Sue and Myron returned to Bethel for Thanksgiving, and were welcomed by a dose of winter. Early cold weather and snow got dog training underway with a bang, and resulted in a three hour run Thanksgiving day. Casie and Mike Parker handled training in October and November, and the dogs are shiny and fast. A busy winter of racing is planned.
Debbie Fairbanks has always maintained that there is frequent drama in the Angstman family. November's dramatic story happened during deer season in Minnesota. Hunters on our farm noticed a pile of trash in a remote corner of the property which Myron checked out a few days later. Approaching the trash, which was about a mile from the nearest road, a piece of plastic tarp could be seen sticking up a couple feet from the ground. Closer inspection revealed a couple of blankets inside the plastic, all wrapped with strapping tape. The entire package was about 2 feet by 3 feet. A couple of aluminum cans were discarded nearby. The plastic wrapping was somewhat obscured by grass and weeds. All looked routine until the package was kicked, and a bone popped out. More kicks produced more bones. The bones were clearly not deer or elk, but brief inspection could not eliminate the possibility they were from a human, especially considering the circumstances.
Sue was consulted, and of course, emails to Alaska followed. Debbie was convinced that human remains had been discovered. After some debate, the police were called. A long golf cart ride allowed the county cop to inspect the scene. He needed back up, and another cop was called. Finally an investigator with suit and tie was summoned (think CSI) The final decision: pig bones. No one, including the cops, could guess why anyone would go to the trouble of packaging pig bones and carrying them to such a remote location.
Another animal suffered a similar fate on the elk farm. A coyote managed to enter the elk pen, where the cows promptly stomped it to death. The elk are very fussy about predator visits. Henry the dog once escaped death by an inch or two when a cow stomped his head, knocking him out. Several elk have shown a desire to stomp Tanner, who races around the outside of the pen taunting them. An occasional Canadian honker gets stomped, just for practice.
A common complaint at ALO is the bad press the Bethel area receives in statewide press, and even national publications. It is commonly believed that Bethel is an awful place. Frequently Anchorage folks impolitely inquire of Bethel folks how anyone could stand to live in such a place. A reasonable response to such a question is "How could anyone stand to marry your mother?" Occasionally a local story comes along that challenges the notion that Bethel is such an awful place. Rick and Kathy Hanson, long time members of the OFDF softball team, have managed to raise a couple of lively kids in Bethel. One got some good local coverage recently.
Andy got a chance to hone his skill as a play by play announcer recently during the Alaska Shootout. He called the men's championship game for the UAA radio station which can be heard online. He will continue to call games throughout the winter. Of course he got his start doing radio for Bethel basketball on KYUK and later hosted a call-in variety show along with Colin McDonald and others. Finally, some office news.
Matt settled a car accident claim for a Bethel woman who was injured in a cab crash. He also secured a dismissal of a felony assault charge from the village of Koliginek, filed in the Dillingham court.