Free Republic

I was fishing with a Russian buddy on sat. Catching fish, drinking beers, sitting in my wooldridge, talking about the world. Now, my buddy is super high class, deeply Orthodox, escaped Russia when in fell apart 30 some years back. Citizenship meant alot to him and has achieved the American dream. I was surprised to hear his worries about nuclear war with Russia over Ukraine. I said no way, it would be the end of both countries. He then reminded about the end of the second world war and that we used them on Japan. Something to always remember.

You know, Alaskans are becoming more American everyday; Russia will never prevail here; too Americanized actually.

Been here 36 years, won’t ever leave; but it’s not you think. You’ll never live off the land. Wife and I lived in an Indian Village as the white teachers along the Yukon; retired in Fairbanks. I have moose looking in my windows, martin in my bird feeder, and have had wolves eat my dogs and get in my garbage cans. You must make 50 bucks an hour to survive, or you’ll with all the illegals working at wally world. I’ve seen minus 70 and always see minus 40-50 every winter. I still had 3 foot snow in my yard 2 weeks back. It’s in 50’s here in Fairbanks now. Plan on living in Anch for work and learn about alaska. It was great raising kids and our family always got a moose or two and lots of caribou. Nothing better than running down wolves on snowmachines. Have a job in anch before coming. Alaska use to be very conservative, but it’s turning blue with all the Asians and Hispanics; sad. We live in better section of Fairbanks up on ridge; no crime but most of my neighbors are commie dems. good enough neighbors but we argue alot when i take them fishing in my boat. About 2/3s the people who come up here leave after a winter and head south talking bad about Alaska.

I fish the Yukon, especially in August. Most the pike are over 38 inches, up to 49 inches. On a good day, everybody catches 45-50 pike. I haven’t seen this quality pike fishing since Canada in mid 60s. We release all of them. We caught one 48 inch female 3 times last summer. I don’t fish for salmon anymore. Just luv real eels and 16 inch baby burbots with garlic scent. We also catch sheefish & 44 inch burbot.

Pebble is the only thing I agree with my commie neighbor on. Too many Indians will starve, they eat salmon 24/7. Gold mines always lead to fish kills and they never return. Even the Trumps were against Pebble.

Ranked choice voting will turn aK blue.

interesting. Two of my ancestors (father and son) were with the mid Maryland militia at Camden. After the Revolutionary War, The father (Richard McElfresh) gathered all his sons and families and went by wagons up to Pittsburgh, Pa where they started the Western Pa line of my family.

I have my great grand fathers Civil War Discharge hanging on my military wall, kinda cool. Richard Mc was the 4th generation in America; a David was kicked out of Scotland and made to Maryland in late 1600s. I'm the 11th generation and in Alaska.

I've seen the family bible from 1702 and they often had 2 wives each having 15 kids. 1/3 of the kids died from consumption (TB). We have it easy nowadays.

Ranked choice favors Dems. It passed in Ak by less than1% I've never seen a referendum this close. Everybod thinks corruption. It was marketed by Lisa's right hand man as a way to stop the dark money coming to Ak. Dark money funded everything.

Nevadans, stay away from rank choice; you'll take screwing if you don't.

I'm with ya too, have over a dozen teles and strats; most with custom pickups and also have a few expensive custom tube amps. Rotary speakers are unreal but way too addictive.

Originally, I was from Pa; moved to Alaska 30 some years back. I had helped neighbors tear down revolutionary war grant barns down; got hand hewn Pa chestnut beams. I hauled like 30 two inch chestnut boards to Ak years back (guitar builds). Ron Kirn (Jacksonville) built me a couple guitars like 25 years back. You should see his Kirn Signatures. He has a web site; if you see the fresh Alaska in his strat gallery; that's my baby.

I still try to play, but with age (70) and sugar & Rheumatism; my fingers are warped, swelled up, and just don't work. So I started calling my cousins back east; see if any of their grandkids were guitar players. I got lucky and found a 13 year old cousins grandkid that is quite good for that age and he sent me a utube. Reminded me of when I was learning Hendrix in the late 60s. I sent the kid a chestnut tele GOLDTOP pretty sweet and he luvs it. Also sent him a baby blue strat with lollars that I bought around 2002. I want to keep the guitars in the family and will only give them to kids that play.

My sister's boys have kids. They'll take my guns but don't want their kids playing guitar; can't figure? I begged my one nephew to just put the guitar cases under the bed and his boy will find them down the road; still working on him. I just don't want these chestnuts sold. I spent like 2-3 gran on each guitar 20-25 years back. You can't buy American Chestnut that's of guitar quality nowadays from a barn built in the 1790s. I even have chestnut strats that have wood pegs in the body. They couldn't haul nails over the mountains in the 1700s.

FedEx ships everything good, but spendy; $300 for a 18 lb guitar box; nuts.

Ya luv the guitars, just wish my fingers would hang in there. Take a look at Ron Kirn Signature Guitars web site.

I stopped a shoplifter girl that was running out of a carhart store as I was walking in. I had my arm across the door on door handle and then shoved the girl to the floor. The women working in the store ran up to me yelling to just let her go and the girl ran up the street swearing at me being white. The store employees told they are not supposed to stop shoplifters; they must like them I guess. nuts todays world

Doesn’t just drive ya nuts that McConnel would spend 8 million on Murkowski ads here in Alaska. 100 to 1 ads against Kelly T .No thinking Alaskans will vote for Murkowski, but lots of dems and Indians will. Toss up for sure.

Here in Alaska, twice I have blk bears come in on me. They crawl in real slow with front quarters down and butt in the air; ears twittering back and forth independently. First time I didn't have a gun and kept waving and yelling. The bear retreated when he was within 6 feet of me, then crawled back in a second time and finally retreated and wandered off into the brush. It will make the hair on your neck stand.

Common to see grizzly bear along salmon streams. Had them 10 yards from me waiting for me to catch a fish; which they take. I've never felt threatened by grizzly bear. Most in blueberries run from people as they get shot at a lot.

I have a bunch of Indian friends who talk to grizzly bear up close all the time; makes me nervous. They claim bear only eat white people but I remember one Indian who got treed and always had an 06 with him.

People shoot most bear they see on the spot. They break into cabins and cause numerous problems. They are not supposed to be around people.

Twenty years back, a sow polar bear made it South to Ft. Yukon, Ak. It was strolling around the village and two local Indians took off after it with an AR 556. 30-30s and military rifles (sks) are traditional hunting guns in rural areas due to price. They killed it outside the village, I myself saw pictures from their relatives. We’ve killed grizzly bears with 308s a few times.

Being from Pittsburgh, influenced by Philly sound; Even as proud white boy, grew up on the Delfonics. Even saw them play at a Prom once. I still sing their songs to my plott hounds.

Remember when I was drafted, out in the village; I was the only white boy singing Delfonic tunes with blk friends, ha. good memories.

When I was younger, back in pa; I caught a 41 lber which I thought was a monster. I was in about a foot of water and once I saw his head and tail, I grabbed him by tail; he almost got my knee. Took him home in big ice chest which he broke. I let him go in a local pond, he was a local attraction for about a dozen years there.

Putin wants the church connection with his govt. Most Russkies don't trust Putin, but they do believe Ukraine has always been a part of Russia also. My buddy is quite religious, spends several days a week at Russian Orthodox in Fairbanks, fasts, ect.

Always had Russians here in Alaska; somewhat like Canadians. The ones with bucks use to fly here to go shopping, but now they have malls and wally worlds in Siberia.

Russians are a lot like us but they do have an edge to them and husbands and wives are forever bickering back and forth; that's what socialism does I do believe, ha.

I have a Russian buddy, go fishing together. His wife and him escaped Siberia in 92; came to Alaska. Respectable family, raised 2 great kids that got scholarships for hockey and civil engineering.

He told me Putin has built 30K churches in Siberia and supports the orthodox church. My buddy claims the churches are overflowing with young people, standing room only.

Now my friend told me his parents were atheists because the quickest way to lose your job was to go to church. So I say good for Putin, churches, and the Russian people about the orthodox church.

Now I've lived around these Indians for 30 years and luv them to death; wish us white people practiced their anti abortion system of adopting kids out to relatives when a young girl got pregnant.

That being said, me thinks they just didn't fill the ballots out properly; why they were rejected. Have any of you ever lived in a village?

Couple years back when Lisa promised the Indians all the gold they could eat for voting her way; all the villages set up election offices, all ballots were filled out by one member who could read & write. System functioned. FAS is typically 70% in villages. They had a hard time filling out ballots.

Fraud????????????

All the Indians are voting for the Indian lady; a repub who worked for Donny Young.

Most older folks for Sarah Palin; they remember all the good things she accomplished years back.

Begich is probably OK, but he'll never take a stand like on Lisa, ect. The Repub party is supporting Begich.

I doubt any Dem gets it, but we could have Repub who turns into a dem once in.

We have over 100,000 Indians up here and in every village one person fills out all the ballots gets them signed and submitted. Under 25% turnout on 11, June.

You are speaking the complete truth. Wife and I taught in villages over 20 years. The only good thing Biden has done is bringing jobs to the villages. Most Indians get around 300 bucks a month and jobs don’t exist.

We lived on upper Yukon near Canadian border about 15 years back. During winter, we'd get wolves in our garbage barrels at 3 in morning. My house dog would wake me up and I'd go to window and scare them off with an AR. They'd show up the nx night same time. After 2-3 nights, they'd move on.

Often I'd sit on porch withy my morning coffee at 4 am. Wolves would walk up my lane, right past me sitting on the porch and continue on my trail out back. They were accustomed to the area where my cabin was built. Neighbors told me they use to gather there and howl before I moved in.

Luv my 6.8 stag and have killed moose, caribou, blk bear,and wolves with her. I load 110 ttsx blue tips and it's my favorite go to gun with 4-32 acog red horseshoe. I prefer the smaller size of the stag (how it fits) and do believe I can hit targets with my eyes closed often. I hope the military is as happy as I am.

My nephew is flying down kodiac in May for grizzly bear on a tag they cancelled over covid last season. I'v been passing on my guns to nephews so I don't pass on they get sold. I've gifted my 338 fed armalite ar-10 to him. It's actually a great short range bear gun. I've knocked down moose and bear with that gun and it's always nice to have a 20 rounder; just in case.