~Photo by Florian Schultz

Contrary to the opinion of my ex-governor, all progressive bloggers do not live with their parents, and eat cheetos while wearing pajamas in the basement.

This blogger, for fifteen years, owned two businesses in bustling downtown Anchorage.  After a decade and a half in retail, you learn the cycles.  There’s early fall and back-to-school shoppers, then a spike in sales around the beginning of October when everyone gets the Permanent Fund Dividend check.  Then there’s a lull until right after Thanksgiving.  Black Friday launches the holiday shopping season which is the biggest money-making time of the year.  Then the doldrums of January, the little spikes for Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day, and then Memorial Day Weekend hits, and summer begins.  June, July and August are all nice and steady.  The locals are all out of town fishing, camping, hiking, kayaking, sailing, but the tourists have come to town.  Hallelujah.

Suddenly the stores are filled with smiling happy people who have saved up for their once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Last Frontier and are here to make the most of it.  I’ve talked to a lot of tourists in my life.  I hear where they’ve come from, where they’re going and what they’d like to see.  I always heard about two things.  First, the Kenai Fjords National Wildlife refuge with its puffins, sea lions, whales, otters and glaciers.  The other one was Denali Park.  I heard about the long hot bus ride into the park – and how it’s a real kidney buster.  It was dusty and people were packed in, and how it took all day.  They wondered about whether to even do it.  And then I heard how it was the best thing they’d ever done.

I never got tired of hearing about it.  It’s like going on a nature walk with a little kid.  Everything is new, and wondrous.  It’s all magic.  I’d hear about moose, and foxes, and bears, and eagles, all through new eyes.  But most of all, I’d hear about the wolves.  Hearing a 70 year old man in a white windbreaker sound like a little boy at Christmas saying with sparkling eyes, “I couldn’t believe we saw a wolf!” is a wonderful thing.  Of all the wildlife in Alaska, a wolf sighting is the most special of all.

I’ve seen wolves in the wild, and they’ve seen me.  It’s a moment I’ll never forget.  Two black wolves, like dark spirits, racing across the golden Nogahabara sand dunes – a remarkable place in the interior that looks like a chunk of the Sahara punctuated by isolated spruce trees.  I had no camera, but the image in my mind of cresting a dune in a small plane, and seeing those two wolves running across the sand and into the trees is one I will not forget.

I thought many things, like “Why is my camera in my bag?” and “My God, they are incredible.  So wild, so beautiful.”  I did not think how fun it would be to chase them down and shoot them.  Most people don’t.

That’s why, when comedians and critics try to be particularly cutting about Sarah Palin, they often invoke the image of her in a helicopter shooting wolves.  They do this because it’s the worst thing they can think of.  They do it because reasonable people find it abhorrent.

And when reasonable people find a state practice abhorrent, they will rail against it.

The recent actions, and extreme predator control tactics employed by the state are raising the hackles and the bile of reasonable people.  A recent vote by the Board of Game eliminated the buffer zone around the National Park that protects those Denali wolves so beloved by tourists,  when they stray outside the park boundary.  The measure benefits a handful of trappers in the area, and robs thousands of their dream of shooting these wolves with a camera.  And the deciding vote to eliminate the buffer was cast by the newest member of the board – Al Barette, who happens to own a commercial tannery, and the company that makes the Alaska wolf trap.  He cast his first vote for his own self interest at the expense of the interest of tourists, and the tourism industry.  He was also the recipient of the first aerial wolf hunting permit issued.

Then there’s Corey Rossi, a friend of the Palins.  He doesn’t have a college degree, but they waived that requirement for his recent appointment as Division of Wildlife Management.  He’s not a biologist.  His previous job was eradicating invasive species – a professional killer whose nickname is the “gopher choker,” he is unqualified for the job.   His first mission is to obtain $100,000 in public funds to do a high-quality video about the joys of killing wolves and bears in Alaska. The fluff piece on why it’s OK to eliminate 80-100% of bears and wolves in some areas is the quintessential anti-science video that gives all the reasons why good science should be ignored, so that we can usher in a new era of massive extreme predator control in order to artificially inflate the numbers of moose and caribou that are available to be hunted.

It snowed here recently, which means the planes and helicopters were in the air.  It’s easier to track wolves on new snow.  Those who flew out and shot wolves seemed to have had a great time, and emailed their smiling victory photos to family and friends.

Others further north targeted the Yukon Charley preserve area.  Last year, the state agreed they wouldn’t shoot wolves in packs where members had collars.  Collared wolves in the area are part of a 16 year study of wolf packs conducted because the National Parks Service wants to make sure the area has adequate wolves, and that they are managed properly.  These radio collared wolves have been monitored and science has gained a tremendous amount of data.

This year the state made no promises about the pack mates of radio collared research wolves, but agreed not to shoot the wolves with collars.  This week, helicopters took off, spotted the wolves and shot every member of the pack – collars and all.

Sixteen years of research, the time and expense of collaring the wolves, the fact that the area had few wolves to begin with – none of this seemed to matter.  The Department of Fish and Game says that the  shooters saw the collars and shot anyway.  The Department has recently claimed “sovereign authority” to manage all wildlife in the state, including federal lands that they previously have not had access to.

So, as someone who used to rely on Alaska’s tourists for my livelihood, I have to wonder what those people in the Lower 48, who are planning their summer vacations must think.   When that couple decides on a destination, how do they feel about spending their money in a state that has recently instituted policies like the gassing of wolf pups, the snaring of bears, the shooting of bear cubs, the extermination of research wolves, and the eradication of areas that have been preserving the beloved wolves of Denali? How do they feel about the sneering contempt for science, the appointment of only those who share a narrow vision for Alaska’s wildlife that does not include tourism, nature photographers, and those who think that when we try to manage and control nature, we usually lose.

Reasonable people are revolted, and reasonable people will take their money and their business elsewhere.  Of this, I am sure.  And I am angry.

I hear all the time about how Republicans are pro-business, about how the Chamber of Commerce is supposed to be looking out for the interest of businesses.  I hear about how small business owners are the bread and butter of our economy.  I hear about how what’s really killing business is taxes.  And I say that what’s really killing business is killing.  The Parnell administration has its own agenda and it does not include supporting tourism, or mom and pop businesses across the state – hotels, motels, gift shops, gas stations, fast food places, restaurants, camera stores, sporting goods stores, and anywhere people spend money.

Small businesses should not tolerate an administration that stacks boards and commisions with unqualified non-scientists who vote to serve their own narrow interests at the expense of the majority.  What happens this year when that summer cycle comes around, and business owners look for the steady income in June, July and August that keeps their staff employed, and provides revenue until the holiday season arrives?  I hear nothing but crickets coming from Juneau.  Maybe that’s the only wildlife left.

Alaskans who work hard, trying to put food on the table, and braces on their kids’ teeth, and pay their mortgages shouldn’t be second-class citizens whose needs are subjugated to satisfy what amounts to nothing more than blood lust – a blood lust that kills not only the wolves, but the industries and businesspeople who rely on those who love them.

The boycotts you invite and the ire of small business owners will wake you up, even if your common sense does not.

~From the Friends of Animals "Boycott Alaska" campaign

Sarah Palin is following a trajectory more Kardashian than Politician, demanding a big paycheck in her quest for reality TV stardom. After shopping her “TV docudrama” to major broadcast and cable networks, two channels – A&E and Discovery – have expressed interest in the project, which is tentatively titled Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Palin is asking for $1 million to $1.5 million per episode, considered a “hefty amount for a first-year cable series.” The show – executive-produced by reality television guru Marc Burnett – will feature the former governor touring her home state, completing activities such as visiting fishing boats or trekking to a gold mine. There had better be a caribou hunting episode or else this really has no business calling itself a Sarah Palin Alaska show

Sarah Palin’s Alaska? Oh, the possibilities… Will we again get to enjoy watching Palin pick fish while in full makeup and Carhartts?   Is the field dressing of ungulates in the picture anywhere? Perhaps the nickel tour of City Hall in Wasilla, or we could check out a copy of Going Rouge – An American Nightmare at the Wasilla Public Library (if it hasn’t been banned).

She already had the state once, and blew it. I would rather she didn’t try to claim it again.  And what does an ex-governor do with a million and a half dollars an episode?  You could probably fund a campaign with that kind of income.  Or buy a LOT of clothes.

And to answer your next question, yes, the Alaska Fund Trust is still active, and taking your donations to help poor Sarah Palin pay for her legal bills.  (A tiny violin begins to play) Why if you tally it up, that’s like an entire half a reality TV episode… surely she shouldn’t be expected to pay for it herself! She’ll let her fans do that.

It’s March. Everything around here has been white, and grey and brown, and dark green for a long long time. My rods and cones needed a stretch.

This was taken in my mother-in-law’s garden. Mine never turns out very well, so I get to enjoy her green thumb (or in this case, orange thumb) every summer, despite my own personal failures. And the memory is food for the soul.

Today, on the Shannyn Moore Show, I got to break the news on KUDO 1080am that right wing talk radio host Eddie Burke’s show on KBYR has gone dark. >poof!<  Lights out.  The man who put the “S” in Racist (see above) is on the air no more.   Burke says he resigned, others say it was the “you can’t fire me, I quit” scenario.

I noted that when his show was cut from 3 hours to 2 hours a day, he said the show was now in a “super drive time” slot.  As opposed to the regular 3-hour drive time, which somehow isn’t so super?  So, now by his own standards he’s hit the big time with the Super Dooper Drive time slot that goes from nowhere to … nowhen.

Will he show up elsewhere on the dial?  He’s already hopped around a bit, and he may resurface eventually, but for now…. let’s enjoy a moment of blissful radio silence.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh……….

Yes, I know that they’re just going to fill up those two hours with some other godawful nonsense.  But at least it won’t be HIS godawful nonsense.

So what will become of our vile friend? Personally, I’d love to see him run for governor. Talk about giving us something to write about. We’ve listened for years to Eddie Burke talking about what he’d do, and how things ought to be run, and bla bla bla. And he’s run for office before, but now he has a ready-made band of followers.  And now that he has time, I think he ought to be Alaska’s very first Tea Party candidate.  Or he could take up macrame.  Or perhaps go on a spiritual retreat in some nice cave somewhere and come back a changed man, and get an in-your-face liberal talk show.  But I think running for office is the more likely of the three scenarios.   

Actually, I think he’d round out the non-Democratic field nicely. So any Teabaggers out there (and I only call you Teabaggers not Tea Partiers because your future candidate says DemocRAT Party), it’s time to draft your newly retired leader to run for the state’s top spot. He’s got nothing else to do, so why not? 

Eddie Burke actually called into the show to say that he had “resigned,” and that he didn’t think that the Tea Party was organized enough to endorse a candidate, or shouldn’t be organized, or something.  And then he started rambling on about socialists and France. 

 And I wanted to ask him if he’d ever heard of the Treaty of Paris, or if he ever thanked France for saving our asses during the American Revolution, and remind him that without France we’d all be subjects of the Queen and have socialized medicine, so as a patriot, he ought to be thanking France for the very existence of our country.  But one does not interrupt an on-air conversation between Shannyn Moore and Eddie Burke with a history lesson.  It was quite a moment in radio.  And you can still tune in to hear Shannyn for 15 hours a week.  Eddie Burke?  Not so much.

And this is what it looks like when a H8R leaves the building.

By LoveMyDogs

Dedicated to all of my friends in the race but especially Colleen…

You are nearing Nome, running on the beach, straightening your racing bib that you picked up in Safety so you don’t look quite such a mess for the cameras as you feel.  You find yourself crying and thanking your dogs over and over.  You get off the sled and give them each a snack and a hug.  You can’t believe you are almost finished with this thing and know you couldn’t have done it without them. You love them to the depths of infinity and you are so proud of them.

You approach the finish line.  Everything is a blur.  There is a sense of relief, tinged with regret that you cannot just keep going.  You know that you will soon be enfolded in the arms and congratulations of the people you love.  You can take your first shower in days, eat hot food, sleep in a bed.  But it is the dogs, the dogs that you are bound to now and your loved ones, who rush you off to all of the above mentioned amenities, do not quite understand where you are mentally and emotionally right now.  Physically you limp off the runners, hunched forward, arms bent in by your sides and hands cramped in front of you-looking for all the world like some kind of giant squid- and accept their hugs.

People, relationships, work, the human world makes no sense.  For 9-12 days you have lived with your dogs and the wild world.  None of the rest of this makes sense and it is, at times, an unwelcome incursion on your sense of what you have experienced out there.  You have a far-off look in your eyes and trouble connecting with others.  You want silence.  You want peace.  You want time to rest and reconnect.  You don’t want to come back from the meditation, the pain, the highs and the lows and the beauty that you have just endured.  Everything around you seems trivial.  Sometimes you bark or snarl at the people you love.  You talk and tell trail stories but you don’t want to talk, because how can you ever describe it?

You are glad to stop but you want to go on…you can’t ever give this crazy thing up because, as Gary Paulsen says, “How could it be to live without the dogs?”

All you have to do is send an email to mooreupnorth(at)gmail(dot)com and tell Shannyn and her producers why you’d be a great panelist.  Then come to Bernie’s Bungalow Lounge on D St. between 6th and 7th Ave. at 5:30 tonight to be part of the taping!

This is your chance to throw your 2 cents in about Sullygate, or KABATA, or ACES, or predator control, or whatever is on your mind.  Don’t miss out!

And don’t forget that today is Thursday, which also means “Thursdays in the Mud!”  I’ll be on Shannyn’s show the third hour from 1-2pm on KUDO1080 AM which you can stream HERE.

Our teams are doing great, and we’ve got two across the line:

Aliy Zirkle came in at 16th place.  The top 10 still eludes her, but next year is just around the corner!

Michelle Phillips came in at 27th with those handsome lead dogs.

Colleen Robertia (whose dogs at home are being minded by our Voices from the Flats contributor LoveMyDogs) is holding steady in 36th place, and has left White Mountain.

Wattie McDonald, our intrepid Scotsman is in 45th, out of Koyuk

and Newton Marshall from Jamaica is in 47th out of Koyuk.  It’s just amazing to me that someone from a country with no snow is even in this race, nevermind doing so respectably. 

The first 27 teams are in at this writing, and you can check out who’s coming next on the Leader Board – HERE.

And now off to hit the hay…. Hope everyone had a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day!

OK, as much as I want to just copy and paste the entire thing here, I don’t want to make the Anchorage Daily News mad at me.  They live off clicks, and I don’t so I’ll send you over there, and then you can come back here.  And while you’re over there, do leave a comment.  They’re filling up fast.

The ADN has weighed in on Mayor Dan Sullivan’s latest ethical lapse.  I refer to the fact that he accepted payment for a faux insurance policy for his father that came out of city coffers.  Despite apparent attempts to make this one fly under the radar, it didn’t.

And when the Anchorage Assembly tried to put a hold on the payment of $193,000 until we figure out if it’s even legal – oops!  Bad news.  Looks like the city cut that whopping huge check at the speed of light, and it got “disbursed” by the Trustee….aka Mayor Dan Sullivan.  Most of us have to wait six weeks for a check.  Strange.

For all the background, I refer you HERE.  And don’t forget to follow the links!

So, Anchorage is $193,000 poorer, and Mayor Dan Sullivan and unnamed parties (we were told it’s none of our business by the Mayor) are $193,000 richer.  And the “contractual obligation” the Assembly was told about doesn’t appear to exist.  Cries of “Show us the contract!” have gone unanswered.

Hmmmmm.

So here’s the “bottom line” from the ADN editorial staff:

In defending his actions, the mayor stresses his fiduciary responsibility as trustee to seek payment. What about his fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Anchorage? That comes first.

Mayor Sullivan didn’t seek these circumstances, but he should have been able to deal with them in a straightforward and ethical way.

After heated public reaction, the administration says it has no problem with an independent legal review. Late, but good. We’ll wait for the outcome of that review before we pass judgment on the propriety of the insurance payout.

But this much is clear now: Where there’s a conflict of interest, the mayor has to make clear that he serves the citizens of Anchorage first and foremost. In this case, he did not.

BOTTOM LINE: The mayor’s conflict of interest was clear.

(clap clap clap clap clap)  Well done, ADN.  You nailed it.

Photo by Florian Schultz

OK, Juneau… Are you ready to rally?

Remember how much fun you had last fall standing in the rain with your fellow rational humans protesting the nomination of Sarah Palin to become our Vice President?  The surest cure for frustration is to get out and do something, so here’s your chance to howl a bit and protest Alaska’s newly enacted extreme predator control practices.  Things are changing fast, and we MUST take action.

The world’s eyes turned to Juneau, as Alaska’s capital last fall when people wanted to know how Alaskans were feeling about Sarah Palin.  The extreme practices, and unqualified people who are being put on boards and commissions with a specific narrow agenda mean that all eyes will once again be on Juneau.  Already there are organizations in the Lower 48 who are organizing boycotts for Alaska travel.  We cannot afford that, and we can’t afford politicians who cannot understand this, or who simply do not care.  Alaska is more than what you can kill and eat, or kill and hang on your wall.  We need balance, and we do not have it.

So it’s up to you again Juneau-ites.  What you do has an impact far beyond what happens anywhere else.  Do us proud.  Make signs, take pictures and stand up.

Alaska Wildlife Alliance is hosting an event and rally that looks like it’s going to be really amazing.  Here are the details, and as always, photos and write-ups of the event are welcome from boots on the ground!

Managing Wildlife in Alaska:
Predators, Prey & Politics

THE EVENT: Hosted by Dr. Alex Simon, Professor of Sociology at UAS Friday, March 26, 7:00pm, Juneau Arts & Humanities Center

Talk and slide show by Nick Jans: Alaska’s Wolves: The Essence of Wilderness

Presentation by Greg Brown: Want to Run a Billion Dollar Business? Look at Wildlife!

Additional presentations by Vic Van Ballenberghe and John Toppenberg

Come early for book signings by Nick Jans, Vic Van Ballenberghe, Mary Willson, and Bob Armstrong, including the release of Bob’s new book Photographing Nature in Alaska, and a wildlife slide show by Jos Bakker.

Premiere event to view a Tongass Partners Documentary Trailer Alaska’s Tongass Rainforest. This film will immerse you in the cultural and ecological issues surrounding the Tongass.

Be a part of a living solution – Come see our presentation: Introduced via tape by the International Spokesperson – Jim Fowler … and meet Naturalist/Film Maker/Author Jim Valentine

Hollis French, state senator and Democratic candidate for Governor, will be making a special appearance at both the Event and the Rally

THE RALLY: Saturday, March 27, noon in front of the Capitol

Free hot dogs for the first 100 people!
Masks, costumes, and signs are encouraged!
Door prizes!
Singing with Juneau’s own Kit Petersen!
Blessing of the Animals by Reverend Kim Poole of Northern Light United Church
Speakers include Joel Bennett, Greg Brown, Andrea Doll, Alex Simon, John Toppenberg, Vic Van Ballenberghe, Rep. Beth Kerttula, and Sen. Hollis French

For more information: info@akwildlife.org or call Tina at 523-5402.
The Alaska Wildlife Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
www.akwildlife.org
The Alaska Wildlife Alliance Presents

*********************************

The Leonhard Seppala Award
by LoveMyDogs

“In Alaska, our dogs mean considerably more to us than those ‘Outside’ can appreciate, and a sleight to them is a serious matter.” ~Leonhard Seppala, patron saint of dogsledding

Sled dogs are amazing animals. They run for the pure joy of it. They are not a specific breed (in fact they have many different dogs bred into them: including Border collie-or so they say- and more recently hounds and German Shorthaired Pointers). Some are bred for speed, most for good appetites and tough feet as well as good attitudes. Some people breed Siberians for racing because they are beautiful. My first two “sled dogs” were Malamute-mixes (not fast but big, strong, very beautiful and extremely stubborn—not necessarily good traits for racing dogs). A “sled dog” is really defined by the “work” that they do. They belong in the “working dog” group, along with herding dogs, hunting dogs, etc. But they are not specifically a “breed” and not one of them would make it into the AKC (except the purebred Siberians and Malamutes). If you have ever owned a “working dog” you will know that they can go insane (literally) without a job.

~Run Baby, Run!

My Malamute-mixes and I never raced. We never needed to. The most precious times were running under a full moon. No headlamp needed. It is the quiet and the beauty in the cold of winter that I craved. Snow machines can get you there but dogs get you there in a more primitive and more meditative way. The only sounds that you can hear are the sounds of the earth, the wind, the sled runners swishing on the snow and the sound of breathing (yours and your dogs’). If the moment is truly magical, your breath becomes one with those of your dogs. At that moment in time, one realizes how big this earth we live on really is and how we are here for this one moment in time and you and your team become truly connected: Connected with the earth, the sky, everything around you and each other. To connect with another being (that is not human and does not speak your language) is a gift. And how can you help but want more.

“I would see a thing of beauty when running them, or many things, the pictures like frozen jewelry, and there would not be so much beauty when not running them. So I ran them because I wanted to see the beauty again, find the wonderful places they could take me.” Gary Paulsen ‘WinterDance’

Sled dogs are addictive. But what better addiction could you have? The problem is that one gets addicted to their speed and their power. It is truly amazing to pull the hook and feel the sled jerk in your hands as you are whisked away into that silent world of wonder. They speed up when you go around corners-just to see what is on the other side, I guess. You can spend hours watching their tails, their heads, and their ears. They will tell you what is ahead. If they really speed up it might be a moose and you had better be on your toes, or maybe it is just a smell that only they can identify with their finely evolved noses.

~Musher Michelle Phillips’ lead dogs

Then there are the “lead dogs”. A lead dog is special. Not all dogs can handle the mental work of running in front. Most dogs would prefer to chase something. Leaders set the pace and have to be fast enough to stay in front of the rest of the team but not so fast that they burn everybody out. They have to be smart and trainable because theirs is the demanding job of understanding the stupid human’s commands and following them. They are not necessarily dominant dogs but they are always incredibly loyal. They love without question even when the stupid human does something stupid. You can teach most dogs (not all) to lead, but a true leader will do it no matter what circumstances you are in. They have to know how to pull a whole team past another musher, either from behind, or sometimes head on. They have to be confident that they can do it. They are generally given the best spot on the couch or in the truck. They often get first treats. They are the kings and queens of sled dogs. Veteran leaders will teach younger dogs if they are side by side by nipping them on the neck when they start clowning around or getting out of line.

Every sled dog has a different personality. Some howl, some don’t. Some like to play, others are shy. Top teams often have mushers who can put a team together like a basketball coach. I have watched some of the more elite mushers go by our house at night and it is amazing. When they come over a snow berm, there are 64 legs trotting in unison (perfectly matched gaits) and then the sled comes over with a huge plume of snow blowing off the runners. There are 16 sparkly breath clouds above each head and then one, higher up, from the musher’s shrouded face. And then they are gone. It is beautiful to watch, but far, far better to be along for the ride.

Sled dogs are fed like kings (far better than their owners-who often subsist for months on Top Ramen or mac and cheese). They are fed the best meat, fish and fat sources that their owners can buy. They are generally fed twice a day. They get their shots every year. Their feet are tended to as if they were all Paris Hilton. Every toe nail is cut, every split is tended to. The shadow of a limp is cause for immediate concern. They are massaged and stretched. They have special shoulder coats with little pockets to put hand warmers in to keep muscles warm while they are sleeping. There are leg wraps, wrist wraps and any number of liniments, supplements and ointments that go with having sled dogs. Taking care of more than 5 is a full time job. The dogs should always eat before the musher does (even if it is just a snack).

~Musher Aliy Zirkle and one of her lead dogs

The most amazing part of having sled dogs is that they become family (often more important than the musher’s human family). Mushers often eat, sleep and even pee with their dogs. I like howling with mine. On the trail, you are family. You depend on one another for everything. The very air that you breathe is one and the same after all. They can heal you after a bad day at work or a fight with your spouse with one look over their shoulder as if to say “Are you there? We are here.”

For all of these reasons, the Leonhard Seppala Award for exemplary dog care is probably the most coveted.  It is awarded by the veterinarians on the trail and, unfortunately (my opinion), it tends to go to the front runners.