Category Archives: Alaska

Our Subarctic Denizens around Thanksgiving

During the past week or so we haven’t gotten any new snow, so the tracks have been building up. Sunrise-to-sunset time is about 5 hours, so there is little daylight during which to see (in real time) who’s been passing. Our resident snowshoe hare has been dashing everywhere. We first saw it in the latter half of October—it stuck out so boldly, white against the snow-less landscape, that we could even see it after dark. This species has only recently colonized our neighborhood, probably drawn by the increasingly open woods as aging aspens have fallen. Until now, we have not had one actually spending time in our yard. It seems to love to run on the deck. Of course we call it Thumper.

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The Last Supper

At least that’s what Rose called it as we planned and made it. We’ve had this jar of canned Mystery Meat since 2002. We rediscovered it a few months ago, and I left it on the counter threatening that we’d cook it up and eat it one day. Because I didn’t get a moose or any other big game this year, that day has finally come.

Rose suggested that we make sure our wills are up to date, and that we leave a note for the coroner to make their job easier. So I began this post.
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