Day Sixteen, Fairbanks LARC & Botanical Garden

First stop today was the Large Animal Research Station at the University of Alaska.  We listen to a talk about Muskox and Caribou.  The Muskox wool sells for $55 skein.  The wool is used for scarves and gloves that are comfortable at -40 degrees.  The Muskox is not native to Alaska, but the herds have grown in size from the 34 that were brought to Alaska from Greenland in 1934.  There are now about 4,000 Muskox in Alaska. 

 What would a day on the blog be without talking about the Alaskan pipeline, and today we will talk  about the "pig" of the pipeline.  The photo below is of the new pigs; they are used to clean and speed up the pipeline.  The sign gives you a bit more information.  If interested, right click and open the photo.

These photos are from the botanical garden at the University.  The flowers in Alaska are fantastic!  The growing season might be short, but many days have almost 24 hours of sunlight.  That's what makes things grow.  The nursery and landscaping business is the largest agricultural business in the state.  The cabbages are much larger than in the midwest.  There are beautiful hanging baskets everywhere.  Most cities spend a lot of money on public spaces, gardens, and hanging baskets.  Almost all of the restaurants and hotels/motels have beautiful flowers.