May/June

Hello all stopping in to see what I've been up to. Yes, that's right, up here in da woods where I reside in Willow, Alaska, wearing one of these bug shirts is an everyday fact of life. Sorry for neglecting my duties, it's been a busy 2 months since my last report. Where do I start? Well, spring came late for us here. Just when we thought we were out of the snow, one last blow had to fall. Which made tracking the moose easier to find. While most of you down in the lower 48 might have the experience of a whitetail deer coming into your yard, here it's the moose we get so excitied about. A male moose with posts protruding from his head. We named him...Bob. That's because his brother, in close resemblence...Bill, wasn't to far behind him in the woods as well. So over the next few days in early May when we had the last snow falling , I was able to spend time with these two big guys. Following them around the ole homestead. I found if I just talked to them in a low calm voice and told them my intentions, they allowed me to get some pictures of them. Worked out well I thought. Call me crazy, I have no problems of standing, watching and observing the moose. As always check for your nearest tree for a safe retreat if need be. As May moved through the month, I began scouting some of the old areas as well as some new territories. As I have said in the past, every spring has produced new subjects, better finds and opportunities to see and view much of the wildlife I persue in many of my adventures and daily routines. Still spring came late for us, so we are about a week or so behind in where we should be. So now into the middle of June, fishing is started at a slow rate, birds have all returned and wildlife is abundant! You just have to go for an early morning hike or late evening walk to view wildlife just as I do. Sit, be still; listen, let the woods talk to you. Your busy life can wait. The work day will be there tomorrow along with its stresses.

In many of my travels around the area, I was able to find and capture such wondeful images such as: the spruce grouse, snow buntings - one of my favorites, the moose, another the harlequin ducks, both male and female, why are these duck so special to me? All the reports I have read on the harlequins come from Norway/Greenland, Alaska has little information and data on these ducks, so every spring so far I've located them, watched them and recorderd what I could on them. And it's been darn right fun watching and getting the pictures I have so far. Then it's off to higher ground, sub-alpine, to find and locate Arctic ground squirrels and Pika's, listening for the marmots as well. So, you see, I stay very busy. I like to view the wildlife and educate myself, as anyone should who loves the great outdoors. I, truly with good intentions, try to stay on top of my life here. But sometimes, like many of us, I get side-tracked and the last two months have been busy ones for us here in our adventures. Well, I hope that I might have inspired a few of you to go to your local State Park or National Park to catch a few glimpses of the wildlife. It just rounds your life out that much more. Hey create an adventure, go out and have fun! That's what I do in my daily routines in...Willow, Alaska! I hope you all stop in and enjoy some of my pictures in my previous post. There's more where that came from!

Hey, see you down the trail somewhere...

Buford T. Porcupine