Imagine the look on my face when Bubba Grump and I were out for our daily morning walk. I decided instead of slipping and clunking over the semi-snow and/or ice covered riverbed, to walk the newly second-cut of hay field. Yes, I said 2nd cut of hay! Up in Alaska we can have snow on the ground and still be bucking bales! (The hay had been cut and literally baled as it was beginning to snow, so WHEW!! The reindeer herd our neighbors have will be happy!) We give our hay to the neighbors in exchange for eggs, moose, and whatever else there is to ‘barter’!!
Back to my surprise. In all the dozen years we have been up here, I have NEVER seen a snow goose on the river. Luckily Bubba was busy chasing after left-over clumps of hay that flew in the breeze, so I walked back and forth over our couple acres along the river watching this amazing creature. Beats ME how ANY creature – great OR small could stay in that water that long!! Wading across last weekend to get the last blog photos was long enough for me, especially after the water had slogged over the tops of my muck boots (even tho’ I had my chest waders with neoprene booties on!  OH MY! That glacier water is COLD!!)
We know the beavers have made their presence known since the flood. Their den was blown apart, so we aren’t quite sure where they are – but they are damaging so many trees our neighbors are thinking of relocating them as they have been all around the area. We’ll see…..I’ve done bear, caribou, deer, elk, moose, all sorts of fish, but I’m not so sure I want to try beaver…….call me chicken!!
But no one better touch that snow goose for Thanksgiving or Christmas or I’ll REALLY be a Scrooge!