Okay, okay, I blew it. I had a great photo opportunity and I didn’t take it. The idea of a camera never crossed my mind.

Last night when I took the dog out before bed, I ventured to the garden for a peek at the beets. As I was unlatching my gate, I noticed that 2 sides of the fence were gone. Poof! Not there, but rather strung out on the ground. It seemed silly to be opening a gate at that point. I walked around.

Something–I didn’t see it, but I’m sure it was a moose–tore down our admittedly wimpy fence. But get this: there were no tracks through the beds, and nothing was eaten. So the moose crashed the fence why? Because it was just passing by and it was in the way, I guess.

Judging from the lay of the strings in the aftermath, the moose simply decided to pass on the right side of a post instead of the left. If it had taken a step or two to the side, it would have avoided the whole tangly mess. But no! It broke through the twine of the fence.

Now, if it were dark, I might be able to believe the moose didn’t see the strings and they simply felt like brush. Moose force their way through thick brush all the time. A long-legged, 1200-pound animal can do that. But even at 2:30 in the morning it’s not that dark right now. The twine is decorated with rag flags to help make it visible.

I can see making the effort to get some yummy lettuce and chard, but to do it for no reason? Or maybe it’s fun–what do I know?

There was a story and photo in the Anchorage Daily News some years ago about a bull moose that got its antlers tangled in the chains of a swing on a swingset. It pulled the whole swingset out of the ground and dragged it behind him, pieces falling off as he went.

So maybe it wasn’t much effort to pass on the right side of the post compared to the left.

I tied the twine back up to the posts. Maybe it’s not even a deterrent, but it makes me feel better!

Today, on the way home from the mailbox, Ebony and I took the path through the wild strawberry patch. I found this:

To make up for not taking a picture of our moose-trashed fence, I carted this fellow home, into the house, up the stairs, got the camera, went back out to the garden, turned the camera on with one hand, kept the dog from eating the frog with my elbows, and got this picture. Does that make up for the fence?

Alaska is not big on frogs–too cold, not enough sun. I think AK has a total of five species of amphibians. Two of those are wood frogs and spotted frogs. This, I believe, is a spotted frog. See the spots?!

See the little lettuce plants?

I wish I’d thought to let the frog go in the collards. We’ve got pretty red beetles eating the leaves, and maybe the frog would eat the pretty red beetles.

Oh, and guess what Mike taught Ebony (loaner-dog). Blueberries are yummy. Now when I work in the garden, Ebony browses in the blueberries. Dag nabbit! The dog’s eating my blueberries!