This and That

It’s about 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning. I’m down at the lab, enjoying the usual coffee and banana breakfast after feeding Minnie hers of milk and fresh cut fireweed. As I said before, the bottle goes down quickly so afterwards I usually stay with her for a while as she seems to appreciate the company now that she’s in the pen all by her lonesome. I find at least two more big chunks of time during the day to be with her and Jenna does as well. It’s hard to think she’s likely to succomb to the same fate as her fellow calves, and I’m trying to stay somewhat detached, but it sure is difficult when she’s so darn cute. Just keep hoping these copper supplements are giving her what she needs.

Jenna and I are holding down the fort this weekend as the silvers and kings are running now and all the locals are on the river, something that I’m really looking forward to doing tomorrow. The clouds and rain left yesterday afternoon while we were out doing more data collection and this is the first morning since my arrival nearly two weeks ago that I am welcomed to the day by blue sky. Last night was gorgeous, too. Changing into tanks and shorts to satisfy sun-starved skin, we fixed a quick supper and, at Jenna’s suggestion, enjoyed it rooftop on one of the buildings down here by the lab. The better part of two hours was spent taking in the sun and views, chatting about this and that, and a monotonous game of checkers.

Our elevated vantage point also allowed us to scan the pen where Walter is currently residing. This yearling had a run-in with a porcupine that left him with a nose and ankle full of quills. Now, in certain adolescent alces-alces circles, Walter's new body piercings might be considered "sick"...you know, like sick in a good way. And granted, porcupine quills apparently do have a natural antiseptic component to them that actually might help stave off infection for a time. Despite the chance of possibly tarnishing Walter's budding reputation as a hipster moose, we still of course want to get them removed sooner than later. In addition, now that Walter is “coming of age”, it is time for that oh-so-important rite of passage in an MRC young bull's life; a transfer into a new pen to permanently hang with the big boys! Our task this afternoon is how best to persuade Walter into an area where both events are possible.

I’ve been ending most every day with a paddle out on Coyote Lake. Wish I could describe in words what this kind of quiet feels like and how it permeates everything around and within you. A photograph doesn’t even come close but here's a try, along with a few showing a bit more of weekend happenings.

Time with Olivia.

Gathering browse for Minnie and leaf samples for nutrient testing.