I thought they were from Russia, but I was wrong; Muzzy pees on a mail box; Kalib gets into the news

I took my walk a little after noon. It was a warm and beautiful day, as you can tell by the fact that it was snowing. Snow only falls on warm days, never on cold. 

As I walked, I saw this couple walking the other way.

I have seen them before and I thought that maybe they were two of the many Russian immigrants that moved into this area after the "Ice curtain" that separated Alaska from the old Soviet Union melted.

But I wasn't certain.

So we stopped to visit. "Where did you originally come from?" I asked.

"A place very different than here," she answered.

"Russia?" I asked.

"No! No!" she answered. "Not Russia!"

She, Naziliya, or "Naza" originated in Azerbaijan; he, Leo, in Belarus - but they met in Moscow.

Eight years ago, a relative invited them to come visit in Wasilla.

"We never left," Naza said. "This is the best place - much better than Moscow."

Perhaps I would have learned more, but suddenly our conversation was disrupted when a bounding mass of fur plowed into the scene.

It was Muzzy! And he wanted all the attention. He got it. I then had to devote my full attention to getting him out of there before he loved anyone to death.

But Leo and Naza invited me to stop at their house anytime. So, sooner or later, I will do just that.

I don't mind walking with Muzzy when Jacob is along, because then Jacob does the hard stuff, but Muzzy can sometimes be too much for me to handle. Ninety-some percent of the time, he is a good dog. Although he does not want to, he will do what you tell him to do.

But sometimes... when he sees another dog... he goes nuts... he won't obey at all. He charges after that dog and there is no stopping him.

Once, before I fell off the chair and shattered my shoulder, I was walking him on a leash when a dog popped up. I shouted at him to stop, but I knew that he wasn't going to, so I gripped the handle of the leash as hard as I could and dug in my heels.

Muzzy hit the end of that leash full force and literally yanked me off my feet. I went sailing through the air and came down on my chest and tummy, still gripping the leash.

Now that I have a titanium shoulder, I can't do that again.

So I try never to take him on a walk by myself.

But Jacob is in Washington, DC. Caleb is sick. 

If I didn't walk him, no one was going to.

And he needed to walk.

He needed to pee on things.

So I took him - but I did not put him on the leash. He could yank my artificial shoulder right off - I am certain of it.

So I broke the leash law and took him unleashed - although I did carry the leash with me.

But, as anyone who reads this blog regularly knows, dogs run loose around here all the time.

Still, I felt terribly irresponsible.  On the good side, Muzzy once got smacked by a car in Anchorage and that taught him an indelible lesson about cars and traffic.

And, although you might not know from looking at these pictures, when traffic appeared, I always took note of Muzzy's position in relation to it, so that I could take action, if need be. Fortunately, he was always a safe distance away - usually out in the trees.

But I hope Caleb feels better tomorrow so he can take Muzzy walking  - and I will be very glad when Jacob gets home.

Along the way, we stopped to visit this gentleman, a friendly fellow who I sometimes come across. He was feeling very bad about his son. His son is in prison now but expects to soon be out on parole. The son and his lady - or maybe his mother, I got a little confused on this part - are trying to arrange it so that he can do his parole time in Georgia, where the lady, who may or may not be his mother, lives.

The rationale is that if the son goes to Georgia, he can get away from whatever influence it is up here that keeps getting him into trouble with the law.

The dad was not convinced. He figured he could find just as much to get into trouble over down there as up here.

"And they do harder time in Georgia," he said.

But he also mused about the possibility that maybe his son would not get out on parole, that, maybe, just before he was to be released, he would go wallop a guard or something. Then he would have to stay in prison.

"That would give him three squares, a roof, and a job," his dad explained.

Then Muzzy began to sniff in this spot.

"He smells the moose that just went through here," he said. "A cow and two calves."

Soon I saw this four-wheeler coming.

They waved, then stopped and backed up.

"You should have got a picture of us yesterday," the driver said. "We were pulling a couch with three people on it."

I am really sorry that I missed that picture, but, damnit, I just didn't know.

After the walk, I came back to my computer and stayed put until 4:00 PM, when I went out for the usual coffee break, accompanied by NPR's All Things Considered.

When I pulled up to the drive-through window, I saw these folks placing an order from inside the Metro-Cafe. The window was still closed. That's why you see those smudges on the left.

After Carmen opened the window, I conversed with them just a little bit. The man's name is Scott and one of the girls is named Maggie. I am not sure which one. And there were two more that didn't make it into the picture. Maggie could even have been one of them.

Scott named all five, but I only remember one.

When I was younger, I would have remembered all five - plus a dozen or two more, as well.

Now, I only remember Maggie.

I spent the day alone again, with the cats and Muzzy. Margie did go into town to help out, even though she did not feel that great. 

Anway, the new rug has been placed and all the painting has been done upstairs. So Lavina and Kalib came back here and they will spend every night here until Friday, to let their place air out.

Being a curious fellow who wants to know all about the world, Kalib got into his PJ's and then went straight for the newspaper - and promptly began to rip it to pieces.

Then Megan Baldino came on to anchor the evening news. He ignored her...

...and went to his mom, who gave him something good to eat.

Comments

[LisaJ]

Too bad I dont live a touch closer, I'd love to walk Muzzy for you. Reminds me of a St.Bernard I had growing up, except her name was Princess. Glad to hear Kalib will be with you through the week. I am sure that must be very nice for you and Margie! Well, we are getting some snow finally! My husband was grumbling as he set off this morning on his commute to Eagle River, but I think its beautiful! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

[WhiteStone]

Maybe the four-wheelers would be so kind as to re-enact the couch with three people on it. Maybe if we all chime in and ask them at the top of our voices....PLEASE! Maybe. But perhaps, maybe not. Opportunity seldom knocks twice and this just goes to prove that old adage may be true (somewhat).

[Ash]

Kalib looks so cute in his footie pjs.. :) hope he's feeling better now..

[dahli22]

this blog always makes my day!

[debby]

I agree with Whitestone. Ask for a reenactment. Tell them that your readers are demanding it. Tell them that we're all kind of scary...

[Michelle]

Hi Bill, nice post! I have a question....do the people you photograph know they will be on your blog? Do you give them the web address - like with a business card or something? I'd bet the kids on the snowmobile (sorry, I'm from "Outside") would get a kick out of seeing themselves!

[Dave]

Here I am, half way around the world in Italy, following your very 'stream of consciousness' picture taking and your equally 'steam of consciousness' posts about your family, Wasilla, Kalib in his PJs, and the guy who just walked down the road. Your blog is a hoot, and I'm hooked. I have no idea how I ever came across it, but I'm glad I did.

I love reading everything you post about the Iñupiat, hand drums and dances and Point Barrow folks in general. It's obvious that you love and respect the people and their culture. I'd love to see you finish another story like the one on 'bowhead whaling' on 'Running Dog Publications'. That was just beautiful.

[funnyface]

Ditto all of the above!!!

[CynthiaC54]

That Kalib is going to be a go-getter when he gets big enough to READ that newspaper! :-) What a baby doll...

Sounds like a wonderful week in Wasilla - enjoy it! And BTW, I'll "third" that request to get the four-wheelers to re-enact the people on the couch scene. This is what keeps us sane sometimes -- finding the humor wherever we are! :-)

[kalaluka]

i think they should drag a recliner with a lady and a lap dog. why repeat what's already been done?

[Poem]

I have no idea which blogger led me to your blog (I think it was your SEO Palin post = brilliant). But I must say, you have been added to my reader because your tab has stayed open in my browser for 2 weeks now. I'm loving it. So real. Thank you for letting us peek into your life.

[Wasilla, Alaska, by 300]

Thanks, everybody. I wish I could get a repeat - but that recliner lady and the lap dog, I can only wish. I will keep my eyes open for those fourwheeler drivers.

As to Michelle's specific question, for over a year now I have been planning to get cards made and for over a year I haven't done it. Sometimes, I scribble the address onto paper and sometimes I just tell them my name and say google it along with Wasilla and you will have it.

Sometimes, things happen too fast and I don't get to give them any information at all.