Photo du Jour: Pet Reindeer

Often referred to as the strangest town in Alaska, Whittier houses the vast majority of its 200 residents in a single 14 floor building, in which neighbors are known to walk about in their pajamas. The unique and close-knit town is only accessible during the day by a 2.6 mile tunnel running through the adjacent Maynard Mountain. For her series City Under One Roof, photographer Jen Kinney catalogues daily life in the community she calls home.

In this image, titled Brenda and Jolie, Kinney introduces us to Brenda, a gift shop owner who, over the course of her 35 years in Whittier, has served as a notary public, recorded the weather, painted signs about town, and cared for eight reindeer. Each day, Brenda can be spotted walking the animals from their pen outside the building to the store, where they greet customers. When the animals shed their antlers, Brenda mades buttons from them, which she sells in her shop. In this wonderfully isolated and cherished community, the majestical creatures are a part of daily life, as routine as grabbing a cub of morning coffee. Says Brenda to Kinney, “Whittier magnifies what people are about.”

via It’s Nice That

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