Then and Now

Has anyone been playing with the “then and now” hashtags? For some of you, that sentence probably sounds like a different language, but for those social media savvy folks out there, you know what I’m talking about! People have been posting photos of themselves, their dogs, their children, whoever from years ago, and then a recent photo of that same person/dog/animal/child to show their transformation.

For example, here’s a middle school Ryne on her first ever dog sled ride in Durango, Colorado that set everything in motion. And Ryne 18 years later, choosing to stare at dog butts for a profession. Ok, I’ll stop talking about myself in the third person. But you get it- Then and Now.

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Looking at those two photos, I honestly don’t see much change.

But do you know who does make a HUGE transformation in the course of just a few months? REINDEER.

Between the summer and winter months, the reindeer look like completely different creatures. Why the drastic change? Well, a few reasons. The winter coat of reindeer and caribou is exceptionally thick. Their wooly undercoat traps heat against their bodies and a coarse, heavy duty outer coat made of hollow guard hairs sheds water, snow, wind and everything else that gets thrown at them - keeping them completely dry and warm. They shed their heavy coats come summer and don a lighter, thinner layer for the heat. Believe it or not, the weather in Interior Alaska can get quite hot! While 90 degrees F may not seem that hot to some of you, consider that there’s a 150 degree difference between the coldest temps and hottest temps of the year in parts of Alaska! The color change can help them to blend in with their environment a bit better. So with that explanation- are you ready for some Then and Now Reindeer photos?!

Tap on the Photo to See Each Reindeer’s Transformation

Captain Kirk

Pilot

SAILOR

PEEPS