This That And The Other Thing 02/07/2025
February 7, 2025,
Hi, I do have two series of posts I'm working on (1, 2), but that doesn't mean I'll be ignoring your old favourites!
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| The Old Alpha |
This:
The sun was shining; I wasn't on duty; Chrystal was waiting for her morning walk, and Elly was ready too. I took the hint. Strapping Chrystal on (actually, putting Chrystal in her government-approved chest pack and strapping that on), off we went for our morning constitutional. After a few minutes we were deep in the old growth forest, I noticed what looked like a large, shaggy dog sitting just off the boardwalk, calmly checking us out.Time for an aside: This was back when I was the junior light keeper on Ivory Island Light
Station. We had excellent anchorage on the lee side, and it was common enough for a boat to anchor out back that a dog beside the boardwalk didn't strike either Elly or myself as strange.
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| Ivory Island |
I like dogs. This particular beasty was a bit shaggy, but nothing about his posture said, "stay away." So, I moved slowly off the boardwalk toward the dog. I got within three steps, and he backed up. Slowly, I moved closer. He stood up, wagged his tail, and vanished into the old-growth forest that we shared with the furred and the feathered.
Moving back onto the boardwalk, we continued our walk, fully expecting to find someone anchored out back. We were surprised when we reached the end of the boardwalk and found no anchored boat!
It was then that I put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Ivory Island Light Station was situated about ten miles up the coast from Bella Bella in Milbanke Sound and close enough to the mainland for a healthy, curious deer or wolf to swim over. I had tried to make friends with a wolf. If the wagging tail was any indicator, I just might have succeeded.
That:
About two months ago, Min and I decided—actually, she decided, and I helped—to try a new location for the tomatoes. Today, Min has been wrapping the new tomato fruits in paper "condoms" to keep the bugs away. So far, her experiment seems to be paying off.
She also picked two eggs out of our goose nest. We have five old dames, and two of the young ones have started laying. I have been keeping a record, and since January 1, we have been averaging an egg every three days. For those of you unfamiliar with goose eggs, that may not sound like much. However, this morning I used one (1) egg to create a delicious omelette.
With a slice of wheat bread, there was enough of a good thing to feed both M'lady and myself. Admittedly, if I had used two eggs, Rusty and Choco would have been happier because the leftovers would have gone into their food bowls. One egg every three days works well for us.
The Other Thing:
As a general rule, primates in the wild depose the alpha male once he has become unable to control the wannabe alphas. Humans appear to have changed the rules. Old and impotent alpha males simply need to have enough money or the right rich friends to maintain their power. Look to Washington, Israel, China, the Kremlin.
This is just my opinion, but it seems to me that being ruled by a bunch of balding old men who have their own well-being foremost in their thoughts is a surefire recipe for disaster. Use the comments section to let me know if you agree.
Brian
Moving back onto the boardwalk, we continued our walk, fully expecting to find someone anchored out back. We were surprised when we reached the end of the boardwalk and found no anchored boat!
It was then that I put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Ivory Island Light Station was situated about ten miles up the coast from Bella Bella in Milbanke Sound and close enough to the mainland for a healthy, curious deer or wolf to swim over. I had tried to make friends with a wolf. If the wagging tail was any indicator, I just might have succeeded.
That:
About two months ago, Min and I decided—actually, she decided, and I helped—to try a new location for the tomatoes. Today, Min has been wrapping the new tomato fruits in paper "condoms" to keep the bugs away. So far, her experiment seems to be paying off.
She also picked two eggs out of our goose nest. We have five old dames, and two of the young ones have started laying. I have been keeping a record, and since January 1, we have been averaging an egg every three days. For those of you unfamiliar with goose eggs, that may not sound like much. However, this morning I used one (1) egg to create a delicious omelette.
One egg, crumbled aged cheddar cheese, half a teaspoon of my hot sauce, a dash of salt, cooked over low heat in light olive oil.
The Other Thing:
As a general rule, primates in the wild depose the alpha male once he has become unable to control the wannabe alphas. Humans appear to have changed the rules. Old and impotent alpha males simply need to have enough money or the right rich friends to maintain their power. Look to Washington, Israel, China, the Kremlin.
This is just my opinion, but it seems to me that being ruled by a bunch of balding old men who have their own well-being foremost in their thoughts is a surefire recipe for disaster. Use the comments section to let me know if you agree.
Brian
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