THE ALAKSA OCEANS FESTIVAL

In keeping time with our renewed and revitalized commitment to Green Living, we headed down to a fitting event yesturday. With more than 35,000 miles of coastline and some of the world's most biologically diverse marine waters, Alaska plays an important role in the health of the world's oceans. Each year this is celebrated at the Alaska Oceans Festival.

Held in a park strip in downtown Anchorage, thousands of Alaskans are educated and entertained by over 20 marine and environmentally related organizations, prominent community leaders, guest speakers(Alexandra Cousteau-Jacques's grandaughter) and a variety of entertainers. This fun and informative festival is instrumental in raising public awareness about Alaska marine issues. Plus, it's a bit of a hippy fest! A get together of like minded people who are in the minority in this state. We've attended the last 2 and had a great time there yesturday. Lo got to jump in the Bouncy House, make a sting ray print,

and get her face painted. Neither of the kids was interested in mounting the Bucking Bronco Salmon but I know Dea would have liked to climb REI's climbing wall. It was pretty expensive to do it and I'm proud that she decided to donate the money, instead, to some great wildlife and enviro organizations. We all came home with a bunch of politically or environmentally vocal bumper stickers! I've dedicated one of my car's back side windows to be my personal public billboard.

This one gets a spot on my rear window though.

It really hit home with both me and Huz. I'm tired of being looked down upon as one who is a reprobate, pitiable, or deprived of spiritual rights somehow because I'm a liberal and/or not an adhearent to any one particular religion.

After our stay at the fest we headed on over to the Alaska Zoo for our friend's wedding reception. After finishing dinner in the zoo's greenhouse Dea and I ran down the trails to the bathroom. Actually, I chased her with my camera snapping away. When finished with our business, I chased her back up the trails but stopped in my tracks when I saw the wolves. Unaware, Dea ran giggling on but I walked quietly over to the fence where about 7 beautiful wolves stood considering me. What magnificent animals! It was the first time I had ever been so close. I could have reached over and touched them. Evening in the zoo after it is closed to the public is an amazing time. Quiet, but all the animals are up and alert. I spoke quietly to them about their handsomeness and dignity and how it was a shame they were captive. Many of the zoo's animals are rescued. Some are rehabilitated and released but some are there to stay due to extent of their injuries. But then there are the ones who have been captured and placed in a jail for us all to gawk at. And that is upsetting. I'm waiting and hoping the zoo will go "all rescue". I do see the imporatnce of the education in viewing wildlife but not at the expense of a healthy animal's freedom. A zoo can have a lot to offer... Our working philosophy has been to boycott ours in protest to show our kids that we don't approve of animals in captivity. But I'm thinking of recinding that. There is a lot to be learned by going there and discussing the benefits of rehabing hurt animals as well as discussing the ethics of capturing and jailing animals. I'd rather expose them to real life and have some great dialogue than to censor it.

I was struck by the playfulness and tenderness of those wolves- a couple of them wimpered and kind of semi-bowed at me in that submissive playful way that dogs do, reminding me of my own Malamute. They had such a wise yet puckish look in their eyes. I told them we(Alaskans) were aiming for finally getting our voices heard in August when it is time to vote down the arial wolf hunting that has been established. The last two wolves playfought as they watched me and then turned to trot off together. I left to go and talk to the ravens-they are such wisened and whimsical creatures. But that's for another time. Whoops! I missed the toast to the couple!