I’ll walk through late-season snow in Alaska, compare our small red squirrels to Texas’s hefty fox squirrels, celebrate a rescued school turtle, and note raven antics — all with a straight-shooting, conservative bent where politics touches the story. The piece keeps the original quotes intact and places the two embed tokens where they appeared. Expect a conversational voice, local observations, and clear takes without the original links or bylines.
We got a dusting of snow this weekend, about an inch that barely stuck because the ground still holds warmth. It feels late for the season here, and I’m watching to see if the rest of winter makes up for the slow start. Alaska weather always keeps you guessing, and that uncertainty is part of living in the north.
Down south they had to answer our Fat Bear Week with something of their own, and Texas chose Fat Squirrel Week. The idea of celebrating “fluffy” critters outside of our tougher bear contests struck me as funny and oddly wholesome. It’s a reminder that even big states like Texas find ways to mark the seasons with a little community silliness.
“We could only have 16 squirrels compete and be nominated to make the bracket work, so we had to be selective in what squirrels and parks got to participate,” said Carolanne Brannon, park superintendent for Texas’ Meridian State Park.
“I think no matter what state you come from, a park ranger is a park ranger, and we love a fluffy animal when it comes to winter-time.”
The Texas competitors are mostly Fox Squirrels, big southern rodents that dwarf our little American Red Squirrels. I learned to hunt against larger Iowa fox squirrels and the gray squirrels, but our red squirrels up here are small and scrappy — more nuisance than quarry. We tolerate them; they’re part of the yard’s soundtrack and a reminder we’re not in the lower 48 anymore.
“Unsimilarly, obviously, we don’t have all the same squirrels in the same park, so we had each park kind of post and prompt their public to nominate a squirrel they’ve seen in the last year,” she said.
“Hopefully next year, we’ll have squirrels and more of a heads-up for people and our staff to be on the lookout for fat squirrels in the park.”
Texas will judge fluff and cuteness more than winter-built heft, and honestly that feels fair for an inaugural contest. The whole idea is lighthearted: people pick favorites, parks get attention, and the animals become local mascots for a week. I can respect a community that rallies around a bit of harmless fun.
Over here we don’t have fat squirrels, but we do have one turtle who became the subject of a bigger story when flooding hit western Alaska. The school pet was left behind during evacuations, and the community feared the worst until rescuers were called in. That mix of local concern and emergency response is exactly how tight-knit towns handle crises.
The turtle belonged to Kwigillingok’s school, but community members were forced to leave the class pet behind during evacuations.
According to Jana Drake, Alaska Division of Homeland Security’s Emergency Management branch State Emergency Operations Specialist, rescue workers began searching for the turtle upon request from community members.
“We were afraid the turtle had escaped with one of the civilians that lived in Kwig and got loose in the Chinook [winds,]” she said.
They found the turtle safe in its tank despite the Chinook winds. Staff nicknamed the little fellow “Joc” for the Joint Operations Center, and he ended up in Bethel with an assistant veterinarian specialist who had the right setup. Joc had some shell damage but was otherwise active and getting proper care under a special light to encourage regeneration.
“After many minutes of searching a ginormous Chinook for a turtle, he was actually the whole entire time safe in his tank in the school of Kwig.”
“Our children grew up with a turtle here, and I think the person that suggested us (sic) knew that we had the setup for a turtle,” she said.
“He’s pretty active, but he does have some missing parts of his shell,” she said. “We have a special light here for him that I can put him under. That’ll help with that. I’m hoping those parts that came off will regenerate on him, but he should be able to live regardless.”
Good on the rescuers and the vet tech who stepped up; pets matter to communities and deserve protection during disasters. Turtles are harmless by nature, and saving one feels like the smallest, most human thing emergency workers can do amid larger problems. In Alaska we know how to take care of what matters, even when it seems trivial to outsiders.
Now, on to ravens. These birds are everywhere and always opinionated about their world. They study you like you’re a puzzle, they steal shiny things if given a chance, and they have the gall to mimic noises that remind you they’re keeping tabs on everyone.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
The shutdown line belongs to the Republican view: leadership should put citizens first, stop rewarding illegal migration, and keep government functioning for taxpayers. When political actors prioritize other agendas over basic services, voters notice and hold them accountable. That perspective colors how many of us frame even light stories, because politics touches everything these days.
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