I’m back in civilization. Making my way home from Alaska bush. Had my first shower last night in Bethel. #alaska #bush #avian #Conservation #medicine

@avianvet

Sadly someone out there cut down the Bethel National Forest. It was on the east side of the road from the airport to town. I don't know if there are any pictures.

@A_Minion I hadn't noticed! But I'm guessing it was a couple of spruce trees more than 10 feet high? The crop of stunted alders is doing well around town, sprouting good leaves rn. Soon you won't be able to see the above-ground utilidor pipes and the busted snow machines and boats in all the yards.

@avianvet

It was a single spruce about 7' on a good day. There were signs 50' apart one said "welcome to the Bethel National Forest" the other said "you are now leaving . . . ". The tree disappeared not to long before Christmas so we never knew if it went for firewood or an ornament.

I've always thought the town was established/built by missionaries, they put it on the wrong side of the river. And we wonder about the religious . . 😂 🤣 😂 🤣

@A_Minion yeah I read that’s where the name comes from. I didn’t know about being on the wrong side though lol.

@avianvet If you look across from the little inlet is where all the drying racks were. Fish were where the current flows on the town side, where they have to keep building dikes to stop erosion. The Natives went up and down the river for game & down to that side for fish, then took them to the safe area across the river. I suspect that the Missionaries came during summer & assumed (without paying attention) that's where they lived.

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@avianvet

I spent one summer where the racks were, repairing a barge cause the captain didn't understand that you don't pull a barge down stream. He hit a sandbar & the barge tried to run him down. Ripped 30' of the bottom out, To make things worse it had been a fish processing barge & where the outhouse hole in the deck fed right into where we were working. Oh shit Oh dear. (mid 80's)

Peace
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@A_Minion Ah, that makes sense. I've been through Bethel many times but don't ever have a chance to get around and see much, other than the Uncommon pizza place (which I think might be externally owned) and ADFG and NWR buildings. Any suggestions for next time I'm there (probably next June)?

@avianvet Tho we have animals both wild & tame (My partner of 50yrs has an equine therapy program) I find Alaska fascinating. You said something in one of your posts about being back in civilization . . I look at the Folks in the villages and really wonder who is really more civilized. 8*) it ain't us, that's for sure. Especially now with all this created fake turmoil.

Peace

@A_Minion I used to live in Sitka >20y ago. It was a nice lil bubble of alternate reality-- simpler with local happenings being integral to daily life and unavoidable to know your neighbors. Which could be problematic at times (e.g., gossip really flew around). Nice to be able to take walks in nature out your back door, watch whales swim by, or go to the store without driving. And I was always within sight of eagles and ravens, my favorite wild friends of all. It was a more civilized life for sure. Except in summertime when it was choked with tourists perhaps. XD

@avianvet

And out side of those tourist the skeeters that require a 12 gauge as repellent. On our way to Kenai with a bore tide watching a pod of Narwhals that explained where the pink unicorn in my garage came from. Base for us has been Wasilla, when I first got here we had to punch a 1/2 mile of road to get to the house we built, now we have a 5 lane road & bike path in front of the house. A 4 way flashing light at main street now a 4ln road with strip mall all the way through.

Peace