The ALO June news features a continuation of isolation at both the Bethel office and the wilderness headquarters of ALO at Chauekuktuli Lake. Clearly the COVID-19 situation has involved some inconvenience for most everyone, but retreating to a secluded cabin with tremendous fishing and scenery is not exactly suffering. The fact that luxury fishing lodges in the area are largely closed for the summer increased the level of isolation and the quality of the fishing. Even an approaching thunderstorm looked good from the cabin. Thunder is a fairly new feature in that area, and with little protection from wildfire, not a real welcome addition to the weather mix.
ALO - Case Updates
One interesting case settled recently for a client of ALO. In January, an apparent drunk driver backed a truck onto some property belonging to a neighbor and caused damage to a bunch of property, including a truck, a trailer, a boat, and a storage van. The driver fled the scene, and his truck was positioned on top of the trailer in such a way that it couldn’t be removed except with heavy equipment. A license plate search revealed the ownership of the vehicle, and it was learned the vehicle was insured. The insurance company played hard to get for several months, claiming they couldn’t find the insured driver. ALO got involved and secured a full settlement in short order and extended the usual neighbor discount of 100 percent for this type of case. The happy neighbor tipped generously.
Getting to the Bottom of Things
Speaking of neighbors, former Bethel neighbor Dan Boyette came up in conversation recently in connection with a famous photo shoot which involved him. There was a large raucous party at the Angstman house many years back, which featured a bunch of dancing in the living room and several folks not dancing, who were holed up in the dining room. During the party Bev Hoffman broke the cardinal rule of raucous parties by leaving her camera on a counter in the dining room while she was dancing. Three men lurking there took advantage. It was decided that Dan, well known for his skill at mooning, would pose in front of Bev’s camera to provide her a little surprise when she got her photos back. This was in the era when film was used, and in Bethel it had to be sent to Anchorage to process. The photo session took less than a minute, and was soon forgotten by the participants which included Doug Dorland as photographer and one other equally honorable gentleman.
About a week later Bev called in a huff. “What do you know about this picture I just picked up at the Post Office?” Professing innocence, it was suggested that little could be learned about this mystery without seeing the photo. Bev headed directly to ALO to confront the suspect. Why she suspected anyone at ALO is a major question, but she started by explaining how she came to view the photo. Bev was the 4-H leader at the time, and she had a weekly meeting of grade school kids. Before that day’s meeting she had stopped at the post office to pick up her mail, and during the meeting had pulled out the unopened envelope of pictures to share with the 4-H kids cause she had family pictures she knew they would enjoy seeing. The kids were gathered around as Bev flipped though the photos until they were all looking at a close-up of a very bare bottom. She never did say how she explained that photo to the kids. At ALO, Bev provided the photo for close review. Of course no confession was forthcoming. To stymie the investigation, it was suggested that the object in question appeared to belong to Bev’s sister Gerene. That suggestion was not well received. Eventually Dan was identified, as was the photographer. But the story didn’t end there. Bev had the photo made into a jig saw puzzle as a gift for Dan. If anyone has the photo or the puzzle, please forward for inclusion here next month.
Photo Contributions
Meanwhile there are other pictures to enjoy. This quality drone shot was taken by frequent ALO news contributor Mark Schwantes. It shows a side slough in the Dillingham area where fisherman hide out during big winds in the Bay.
Nephew Dave Wesloh snapped this shot of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in Bemidji, Minnesota as a sunlit storm gathered nearby.
Then of course there is a LaMont Albertson cartoon worth sharing.
Mandatory Moose & Other Large Neighbors
This bear visited the cabin beach on an evening when the cabin was unoccupied.
Further down the beach, a trail cam video picked up some larger neighbors, which will have to share the title of Mandatory Moose for this month.
This duck had way too much fun doing this.
And these little deer on the elk farm are too damn cute.
Andy Angstman lives on the hillside in Anchorage, and there is plenty of wildlife nearby. On one recent evening he watched a black bear, a brown bear, and a moose come through in fairly rapid succession. But a few nights later, this scene was captured by his security camera.
That grizzly, with two cubs nearby, used her nose to open a heavy lid on that truck that a human could not lift from that angle with both arms. A strong, smart animal. Andy, of course, has decided his truck is not safe overnight storage for his garbage. He tracked down the garbage the next day in the woods on the edge of the property. And finally among the critters is this black squirrel from the farm, with a never before seen white beauty mark.
Political Ad Season
This is political ad season, and few are actually seen at ALO, but it is hard to miss the new wave of anti-Trump ads being circulated by several Republican groups.
Here is a doozy.
It appears the ads are having some effect. For example Lindsay Graham has been easily elected in previous years, but he is in a major fight to survive this time.
Climate Concerns
Climate continues to be a growing concern in the world and in the US, and for good reason. The evidence supporting global warming is overwhelming. This article "Arctic records its hottest temperature ever", documents a temperature reading in the Soviet Arctic that broke all previous records. People who live closer to the North Pole are experiencing warming at a far greater rate than elsewhere on the planet. It is a significant issue in Alaska, with the observable effects too numerous to list here. Like the COVID-19 pandemic, global warming is a product of too many people on earth. Over-population is a problem that is self-correcting, and that process is now underway. That problem was articulated well in the 1968 book “The Population Bomb” which was the impetus for a lifelong belief that humans have spread too far and too fast. Many aspects of that growth are currently being held together with baling wire and there are people around with wire cutters ready to start snipping.
Grandkid Report
Finally, check these two videos of Ada which display interesting attributes. The first is her ability to pour water from a glass, which has recently become a political issue. She shows a certain skill perhaps lacking in at least one candidate for high office. She is careful to check the cup to make sure it is empty
The other is counting, and her skills there also bode well for future political success. There is more than one way to get to ten.
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