I am taking this opportunity to post a duplicate of the letter that I emailed Senator Begich this evening. Currently, the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) is one vote short of having the needed 60 votes to pass the Senate. Voting is on party lines, a single exception is the Democrat Senator from Nebraska that is vowing to vote "No" unless the abortion issue is resolved in the bill. The Health care plan contains over 2,000 pages and no one except the "special committee" has seen the bill. All the Senators will have less than two days to read, understand, and vote on this legislation just because the "Executive Branch" wants it passed before Christmas. This legislation affects every citizen and amounts to over one trillion dollars in nation debt. I would like to see them take a little time, cool down, and spend the time on a bill that all can agree upon. Is that possible in Washington D.C.?

December 18, 2009

Senator Mark Begich

U.S. Senator, State of Alaska

Dear Senator Begich;

I would like to take this opportunity to wish both you and your family a very Merry Christmas. I am taking this opportunity to voice my concern in the direction that our beloved country has taken during the past eleven months. In my lifetime, I have never witnessed the politics that I have seen in Washington D.C. during the past year. The spectacle that I have witnessed is just not in the U.S. Senate, but also in the U.S. House of Representative with the Executive Branch being the worst offenders.

I have been a resident of the State of Alaska since 1956. I retired after twenty years active duty with the U.S. Navy. Two of my four children were born in Alaska; ten of my thirteen grandchildren were also born in Alaska, as were my two great grandchildren. Like your family, our family has roots in Alaska.

Our founding fathers formed this nation by writing a four-page document known as the Constitution. The principal of the document was simple; representatives would be elected to the Senate, House of Representative, and the Presidency to represent their constituents when enacting legislation. Although the lack of representation has been lacking over the past number of years, during this past eleven months it appears to have disappeared all together.

This is very apparent when one looks at the national polls for both houses and the Executive Branch. We, the voting public feel that we have been forgotten by our representatives. We continue to see legislation after legislation, amounting to billions of dollars being passed by both house and signed into law by the President. The national debt is at the point that my great grandchildren will be paying for the errors made in the past eleven months.

The national medical plan that is in debate at this time is a prime example of the ineptness of the current leadership and representatives. Again, all the national polls, whether they tend to be conservative or liberal indicate that the majority of the population of our country does not favor this legislation. In Alaska, the latest poll numbers that I saw was that 68% of the Alaskans were not in favor of this legislation. To compound the problem, Senator Reid is developing this legislation behind “closed doors”.

It appears that only a select few in the Senate knows what is going on with this bill. Senators are being bought off by “pork funds” attached to other appropriation bills for their vote. Senator Begich, I could care less if you ever bring the “pork” home to Alaska, just represent us as you have taken an oath to do. I have a great deal of respect for Senator McCain for not taking the “pork” home to Arizona. Evidently, his constituents are also proud as they continue to return him to the Senate each election.

To compound the problem, you as a Senator will only be allowed a couple of days to read and digest a bill before the Senate that contains over 2,000 pages of a new law that will affect every citizen of the United States. The current goal is to have this legislation pass in the Senate before Christmas. Common sense tells me that it is impossible to read, understand, and vote in favor of this legislation in a six-day period.

It is time for the Senators and Representatives to step up and set the example that their vote cannot be bought and that they will not sign every piece of legislation developed by the Executive Branch. Stand up, Senator Begich and let the leadership know that you represent the people of Alaska, not the Democrat or Republican Party or the President of the United States. It would be a “breath of fresh air” to actually see one of our elected representatives make this stand. Set the example and others will follow. Our founding fathers would be proud.

I encourage you to take this stand, remember the vote that you cast represents the Alaskans at home; it is not your personal vote. Strand up Senator Begich and vote “No” on the Health Care Plan until it is more clearly defined by a committee that represents the people, not the party, administration, or special interest groups. We would be proud of you if you took the stand.

Respectfully,

Stanley R. Harrington

As a child growing up I was often told that "monsters" lurked in the woods and their diets consisted primarily of small children. As I entered my teen years, I was brave enough to go deep into the woods and survived. Now that I am in my "Golden" years, I am a skeptic that such "monsters" exist. That was until 2:32 p.m. on Thursday, December 3, 2009.

I know that my children will perhaps think the "old man" is slipping a few gears and will likely start talking about having me committed. However, I assure you, I know what I saw and now my concern is that of my grandchildren and great grandchildren. They venture into these same woods on a daily routine during the summer months and occasionally in the winter. I make this posting only to warn them of the dangers that do lurk in the woods at the "Hole In the Wall", our family recreational site.

Following the recent heavy snowfall, I spent the day on Thursday plowing out the recreational area. With me, I had two dogs, "Ruger" and "Dutch". At the entry to the "Bowl Area" of the campground, a large patch of alders were weighted down with the heavy snow load. As I pushed the snow down the driveway, each time I would pass that patch of alders, "Ruger" would growl. Throughout the day, I passed this spot a hundred times either going forward or backing up to catch a blade of new snow that had to be moved a quarter of a mile. "Ruger's" growling persisted, each time I would scold him for the annoyance.

After plowing for a couple of hours and drinking several cups of coffee, I parked in the "bowl area" to admire my job, stretch and let my buddies have a chance to run around and enjoy the campground again.

As soon as "Ruger" hit the freshly plowed snow, he headed for the alder bushes that he had been growling at. About the time that he hit the alders, I heard a loud scream and the constant barking of "Ruger". The scream was unlike any that I have ever heard, at first I thought to be a wounded rabbit but the growl was too deep. When "Dutch" heard the commotion, he went back inside of the truck and crouched down on the seat. I made an attempt to call "Ruger" off of whatever he was upset at, but he was not paying any attention to me. The growling and screaming continued, as I picked the shovel out of the back of my truck and walked towards the alders.

Due to the snowfall, I could not see inside of the alders and "Ruger" was on the backside of the clump of alders. With a wide swing with my shovel, I smacked the alders to disperse the snow. It was only then, I saw what "Ruger" was upset about. When I first spotted the animal, it had it's back to me, then turned and stared directly into my eyes. Being that close, the growl or scream was only intensified in volume, the glaring eyes, and wide mouth. I could hear "Ruger" but could not see him. I retreated backward very slowly a few feet and then turned back to my snowplow. What little part of the animal that I saw, it looked to be eighteen inches tall, gray in color, and big mouth lined with rows of white teeth.

Retrieving my camera in one hand and my shovel, I returned to the alder patch. Turning on the camera and pushing back the alders with the shovel, I could not see any sign of the animal that I had previously seen. "Ruger" continued his constant barking and growling so I knew it remained in the area. Moving over to an area where the snow had fallen from the alders and was deeper, just as I approached the spot, the animal which I will now refer as the "snow monster" came up out the snow. He was so fast when he surfaced from the snow pile, again looking me in the eye, growling, and snapping his jaws together. I did manage to get off two quick shots with my camera, before he darted deeper into the alders. It appeared that he was standing upright on two feet, however, I later discovered by looking at the tracks in the snow he was four footed, although the front two feet were smaller than the hind feet.

In just a few seconds, I caught a glimpse of him leaving the alder patch in the direction of the "Moose Wallow" and again I saw him as he cut across "Grannies Gulch" trail and headed towards the "Buffalo Wallow" with "Ruger" in hot pursuit. They both disappeared into the deeper alders on the side bluffs of the bowl. His hindquarters were taller than his front shoulders, which was the reason that I thought he was standing upright when I first saw him. In the deep snow he left clear tracks, the front two feet were a couple of inches smaller than the back feet, however, each of them had five distinct toes. However, after putting the pictures on the computer, I discovered that the toes were predominantly claws.

I returned to the site where we first saw the creature or monster, it appears he or she had a den in the bank of the hill under the roots of an older tree and a old log. Fresh blood was in the area with tuffs of white hair, which I am presuming was from the Snowshoe Hares that inhabit the area. Whatever it was, it was definitely a meat eater.

I could still hear "Ruger" barking at the monster on the bluff behind the "Bear Den" and "Wolf Den". It was only after I returned to the truck and started the engine that "Ruger" finally called off the hunt and returned, stopping occasionally to look over his shoulder.

After viewing the pictures on the computer, I returned to the campground on Friday. This time, I came prepared, I carried a shotgun with me. I do not know if I would have shot it, but I would liked to have known what I encountered. I checked out the area, I found two additional den areas. The first behind the "Duck House" in the old log pile, again there is blood and white hair. In this area, I also found some "scat" that had particles of bone and hair in it. The second den I located was on Bear Creek Trail, about mid way up the bluff under a large boulder. This site was also littered with the same evidence but the snow was packed down and it appeared that the foot prints were much smaller than the original tracks that I saw. It is possible that we have at least three of these creatures in the area or perhaps a mating pair.

I have no concept of what it was. I have to assume by the defensive posture and gestures it directed towards me the only reason it did not attack was my size. I also think that "Ruger" has possibly had contact with it previously because he was not in any rush to attack it. The entire time, he remained back a safe distance as to where he could escape. As quickly as he responded by growling and barking when we first arrived in the area, even from the truck seat, further confirms my suspicion that he has knowledge of the animal.

I am concerned, with my "grandchildren" and great "grandchildren" playing in the area as I am not convinced it would attack a smaller person or smaller pet animals. Over the next couple of days, I will check the area on a daily basis and possibly even set up a "baiting area" that I can observe from the "Water Tower". Please inform your children of the existence of this creature or creatures and insure we keep a watchful eye when they are playing in the area.

Could only get a quick count as he moved between the trees and out of sight, but was at least a very respectable five pointer, perhaps a "Royal"

Hopefully the storm that is forecast for tonight will pass through Glennallen as projected. We will be on the road from Tok inbound for Las Anchorage after good light ~ earlier projected time of arrival may need to be revised slightly due to storm.

I have now crossed the Powder River and well north of the Yellowstone, our new ranch that the boys have named "Hat Creek Ranch", not a prettier place have you ever seen.

You have to believe, what you see and you read! Dutch can fully appreciate the moment and enjoys listening to the stories of "Lonesome Dove".

Tonight finds us well north of the Peace River at Fort Nelson. On our southward journey, we had a little problem in Fort Nelson at our motel and swore we would never stay in Fort Nelson again. However, we found a very nice motel, almost good enough to holdup in for the winter. A beautiful day of driving, little snow to start out when we left Prince George but cleared up nicely by the time we hit the Alcan at Fort Saint John. From the time we rolled out of Prince George until we pulled up in front of our motel room, we had driven exactly, to the tenth of a mile a total of 500 miles. Tomorrow morning, we will be on the road again, just before first light as tomorrow is the big day that I have been looking forward to. Between here and Whitehorse, YT is the best section of the highway to see a wide variety of wildlife. Hopefully, I have a second rendezvous with some big Stone Rams. When we hit the road,the engine will not even have time to get warm and we will surpass the 10,000 mile mark on this trip, we now set at 9,997, again to the tenth of a mile. The last couple of days has been a little disappointing on seeing wildlife but have seen some beautiful country.

Analyzing the data tonight, the number of rpm's we are generating multiplied by the number of revolutions that our wheels make; taking into consideration that they will revolve slower in heavy snow or faster on black ice; and barring any unforeseen circumstances like avalanches, road closures, or customs not allowing us to enter Alaska; it is projected that we will roll into Las Anchorage, Alaska at 1639.34 on Thursday evening.

Yes, I watched the Denver Bronco game tonight and will make no comment - but I believe!

We were very fortunate to be there on the day that they had a scheduled blast, over 25 thousand tons of rock were blown away in less than a minute.

This was our second time to visit Mount Rushmore in two years. It deserves to be visited each time you pass through this area. It is an inspirational visit each time you see the faces on the rocks or visit the great American History museum, not only how the mountain was carved but why these great Americans were chosen to grace the mountain.

Come first light, we will be heading out for Wyoming. Will likely spend the night in Cody, Wyoming so we are lined up for Yellowstone National Park the following day.

Tonight, after driving 336 miles we are in Valentine, Nebraska just a few miles south of the South Dakota border. We took a north by northeast course today, but before this trip is over we will be cutting back to the southwest by west, before we turn to go back to our north by northwest course until we hit the eastern foothills of Washington when we will turn north and head for home. Going to be a little longer trip home than normal. Although, at this point we have now accumulated 7,323 miles on this trip. Not that many miles will be added on tomorrow as we have a full day of sightseeing. The primary sites will be the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore but the Black Hills is so beautiful, we will likely take several side trips. Planning on staying in Deadwood City, SD tomorrow night. I heard that they may have a few casinos, not that I would indulge in this type of activity.

This among thousands of others in Nebraska needs to be mentioned. This is the Johnson County Courthouse in Tecumseh, Johnson County, Nebraska. It was constructed in 1895 and still being used today. Johnson County was named in Honor of Colonel Johnson. While serving in the Army, Colonel Johnson was in combat against Chief Tecumseh. Following the Indian Wars, Colonel Johnson retired. The community as well as the county was going to be named after Colonel Johnson, however, he requested out of of respect, that the community be named Tecumseh in honor of his former combative foe. Beautiful architecture using a combination of brick and stone. However, each small town you pass through in Nebraska, you are likely to see buildings of this stature, either government buildings or churches.

I have added a couple of shots to my Wildlife Album, both of which would be classified as trophy animals.

White Tail Buck

Royal ~ Bull Elk Basking In The Sun