Open Thread – Velvet
I wasn’t going to tell you this, but I find myself feeling compelled to, simply because it was so alarming, and such a close call for our friend.
I almost killed Brian. At least that’s what it felt like at the time. I was coming up the driveway and I must have startled him eating willows and he bolted right in front of the car from out of nowhere. I slammed on the brakes – gravel flying – terrified moose eye staring – tires sliding – and missed hitting him by about six inches. Anyone living with moose in the area will tell you that a car/moose accident is bad for the moose, but it’s also bad for the car, and the driver. It’s kind of like hitting a big hairy wall. It was quite an adrenaline-pumping moment. And you know how in the split second before a potential accident like that, your braine has a million thoughts? Well all I could see was an obscure article buried in the pages of the Anchorage Daily News “Blogger Killed By Mascot in Own Driveway”. And I’m happy to report that even in my moment of panic, I was able to get a millionth of a second of a chuckle out of the irony of it.
Luckily, an obituary wasn’t necessary for either one of us. It was not our time. And I have now cut my driveway speed down to a crawl, just in case.
So as I crawled along today, I noticed our friend off to the side, munching happily away on the dark green late-summer salad bar. And then I got confirmation from the moose himself that summer was indeed in its last days. The coating of soft velvet that covered his antlers from spring up until this point is now coming off.
It’s an awkward bend in the eternal cycle of the seasons. The skin and hair that cover a moose’s antlers will naturally come off every year, and the even it usually marked by lots of thrashing around and rubbing of antlers against bushes, tree trunks, or whatever else it takes to get the stuff off. There’s usually a little blood, and big hanging sheets of velvet which the moose will actually eat sometimes.
When the unpleasant process is complete, all that remains is the bony center of the antler, which, after rutting season, will fall off, allowing the moose to conserve energy, save more calories, and enter the exhausting winter season with two less things to worry about. It is the shedding process which distinguishes antlers from horns.
You would think that with all the moose I have around here, that I would occasionally find an antler to keep as a found treasure. But I’ve never found one. I’ve been told they get eaten by mice because of their appealing high calcium content. I don’t know if this is true, or even if mice like calcium, but I guess I’ll have to believe it because I have no other explanation.
In any case, soon the rut will be on and Brian will be extra feisty and unpredictable. Stay tuned.
Lovely to see Brian again. He looks great!
glad for the good outcome …my car and a poor moose where not so lucky a few years ago
, we also had some close calls, truly a scary experience !
I’ll “pray” for Brain. Quoting Hunter Thompson:
It was a perfectly rational motion–and that was the flaw, because a man on the scent of the White House is rarely rational. He is more like a beast in heat: a bull elk in the rut, crashing blindly through the timber in a fever for something to f__k. Anything! A cow, a calf, a mare–any flesh and blood beast with a hole in it. The bull elk is a very crafty animal for about fifty weeks of the year; his senses are so sharp that only an artful stalker can get within a thousand yards of him . . . but when the rut comes on, in the autumn, any geek with the sense to blow an elk-whistle can lure a bull elk right up to his car in ten minutes if he can drive within hearing range.
The dumb bastards lose all control of themselves when the rut comes on. Their eyes glaze over, their ears pack up with hot wax and their loins get heavy with blood. Anything that sounds like a cow elk in heat will fuse the central nervous systems of every bull on the mountain. they will race through the timber like huge cannonballs, trampling small trees and scrapping off bloody chunks of their own hair on the unyielding bark of the big ones. They behave like sharks in a feeding frenzy, attacking each other with all the demented violence of human drug dealers gone mad on their own wares.
Thompson, Hunter S. Rear and loathing: on the campaign trail ’72.” New York: Warner Books, 1973. Page 380.
FEAR and loathing……
Sleepers.
Whew! Thank heavens both You AKM and Brian are safe. Personally I have to crawl the 10 feet from my own driveway, neighbor’s lovely cat Slinky likes to sit under my truck to stay cool. So, I’m a nervous nelly.
Wondering. If you can’t run across many moose antlers normally, WHERE did Joe Miller keep running across all them moose antlers to toss around in his ad? He acted like all the moose were littering the planet.
Most likely it was a moose meat factory where they keep moose in pens to grow the meat and slaughter them. So Sarah can buy her moose chili kits. Kinda like the fenced in hunting trips that Dick Cheney loves so much for the “sport” of it.
Ya know, I get so tired of hearing about SP’s moose chili. Folks in the Lower 48 must think Alaskans don’t eat anything else! And with the question recently brought up by Vanity Fair about her hunting skills (or rather non-hunting) I wonder why fish is never mentioned in their diet. Todd is a fisherman, after all. Ummm, salmon in all it’s various ways of preparation can’t be beat! When my son started kindergarten in Bethel, he hated sandwiches – his favorite lunch was a hunk of baked salmon with Pilot Bread!
Todd might not have a halibut or king crab license, but those Alaskan delicacies are mouth-watering, too. I suspect it’s not so pleasing or “Mama Grizzly” like to be pictured hauling in fish and shellfish. Oh, what I’d give to have some now!
now Tigerwine… we KNOW y’all don’t just eat Moose up there!! We know y’all wait for the great Caribou Migration, and everyone stands in line and shoot them as they run past so you can have your winter meat….and that Alaskan women spend the winter chewing on the hides to make it supple , cuz that’s how y’all get your clothes made…chortle… y’all need to send more hides over to Sarah’s, ,, if she had more hide to chew, there’s be less words coming out of her mouth !
benlomond – I think you are right, need to send more hides over to SP. No wonder she looks funny in all those un-warm clothes!
Thanks for the explanation! I had no idea they grew moose like that.
Holy Cow…”Todd Palin palls around with White Supremacist Blogger”:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/37102_Todd_Palin_Pals_Around_with_White_Supremacist_Blogger
The writer of this posts rightly takes a look at who the Palin’s consider acceptable to sit down with.
Yikes! Having any connection whatsoever with this lunatic is a clear demonstration of the Palins’ true feelings towards the country and their fellow citizens. Did they think that it was okay to meet with him because his name happens to be McCain? And, obviously from the photo, the meeting was quite friendly. Sheesh!!!
“… and defended the Confederate system of slavery as “cordial and affectionate.””
I suppose if you consider beating, hanging and raping your slaves as having a ‘cordial and affectionate’ relationship, then he is absolutely correct.
This guy makes some of the right wingnuts look sane!
We should all bookmark this link so if Sarah does declare it won’t “disappear.”
I find it so distasteful that she tried to discredit President Obama during the ’08 campaign as befriending terrorists when she and Todd entertain someone such as Robert Stacy McCain. Seems to fit right in with the AIP, Tea Party and ultra-right wing of the Republican Party though, so I am not all that surprised. What does surprise me is that there is a photo of him on Todd’s snow machine. Is there any way to verify that it is Todd’s because I can hear the denials forming as I write this.
Save a screenshot…bookmarked links can turn up “not found” later.
I had a deer run into the side of my car during dusk one evening years ago.
The thought that popped into my mind? Other then, Oh, sh-t?
My mother will never believe this!
In 1970s Pennsylvania, the state used to reimburse drivers for damage when a deer ran into the side of the car behind the front tires. Unfortunately it was such a common occurrence that it became too expensive an endeavor and the funding dried up. I remember being a kid and wondering why the deer didn’t look both ways before crossing.
My brother-in-law had a deer jump through his open driver’s side window a couple of years ago – quite a shock to both! Injuries to both also, along with the vehicle. I guess the deer was jumping over the truck, but missed.
lets hope that some hungry hunter does not use your information to
shoot “brian”. a little misdirection would help “brian”???
That must have been an awful couple of seconds! I am glad the both of you avoided injury.
Temps are only going to be in the mid-70′s today! A gift! By Monday we are going to be back in the stinking humid 90′s, but that is two days away.
Have a wonderful day, everyone.
Whew!! That had to be quite the adrenal rush. The Universe wants you to stick around awhile. Much work to be done! Thank goodness you’re both ok.
Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!
and if you’ve got Monday off from work, thank a Union member!
(we’re not thugs, no matter what old whatzername says)
AKM – Glad you both are OK!! Also glad to know the difference between horns and antlers – never knew that. Thanks for the info!
Well. You explained a lot of things I have always sort of wondered about…difference between horns and antlers. Sort of thing that doesn’t keep you up at night, but lingers in the back of the mind like those thoughts you can’t quite put your finger on!!
Speaking of collisions and near misses, what is the story or scuttlebutt on this 9/11 deal in Anchorage with the king and queen of lies? I’m worried…Todd speaks, Sarah plans an Iowa trip, Beck tries to take over yet another important anniversary. This is an odd pattern. No idea how Bristol’s latest publicity crab fits in, but it got to somehow.
Nice company the Palins hang out with.
http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2010/09/four-limp-dickheads.html
Do-dah, more evidence of the “the company they keep.” Wonderful. If nothing else, it might start to seep into the consciousness of those who are tempted to vote with the Tea Party of Republican Party in November but don’t want to consider themselves racists or be seen as one by their peers. Am bookmarking this page as well.
Thanks to OMG and Valley_Independent for catching these revealing posts!
No one has picked up on the fact the RS McCain is sitting on the “Mystic” branded snow mobile.
Let’s not forget to remind folks that Mystic is owned by CITGO=Hugo Chavez!
Nothing like a secessionist sponsored by the dictator the right just loves to h8.
What will be interesting to see is if the Palins decide that they want to distance themselves from McCain after this little kerfuffle or if they’ll stand by their new friend. Sarah is too thin skinned to let things go. If this association gets more press, what oh what will she do?
She’ll double down with a photo op.
Wow, Brian, what a rack! And I know what that feeling is like when something runs out toward you… impending doom! I’ve never had a moose, but there have been plenty others. Luckily, I generally don’t hit things, nor do I run over road kill if I can avoid it. I figure it’s best not to add insult to injury, or death.
I save at least one large snapping turtle a year crossing the roadways here. A few weeks ago, on a very busy road, I had traffic stopped in both directions as I shoved a really big (probably 11 inches across the top of the shell) and nasty creature across the road. I have learned not to try and pick them up to move them. When they whip their head around to kill you, their whole body flies out of your hands. And my thanks? It whipped around and tried to bite my ankles and feet several times. I kept telling it I was trying to save it’s life, but snappers are notoriously nasty critters. Still, worth saving. I love turtles.
Good Morning! Thanks AKM for the lessons in moose and the wonderful pix!
I posted this on the last open thread, but did not know if anyone saw it. Scary people!
Tell me again, which religious radicals are the terrorists?
.I recently saw a History Channel program about Joshua’s campaign to conquor Canaan for the Israelittes… the ancient Jews were indeed a bloodthirsty people, slaughtering an entire city, etc. NOT exactly great neighbors to have back then…
Glad to hear Brian and yourself ok from the “Close Encounter” ! I nailed a deer last fall, and one co-worker had one literally go flying over the top of his car when he struck it… they’re not exactly the smartest critters about “Stop and Look both ways before crossing the street”…
I did not watch that program, but people should know two things. First, according to non-fundamentalist biblical scholars, the Book of Joshua is not reliable history. It was composed many centuries after the events supposedly occurred, and was based, at most, on legend. Second, in ancient warfare, massacring enemy peoples (at least the males) was standard practice, if the conquering people intended to possess the land and not merely exact tribute from the inhabitants. If the ancient Israelites did it, they were not particularly “bloodthirsty.”
Yes, I am a Jew, and I am very sensitive to generalizations about “the Jews,” ancient and otherwise, with good reason. Unlike most Jews, I was raised as a liberal non-Jew, so I have been on the other side of the fence. Those raised in American Christian culture assume that the Bible — the Christian “Old Testament” — defines “Judaism” and “the Jews.” It does not. While the Bible is the religious heritage of the Jews, the Bible only partly defines the “Judaism” of Jesus’ time, and what we today call “Judaism” is largely a product of the first five centuries of the Christian era.
I have come to see that most American non-Jews, whether or not they are believing Christians, see “the Jews” and the modern state of Israel through the prism of the New Testament, in which “the Jews” are portrayed as Jesus’ adversaries, hypocrites who do not live up to God’s expectations. I see no other explanation for liberal/progressive condemnation of Israel for human rights violations which are nothing compared to those perpetrated by her adversaries, and for their selective historical perspective in which Israel is held to standards applied to no other nation.
For example, no one suggests any “right of return” for the millions of ethnic Germans who had lived in the former Soviet Union peaceably for generations and fled the Red Army in 1944-45. Nor does anyone remember that in the 70′s, Jordan killed many times as many Palestinians as Israel ever has — look up “Black September.” Following the 1967 war, Israel would have returned the West Bank to Jordan in exchange for peace, but Jordan refused to assimilate the Palestinians, and when it did make peace with Israel it abandoned the West Bank and the Palestinians as Israel’s problem. No one demanded that Jordan make the Palestinians equal citizens with democratic rights when to do so would have destroyed the Jordanian monarchy, but now liberals demand that Israel give up its Jewish character in order to assimilate the Palestinians into its democracy.
I am sorry if some find this to be an offensive rant, but why did benlomond2 choose to mention the “bloodthirsty” ancient Jews of three millennia ago? What relevance does that have to anything? What about the modern Palestinian Arabs who murdered Israeli Jews and proudly displayed their bloody hands before cheering crowds in Ramallah in 2000?
I am not calling benlomond2 personally an antisemite, but non-Jews are blind to the antisemitism that is built into Christian culture (as well as a pro-semitism that pities “the Jews” as long as they remain underdogs and victims). I say “enough already.”
Genug! Basta! Assez! Some of us do remember Jordan’s attitude toward and murder of the Palestinians. My grandparents came here for religious freedom. For me, that also means freedom from religion, should that be my choice.
And I know benlomond2, and he’s no antisemite.
ALL religions and races have their EVIL side. Only the Almighty Father knows the heart. Abraham’s line and the “church” seem to have the most problems with each other. They harbor the most hate. They want to establish their authority over ALL others.
As a citizen of an imperialist nation, I feel it is important to get it into the sunlight while I still can. We are a product of marketing. Fascist, Neocon, Zionist, Dominionist, Fundamentalist, Crusader – whatever extreme aggressive agenda du jour- you only see the side of those controlling the message. The MSM will only run with the script it is given.
Take a good look to see who controls the money and the oil. Who profits from this constant chaos and keeping us in fear? Who is moving in on whose territory and lives? What peoples are being oppressed and demonized? It is usually hard to back away from the virtual world we inhabit. We are ALL flesh and blood. We all breathe the same air and have the same Creator. We want the same things – life, love, peace.
The enemy is spiritual, not flesh and blood. The spirit of evil inhabits the aggressor. Remember Cain?
For a rant, that’s pretty cogent, Chaim. Thank you for sharing with our mudflats friends.
Our benny’s no anti-Semite, and I’m sure he meant no harm and will learn from your response.
thatcrowwoman / Ora Beruriah Shoshannah
Great to hear you both averted a disaster. Great to hear of your respect and admiration for Brian the Moose too. I have to contrast this piece with $arah’s moose hunting BS and Joe Miller’s advert where he’s standing there in his brand new flannel shirt holding a moose antler that’s hidden behind a tree. They are so laughable.
Have a safe and wonderful Labor Day weekend, AKM. You have earned it. Thanks for the insight into moose-dom. Glad you are both safe! May you and yours have a refreshing holiday.
I was the 5th car behind a MC accident today. Chrome everywhere, smash silver car, man lying in the road, no helmet…people were calling for the lifeflight helicopter. It never came. I never saw the ambulances leave either. I am not sure, but I think he was probably a DOA.
A few months ago I was the car in front of the guy who hit the Amish horse and buggy. With his father kneeling over him, the 8 year old boy who flew out of the buggy died.
Glad you are both safe.
Everyone, please, slow down, be aware, turn the damn cell phone off, don’t text -ever. Accidents happen. Do your best not to cause one. Drive safe. Be safe.
Having turned around & gotten out of there, I missed the emergancy vehicles leaving. Hopefully everyone will be okay.
Have a SAFE holiday weekend everyone!
NEW BERLIN — One person was taken by Life Flight to Geisinger Medical Center after a crash Saturday morning in Union County. The accident happened on Route 304 at Red Ridge Road between New Berlin and Mifflinburg. Union County 911 says one car and one motorcycle was involved. One person was taken by Life Flight to Geisinger, and another taken by ambulance to a hospital. The accident happened just before 9:00a.m. and crews are working to clear the scene. More information is expected to be released at a later time.
We’ve had a no-cell-phone-while-driving law here for some time but the governor just signed a no-texting law last year. It was prompted in part by the horrible crash in 2007 that killed five young girls from Fairport, NY. They were on their way to a lake cottage to celebrate their recent high school graduation when they crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer. All five girls were killed. Four of their friends in a car following them witnessed the awful crash.
The investigation found that text messages had been received and sent on the driver’s phone moments before the crash. Although it will never be determined if she was the one texting, it is suspected as the reason for the accident.
There are no messages or conversations urgent enough to sacrifice five young lives.
I witnessed an accident just outside my home the other day, a truck tried to change lanes and collided with a car. The car went airborne and landed in someone’s back yard, knocking down the fence. All the people were in their twenties, and they were pretty shook up, but okay.
The next day, there was a 4-car pileup outside my office in rush-hour traffic.
Slow down, watch where you are going, and be nice to other drivers. Those people in the other cars are somebody’s loved ones.
I agree, Paula. Daddy was a physical therapist, so folks who didn’t wear helmets and/or seatbelts helped put me through college…and some who fell off their platform shoes, also, too.
I don’t leave my yard over Labor Day weekend ever since 1985 when I got hit by a drunk driver on the highway. She staggered away unharmed, but I had such a seatbelt burn across my chest, and extensive back injuries…my first ambulance ride followed by years in physical therapy and pain management…meh…might be the root of this “non-specific degenerative neuro-muscular disorder,but it’s not MS” as the doctors tell me in one breath. I’m still standing…and walking…and swimming…and biking…and living and breathing, so every day I wake up is a good day in my mind.
Slow down. Focus. Drive safe. Be safe.
L’Chaim. To Life.
Soooo glad, AKM, that both you and Brian are safe and sound. He does have a particularly handsome set of antlers this year!
Some years ago I was caught in a ‘critter jam’ in Yellowstone in late September. There was a large open area to the left of the road where I saw an old bull elk run off a young upstart who was foolishly attempting to steal part of his harem. The young bull decided that a hasty exit was probably a smart thing to do and started running toward the road. Unfortunately, he ended up in the opposite lane right next to my car. Because all of the cars were stopped and sitting bumper-to-bumper, I couldn’t move anywhere, and he couldn’t get past us. Frustrated at being blocked from reaching the field on the other side of the road by the long line of vehicles (and mine in particular!), the elk started spinning. I sat there, holding on tightly to my steering wheel and trying to figure out how to word the accident report for the car rental company (assuming I was still able to hold a writing implement).
‘Car was crushed by a hormonal, rampaging elk.’
He finally managed to squeeze through the foot-wide space between my car and the one in front of me. I stopped muttering all the bad words that were flying out of my mouth, took a deep breath, thanked any and all higher powers that I was unharmed, and parked at the next rest area until I stopped shaking!
what a great story Leenie. so glad you were not injured.
leenie, great story! We had to explain to a rental car company why there were claw marks all over the side of our car when we returned it, once. A bear wandered into the parking lot of the restaurant where we were eating, and saw something in the car that it needed. No food at all in the car. Maybe the Queen CD? Anyway, he/she did his/her best to get it there, before giving up.
The rental people wanted to know why we didn’t chase it away.
“The rental people wanted to know why we didn’t chase it away”
I suspect because you were smart enough to realize that claw marks on the CAR were a lot better than claw marks on YOU!
Back in the late 80′s we had the president of a very large company as a guest at our mountain lodge. A suitable luxury vehicle was required for his use while he was with us and since no such vehicle was available locally, we contacted a dealership in the city who happily supplied one gratis. Off went the president on a solo exploration only to return shaken a couple of hours later with very slight damage to the front end of the vehicle. Apparently a moose had darted across the road in front and just clipped the vehicle. Our guests main concern and puzzlement was for the ‘wet brown stuff’ splattered across the front of the vehicle. Needless to say, our gales of laughter were reserved for later.
Glad that you both escaped intact!
It’s rather strange how moose tend to run IN your way rather than OUT of your way. I’ve had only one encounter similar to your own. The look in their eye is both fearsome and testy — kind of like a Gotcha look! Is it a challenge — definitely for the Driver and his/her brakes. Gladly, mine worked well but not my heart. What a sinking feeling.
How about a moose picture calendar this year? Would love that.
ADN puts out a moose calendar every year of their favorite pics.
http://www.adnstore.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/0D0201/product-id/36988082.html
From 9-2 LATimes
“More than 29.2 million people watched President Obama’s address Tuesday from the Oval Office, in which he talked about the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, the Nielsen Co. reported Wednesday. It was carried on 11 networks.
That was more than twice the size of the average for the Emmy Awards on Sunday night, which was the highest rated program on television last week.”
also…HuffPo 9-3
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-ostroy/sarah-the-quitter-palins-_b_704604.html
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come close to hitting deer, elk, moose, etc. I’ve learned to drive extremely defensively and cautiously during those peak times of poor light and high animal activity.
Brian is growing quite a tall rack. I hope he minds his manners when the love hormones start flowing!
Mice do love to eat antlers (and horns – which are different from antlers mainly by not being shed every year) for their calcium content. When I was living in Flagstaff during my post college years I used to walk the country club golf course in the fall to look for shed elk antlers. I could get $20 a pound for them. I once even found a matched pair, which I sold, and I wish I could have saved them – quite a nice set, but being young, broke and virtually homeless, a huge elk rack wasn’t something I could tote around with me.
So, it’s very hard to find a rack after the winter. Best time is fall and early winter.
Hugs to you and gorgeous Brian, have a great end-of-summer weekend!
as I recall, you had another lead foot occasion in recent past…please be careful! we need you and your family does too!
akm!! glad you and Brian are o.k. i love your pictures and stories about Brian. have a great weekend everyone. be safe and sober….o.k. never mind. just be safe.
And just when I’m searching for a driving school for first-time older drivers!! Glad you and Brian are unscathed, AKM, and as usual, the photos are delightful. My sister’s former car was trashed by a rampaging deer. The deer was OK, the car was beyond repair.
Great reminder that when we drive upstate for the blended family barbecue (bf’s daughter married in May, and her MIL invited both families and friends to her home), we have to watch the road!
I don’t watch late night TV, but Bill McKibbon visited David Letterman this week, and the clip is well worth watching. The link was forwarded to me by Care2:
http://www.care2.com/causes/global-warming/blog/letterman-and-climate-change/
Letterman’s memorable line: “Well, thank you for scaring the crap out of me.”
Everyone, be safe this weekend. Remember, it’s not about sales at stores where everything is made in China. It’s about the American worker. Health and peace.
I second that emotion, Zyxomma.
Around here, we are especially cautious in the twilight hours, early and late, when deer are prone to run into the roads.
Full dark, you’ve got to watch for armadillos, who see a car and jump straight up in the air…which is Not Conducive to their survival. (Why do those armadillos cross the road?! We have 3 generations living under/around the barn. Plenty of fire ants to chow down on here. Pretty cute, eh?)
http://img29.imageshack.us/i/lilarmadillos.jpg/
I just came back from a quick trip to the bank. It is 62 gorgeous, sunny degrees with a brisk breeze. After a week with temps in the 90s and suffering through the first few days of school with no AC but lots of sweaty, stinky little kids (and staff!), I was absolutely thrilled to wake up this morning and actually feel a little chilly.
It’s supposed to rain later today, but after lunch I’m going outside and doing a little happy dance on the back patio to celebrate this lovely weather! Little Rabbit, whose favorite new snoozing spot is my lavender patch, is welcome to join me since he’s been very conscientiously following Leenie’s Garden Menu for Bunnies rule: weeds and grass are fine but no flowers or veggies allowed.
Have a delightful day, all my mudpup friends!
Seems as if the best and brightest, clearest and most beautiful days are right after a nasty storm passes. The hurricane clipped us, but nothing to write home about. Today? Perfection.
Well if you ever do find the fallen antlers, save some for your dog. they make a good gnawing toy plus helps keep teeth clean. . .and the added bonus of high quality calcium. . . .
OK – here’s my moose vs. car story. We were driving from Homer to Anchorage in almost white-out conditions. Don’t remember where we were exactly, but there were steep banks to the road on both sides. You know how quiet it gets when it snows, when slowly, taking its own good time, this moose decided to cross right in front of us, and leisurely climb the opposite bank. It was surreal. My husband and I just looked at each other and wondered “Was that real?” It was almost like a ghostly experience.
ooooohhh…definitely a Kodak Moment !!! ( uh-oh,,,dating myself !)
As someone who lives in the home of Kodak, I appreciate the reference, even if it is a tad dated!
D-UH !!! … in my best Homer Simpson voice !
we have sooo many deer here in iowa. our grandson—–home for a visit, was hit by a deer . the deer jumped out of a ditch and tried to jump over the car. however, it missed –hitting the drivers side door and left front fender. our grandson wasn’t injured, but the deer broke it’s neck.
living across the street from our city park–we see deer every evening, they also visit our back yard. they love flowers!!
This is an interesting interview with former US Senator Chuck Hagel and his criticism of the GOP and the current crop of 2012 hopefuls:
http://www.washdiplomat.com/September%202010/a1_09_10.html
Very interesting article. I didn’t know too much about Hagel when he was in the Senate, but I always had respect for him. He seemed to make decisions based on reason and thought instead of blindly following the party line. Of course, all of the Republicans like that have been drummed out of the party in the pasr few years or have become flip-floppers in a desperate attempt to keep their jobs.
OMG – thanks for the link! I love the quote below:
“For now, however, Hagel remains an anti-abortion, pro-business, pro-gun Republican. Nevertheless, he makes no effort to hide his disdain for the current crop of potential presidential contenders, especially those (he’s looking at you Sarah Palin) whom he accuses of championing a dumbed-down, “Hee Haw” articulation of American values.”
HAHAHA – Hee Haw articulation!!
AKM – the headline from your head shows how humor rules your world!
I had several near misses since I drove Turnagain Pass often in the winter, but only one was close enough where the moose and I looked at each other’s scared, widened eyes as his legs flew up in a spin to avoid hitting the car. After leaving Southcentral and moving back to Southeast, it was several years that I looked for moose eyes on roads (we don’t have them here). It becomes such an ingrained habit that it remains one for a very long time. Due to that learned survival trick, I can spot the few deer we have on the roadways long before anyone else even notices. The Sitka black-tailed deer are tiny by deer standards, and micro tiny by moose ones – they wouldn’t stand a chance.
I miss moose. I was just up visiting in moose country and found I really missed them. They kept me and my dog company out in the country, watchful but never too close. They taught my dog how to bark.
Moose are just about totally non-reflective in car headlights, until they look towards you.
Everyone get on Act Blue, Daily Kos and Facebook / Twitter and show support for Democratic candidates in your district and out of your district!
I’ve donated to both Jack Conway and Scott McAdams and just remembered I must donate to Tarryl Clark.
We gotta close this enthusiasm gap before the Republican take the House or Senate back in Nov and shut down the government. I am not even remotely putting it pass these people to actually go thru with this insane plan!!
I agree aussiegal especially after watching 8 minutes of jaw dropping stupidity and insanity.
All I can muster is OMG & WTF!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUPMjC9mq5Y
OMG and WTF. Can you just imagine that being broadcast around the world as typical of rill americans.
ARGH!
I’ve seen several videos produced by this team from NewLeftMedia and I am continually amazed at the ignorance of people who attend these TP rallies. I have tremendous respect for this young interviewer for his calm responses to the blithering idiots he’s interviewing. He is never disrepectful but often asks follow-up questions or discloses facts that are usually met with blank stares and stuttering by protesters who suddenly realize that they sound like fools when asked to elaborate on their talking points.
They were also at Beckapalooza:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht8PmEjxUfg
And at a Palin book signing last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKKKgua7wQk
All they needed to do was put a microphone in front of these people and ‘teh stoopid’ shined through!
I suppose it should not be surprising that people who take the bible as literal truth would also take literally the government’s use of words such as ‘czar,’ and ‘army.’
This is incredible……I am speechless….
Looks like you guys in AK get a reprieve for now – good news, eh?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/interior-secretary-ken-salazar-offshore-oil-drilling-arctic-poll.html
Glad to hear ya both are ok I had an encounter with a heard of deer,late spring and I was on the back of a motorcycle ,no helmet of course.I just thank God the driver had very good reflexes.We came around a curve and there they were crossing a back road.We slid sideways but were able to stop in time.I tell ya my heart went to my feet.Must have been 15 or 20 deer coming from a swampy area.
You’ve all heard me b!tch about the little cute lawyer who’s trying to unseat my Congresswoman, Carolyn Maloney, in District 14. Wayne Barrett of the Village Voice published an excellent article about why Reshma Saujani is must to avoid:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2010/08/reshma_saujanis.php
“Instead, Saujani decided she was ready to become “the youngest woman in Congress,” as her campaign literature in the September 14 Democratic primary race against Carolyn Maloney proclaims she will be. Having spent the last five years at three hedge funds that blew up in scandal or speculative overdrive, Saujani insists she should represent Manhattan’s eastside and parts of Queens in the House on the strength of a bio that features felons and foreclosures.”
There’s more. District 14, keep Maloney in Congress!!
Happy Labor Day, health and peace.
Sorry if I am repeating a bit of news everyone has already seen, but just came from one of my email accounts where I opened a note from Rep.Grayson of FL which every Alaskan should read and consider carefully.
Please take note of the following information because I believe it bears directly on the importance of stopping Joe Miller because he is a Koch brothers candidate. The following is from Rep. Grayson.
“In 1999, Koch Industries was indicted on 97 counts of violating the Clean Air Act, and related criminal laws. Why? Because Koch’s Corpus Christi oil refinery had dumped 91 tons of benzene, a carcinogen, into the environment.
“Four Koch employees faced up to 35 years in prison. And Koch was liable for $350 million in fines.
“It didn’t look good for Koch. But 2000 was an election year. So Koch dragged out the case, and spent $900,000 to help get George Bush and other Republicans elected. Not to mention doling out $20 million to right-wing think tanks, which churned out anti-Gore propaganda.
“And guess what? Two months after John Ashcroft was sworn in as Bush’s Attorney General, the Bush Administration settled the case for less than six cents on the dollar. John Ashcroft – the best Attorney General money could buy. The money that Koch spent on the 2000 campaign bought Koch a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card.
“David Koch learned an important lesson about government in 2001. If you can’t beat it, buy it.”
Very important…thanks for the info.
I had a houseguest this summer for two weeks. She is from Seattle, and was stunned to learn that she had to check the yard for moose or bears before letting the dog out. I live near a busy street. but behind me is a greenbelt and we do get wildlife. I had to explain to her that my dog survived a moose stomping a while back, and is still scared of them.
She could not wait to go home and tell everyone about the ‘scary animals’ here.
I was in Anchorage in February. Friends who picked me up at the airport had to stop on the way into town because there was a moose making its way across the highway.
I’ve been on walking trails at Kincaid Park and near Valley of the Moon when a moose-y would be standing in the middle of the trail. Nothing you can do, but wait for them to move. It can be scary for some reason; being unsure what they have in mind.
Pretty much anything that is high in minerals, or protein, or fat is a welcome high nourishment feast for animals and smaller orgasms and also plants. Even vegetarians with grinding type teeth will sometimes grind away on bones. Since a lot of vegetarians like horses have teeth that continue to grow they can become over large or the hard outer enamel can become spear like when the dentine wears away. So bone chewing may help grind down the sharp points that can sometimes be left.
Glad to hear Brian ad you are OK
AKM, glad you survived your close encounter with Brian. Interesting info about moose antlers; I wondered what happened to the velvet coat. So rutting season is near? The females get pregnant now and have to winter over trying to sustain both themselves and the baby(ies)? My lack of animal husbandry knowledge is absymal, I admit. Anyway, I feel sorry for them if that’s the case. Be careful of those hormone crazed males; we want you around for a long, long time.
Having had my share of heart stopping encounters with moose on the roads in AK. One that i can relate is the one that was actually funny. Driving my cab one wet and icy winter evening. My passenger an i were on the airport access rd when a mother and yearling stepped into the road! now stopping was out of the question so i avoided the yearling but was headed sideways towards the mama. My right front fender was going to hit her rear legs. Just as we came to a stop was when her legs hit the fender she sat right on the hood and fender and just slide off…. As her butt came off the hood she just stood up and walked away. My passenger and i laughed so hard i almost wet myself.
There was not a dent to be found. I am sure inquiring minds want to know that NO there were no skid-marks down the hood!
Ha. That’s a great story. During my one year in Alaska, I did a few a few moose slaloms on the road between Clear and Fairbanks, but I never had one sit down on the car — I always chose “drive into the roadside snowbank”. Figuring that whatever happened to the car, at least I wouldn’t have an annoyed moose ten feet away.
Is it just me, or is Brian giving us a bit of the ole stink-eye there in that middle picture?
Glad you both survived relatively unscathed…
I’ve been unplugged all day, so heading back up-thread to read the comments.
L’Shalom, y’all.
Thanx again for the important natural history lesson.
I have some questions. I need some direction.
Can we quit dissing these folks and look forward? (I am not a Pollyanna when I say this.) We have our work cut out for us and not too much time. I read thru most of the comments here and currently trying to extract BIG SIGN material for next Saturday. Be glad for some input. I would like to focus on “whites only lunch counters” and “work place discrimination”. The Grey Panthers can handle Social Security privitization and ending Medicare/Medicaid. Surely plenty of people have something to say about ending unemployment insurance and the federal minimum wage.
What is happening in Anchorage/Alaska on Monday, Labor Day? I heard Shannyon (sp?) mention it one day but have neither heard nor read anything more. Unless the event is in Homer I can probably participate. Please advise.
Personally, I have had a very hard time going out in public since I lost my job last December. Interestingly enough I became one of the “old, blue haired ladies” helping to manage a polling place in Anchorage on August 24th. A grueling day. Now I’m having an even greater hard time being out among people because how that vote is tallying. I’m not sure who needs more direction, those who nominated the TEABAGGER, or those who didn’t bother to show up.
Shame is a terrible element of abuse. Shame on you Alaska registered voters. I’m sure that you are anxiously awaiting the distribution of your PFD. Do you even know how and why you get this?
I can empathize with you about being out of work, and he feelings that go with that.. I was out of work for 5 months when this recession started— and for someone who has been called by headhunters most of his career, it was a VERY unnerving time…but the semiconductor industry has downsized and sent most of it’s jobs overseas over the past 10 years…one tends to attach their identity to their profession, and when that status changes, (especially with a family and medical bills) the tendency to stay home is pretty strong, not to mention cheaper ! Good to hear you got involved with the elections, and you are continuing to do so… hang in there, it can only get better…it WILL be tough; but it does finally work out..( I’m in a different industry now, .. a bit less pay, but better benefits, so it does work for the better sometimes)
(((((((((((PINWHEEL))))))))
hoping all goes well for you and yours.
((((Pinwheel)))
I empathize. I am losing my job of many years at the end of this month. Trying to stay positive and feeling some of the excitement of trying something different while freaking out about bills. Don’t hide away. Your tribe is here. Get out there and mingle with the world. you never know what soulmates you will find.
The best part of losing my job will be not having to interact with Teabaggers all day.
I do understand the shame part though. I go to work every day now knowing that the powers that be do not want me there. And facing the idiots who walk up to me and say “Are you really leaving?” To which I reply, “not by my choice”. Please god, don’t let Miller get elected and do away with unemployment. Some of us are going to need it you di*kweed.