Limping toward the end of the season.

Mid August on the Pribilofs. Time to wind down and relax a little. Or not. It is hard to relax when coming face to face with a bull fur seal.

Even outside the rookeries, we unwary biology types often stumble across the occasional outcast fur seal hauled up on the rocky shore. You see, seals blend in amazingly well with stones. Occasionally a seal pops up from nowhere. Both seal and human get startled. The seal generally moves toward the ocean and the person moves up toward the cliffs. No big deal.

My encounter last week, however, had a different tone. I was strolling down the beach when I heard a bellow. Turning, I was looking directly into the mouth of an angry fur seal. I was between the seal and its escape rout to the sea. According to Rachel it was 1-2 feet from my face. I ran. I ran faster than most people are accustomed to seeing me move this fast... a bad idea over big, slick, rocks. I felt a sharp pain in my knee and crumbled into a heap, hoping I was far enough from the ravishing seal to avoid being lacerated.

Now as some of you know, I am the last man standing out here. Fish and Wildlife Service started with three people out here. One quit and one left, ironically, with a knee injury. As I sat there clutching my knee I was thinking "Maybe this field season was not meant to happen."

So now I am limping toward the end of the season. Don't worry, I'll make it.