I think you have had about all you want of the trials of Martha D. Don't worry, there will be more, I seem to be a magnet for all the weird stuff. But today wanted to do something different.
My third and last volume of IF ONLY I COULD TALK is scheduled to be out this fall, in time for Christmas shopping. I thought today that I would share one of the stories with you.
This story came from the family's trip to Alaska in 2008. I hope you enjoy it.
I had never seen Musk-Ox before, just pictures. We saw three very large herds while traveling through the Brooks Range. I learned their history. I would like to share it with you, from one of the Ox's point of view.
ALASKA's MUSK OX
Ahh! What a wonderful place to live and play, grow and learn.
I have lived here all my life, here in the wonderful Brooks Range, between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay. The grass is lush and tall, my musk-ox family large and extended. My memories are many, my life has been long, soon I will be the one called "the bull". All of us guys know that when we reach a certain age we will be designated as such. It is our way of life. Sometimes life can be very hard.
We go back thousands of years, are related to the TAKIN found in the Himalayan Mountains. In Alaska we are known, in the native alaskan language, as OOMINGMAK, which means "the animal with skin like a beard".
There I was as a child, with my sister and Mother. We are a very strange and awesome looking animal.
We can grow to 3-5 foot tall, and weigh 500-900 pounds. We love the Alaskan Tundra, with plenty of grasses, woody plants, and our very very favorite, the willow.
We have heavy, layered fur, 3-4 inches thick, completely covering our bodies, including our feet. We just kind of look big, shaggy, cumberson, and messy. We have never figured out how to keep our heavy fur looking neat, so you kind of have to take us as we are.
It is a very god thing we have this heavy shaggy fur as the winters here on the Tundra can get as cold as 70 degrees BELOW zero.
I grew up on the Tundra, playing with other Musk-Ox children, happy and free, afraid of nothing. Because Mom and Dad are so big and strong, we do not even begin to imagine any other way to live, or know of the dangers we could sometimes face.
Then one day I learned what it meant to be threatened, to be afraid, and what it meant to be "THE BULL".
We were just wandering along, eating the grass and willows, running and playing, life was so much fun. Then suddenly all the Moms and Dads began calling us together, and as we came together us children were herded into a tight little group, and then the big Musk Ox began forming a circle around us. We were so tightly packed we could hardly move.
Of course I was frightened. What was wrong? Why were we being so confined? I began to cry and shake, but soon one of the Moms told me it would be o.k. There was a nasty big animal out there that wanted to hurt us, especially us children. The circle began to gradually move, herding us away from the danger.
We kept gradually moving, but the danger kept coming behind us, getting closer and closer. Then I heard the grown-ups talking. I kept hearing that the "Bull" would protect us. How could that be? He was only one Musk-Ox against the danger. I really needed to know what would happen.
Very gradually I kind of worked myself around so that I could peek out between two of the grown-ups.
As I watched and listened, I heard the older Musk-Ox Bulls talking among themselves. They seemed to reach an agreement, and one Bull stopped walking with us. The other Bulls told us to keep our circle tight, but to move away as fast as we could. Why wasn't the other Bull coming? What was happening?
The old Bull gave one last long look at his herd, then slowly turned and began going toward the danger........
It was much later that I learned that when danger threatened, one of the Old Bulls volunteered himself to face the danger alone so that the rest of the herd could reach safety.
He would fight until overcome, and give his life for the rest of us.
Here I am, now, as an adult, see my horns?
My memories are many, my life has been long and wonderful. But now I am the "Old Bull", it is my responsibility to see that my herd is protected and nurtured. Each day that I can be with my herd is a blessing. I know that somewhere down the road there will be a danger.
Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next year. But my time will come, and then I will turn and walk back toward the danger to give my life so that my herd can survive.
This is just one of 20 stories in my newest "talk" book. If you would like to read more, some are funny, some sad, but you learn from every story, you can order them through Amazon books, my web-site, my e-mail address or Double Edge Press.
I hope you have enjoyed this story, and have learned something to boot. It was after completing this three volume series that I began to blog. I also have the books with me at the various art festivals.
I hope your Friday will be a good day for all, and God Bless.
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