When an Asian ruler wished to honor a subject, he rewarded the person with a beautiful and highly-valued gift: an elephant. But if a subject displeased the king, the ruler delivered 10 elephants to the person. All of a family’s resources had to be reallocated to care for too many elephants. How many elephants are…
I worked at the Anchorage Times for about three years. Alaska statehood pioneer Bob Atwood published the newspaper, and his staff kicked out three-to-five editions a day. At the Times, a newspaper headline summarized the content of a story as succinctly as possible. A copy editor would proof a reporter’s story and often write and…
Two young women felt something like insects swarming in their clothing as they hiked Rainbow Mountain near Anchorage. At Rainbow Mountain’s crest, Yvonne brushed away cobwebs from her face. She stopped by a boulder that was shaped like a giant thumb—and it seemed to be humming like a hive. Yvonne’s hiking partner, Ruth, swatted at…
On a late-evening drive to the Eagle River Nature Center one expects to see a moose or a bear—but never a yak. The English word “yak” derives from the Tibetan “gyag,” (which actually refers to the male of the species), and the females are called “naks.” So, a male and female twosome might be called a…
Cache of Grace 