Alaska IV
In this Artist Journal I insult a bookstore owner and become a ghost.
There’s an Old Town in Homer.
I walked around Old Town while Kurt birded.
I found a gallery. It would turn out I knew about it already from artist residency searches, it’s a small world. There were also some murals and an independent bookstore.
The bookstore is one of those ones that has stacks of used books waste high, lining the isles and it would be impossible to find anything without a guide.
I asked about art books with local ties. I should’ve been more careful with my words after I watched the shop keeper, carefully, reverently remove a book from a shelf and open it to show me the inside. He showed me another book signed by the author.
Here is where I make my mistake- I said to the quiet bookish man “Oh no, only books that can be destroyed, nothing precious.”
And then, he curled into a pill bug muttering “I don’t think I like that, no, I don’t like that.” Then he simply turns his back to me and starts shelving books.
I tried to clarify I can be rough on things and I don’t want anything precious.
I was dead to him. From then on none of the noises I made pierced his bubble.
I had no choice but to clear out and see what birds Kurt found, I would not be suffered by this gentleman.
Observations:
Moose CAN run obscenely fast. I saw it. A yard Moose going full speed towards the road.
The man who recently died by Moose was known by many people in Homer. The word is he was on his own property when he unknowingly got between the calf and its murderous mother.
Are you even Alaskan unless you have a large boat and/or camper parked permanently in your front yard. Bonus if you’ve hung a bull Moose or elk skull on the garage.
Any ideas about why a middle-aged man would be running, with a shovel, on a rural road wearing a big grin on his face. I’m fresh out of ideas on this one.
Moose are nightmare enormous. (Saw a wall mounted bull). Fudge▪️
I can absolutely picture the whole incident between you and the bookstore owner. Onto the next bookstore! Seeing so many moose would be amazing. We might see a few in our lifetime up here. The Sandhill Cranes…love, love, love!! ❤️
I am so remiss. Please I beg your pardon. This is a great piece!!! Moose are gigantic critters. Only a few African animals have the ability to tear up a natural landscape and inflict death upon other life as a moose. My Sideview mirror on a 2 inch lift kit pick up at a 2 mile an hour U-turn almost clipped an adult male as he was standing there, chewing his cud. The mirror was barely to his ribs unless you’re in a semi, hitting that with any amount of speed is a death sentence. If you’re extremely lucky, it might go over your vehicle.
Your article gave me wonderful visuals and brought me right to the places you were describing. Thank you so much !!!