Northland News
June 2000
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
"Local" Moose
The moose cow and her twins who were sauntering through my yard a month ago apparently "live" in the neighborhood. Several times I've seen them walking through the yard, headed for the "glen" (actually a wide ditch at the front of my property along the side of the main road, a ditch filled with horse tails, young birch and aspen saplings, and other delectable -- at least to a moose -- greenery).
The other day, when I hired someone to cut down some dead spruce (now I have lots of firewood and less chance of having my driveway blocked if a strong wind comes up), he said that even while he was at the edge of the glen using his chain saw, the mooses/meese just lay there unconcernedly. For those of you who used to watch Northern Exposure, yes, these critters do ramble through town, yards, and gardens in the Municipality of Anchorage.
The calves are no longer wobbly babies. They are frolicking toddlers now -- if you can call something about the size of a Saint Bernard and weighing about 100 pounds a toddler.
Alaska in June
Meanwhile, I see that in the "natural" part of my yard (the part still designed and tended by God), I have dwarf dogwood and Labrador tea and lots of fireweed. The former two are already blooming; the latter blooms later in the summer and into the fall. I've sprinkled a variety of Alaska wildflower seeds along the driveway (the part of the yard that is sort of halfway between human and godly jurisdiction) to augment the natural. These are perennial (Icelandic poppies, shasta daisies, forget-me-nots, columbine, etc.) that won't flower until next year . . . but then they'll be an ongoing part of the scenery.
The weather continues to be fantastic. Yesterday someone complained that at 74 degrees it was "hot." All a matter of perspective, thinks she who used to work in Livermore, California, where it's been above 100 degrees for the most part recently. But I have to admit to finally digging out a pair of shorts myself. I suspect that next year, after a winter to thicken up my blood, I, too, will complain when the temperatures go above 70!
Oh, and for those of you who are baseball fans, or know I am a Mariners fan, it has been my delight that an Anchorage radio station is part of the Mariners radio network. This means I can listen to every game (and watch most of them) the Mariners play. What a great year to be doing it, too! Looks like maybe a repeat of 1995?
Well, now I have to get out there and scrub out my hot tub, which I emptied today. Then I can refill it and start enjoying it. The cover that came with it weighed about 150 pounds, and I couldn't get it back on once I'd taken it off. So I bought a new, lighter-weight one (less than 50 pounds!). That called for cleaning the tub out and starting afresh.
Invitation is still open to those who come visiting Alaska (as Joanne Horn will be next weekend!); even if you don't actually stay at my place or join me in the hot tub, I am a one-person tour company and Alaska booster!
Return to Northland News index.