North Dakota Moose
This young bull moose was romping around the Bakken oil fields one morning last week near the border with Saskatchewan Canada. I had been hoping to see one in the area because a truck driver mentioned that he had seen 2 cow moose crossing the road recently the prior week.
Luckily I had a camera behind the seat and got this blurry shot. It was early morning so I had to lighten up the shot a bit before posting. It still shows the countryside in that area near Fortuna ND
I have seen coyotes, fox, and plenty of deer other days but this was kind of special to me even though the picture is not that great, the memory was. There still is some wide open country in the outback of the US. Pretty cool !
The pics are marginal at best but the experience was golden. This young bull was still shedding velvet that covers the antlers. Eventually the soft velvet covering all gets scraped off as the antlers harden. In this moose, the antlers were still red in color as they had not yet hardened. (The third week of September 2013)
The moose then headed south across highway 5
Moose around 7 am near Fortuna ND
below – oil pump jack methodically pumping oil to the tank at the surface
Climbing Mount Apo
General Santos
Growing Orchids
Judy's Resto Bar
Logging with Motorcycles
Mount Mayon
Balabac Island
Biri Island
Calbiga Cave
Capul Island
Mangrove Swamp Palawan
Mikes's Resort
DP,
Great to see your new post mate…I’ve never seen a moose in the wild but one day would love to see one myself…are you still working 13 days per fortnight still on the oil rigs.
Hong Kong and Macau was a blast we did all the tours the 9 days we are there before going back to Palawan for another 3 weeks…hope to see you next April for the Laos trip to see the Plain of Jars.
MG
MG – sounds like you and Alyn are having a great time ! Really enjoyed our travels in Palawan together – too bad we didn’t take the boat to Sabah when it was relatively easy to do. Elizabeth tells me that Zamboanga in Mindanao is in turmoil at this time with serious fighting in the streets so my old visa run to Sandakan Sabah via Zamboanga is now out of the question.
I am now in the process of checking out some options in Texas near Midland. My old neighbor from Ormoc Leyte has relocated there after 9 years in the Philippines and wants me to pay a visit and consider some options there. He is a great guy and has a mango farm in Bukidnon Mindanao. Dave from England will soon be back in the Philippines and plans to build a house in Maasin Leyte where his wife and kid are living now. He still has his place in Ormoc City. He is really a classic guy and my motorbike is still at his place at this time.
Sounds like you had a great holiday as usual – it will be good to hook up with you and catch up on the details. Have a great time back there in Palawan.
That bike trip to the Plain of Jars sounds fantastic – I will try to reserve the month of April for that and would really like to do that trip with you.
later
DP
Love the moose photos! Such beautiful wide open country. Would love to go out that way for a visit. Looks so peaceful. Enjoy it!
DP,
Yes Alyn’s a very good person to travel with shes looking forward to travelling with you again as i told her you might be coming with us to Laos the see the Plain of Jars next April 2004.
The Plain of Jars its between the capital city of Vientiane and the city of Luang Phrabang in the north near the town of Phonsavan. I will have all the details sorted out by the end of the year. I will arrive in the Philippines first to drop off most of my stuff before going to Laos via Bangkok Thailand as that seems to be the best way into Laos at this time.
The Plain of Jars dates back to the Iron Age from 500BC to 500AD and the jars are over a really large area in the provice of Phonsan, the jars come in all sizes from 2 feet to almost 20 feet.
Alyn also told me the same thing about all the trouble on the streets at this time in Zamboanga Mindanao but in time it will be all back to normal again so the shipping line from Zamboanga to Sandakan will be open again for sure.
MG
MG
– hope that I get a chance to make it out there with you !
dp
DP,
Hey mate i forgot to tell you while i was in Puerto Princesa in late August i ran into Big Barry from Balabac…I was having a beer at the Pergoda Bar as the Jess Bar has now closed down and who do i run into none other than Big Barry we chatted for over 2 hours about general stuff then out of the blue he started talking about you and the time you came down to Balabac. He said Rick had to get back to Narra for some guys wedding the next day…I started laughing as Barry had never met me before and same for me…I told that guys wedding was mine and I found out also Barry also knows Alyn as he often stayed at her guest house in Rio Tuba if he missed the 2pm ferry…Its a small world mate I took some photos of Barry will email them to you when i get time ok.
MG
nice to hear you Ricks, really miss you so much my friends, hope we travel together again at laos..
Thanks Alyn – I really enjoyed the time MG, you, and I visited the Iwahig Prison Farm there in Palawan
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/palawan/iwahig-prison-farm.html
later
dp
Yes MG – that Barry from Perth was a true classic. It is fortunate that you had a chance to meet up with him !
I met his at the Sing and Swing karaoke there on Balabac – what a cool guy. What an irony that it was your wedding that I had to get back for.
You must make a special trip down there to his place near the light house one of these days – give yourself at least a week.
Balabac Lighthouse – Melville lighthouse
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/palawan/balabac-island.html
Rio Tuba
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/palawan/rio-tuba-palawan.html
cheers mate
dp
ps It would be so cool to make a run down there with you one of these days. The first time Barry’s boatman was down with a raging case of malaria so we had to find a replacement boatman. what a trip that was !
DP,
This is the text message Alyn sent to me yesterday below…
“Puerto Princesa on high alert at this time from southern to northern Palawan because lots of PNP ambushed by MNLT and Abu-Sayaf who have transfered from Zamboanga to Southern Palawan, lots of Philippine Marines have now been sent to the Rio Tuba area.”
It don’t sound to good at this time mate…as you know Alyn comes from Rio Tuba and still has family in the area.
MG
MG
Sorry to hear the bad news – very very unfortunate for Palawan and the Philippines in general.
I appreciate the update
DP
MG – did you ever make it to the “Plain of Jars” in Laos as planned mate?
Maybe we will have to make a trip out there some time in the future when this coronavirus epidemic is over with and a vaccine is developed by some research group.
I have no desire to spread any virus or disease anywhere .
It would be good to see you again
dp
PS It was so cool that you got a chance to meet up with Big Barry of Balabac before he passed away, he was a true classic !