Something we’ve always done on Alaskan road trips – Critter Count. It promised to be especially fun this weekend as hubby moose and I were going to Homer to celebrate our anniversary by taking part in some of the Homer Shorebird Festival.

We had not even gotten 10 miles away from home when we had our first encounter with Alaska’s wildlife . . . one – count it with me – one moose.

Hubby moose and I were talking – I was trying to figure out what a new building is – hubby yells – MOOSE! – I swerve (in time) – we hear a thump – I look in the rearview and see said moose hoofing it across the highway. No injuries there – hubby encourages me to pull over to see if there is damage to the car and also to make sure there is no blood-gore-hide, etc. left on the car. (in which case we would have notified Fins and Feathers dudes to come look for the moose)

This is what we found:

moose damaged door 

looks like we got high kicked – scratched the paint by (probably) fore hoof. Want a closer look?

close up moose damaged dor 

There was no blood, no gore, no fur – so no call to Fins and Feathers dudes. Hubby moose and I consider ourselves blessed that this was no worse than it was.

Further down the road (still within shouting distance of our house) we saw three caribou – on the other side of the road from us – AND – off the road in the field.

CRITTER COUNT:

Moose = 1

Caribou = 3

Miles driven = (maybe) 15.

Hoo-boy . . . this trip promises to be much fun.

Oh – and just for the Boy, whose mama will definitely understand the sentiment:

crkseal 

hahahahahahahahoohahahahahahahaha

More next time – be sure to tune in to see what other critters we were blessed to see.

And, yes, hubby moose and I had a lovely trip – we are exhausted (way too much fun!) – and we are very glad we took the time off work to go on to our neighboring town to the south – aka The End of the Road.

In looking back over the last year (posts and memories) I see that I have both come a long way and stayed in the same spot. But, even in the staying I am growing. So I think that peace is a good word to describe my inner being today.

This day – 38 years ago – hubby moose and I tied the knot. We were young(er than some – we were 19) and “in love” (most likely “in lust”) and so ready to be out in the world on our own.

Just a few months later two big events happened: (1) hubby moose was called to the draft office (yes, back in the days of the Vietnam war and draft) where he was sent home with a big red x on his belly and stories to tell  about the draft docs who laughed and laughed at his bird legs and big belly and thus the final indignation of a red x and a 4F status; (2) we discovered the same week that I was going to be a mama.

Big changes in our lives were about to occur. Our first nine months of married life we had big adjustments to make – getting to know each other better and getting to know this little person coming into our lives.

People from the late 60s often don’t make it this long in a marriage – in their first marriage – in any marriage. We are a rarity from our own high school classes.

I am asked often how in the world we have done it. Hubby moose and I shrug our shoulders and smile. It’s simple, really:

1) We were never on the same page at the same time to end this marriage. There have been times (what marriage doesn’t have them?) when one of us was ready to walk out the door and never come back. But the other one of us was not willing to see it end. Eventually the “whatever” blew over and we continued on.

2) Plain old stick-to-itiveness! Call us stubborn, call us mule-ish, call us whatever. It basically boils down to this – we go to bed married each night and we wake up married each morning. Sometimes it is as simple – or complicated – as that. We just keep moving on one day at a time.

(more…)

They’re awake and they’re hungry. Keep the bird feeders in and garbage locked up.

If you are squeamish, don’t click on the button. This is how it really is – we are always cautious this time of the year.

Okay – I’ve tried several times to embed the video and it won’t so click here.

Why the bird feeders you ask? Bears can make a big mess of them – suet, seeds, everything – and it draws them to your house – just like the untended garbage does. Too many bears have to be “put down” because of idiot humans.

I don’t believe the above bear was – it was just doing what bears do – eating after a long winter’s nap.

:moose: You’ll note that the moose was NOT purple. I know when to stay inside. (and no, it is not my footage.)

Here is a mini tour of the old and the new . . .

looking in the door 

this is looking into the old office. I am standing just at the door –

looking out of the door 

and this is looking back at that door – I’m standing at the window.

Now . . . welcome to the new digs.

come on in to the new digs

again – standing at the door. You can tell already that it is bigger, right?  The flowers and balloon? From the Boy, of course. Awwwwwwww. (and they smell so good!)

moose corner 

This is the unit next to that door. My moose family (seen in the last post) are happily settled into their new home. I hung prints of some of my favorite pictures. And, you may have noticed that the desktop picture on the computers in BOTH offices has one of my pics.

and, last but not least – I canNOT go anywhere without my grandbabies

grands central 

I have two (count them – TWO) bulletin boards in my office. The first one I set up has all of the grands and other special folks on it. (the other just has the overflow of important, but boring paperwork) 

Come on up and I’ll give you a tour – for reals.

 

officemoose 

So, Friday was moving into the new office day – whee! Here are my office moose getting a ride in my chair to their new digs. The receptionist and I had been kidding all week that we knew it would be for real when the moose parade began.

8) :moose:

So, I got everything moved in, I think. My grandbabies are back up on the wall – gotta have the babies to look at you know! And, I have the moose in their special corner along with my special pictures.

Oh – I also got my paperwork and such moved in. I’ll still have to go back to the other office from time to time to catch up with the stuff I’m still required to do from the old job. Not sure how long that will last – my boss and I have an open door on it – if it gets to be too much for me to handle I will talk with her. She will likely advertise for that position sometime soon – just don’t know when. 😉

Oh – and check out the Moose Squared

msesquared 

from a pattern found here.

I tell a bit more about it over at knitting passion – yes, there will be purple, too, eventually. Heh.

Hope you have had a great weekend.

:moose: