Your Morning Moose – Brian Returns!
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Brian the Moose. This weekend he paid quite a visit, and I learned several things about him that I did not know before now.
#1) Brian does not like coffee.
As is his wont, Brian made a trip to my compost pile, hoping, no doubt, for a frozen apple core or two, or some nice leavings from my juicer. Instead, he found my most recent addition to the pile, a giant mound of coffee grounds. I watched, with wide eyes, imagining what would happen if Brian discovered he liked coffee and consumed 10 or 15 filters full of the black stuff. I was beginning to form a mental picture of Brian jacked up on espresso and what havoc might ensue, when I realized that after sniffing curiously for a minute, he decided against it. This was fortunate for my car, my windows, and the dented swing set which had already been the victim of Brian’s hijinks on another occasion.
Brian contemplates coffee.
#2) Brain knows yoga.
I refer specifically to the “downward facing dog pose” or in this case, modified to be the “downward facing moose” also known as “salutation to the snow”. If you’re a human, don’t try this at home. Your elbows are not meant to work that way.
Brian does yoga.
#3) Brian is intrigued by window washing.
Every time Brian shows up and I try to shoot a picture through the window, I realize to my dismay how many smudges there are on the glass. Most of them seem to be at dog nose height for some reason. So, while Brian was entertaining us with his yoga demonstration, I quickly grabbed the Windex and began cleaning. The second Brian caught a glimpse of me wiping the window, he swung his big head around, got up, and trotted very quickly right up to the window and stopped with his giant nose about an inch and a half from the glass. I actually fell over backward from a squatting position, and sat there agog as Brian stared at me from less than a foot away. Wow. He has very long eyelashes.
Brian hearts clean windows.
After he lost interest and went back to snuffling through the snow, looking for frozen treats, and nibbling a bit of grass, I started cleaning the window again. Same thing. Whipped around, marched right up to the glass and stared. Very weird! Remind me never to vacuum in the presence of a 1500 pound ungulate. Not worth the risk.
Got Windex?
As I said, it’s been a while since Brian paid a visit, but this was definitely worth the wait. I can’t ever remember quite such an entertaining time with a moose. And before he left for parts unknown, I did manage to snap a shot of him looking all majestic and un-goofy. This is the one he’d put on his e-harmony page.
Majestic Brian at Sunset...
Name: Brian
Age: 4
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Best feature: Long lashes
Occupation: Forager
Hobbies: Yoga, stealing playground equipment, chasing dogs, making nuggets
Favorite food: Apple cores, juice pulp, fresh broccoli
Dislikes: Coffee, Sarah Palin, bears
Loves: Clean windows, warm summer days, bark, camping out, anonymous bloggers with compost piles.
*Wonderful* pics of the mighty Brian!
If I’d seen that face staring back at me, I’d have fallen on my backside, too. That’s more imposing (on a personal level) than the majestic eharmony pose.
So glad you shared Brian with us
Nan
Precious!
I could kiss that snowy nose!!
Wow, fantastic pictures.
I think you were lucky that Brian didn’t like coffee!!
Wow. Make sure Palin the Predator or any of her minions don’t spot Brian:-)
Oh, how wonderful!! Thanks for sharing. Sarah just better not “field dress” our Brian, along with polar bears, beluga whales, wolves, etc.
LMAO…that’s so funny. I love that snowy nose shot. Thanks for the chuckle. I needed that.
Just a thought: can you put picture #2 on a bag or mug? It might be a big hit…
How sweet! Can you call a giant moose a cutey?
Brian for governor 2010!
I think Brian is way cool! Gotta love the snowy muzzle. Brian is a very smart moose as well since he doesn’t like Palin.
How to keep moose out of the garden…clean windows on the other side of the house and a barricade of coffee grounds sort of like using copper to keep the slugs out. Serious mounds of coffee might be necessary…
I liked the idea of Brian for Governor–in fact, you should set yourself up a cafepress store. I have one (it’s free, and I’m sure you’d have many, many customers). I could see a whole line of Brian Gear. Actually, I can–and what a wonderful inside joke for all t he mudflatters! Brian could become a cult hero!
On another level, I used Brian shamefully–I sent a link to your wonderful, hysterical story to all my republican friends and relatives and I DIDN’T TELL THEM that this is really a political blog. Sneaky, huh? I’ll get them brainwashed yet, with Brian’s help!
Having lived in Maine for 4 years while stationed about a CG Cutter there I’ve had several run-ins with moose. The most interesting was while driving to work one fine morning and seeing a huge rustling in the brush off to the side of the road. Thankfully I wasn’t driving fast and was able to stop as a huge momma moose came out of the woods and stopped right in the middle of the road.
After about 30 seconds of staring at each other I noticed another rustling and then a little mooselet came stumbling out from the brush and crossed the road, insuring to keep momma moose between it and my car. It was a really a neat interaction seeing how momma moose took care of her young by acting as a crossing guard on the road.
I miss Maine and all the wildlife now that I’m stuck in Maryland.
Enjoy your times with Brian….
Brian is to cute
How about some Brian the moose t-shirts and coffie mugs in the mudflats shop? Oh yeah he doesn’t like coffie. We could have him field dressing Sarah Palin on one.
I LUB IT!!!!!!!! Hilarious – he looks like he’s laughing:) I love that downward dog pose!
Welcome Home Brian.
that is freaking awesome! Perhaps next time, hand a carrot out to him? You may be the first person in Alaska with a pet moose.
I am amazed that he is drawn to the activity in your house. That is just so cool. I love wildlife.
I heart Brian—Thanks!!!
Ok am I the only one that looks at the close up smiling picture of Brian and is reminded of “Bullwinkle”? LOL
wow, those pictures are awesome.Thank You
OOOH forgot to ask…why “Brian”? is there a story behind the name?
UPDATE FROM NUNAM IQUA!!
Before I start (LOL ok before I cut and paste and update from anonymousbloggers) I have a request!!
I have a family here that is completely out of food. I did manage to give them 2 boxes of food from the food drive yesterday but I was hoping that their might be 2 or 3 individuals/families that might adopt them for the winter. This is a family of 10. There is an elder, 3 adults, and 6 children in the home. Please email me if you can help them. (nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com)
Ok now the update….
you can view this update including the picture at:
http://anonymousbloggers.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/update-from-nunam-iqua/
UPDATE!!!
February 2, 2009
To date we have distributed well over 1000 lbs of food to over 30 families here in Nunam. I will go to the post office today and collect what has come in since Friday and let y’all know where it came from and the total weight.
Reactions…
Everyone is extremely happy and thankful for the help!!! When we handed out over 700 lbs on Thursday I was getting sooo many thanks and a couple of people actually HUGGED me they were so happy.
After the first load of nearly 100 lbs came in back on Jan. 24 I went to Eskimo Dance Practice and talked to everyone that was there. I shared a couple of letters included in the boxes. Also I showed a picture of a couple of boys from Bothell, WA. In the picture they were in front of the boxes they had sent holding a map of Alaska pointing to where Nunam Iqua was. The boys were really happy, and on the back the mom stated that they were really excited about being able to help.
Everyone at dance practice was amazed at where the donations were coming from. I can’t wait to tell everyone that I got an email over the weekend from NEW ZEALAND!!! A person there contacted me wanting to help. NEW ZEALAND can you imagine????
Before I mentioned that the Seattle Times had contacted me because they had read it was either here or anonymousbloggers.wordpress.com about Nunam receiving packages from Seattle. After asking permission from Kath the Scrappy from Seattle she emailed them back and also provided a lot of information about all of your efforts here on mudflats and anonymousbloggers.
I haven’t heard back from CNN yet. She, Mallory Simon CNN, is gathering as much information as she can to learn about the YK Delta and do a story/report on the area and how to help. Right now we are addressing cultural concerns before we get to specific questions. Also Dennis, emailed me and I forwarded it to Ms. Simon letting her know that he has lots of video of Emmonak.
I have answered nearly 300 emails now from people wanting to help or needing more information. Ok some of those are from the same people like Martha and AK Pi but there have been lots of interest.
As far as local reaction to SP’s lack of reaction, I can’t answer that. I avoid the politics involved, I am more concerned with getting families fed right now.
How long is it taking for packages to get here. Well it took 3 days for flat rate priority packages to arrive here from Houston, TX. And about the same for them to arrive from Honolulu, HI.
I am working on the story that Martha mentioned. It might take a couple days to get it up. My daughter, CC, is getting a cold, so that will limit my time online. So now I am a full-time SAHM since hubby went back to working on Nunam’s Water/sewer project. Ok maybe not FULL-TIME since I work on the Food Drive from home LOL
Well, speaking of which, CC just woke up. Gotta go!!
Talk to y’all later!!
Ann Strongheart
Nunam Iqua Food Drive
c/o Ann Strongheart
P.O. Box 7
Nunam Iqua, AK 99666
nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com
UPDATE!!!!
Ok y’all update time….
Got 5 more boxes of food!!! Can’t give you a weight they aren’t putting weights on a lot of the flat rate boxes. Maybe it’s too depressing for the USPS to know how many lbs they have to ship for that flat fee?? LOL
We received boxes from:
Cleveland, OH
Reed City, MI
And Anchorage, AK
Additionally, I received invoices from SPAN Alaska that showed that donation orders were shipped out on Jan. 23 and Jan. 28
These are donation orders from people in:
Loxahatchee, FL
Centennial, CO
and
Gresham, OR
Those orders total weight is 214 lbs totaling in over $750 from 3 individuals!! QUYANA!!!
The SPAN orders haven’t actually arrived but they are on their way!!!
I am simply OVERWHELMED by the help/donations/support that everyone is sending to lil ol’ Nunam Iqua!!
Also I noticed at least one family received a box while I was at the Post Office. I just happened to be there at the right time to notice them carrying out a flat rate box.
Again, QUYANA CAKNEQ!!!!
Ann Strongheart
Nunam Iqua Food Drive
c/o Ann Strongheart
P.O. Box 7
Nunam Iqua, AK 99666
nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com
During summer, a friend of mine had two moose staring into her bedroom window while she and her husband were reading in bed. They heard funny grunting and heavy breathing noises, looked through the screen, realized they were being curiously watched by these two moose. Funny animals. Thanks for the Brian chronicle. Great photos!
Is Brian doing the yoga thing or is he mooning Sarah Palin?
Cover it up, dude. And clean up after yerself, too.
Please AKM, let’s have a Brian Coffee Mug!! What a handsome fellow. Thanks for sharing the photos. Yeah, I think he is mooning SP!
How adorable. I will have to forward the Brian the Yogi, to my yoga teacher, and Brian the laughing window inspector, is just to funny. I’m glad you also caught a shot of Brian in all his glory at sunset. Good photography, AKM. Hope you didn’t have to mop the floor, after the first close-up. I’m sure I might have if a moose got that close and personal to my door.
What a great way to start my day: a well written and heartfelt story about a yoga-practicing moose! Thank you, AKM, for your wondreful sense of humor and excellent photos of Brian. I agree with the idea of having a mugshot of Brian on coffee cups.
If I got Brian as a match on EHarmony, I’d go for him. He’s not only gorgeous, but also he eats healthily – lots of fruits and vegetables, and loves neat things. Thanks for the descriptions and great pictures.
you should write a childrens book about brian..
He’s so cute! Love him! Has a real “person”-ality!
@yellowdoggranny,
Yes, yes! Brian and Brenda…”The tale of the Missing Swing Set”.
“Yoga Made Simple” by Brian the Moose.
“Mystery of the Nose Snow” starring Brian, AKM’s pet moose.
I can see it evolving into a whole book series…LOL and then… a children’s TV show on PBS to rival Barney! “Brian the Moose and his Alaskan Adventures”.
Fun stuff.
he’s beautiful. if it is just as true for moose as it is for people, he has a stellar soul. i envy your friendship but love that you share him here with all of us.
magnificent! thank you so much for those pictures of Brian… am passing them on to my family
beautiful photos! and I hope your gov isn’t nearby or it will be Brianburgers!
AKM ! Awesome post! Brian does Yoga! Brian at the window! Wow…wonderful story…appreciating the wonderful wildlife and taking pics of them!
I think Brian mugs and maybe tote bags would be a hit! He is awesome and cute, and those eyelashes…Wow! And come right up to the window to see you! I wonder if Moose is your “totem” animal??
Wow, I picked up the book and flipped right to the page! Yeah!
Medicine cards: Moose
“the bellow of a male moose can be viewed as a positive force,since it represents his feelings to “tell the world”
Moose medicine people have the ability to know when to use the gentleness of the deer and when to activate the stampede of Buffalo. They understand the balance between giving orders to get things done and having a willingness to do things themselves.
Moose medicine is often found in elders who have walked the Good Red Road and have seen many things in their Earth walk. Their joy lies in being teachers and giving encouragement, this is not to say that moose medicine people do not use their medicine to warn as well as give praise, because they do, Moose medicine people know what to say, when to say and to whom.
There is much more, but I would say, Moose is your Totem animal AKM! Often times you will have a magical experience with a totem animal. I would say your above experience with Brian qualifies as such!
i’ve just sent the former love of my life, hubby, a set of marching papers.
am now in the process of applying to eharmony with the express hope of meeting up with brian.
does brenda have any say in this matter ?
That’s amazing. I think Brian came up to the window because he thought you were waving at him. Here you thought you were washing the windows!
Look at that smile. Too cool.
fawnskin mudpuppy (09:23:05) :
i’ve just sent the former love of my life, hubby, a set of marching papers.
am now in the process of applying to eharmony with the express hope of meeting up with brian.
does brenda have any say in this matter ?
_______________________________________________
Heh heh…very funny:-)
I keep coming back here to look at the snowy nose picture… his droopy lower lip makes me smile. He’s smiling at you AKM. He loves you! and I agree that perhaps he thought you were waving at him! LOL
I’m going to concur that there should be Brian coffee mugs. Not those little ones, but a big 5 cup holder.
OT, but I bet Brian could do a better accounting job than Palin did:
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/budget_cuts
Ripley in CT (10:03:05) :
I keep coming back here to look at the snowy nose picture… his droopy lower lip makes me smile. He’s smiling at you AKM. He loves you! and I agree that perhaps he thought you were waving at him! LOL
I’m going to concur that there should be Brian coffee mugs. Not those little ones, but a big 5 cup holder.
__________________________________________________
Heh heh…that size is better to slosh all over my keyboard when I read mudpups’ humor:-)
I love the pictures and your story about Brian.
I found your site before the election and really enjoyed it. Now I keep coming back because I always find something positive to smile about!!
OT but – So happy you are receiving help with your outlying villages. I am volunteering for the first time this week-end on a Habitat for Humanity project. We all need to take President Obama’s challenge to give something back.
Keep up the good work AKM. Love this site!!
Smiling sno-nose Brian is now my desktop pic.
Oh, Brian, you sweetie pie.
Thanx for the pix.
All the arm motions to clean the window were probably deciphered by Brian as “Hey, Moose…Come over here!” ;o) He’s clearly saying, “Well, what do you want?” in those pictures!
I never tire of watching moose. Bears…those you can have.
brian is wonderful! it is clear that he considers akm ‘s house to be his home base. please stay safe and beautiful dear moose. you are a good fellow,you are…b
BrianPAC – next AK Gov!!!
Tongue in cheek observation on seeing the back view of Brian:
I was honestly wondering if this was indeed a male moose, but I guess guy mooses have the same protective autonomic response to extreme cold involving their reproductive apparatus that guy humans do….
@KaJo (10:53:07) :
Plus, he has antlers, which female moose don’t…
I HEART Brian. I love the pic of his snowy mug!
Thanks for the wonderful pictures of Brian and the oh-so-funny recap of your encounter with Brian!
I just love the Brian updates. I first heard about Brian when I found The Mudflats and he’d made off with your swing set. You should have a separate Blog just or Brian and his antics. Wonderful!
Next time you see him, stand outside and wave like you’re cleaning the window. See what happens.
)
I am dying with laughter – that hurts!
What an absolutely beautiful animal! Thank you so much for sharing. My husband was in Alaska in 2000, his band played the Valdez Civic Center for New Year’s Eve 2000. I couldn’t get away to go with him, but he still raves about the beauty of your state, especially a frozen waterfall a local took him to see.
I am SO jealous! I love moose and have collected them for many, many years. I only have seen moose at a wildlife park (though it was an open area one..not cages like a zoo).
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful pics of Brian!
My guess is Brian walked up to your window because somebody has been feeding him out a window…..I’ve seen it happen in Anchorage. (bad humans!)
Great pics thank you so much for taking the time to show us Brian, he is very handsome.
Also can someone tell me how to find the other story the original one with the swing set, thanks ahead of time,
@Tewise..
go here:
http://www.themudflats.net/2008/09/29/bedtime-in-alaska-open-thread-brian-returns/
this was great:
I did manage to snap a shot of him looking all majestic and un-goofy. This is the one he’d put on his e-harmony page.
LOL!
Hiya Brian!
You would have loved my moose friend “Sweety” who came to my AK house one winter in 1999 and stayed awhile. She liked to lay by my warm dryer vent.
I’d put money on it being the high pitched noises from the window cleaning that made him go .. huh!? Whats that noise?!
Brian mugs (BIG mugs), t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies. . .tote bags – Oh yeah! Sign me up for one of each!
Sorry, everyone, looks like suppertime to me.
AKM,
I think you have a great set of photos to chose from and use on your very own personalized official postage stamps!
Head over to http://www.stamps.com and get 20 stamps for around $18 bucks (that’s what I paid to have my leetle furry lady enshrined on my holiday season stamps).
I would especially recommend the first of the clean windows photos…
Forgot to add…
You can always use the snowy nosed Brian pix for a series of “Brian sez” whenever SWWNBN’d pulls a numb knuckling no-no…
Love the Downward Dog, or was that Downward Moose?
I heart Brian.
I love his snowy muzzle face. And his yoga poses.
I hope he stays safe and hides from the governor’s helicopters. If he becomes mooseburgers…I don’t want to know.
I agree w/CO almost native — Put Brian’s pix on a mudflats t-shirt or sweatshirt. I’d buy one in a minute. Any moose with that good of a sense of humor should definitely have his 15 minutes (or more) of fame. A MUCH better ambassador for AK than that mindless moron who masquerades as its governor.
Ann Strongheart said: “AS FAR AS LOCAL REACTION TO SP’S LACK OF REACTION, I CAN’T ANSWER THAT. I AVOID THE POLITICS INVOLVED”, I am more concerned with getting families fed right now. This just really ticks me off. I say that you should involve the politics and understand that SP has done absolutely nothing to help your village. You need to let the people know as you pass out the food that she has done not one thing to help you out. You need to pay attention to legistlators as to what they are talking about and what type of solutions they are coming up with for your village. Don’t just take what they come up with, be a voice, help them come up with a solution, this is of utmost importance. They can’t help you in the areas that need the most attention if you do not become involved. You need to let them know that when voting time comes around, Sarah does not have your best interest at heart, that you need to vote her out. Pay attention to your poloticians and see who will help the villages the most and vote for them. You need to understand these things (LOL) to grow your village.
Does Brian think you won’t recognize him if he wears a fake nose mask?
Brian is jsut to cute
AKM..thank you for the weather thingy. When I am here thinking that I am cold at 40 I just think about -2.
I agree with everyone else. Brian is just such a character, he always boosts the spirits. AKM, I sure hope you’re collecting/saving Brenda & Brian stories/pictures in some safe place to upload and print out a book someday. You write so well with just the right touch of humor. That book would SELL bigtime, not only for Brian’s Fan Club, the tourists would be falling all over themselves to buy for their Grandkids.
In the meantime, I would settle for buying an I-Heart-Brian sweatshirt and a coffee mug (or a few). These pictures are too comical!
Also, I think Brian’s book should incorporate caligrl’s comment in the book. caligrl, THAT was fascinating (I so loved the book & movie “Clan of the Cave Bear”)!
crystalwolf a.k.a. caligrlNo Gravatar (09:22:48) :
… I wonder if Moose is your “totem” animal??
Wow, I picked up the book and flipped right to the page! Yeah!
Medicine cards: Moose
“the bellow of a male moose can be viewed as a positive force,since it represents his feelings to “tell the world”
Moose medicine people have the ability to know when to use the gentleness of the deer and when to activate the stampede of Buffalo. They understand the balance between giving orders to get things done and having a willingness to do things themselves.
Moose medicine is often found in elders who have walked the Good Red Road and have seen many things in their Earth walk. Their joy lies in being teachers and giving encouragement, this is not to say that moose medicine people do not use their medicine to warn as well as give praise, because they do, Moose medicine people know what to say, when to say and to whom.
There is much more, but I would say, Moose is your Totem animal AKM! Often times you will have a magical experience with a totem animal. I would say your above experience with Brian qualifies as such!
Thanks for another Brian story……..keep them coming.
The last time I was that entertained by a moose was as a kid watching Rocky & Bullwinkle Show.
My daughter’s favorite animal is a Moose. I’m sending this post to her myspace page right away. Thanks for the Brian update!
I make several “visits” to Mudflats every day from Baltimore; I enjoy the writing and the comments. Reading about Brian warmed my heart and made me laugh out loud, especially the bit about his e-Harmony photo. Thank you for lifting my spirits (in light of my spouse’s recent layoff).
Kath the Scrappy from SeattleNo Gravatar (03:06:55) :
Also, I think Brian’s book should incorporate caligrl’s comment in the book. caligrl, THAT was fascinating (I so loved the book & movie “Clan of the Cave Bear”)!
The moose reading is from “medicine cards” book and cards by Jamie sams & david carson.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kath, I will have to check out that movie and book
Whenever I see a animal….. I look and see what “it means”
I would also like to express my condolences on your loss….
Hi Brian! Two of your cousins were in my front yard munching on the willow bushes I’ve got planted there for that purpose!
Hint to AK gardeners about our wonderful Meece – I get my garden going (don’t have a fenced area for it) – then plant kale and cabbage around the perimeter. Our hungry Brians and his relatives generally don’t make it past the “fence” of moose-goodies!
LOVE the moosga (moose+yoga). Let me ask, though – are you sure he’s not at a prayer meeting?
Love the Brian Pictures!
@northofdenaliNo What an excellent idea preserving your garden but giving Brian’s friends a tasty healthy snack. Love it!!!!
AKM as so many have stated we need Brian’s snow covered mug on ya know a MUG. Large economy size so we can fill it up and sit and read the mudpuppy news in the morning. Who couldn’t have a good day looking a that sweet face so early in the morning.
sorry, lol cat has runied animal photos for me…so i had to do this…hope brian doesn’t hate me too much…
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3256667858_cc9a22e0b4_o.jpg
g
omg, Brian is SO CUTE!!!! Thank you for this great piece. ALL HAIL BRIAN!!!!
Thanks for the warm thoughts caligrl! Be sure to check it out, big rage during the 80′s, 4 book series but Clan of the Cave Bear (#1) was the best. They really got into totems.
Oh Brian…you are too much. I’m glad I got to see you, as you totally make my day. G’nite Brian.
*nox*
Me and my friends from West Ocean City , Maryland , would like to know who named him Brian ?