Today’s report is going to be serious. No attempt at humor.
It is now 10.50 pm, and I am writing this with some very mixed emotions. Happy and sad together.
Tonight I saved the life of a moose calf.
No lies, embellishments or bullshit, I saved a moose calf from certain death.
As you can see when you open the pix, the female and calf were on the opposite side of the road from me, and I was happily taking some good pictures. The calf decided to trot across the road, (see the pix,) and started eating the fireweed on the side of the road I was parked on.
I was busy taking more pictures, when a white Chevy truck, towing a boat trailer came around the bend, towards me. I immediately started flashing my headlights, but he did not slow down so I jumped into the road, on his side and started frantically waving my arms. As he got nearer, the calf got scared and ran, right towards me, trying to get back to its mother. By this time the driver of the truck had seen me and came to a screaming halt, the calf ran right in front of me and the truck, and skittered off into the bushes, having been missed by a whisker. If I hadn’t jumped into the road, the truck would never have seen the calf, and gone straight into it.
As you can see from the pix, these calves are all legs at this age, and run very awkwardly.
I am happy I saved the calf, or at least stopped it from being hit, but sad because I now see how easily they get killed.
So, my semi humorous report from yesterday has taken a serious, and personal, turn.
I know one person cannot save the world, etc, etc, but I now know I will be advocating slower night driving wherever I can.
Having lived in Florida for 3 years, and discovering the real beauty of the wildlife there, ospreys, raccoons, turtles, and of course the alligators, we have become keen nature watchers and lovers. The cynical amongst you might say we are tree huggers, and Green Peacers, but that is not the case. We just appreciate what Nature has provided, and marvel at the diversity.
Since we have been in Alaska and Canada, we have been amazed at the wildlife, we can’t get enough of it.
I know I keep relating sightings of bald eagles, and they are so abundant up here, but they have only recently been taken off the endangered species list, and they are so regal and majestic in flight, we could watch them for hours. I only ever saw one during almost 20 years in Houston and Florida, and they are definitely not “commonplace” to me.
So, I will keep mentioning them.
It’s the same with all the mountains, fjords and glaciers. No matter how many times you see them, they are still awesome.
This part of the Earth is so big, so grand, and so wild it is humbling. I’ve said it before, and I know I will say it again, but we have fallen in love with Alaska.
