Bear Hunting in Alaska

 As an animal rights advocate, one of the things that bothered me in Alaska, was the nonchalant attitude toward killing aggressive bears that the locals seem to have.  I realize that hunting is in the blood of most Alaskans.  Bear hunting, both black and brown, is allowed, with a license.  Either 1 or 2 bears per year is the limit, yet it was how they are hunted that bothered me.

Bears can be lured from their den by food or light, and then killed.  Mother bears with cubs can also be killed in their den or in the wild.  To me, this is not hunting, but then, what do I know about hunting.  In 2020 the Trump administration reversed a policy enacted under the Obama administration which banned the practice of hunting predators, by luring them with food.  The Trump administration rules allow hunters in Alaska to shoot bears and wolves, and their cubs and pups, while they are in their dens.

Many bears are killed each year by rangers who consider them dangerous.  I could not find an actual number that are killed each year, but it is many.  Our driver in Sitka told us that several bears had been killed this year by rangers who considered them aggressive.  They had either attacked a human or tried to attack.  My understanding is that in most cases the bears are taunted, act aggressively to defend themselves, then are shot.

People that hike, hunt, camp, or just enjoy the outdoors, need to be educated in the proper way to protect themselves, and to keep wildlife safe.  There's got to be a better way to protect these magnificent animals.  In California, when aggressive animals become a problem to the general population, they are usually tranquilized and transported to another area.  This seems to me a more humane approach.  The goal should be to protect wildlife while keeping us safe.  

Sitka, Alaska Was My Favorite Port

 Everything about our Alaska cruise was great, but Sitka might have been our favorite stop.  We enjoy taking private tours, either by a local taxi or Uber driver, or booking a local tour when we arrive in port.  We did just that in Sitka.  

After disembarking, we took a short walk to the local free shuttle, that dropped us off in the center of town, after giving us a short history of the town.  From there, we walked across the street, saw a sign for local tours, and called.  In 10 minutes our driver arrived, and began our day of fun.  He was a wealth of knowledge, so he gave us a good history of the area.  

We got a nice tour of town, visiting the fishing area, a big totem park, and many old museums and schools.  He then took us to the bear sanctuary, just outside of town.  We loved it.  They had three black bears, and about 4 brown bears.  These are all bears that were either injured in the wild or were found as cubs, without a mother, and taken to the sanctuary.  They have viewing platforms, so you get a great view of the animals.  

Next, our driver took us to a restaurant where he thought we could get crab chowder.  However, they did not have it, so we left, and walked back to the shuttle.  I remembered there was a nice waterfront restaurant right near our ship.  Evidently crab chowder isn't a thing, so we ended up with delicious clam chowder, and a basket of corn fritters with honey butter, that I will not soon forget.  Here's the recipe for the corn fritters, which, if I wasn't really watching my weight right now I would make today.  You will love them.

                                                        Corn Fritters with Honey Butter

1 1/3 all purpose unbleached flour

1/2 c. yellow cornmeal

1T. baking powder

1tsp. salt

2tsp. sugar

2 T. oil

1-8 oz. can cream style corn

1-12 oz. corn

oil for frying

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then add together.  Heat 3 inches of oil to 365 degrees, then drop fritters in oil.  Fritters should be round and about the size of golf balls.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown, drain and serve hot with softened butter mixed with honey.  These are to die for.  What a great way to end our day in Sitka.

Museum of Making Music Is For Everyone

Early August was so much fun.  My son David, his wife Tracy and son Calvin, came to visit for 5 days.  So that everyone could enjoy the visit, my mom Dorothy, came down from Los Angeles, as did Tracy's mom Barbara.  Additionally, Brian (son) and Beth (wife) were celebrating an anniversary down here, so we were lucky enough to all get together.  

Still, I wanted a little time alone with Calvin, so Dorothy and I took Calvin to the Museum of Making Music one morning, in Carlsbad.  The morning was delightful, and we all enjoyed our time together, and the museum.  There were a few things that I found especially interesting.

The displays were interactive.  Every instrument was numbered, and an interactive screen would pull up a picture and description of the instrument.  At first Calvin was very interested in the instruments, but as made our way through the museum, it became clear that Calvin's major interest was in NUMBERS!  He would see that a guitar was made in 1956, and he would immediately say "That was 66 years ago!"  He would love looking at the dates each instrument was made, then quickly figuring out how long ago that was.  At the end of the displays they showed several kitchen appliances and household objects from 60 years ago.  Why, I don't know.  Anyway, they had an old toaster, an old phonograph, and a cash register from maybe the 1940's.  At the end of our time at the museum, my mom asked Calvin, if he could take anything he saw home with him, what would it be?  His answer, immediately, was, "The cash register."  I thought he'd say a drum set or a guitar or one of the many beautiful instruments.  No, he wanted the cash register.  Just goes to show that we all see things differently, and we each take away something different from the same experience.  Calvin is definitely a numbers guy!!! 

A Shark That Can Live 250-500 Years!

 Our recent cruise to Alaska was all I expected and more.  One of the great features of the Oceania Regatta was the full time naturalist they had on board.  She knew everything about everything and was so informative.  My mom and I looked forward to her many lectures, college level talks that were presented in a way that even the most uninterested listener perked up.  Goeleta did an entire lecture on sharks and their importance in maintaing the balance of nature.  One shark in particular that she spoke of, that I had not heard of before, was the Sleeper Shark.

Sleeper sharks have a heavy cylindrical body and rough, bristly skin.  Teeth are speak like on the the upper, and slicing lower teeth with low bent cusps and high roots.  They're a uniform grey.  The prefer continental shelves and slopes, and depths of more that 6561 feet.  They live in the North Pacific from Japan to Mexico.  Size wise, the maximum length of an adult sleeper shark is around 23 feet.

Sleeper sharks feed on a wide variety of surface and bottom animals.  Seal remains in their stomach may have been scavenged or taken alive.  They're a lumbering and sluggish variety of shark, and their small mouth and large oral cavity suggest suction feeding.  They are relatively common, yet we don't really know that much about them.  I attribute to the fact that they live their lives at such extreme depths.  And why do they live to be so old?  That question was never answered in my research, but my very unscientific mind thinks it may have something to do with the deep, dark area of the ocean where they reside, and their slow, lumbering movements.  Maybe this keeps the heart rate low, and helps with longevity.  Just a thought.

What Does It Take To Be A Superager?

 The term "superager" refers to people in their 70's and 80's who have the mental or physical capability of their decades-younger counterparts.  Researchers have found that embracing new mental challenges may be the key to preserving both brain tissue and brain function.

Participants in one study of superagers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging, which provides images of the brain at work.  Researchers found that some areas of the brain appeared thinner-an indication of cell loss-in the older people with normal test scores, but not in those that tested more like younger participants, the tissue was still thick.  Who knew that having a thick brain was a good thing?

Physical super-agers measured similar to women decades younger than themselves, especially on aerobic capacity-the amount of oxygen you take in and distribute to tissues.  Some studies indicate that people in their 80's who exercise at high intensity 20-45 minutes per day have an aerobic capacity of people 30 years younger.  

So, if you're not already a super-ager, here are some suggestions that may help you get there.

1.  If you enjoy crossword puzzles, challenge yourself with acrostics or mathematical.  Try doing something yourself that you would have hired someone else to do in the past- assemble furniture, installing software, doing your taxes.

2.  Increase your exercise capacity

3.  Prepare to be frustrated.  Things we used to easily do become harder as we age.  It's ok to take yourself out of your comfort level, both physically and mentally.

Super-agers do not have many role models, but they are role models for the next generation.  That's what my 99 year old mom says to me all the time.  She has no role models to show her how to be 99!  But she's showing me, and many others who are in their 70's and 80's how to stay younger than your age. 

Get out of your comfort zone, try new things, travel to new places, try new activities, read different book genres than you usually do.  These things may help you become a super-ager, if you're not one already. 

Sheet Pan Meals

There are so many versions of sheet pan meals that you can make, but this is probably my favorite.  Good for an easy weeknight meal, or fancy enough for company, salmon, roasted potatoes and roasted broccoli is a winning combination.  Here's a recipe you will make again and again.

                             Sheet Pan Salmon, Potatoes and Broccoli 

4 salmon filets (skin on) cut into 4 ounce pieces

8 small red potatoes, halved

Broccoli crowns cut into florets

Salt and pepper the salmon fillets, add a little olive oil, and set aside until ready to cook

Salt and pepper the potatoes and broccoli and place on a sheet tray that has been oiled or sprayed with non stick spray.

Set oven temperature at 500 degrees.  Roast potatoes and broccoli for 20 minutes, rotating pan once, or until potatoes are brown and broccoli is golden.  Remove broccoli, cover with foil, and set aside.  

Add salmon fillets to the sheet pan (with potatoes), turn heat down to 275 degrees, and cook for about 12 minutes, or until salmon is 125 degrees internally.

Remove everything, arrange on platter for serving.  

If you need a sauce for the salmon, cut some chives, add grainy mustard and some lemon juice and spoon on top of salmon fillets.

I make this dish often, it's so easy and delicious.  You can change up the veggies, and use sweet potatoes instead of red potatoes if you want.  Other variations of the dish can be made by seasoning chicken tenders and doing the same thing, but don't over cook the chicken.  Enjoy

Fin Whales Are Making A Comeback

 Once hunted to the brink of extinction, fin whales in the Southern Ocean have rebounded, according to a new survey.  This was discovered by a group of researchers, who were six weeks into a nine week expedition near the coast of Elephant Island in the Antarctic Peninsula.  They stumbled on the largest gathering of fin whales ever documented.  The researchers were thrilled at this most spectacular site.  Large numbers of fin whales had returned to the waters that once made up their historic feeding grounds.  This is a glimmer of good news in what is otherwise a worrisome landscape for global biodiversity.

Humans are speeding the extinction at an unprecedented pace, according to the assessment of the U.N.  It is predicted that the continued greenhouse gas emission could trigger a mass die-off of marine species by 2300.  The rebounding of the fin whales population, however, offers a sign that if you enforce management and conservation, there are chances for species to recover.

Recent research has proposed that the rebound in whale population s is good not only for the whales by for the entire ecosystem, through a concept known as whale pump.  Whales feed on krill, they excrete iron, which was locked in the crustaceans, back into the water.  That, in turn, can boos phytoplakton, microscopic organisms that use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis, and serve as the base of the marine food chain.  Great news for the species and marine life in general.