in-cheek, regarded this article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/01/cnn-sarah-palin-has-never_n_130752.html

Yeah I knew that was why you were asking it. And why I didn't take the bait.

So what do you really know about the Palin and Heath families, other than the wildly popular smears you see on every front page? Likely not much, most folks just regurgitate whatever "news" tickles their political funnybone.

If you'd like to really get to know them or our current Guv Parnell, I'd be very honored to introduce you. I've known them for years and they're fine, fine people. Not at all like the media has portrayed them.

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Nanuq, its possible your wife is trying to feed you to the wolves. :whistling:

And I thought I was tough, duking it out with a snake in my yard last week...

IMG_6719x.jpg

IMG_6720.jpg

That snake has two very un-snakelike right angles in its neck... Did you perchance intimately acquaint it with The sharp end of your shovel?

Ouch... :)

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Ah, what he didn't say is, THAT SNAKE IS 42 FEET LONG!!! EEEEeeeeeeeeek!!! (photos taken from the roof of his garage)

:shock:

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