OK. So ….. people have let me know that this bear threat is very real. So I have been doing some research via the signs that I am seeing more and more of on the paths that I tread. Apparently it is important to let the bear know that I am human. Bears take issue, it would seem, with visitors from other galaxies. Fair enough. Me too.

Apparently I should talk ‘normally’ to the bear. That is not a problem to me, of course. These are American bears that I am dealing with, and they are comfortable with English. But I saw some Japanese people earlier this morning and I am very worried that their lack of conversational expertise with bears may be, potentially, life threatening.

Anyway ….. I climbed Mt Roberts today. It was an act of utter insanity. I may be crippled for life, as a result

But, up the top, the view was special.

A made a visit to Haines today, folks. I’m really not much of a photographer … but I do like going for a walk now and again. And I took a couple of snaps. Please let me know if they bore you.

During my walk I came across a few warnings about bears – ‘you are in bear country’, one of them said. Since becoming aware of this advice Mrs Richmond has been checking behind every tree.

I am aware that visitors to Australia assume that they will be eaten by crocodiles, snakes, spiders, sharks and kangaroos the minute they step out of the city. Which is laughable, of course. Should I be laughing now? Is there an Alaskan out there who can give me some perspective in terms of the actual bear threat?

I’ll let the picture tell the story. Except to state that today was a bit special.

Some of you may be aware that I am in presently in Alaska. Actually, I am attending a wedding, but going about it in a very round about sort of way. There’s nothing terribly unusual about that, I suppose. Alaskans do it all the time. But it is unusual for me.

Yesterday I was in Wrangell. Has anyone else been there? It’s not the sort of place you just stumble upon when you are out shopping for fruit and vegetables. A friend had some sort of dental problem so we had to find him a dentist. There is just one dentist in Wrangell.

It is summer in Alaska, of course, and the fact that it is cold, overcast and wet does not prevent the locals appropriately observing the season. When we greeted the dentist we were wearing ski jackets. He was a big man with a big beard and big hair. He was wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. It seemed very natural. And it seemed that he was a skilled dental practitioner. The dental emergency has been resolved.

I met another young lady who ran a small health food store. I bought some nuts from her. She spoke very highly of Wrangell and its community. She had moved there from Southern California and had been made to feel very welcome in the community. She was quite attractive. That might have helped.

I asked her what the political flavour of choice was in town. “God,” she replied, “just have a look around you.”

So I did. Everywhere there were American flags and banners celebrating and supporting that guy from the ‘reality’ TV show. There were quite a few bumper stickers stressing the importance of building a wall. I wondered what sort of impact a wall in Mexico might have on life in Alaska. Perhaps they were lobbying for a wall with Canada.

But it was a nice place. I didn’t have time to check if the fishing is, indeed, great. Or if it needed, like America itself, to be made great again. It would have been nice to find out.

But we had to keep moving.