Of Moose and Men

The grandkids and I were out for a walk along Campbell Creek just out behind our house.

I said “Maybe we’ll see a moose!” I always say that… even if we just go out the front door. “Maybe we’ll see a moose!” That’s Alaska. Home of yard-grazing, garden-munching moose.

But, interestingly, even though we do see more than our share of moose, the odds of seeing one at any given time are like...30/70…maybe 40/60. OK, probably 20/80. That’s what makes it so much fun when it happens. See moose every day and it becomes common place. No big deal. “Hey there, Moose, how ya’ doin’?” “Oh, just grazin’ in your yard, munching on your garden greens. You have a nice day, Mike. I’ll be here when you get back.” BORING! No, it’s better when we see the moose only occasionally. John Steinbeck said it best in his novel Of Mice and Men: “As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment. Then gradually time awakened again and moved sluggishly on.” Here, see for yourself.

You will note that the mama moose and her babies are refreshing themselves in the creek. Another reason to never drink the ‘mountain spring’ water out of the mountain spring. Remember my blog about Dall sheep? They live high on the mountain. Eat, drink, and…you know…in those mountain springs, streams, lakes, ponds, etc. And moose are much larger than most animals. Never, ever, get between a mama moose and her babies!! Most of the time moose are friendly, but, like some of my neighbors in Alaska, they are wild and unpredictable. Best to keep some distance. However, there is a moose you can always depend on, if not predict where he’ll end up. MILES is a mailmoose. The politically correct term would be mail “carrier” so as not to offend the mailbears, maildeer, and mailbirds (which deliver the air mail, but that’s another story.) No correctness here. Miles is a Mailmoose. Come hail or high water, Miles delivers the mail.

Watch for the release of “Miles is a Mailmoose” in October. You won’t be disappointed. AND, if you order your book at Amazon.com it may just be delivered to your door by a…. mail carrier, of course. You thought I would say ‘mailmoose. ’ But the odds of that happening are slim, unless you live in Alaska. “Hey there, Miles, how ya’ doin’?” “Just fine, Mike. Here’s your mail.”