People. Sometimes I wonder, who needs them? We are fouling our collective nest, and have no qualms about this. Why? Why don’t we take better care of what (presumably) dog has given us? In the US, we’re now obsessed with the failing economy and the supposed loss of jobs. I heard that 18,500 will soon be laid off by the Hostess Company. No more Twinkies, Ding Dongs, or Ho Hos. Now, 18,500 people are going to rail about their dire situation.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; the lack of jobs isn’t the heart of the problem. The problem is that world-wide we’re reproducing ourselves at now unprecedented rates. One of the many

Moose hide left behind in the trail by hunters

consequences is that we’re becoming oblivious to all the consequences, one of which is climate change.

Everything is connected. Everything. Small things matter. For instance, mess up an area trail system, and you mess up animal habitat corridors. Mess up animal habitat corridors, and you mess up migration patterns. Mess up migration patterns, and you mess up things like seed dispersal patterns.

I’ve learned that educating ATV and monster truck users about trail use is an exercise in futility. Those who are most articulate say “I live here in Alaska so I can do what I want. You and that Obama guy, you’re trying to do away with freedom.”

I don’t know why these people are allowed to continue to breed. If it were up to me, there would be mandatory castration, and I’d be head of the board. Best to remove their seed from the gene pool, so that there’s more room to swim.

So, today’s photo. Not very pretty. I came across the skin yesterday, at the near conclusion of our horseback ride. It was at the trailhead/Murphy Road intersection. In September, during hunting season, a buncha guys camped out at the turnoff – for an entire month. (Some arrived early, so that they could reserve themselves a spot. Good thinking, eh?) At the conclusion of the season they left area residents (and we do live in a residential area) a memento, which is a moose skin. They probably thought that there was no sense in taking it with them, because they couldn’t do anything with it. So there it is. Come spring, it will become soft and stinky. Our dogs will gnaw on it and get in a good shoulder roll or two.

The best I can do when I see such things is breathe. When I breathe, I see little critters moving in and doing what they can to assist in the decaying process. This then, better helps me to deal with the asinine behavior of my fellow human beings.

Next: 342. 11/17/12: Ranger’s Contribution