It's so exciting to see "spring" finally arrive. The snow has receded, buds are forming on trees and things are pushing up from the ground. After a long winter of hibernating in the house I've got my hiking shoes out again and I'm hitting the roads and mountain trails.
The most convenient place for me to walk is on the mountainside above our house. The incline is a good workout for my muscles as well as my heart. As I walk I like to look down at the tracks and droppings to see what kind of animals have passed that way. There are a lot of deer tracks and their droppings and even coyote tracks visible in the muddy spots and across the remaining patches of snow.
Yesterday, in a little clearing some distance up the side of the mountain and overlooking the river and highway below, I came upon some moose nuggets. Having quite a history of moose encounters in Alaska, just the sight of them increased my heart rate even more than it already was. Horrifying memories of being chased and treed by angry moose flashed through my mind. I suddenly realize how vulnerable I was...out in the wilds, all alone, without my shotgun. I also suddenly realized that I needed to visit a restroom immediately!
If you've ever had to avail yourself in the wilds you know that logs can be very helpful. And the only log within sight was one on a little outcropping with a great aerial view of the of the highway.
I am still hoping that no binoculars from below were trained upon me during those next few moments. And as I left the scene I made a mental note to always, always, always, carry a Kleenex, a napkin, a rag...ANYTHING! in my pocket.
The most convenient place for me to walk is on the mountainside above our house. The incline is a good workout for my muscles as well as my heart. As I walk I like to look down at the tracks and droppings to see what kind of animals have passed that way. There are a lot of deer tracks and their droppings and even coyote tracks visible in the muddy spots and across the remaining patches of snow.
Yesterday, in a little clearing some distance up the side of the mountain and overlooking the river and highway below, I came upon some moose nuggets. Having quite a history of moose encounters in Alaska, just the sight of them increased my heart rate even more than it already was. Horrifying memories of being chased and treed by angry moose flashed through my mind. I suddenly realize how vulnerable I was...out in the wilds, all alone, without my shotgun. I also suddenly realized that I needed to visit a restroom immediately!
If you've ever had to avail yourself in the wilds you know that logs can be very helpful. And the only log within sight was one on a little outcropping with a great aerial view of the of the highway.
I am still hoping that no binoculars from below were trained upon me during those next few moments. And as I left the scene I made a mental note to always, always, always, carry a Kleenex, a napkin, a rag...ANYTHING! in my pocket.
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