Our Ambassador is a very special Lady. Velvet Eyes and her twin brother, Mr. Moses, were orphaned
at birth and loaned to two families in Nome to raise and be Ambassadors of Good Will.
Here are a few pictures of her growing up in this small subarctic frontier town.
Velvet started life a little over 4 years ago. For a while she thought she was a dog, (Reindeerdog:),
and happily rode around in the back of Carl Emmons's pickup truck with the rest of Carl's
dogs. Here she has a closer look at the camera when helping the ham radio club at
the Anvil Mt. repeater site.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Velvet Eyes has a mischievous streak that showed up early. The newspaper received a call
about a wild caribue rampaging down Front St. It turns out that Velvet jumped out of
the truck and tried to follow Carl into the Sitnasuak Building. Here Jimmy has hold
of the rampaging caribue while Beth and Jay gets the facts for the newpaper.
Caribue and Reindeer are the same species of animal. Caribue are wild.
Reindeer are domesticated and herded by Nome area Eskimos.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christmas is special and Velvet is a special part of Christmas in Nome Alaska. Here, with
her twin brother (L) she is dressed up and the star of the tree lighting ceremonies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now what would a reindeer be doing at Christmas? Maybe pulling a sleigh?
Here Velvet is lined up on the runway ready for her first flight :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Velvet matures the annual dropping and regrowth of her antlers marks the
passage of the seasons. Here she shows off the buds of her second year set.
The buds are fleshy and filled with blood which changes to the velvet
coating over hard antler material of her new rack.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I believe it has been mentioned that Velvet Eyes has a mischievous streak. She once climbed out
of 'her' pickup truck and laydown in front of the main doors of the Post Office, waiting for
Carl to come out. Waving her antlers at folks who wanted to go in and pick up their mail.
Velvet has been accused of eating the flowers in the dredge bucket flowerpots around
town. Snacking while waiting for Carl to drive to another interesting place. To
disprove this terrible rumor, a basket of prized dried flowers was publicly
presented to her. And ignored! Velvet knows difference between the
dry and the fresh:)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl Emmons takes care of Velvet, driving her around to interesting places
so she can meet interesting people. Here Velvet rewards Carl with a kiss:)
Or is she really just after the reindeer snack Carl is hiding in his hand:)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Velvet has kept a fairly even balance with her politics. But Sometimes a reindeer just has
to stand up for what she believes in. Here she sports her best 4th of July hat as well.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Velvet today is a bit big for the pickup truck. But she still enjoys the trip to the Post Office
and a yarn with anyone who stops by for a chat. Many folks visiting Nome have gone
away with nice thoughts about our little frontier town after spending a few
minutes talking with Velvet Eyes. Nome's Ambassador of Good Will.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nome Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 250
Nome, Alaska 99762
Old Federal Building, 110 W. Front Street, Suite 211.
Phone: (907) 443-3879, Fax: (907) 443-3892
Nome Chamber of Commerce Email
|
Photos and text on this page by Scott Webber