Columns 2016

Earthquakes don’t panic Alaskans

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There are some who will claim that this weekend’s earthquake was the result of some natural phenomena concerning plate tectonics or some such thing. There are others who will claim it is nature’s reaction to Trump and Palin being in the same space at the same time – some sort of cosmic overload. I think it was God’s way of telling us we were becoming much too complacent. Just because She’s been sending most of her disasters south recently, we shouldn’t assume She doesn’t have a few left for us.

I reacted as I usually do in an emergency. First

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Scribblings

Where’s Jeb?

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I feel we should start a book called Where’s Jeb? Like Where’s Waldo except all the other figures in the picture would be other Republicans running for president.

Hey, someone needs to find Jeb. He’s been missing in action for quite awhile now and I’m worried that Cruz has put him into a cellar somewhere and is planning to make a coat from his skin.

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Scribblings

How I handle earthquakes

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I was in bed when last night’s earthquake hit. Being a true Alaskan, I spent the first part of it lying in bed and expecting it to be over quickly. Then the house started to roll and I thought, hmmm…. maybe this isn’t just a regular little quake. Then Carm woke up and that meant it had to be bad. He’s getting older and it takes a lot to wake him up at night – or in the morning for that matter.

So I jumped out of bed and put clothes on because, due to my Catholic upbringing, I know

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Columns 2016

Alaska rural vet program good for people as well as animals

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Anyone who has lived in Bush Alaska knows that life there can be harsh. Everything from advanced health care to Costco is a plane ride away. Under these circumstances, it’s hard enough for people to care for themselves; caring for their pets becomes even more problematic.

We’ve heard the horror stories from Bush villages of dogs chained up for life with no chance to be free or ever know a kind word or touch. But what we don’t often hear about are the people in the Bush who love their pets. They provide affection, care and shelter to these animals

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Scribblings

Snow?

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There is a major snow storm threatening the East Coast while I anxiously scan the forecast looking for any hint of snow in our future. And I live in Anchorage, Alaska.

What is wrong with this picture?

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Scribblings

Morning at my computer

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The dogs race into the office for the first treat of the day. It’s how we start each day at the computer. Snowy grabs the chicken jerky and runs with it. Carm looks at it as if he can’t believe I’m giving him something that unappetizing and walks away from it. I toss it onto his doggie bed in the office. Snowy come back for more and sees the unattended chicken jerky. He slowly and surreptitiously circles the uneaten chicken jerky on Carm’s bed. Carm, using some sense that dogs have when another dog is sniffing around what’s theirs, comes

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