Elk! And Waiting.

The Elk Crew got 2 Elk!

For some odd reason, I am superstitious about blog posting on Elk successes (or failures) until the hunt is all over. Even after Patrick shot the first, one I told close friends and family but didn't want to write about it on the blog until they had reached their goal, or were returning home.

Patrick shot an Elk  last Sunday.  The winds were blowing 25-45 mph and it was Kodiak's first real snowfall accumulation of the year. His phone call arrived in the early evening, shortly after they had arrived safe and sound to the seiner with the elk in hand.

Sunday night I lay in bed until midnight listening to the howling winds outside, hoping that the boat was safe in its Anchorage. I was restless, tossing and turning. The wind pelted the snow and slush aggressively against the window. I couldn't imagine the dampness and coldness of hiking through the wet and bone chilling conditions to bring the elk back to the boat. I thought about how hard sleeping is on boats. And my father, on his boat, how he wouldn't sleep well in winds. Listening for the anchor and making sure the anchor isn't dragging.


And now I await for the crew to return.

Yesterday I didn't hear a peep from Ray or Patrick. I assumed this to mean there was no second elk. Then my phone rang this morning, when I was at St. Mary's prepping a handwriting  assignment for Nora and Stuey's class.

Adelia shot an Elk yesterday-a HUGE one.

"I think its the biggest Elk we've ever shot on one of these hunts. The antlers are taller than Adelia!" Patrick exclaimed.  Because of its size, the crew did not finish processing the elk for haul until sunset, and they set up camp in the dark. Bear fence around the meat.  Nonetheless, he sounded jazzed and elated.

And now I wait some more for word on the time of their return.

This evening, the kids and I made welcome home signs, I did some dishes, replaced some lightbulbs that were out in the living room, and obsessively texted partners of the elk party to see if they had heard anything about return time.

Not a peep. Perhaps they'll roll in at midnight. Sometimes they do that. Perhaps tomorrow mid day. Either way, I'm excited to celebrate their successful hunt! Cheers to savoring Elk meat in this next year to come.

Zoya