Week 12 is in the books. It has been in the 50's this week. Things are starting to green up. There was a thunderstorm on Friday 6/13/14. There was hail about size 7-8 shot BB's, and 1 clap of thunder. I did not see any lightning. It was a deluge of rain for about 5 minutes. I was running at the time, and luckily was in my last 1 -1/2 miles.
One of the things that has continued to occur, is that the musk ox
have continued to move closer and closer into Nome. (Some moose have been seen, but they don't herd up like the musk ox)
The reason is that the grizzly bears pose more of a threat to them now, than humans do. Musk ox seem like docile, shaggy creatures. They also appear pretty skittish at times around vehicles.
I know musk ox are wild animals, and can be dangerous, but they can be very aggressive and dangerous, to dogs. This week in the Nome Nugget (Alaska's Oldest Newspaper), there was the story of "Bernard". He was the leader of 5-time Iditarod champ Jeff King's sled dog team. he was retired in 2008, and was kept by a family here in Nome. He was 13 years old. Sunday night he was out chained up with the other 4 sled dogs. The family did not hear any noise that night.
Their house dog, that usually barks, whenever anything happens outside, was silent. The next morning they came out to find Bernard murdered. The paper reports it was a gory scene. I will spare you the details, but it was obvious he did not die of old age. In the past few years muskox have harassed, knocked about doghouses, and killed or seriously injured dogs in at least a dozen cases near Nome. Even if contained dogs remind musk ox of wolves.
The paper reports that mature bulls are 5 feet high at the shoulder and can weigh 600-800 lbs. The cows are 4 feet at the shoulder, and 400-500 lbs. Usually they just saunter around like cattle in a pasture, but they can run!
I saw a few come over a hill, it is amazing how smooth, and graceful they look.
I think it is because, from a distance you don't see there legs moving. You just see that big, thick coat of hair gliding over the tundra.
I have seen people get closer to them than I am willing. Some people run by them on the road (I turn around), and you will see people in the bushes picking up qiviut.
Qiviut is the wool of the musk ox.
Sometimes spelled qiveut, is an Inuktitut word (so I am not sure if you can use it in Scrabble. Inuktitut is an Alaskan Native language. Since Alaska is part of the U.S. it would not be a foreign language. I guess you better set up rules, but I digress). As they walk through the willow bushes, they leave the wool behind. It is very warm, and used to knit garments. It is lighter, and softer than cashmere, and 8 times warmer than sheep's wool.
I was lucky enough to get a little video of these 2 bulls sparring.
Well actually like it says in the video. The one bull was sparring, the other was having none. I hope you enjoy.
