Weekend Review

The week I spent at the Moose Center was amazing. Not only did I fall in love with the babies, but I learned about some new stuff about wildlife biology and I got to meed some cool people. The babies were sick most of the week with dietary issues, but I think that by the time I left it looked like they were getting better. I hope they are still doing okay.

Going back to the office was kinda difficult. It was just so much fun to get to play pioneer girl for the week at the moose pens. Their volunteer house was a real live log cabin complete with gas powered stove, fridge, lights and an out house. I was pretty much channeling my inner Laura Ingles Wilder and loving it. I don't know how much I would have liked it come December, though. Probably better to get out before the first big snow.

To beat away the work week blues Heather, Charlie and I took a half day off work that turned into a whole day to go clam digging. Again I found myself calling forth a version of myself from a past life, this time bringing out my inner hunter-gatherer. Equipped with a shovel and pail, we headed out to Clam Gulch on one of the biggest tides of the month to scoop up some dinner. 120 clams later, I learned that the hardest part of clamming is not the hour or two digging clams, but the entire afternoon and evening it took to clean them. Not only is it time consuming slow work, but the clams' feet move even after they have been cut into little pieces.

Regardless of the traumatizing cleaning experience, they sure tasted good and I feel like I am starting to earn my Alaskan stripes.

Just a quick update

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. Still no internet at the house. Just a summary of what I have been up to...on the 4th I went up to Anchorage for the day to meet and visit with a friend of a friend who was super nice and showed me all around Anchorage. It was great to see the city and to get to meet new people. We went to Kaladi Brother's Coffee, Tidal Wave Bookstore, REI and the Anchorate Museum, so all in all I would call in very Alaskan trip to the city.

At work I have been mostly reading up on salmon and environmental ed. stuff, and going out to the fish weirs every chance I get-I like getting out of the office. I am getting really good at mounting fish scales on cards, and I have even been getting brave enough to be the one to get into the cage and wrangle the fish, although I feel bad when I have to take the scales. The guys promised that it doesn't hurt the fish, though.

Last Saturday I went on a fishing trip to Seward with a few people from work. We spent to whole day out on Resurrection Bay. I caught 2 Coho (aka silver) salmon, a pink (aka humpy) salmon, and a rock fish (aka sea bass). Pretty good catch. It was a great day not only because we were all catching fish, but because the bay is beautiful. There is a ton of wildlife there too. We saw sea lions, puffins, and even a hump back whale. I have a few pictures of the trip up in my Welcome to Alaska album.

Right now, I am at the Moose Research Center where I am helping out for the week taking care of 4 baby moose. This means feeding them, cleaning up after them, taking them on walks, and even the occasional trip to the lake for a swim. They are really adorable, and since they are going to be research moose, we want them to be as habituated to people as possible, so that when they are older, it is easier to do think with them (like take blood or corral into a pen). I have already taken a ton of pictures of the babies and I have posted a few of them online in their own album. I am sure I will have more to say about the moose as the week goes on, and a bunch of more pictures.