March 2026

This edition of the news comes to you from the Minnesota farm, where wildlife viewing is the primary activity. Arriving in Minnesota in early April coincides with the arrival of migrating birds and the mating activity of resident birds. The noise level of those birds is present day and night, and thanks to an app that identifies bird calls, Sue was able to identify calls from over 40 species in a half hour sit in the forest near a pond. Among the sightings was an active eagle nest with at least one eaglet already peaking over the edge. Other frequent bird sightings around the farm include Sandhill cranes, herons, swans, geese, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, and various birds of prey. There is usually a nightly serenade of owl calls right around the cabin.

In addition to birds there are animals. As many as 50 deer frequent the fields in the evening, along with coyotes, otters, beavers and raccoons. Many critters show up right by the cabin, including this Sandhill crane while composing this article.

This otter was captured by the trail cam headed for a pond where the fish population was decimated by several otters it seems.

The Legacy of Jim Barker 

Award winning photographer Jim Barker recently died in Fairbanks. He was a Bethel resident when the Angstmans arrived in 1974. He was heavily involved in the early history of the Kuskokwim 300. He attended the first meeting of the race organizers at the Angstman home in April of 1979. He was part of the trail marking crew in the early years and traveled the race trail during the race as a photographer. There are many photos in the files of the race committee produced by him and donated to the race. One such photo depicted famous racers George Attla and Susan Butcher sleeping side by side on the pool table at the Kalskag community hall checkpoint which is a classic. Please send a copy if you have one and it will be posted next month. Jim shot his photos in black and white, and has sold portfolios throughout the world. One footnote to Kuskokwim history is worth noting. While marking trail for the race, Jim once asked if it would be appropriate to cut through the woods at the end of the Bogus Creek trail for about a quarter mile to link up with the Kuskokwim River. It was clear from the map it would save a few miles on the trip from Tuluksak to Kalskag. The idea of getting permission for stuff was not common in that era, so the response was "go for it." That trail quickly became the main trail used by everyone and is a key part of the Kuskokwim 300 trail. It runs from the Bogus Creek checkpoint to the river through trees and brush. Maybe it should be called the Barker Cutoff.

Two of Jim's early photos included shots of the Dog Farm team. One such photo was the backdrop for KYUK TV news for may years. It featured this shot of the Angstmans traveling near the Brown Slough bridge with the first ever team in 1976.

There is a lot to discuss in this photo. First it was not a staged photo. Jim was crossing the bridge on foot with his camera in a bag when he saw the team approaching. He quickly prepped the camera and waited for the team to pass under the bridge before shooting. In the team are some noteworthy dogs. In lead is Old Friendly, an old dog previously owned by Peter Jacobs who raced him in the Fur Rondy in Anchorage. Friendly was raised at Deacon's Landing on the upper Kuskokwim by Deacon Deaphon whose story has been told here before. He appears in Kuskokwim lore for the fact that he mistook his abusive son-in-law for a black bear while hunting near Stony River. John Malone, the investigating trooper from Bethel, interviewed witnesses in the village and departed without making an arrest, noting that the common theme in the village was support for Deacon.

Two of the dogs in the photo belonged to Grant and Debbie Fairbanks, then living on the Holitna River. The dog in front of the sled on the right is Nick, a setter who later led the 1979 Iditarod team up Front Street to the Nome finish line. Behind the sled is Katie, Nick’s mother, who was senselessly shot by Bethel police when they went on a dog shooting rampage one year.

The Brown Slough bridge was the main parking area for boats at that time, and old timers will recognize many historical landing in the area. There was no city dock or small boat harbor at the time. This photo still hangs on the wall at ALO in Bethel, and has been the subject of much discussion from Bethel folks over the years when they stopped by.

The next photo by Jim was taken at the end of the All-Alaska Sweepstakes in Nome in 1983.

Jim traveled to the edge of town in a wind storm to capture this shot as the team emerged from the famous Topkok blow hole. The cross wind at Topkok has stalled many teams during races, and that day fellow racer Clarence Towarak from Unalakleet holed up in his sled for several hours and then retired from racing so that he could live to see his kids grow up. At the finish line someone asked "Why not stop and wait out the storm like the others did?" The response was honest. "I was too scared to stop" It was blowing an estimated 50 mph and snowing at Topkok and 35 mph in the photo. The full play-by-play of that day's run has never been told, and likely never will cause it causes shivers to think about.

Here are two links to more information about Jim, including his obituary and a recent tribute. Happy Trails, Jim.

Iditarod Blues & Dog Park Views

Speaking of dog racing, controversial Alaska writer Craig Medred wrote this article about the Iditarod which is worth reading. The event has evolved dramatically since the early days, and today it is defined by money. Specifically, the lack of money for the race itself, and the immense cost to take part by the racers.

craigmedred.news

Iditarod’s toughest

Leave it to a stubborn Irishman to define the spirit of the Iditraod Trail. After more than 32 days in bitter cold and high winds on the 1,000-mile trek from Knik to Nome, having tried valiantly to…

A favorite spot in Anchorage often mentioned here is Connors Bog dog park, and Paul Malin once again captured the beauty of that place in a photo.

Jack the dog, soon to be 10 years old, has put on many miles in the park, but a recent leg injury limited his frolics there at the end of winter. This commentary by some old guy might explain part of the fascination with dogs displayed in these pages frequently.

Listen to that thoughtful piece and then read this awful account from the Mat-Su Valley. Some folks really need to sit in jail for a while. ALO played a small role in bringing that matter to the attention of proper authorities. Mat-Su animal control needs a close review.

Mandatory Moose and Other Characters  

The Mandatory Moose this month appeared in the yard at the former Angstman home in Bethel, and was sent in by Rachel DeHaan.

This hippo video should make you smile.

Summer has not arrived at Tikchik Narrows Lodge.

Capital Conundrums 

And now the political scene. These are difficult times. For example the Iran war. No one had yet explained why America attacked Iran. This summary sort of explains it.

Inflation is an issue that Trump promised to attack on day one. Here are some baffling speeches on that subject.

How is that working out?? He continues to attack the right to vote. Here is a discussion of what is at stake. The ironic part of Trump's drive to limit voting is the ample evidence that the voters most affected by the change would be Trump supporters, including elderly white voters in rural areas. But many of Trump's ideas make little political sense, such as taking on the Pope. Trump had popular support from Catholic voters in the last election so why drive some of them away by needlessly challenging their leader? The same applies to his effort to stamp out fraud. That is a very popular political position, but his pardons of these fraudsters seem to undercut that position.

This very informative statement about the American Declaration of Independence deserves your attention.

All signs point to a huge change in direction for Congress after the November elections. It can't happen soon enough.

Not all is grim. This final clip should cause you to chuckle.