Trips to Fairbanks

Since I last posted, we’ve been to Fairbanks twice! After our first trip (and after spending an unbelievable amount of money on groceries), I said I wouldn’t be back for at least a month. But, the following day, rain and our search for a second vehicle brought us back to the city. We left Fairbanks without a new vehicle, but with a couple of $100.00 worth of rain coats, boots, and ammunition.

I vowed that when I return for groceries, I will be going alone. Chuck and I can’t take the chaos of the crowded supermarkets without snapping each others heads off. The drive is at least 3 hours in total and is hard on Dandelion.

On our trip back to Delta, we saw a terribly sad but all too common sight. A moose had been hit by a vehicle and was lying in the road holding her head up, struggling for air. Her sides heaved in and out as she breathed laboriously. Thankfully, Dandelion was engrossed in a movie and didn’t have to see her lying there helplessly. I scanned the cars and trucks that were pulled over for one that was smashed but didn’t find it. There was a man directing traffic and later we passed the State Trooper that had apparently been called to the scene. Chuck told me that someone with a gun would put her out of her misery soon. Later, I learned that the State Troopers have a list of residents who are interested in having the meat. Upon arrival, they go to the first name on the list and that person has a limited time to get to the scene and collect the carcass.