Sinister Sheep

"I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but..." is one of my least favorite lines to hear conversationally. However, it is an apt way to begin this post. I am certain that I am on to a rather sinister plot for world domination being implemented by the Dall sheep of Alaska.

It all started as a whale-watching excursion. Various random strangers in places like gas stations or the grocery store had felt compelled to tell me that the belugas were back in the Turnagain Arm and that they had seen them. Seeing a whale seems to give certain people a special kind of joy that they cannot keep to themselves and therefore feel compelled to share with complete strangers. Labour Day evening therefore found me driving home along the Turnagain Arm after a day spent watching a tidal bore (it was a bore), beluga whales, seals, and salmon when I came across the following scene.

This is the major highway connecting Anchorage to all points south, and I had never seen vehicles pulled off to the side of the road like this before. Being a herd animal, I decided to pull of myself and see what was going on.

Upon slowing down, I noticed these people with rather expensive looking machinery, and figured that the attraction must be in the direction indicated by the machinery.

Sure enough! Below are a few pictures of the Dall sheep grazing along the ridge overlooking the highway.

Why in the world would wild sheep want to eat grass along the highway when they can have nice clean grass way high up on the mountain or back along some deserted ridge? Why in the world would a herd of sheep want to be around noisy vehicles eating grass that surely must taste a little bit of gasoline or diesel? I think that I am on to them. If you look at the first few pictures, you will see that this highway is a two-lane highway. Posted speed limits are between 55-65 mph. Obviously all of these people walking along the highway with their vehicles parked illegaly were creating a hazard to both themselves and oncoming traffic. My theory is that all of the sheep at the annual Dall sheep convention decided that the human herd was growing too large. They therefore decided to create a traffic hazard by posing along major highways, thereby endangering the tourists (like myself) who would feel compelled to stop and take pictures. Fortunately, on this day, their dastardly plot failed as no humans were injured as a result of these photographs. However, be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

This is the Turnagain Arm. Sorry. No belugas. They're not very photogenic.