Alaskan Gothic

This is a bit of a twist on the post of the moose in the yard last week.

(post dated August 1)

I called them "unwelcome neighbors".

Josh and Kathleen took the whole incident up a notch--

or two...or three.

Kathleen was especially agitated and anxious.

And rightfully so.

You see, she was the one who planted tiny seeds in pots last March...

then watered and watched...

transplanted in June...

weeded...

 fertilized...

thinned...

and is on the verge of harvesting all this bounty of vegetables.

She knows the moose could harvest them all in one hungry meal.

So, she prepared to sit out after the twins' visit--

waiting for them to just try and take the garden late at night.

Josh, in his role as protector of both his wife and property, joined her.

Each had a weapon, and I don't mean a water pistol.

The serious tone of them sitting on the deck reminded me

of the "American Gothic" couple by Grant Wood,

minus the pitchfork, however.

But, as I nervously eyed the real guns with real bullets in their laps

as they sat their vigil,

I decided they were more like the Hatfields or McCoys,

daring those moose to take one step on this property!

Do you want to know the ending?

They finally went to bed hours later, though Kathleen was too

nervous and restless to sleep.

At 5:20 AM she heard rustling just below their window and-

sure enough-it was the massive moose twins, munching on the snap peas.

Waking Josh, he removed the screen and shot the ground next to them

a couple of times.  (Moose season doesn't begin until Sept 1---)

The twins have not been seen since.

But the vegetables are still flourishing and the guns handy.

Just in case.

And moose season gets closer every day...