Word of the Day ~ Bunbury

bunbury

PRONUNCIATION:

(BUN-buh-ree)     

MEANING:

noun: An imaginary person whose name is used as an excuse to some purpose, especially to visit a place.
verb intr.: To use the name of a fictitious person as an excuse. 

Flood Creek

Flood Creek in the Black Rapids Pass on the Richardson Highway was a great rest stop to stretch our legs after we had lunch at the Buffalo Center Drive-In in Delta Junction.  The sky and air were smoky from the wildfires in the Interior of Alaska.  Two large ones around the Fairbanks area and one at Tok.  We are glad to report that these fires have been 100 percent contained or are no longer on fire.

There is just something about a creek and rocks that brings out the kid in each of us.  We spent some time jumping from rock to rock and throwing rocks into the water.  This creek is still running fairly full as there was still snow melting to feed the flow.

Buffalo Center Drive-In

Anyone hungry for a GREAT buffalo burger?   Head to Delta Junction and eat at the Buffalo Drive-In for a real treat and don't forget to order a malt! 

If you are there on a Saturday wander on over to the local farmers market for fresh vegetables and local made crafts. 

High Five Friday for Giants

High five Friday for giant size furniture that make me feel right at home in my house filled with giants!

Happy Friday everyone. What is on your to do list this weekend?

Alaska Road Trip

We recently took a little road trip around our home state ~ Alaska!  This little road trip basically took us from Southern Minnesota to Southern Missouri, over to Kansas and back through Iowa.  And really we just drove from Fairbanks to McCarthy on the Richardson Highway to Anchorage on the Glenn Highway, to Hope on the Sterling Highway and back to Fairbanks on the Parks Highway. These highways have numbers too and if I put them in order of number traveled it goes like this, highway 2, 4, 1 and 3.

Some of the road maps of this great state show that we have up to 12 highways but the Milepost lists the major roads as there being 11.  Okay I can buy that information. 

When looking at this map keep in mind that to drive from Fairbanks to Anchorage on the Parks Highway (No.3) it will take you eight hours.  This included one stop for gas and two pit stops to stretch your legs.

In the next few weeks I will be posting photos from this trip and telling a few stories.  We hope you will join us on our Alaska vacation and then start planning one of your own!

Word of the Day ~ Moraine

moraine

PRONUNCIATION:

(muh-RAYN)       

MEANING:

noun: An accumulation of boulders, gravel, or other debris carried and deposited by a glacier.

Photo of the moraine at Kennicott, Alaska! 

Do you notice the ice that is under the moraine? It was interesting, in the evenings, to sit on the deck of the lodge and listen to the rocks tumble down as the ice melted underneath.

High Five Friday ~ Kennecott Mine

High five Friday for awesome old copper mines that are in the process of being saved. Kennecott Copper Mine in Kennicott Alaska is a must see place!

PS: For those eagle eyes out there that have caught the change of spelling between the mine and the town ~ good catch ~ but no it is not one of my normal typing mistakes.  The mine is spelled with an 'e' and the town is spelled with an 'i'.

On The Ice

On The Ice

On The Ice storyline: In the isolated, frozen town of Barrow, Alaska, Iñupiaq teenagers Qalli and Aivaaq have grown up like brothers in a tight-knit community defined as much by ancient traditions as by hip-hop and snowmobiles. Early one morning, on a seal hunt with their friend James, a tussle turns violent, and James is killed. Panic stricken, terrified, and with no one to blame but themselves, Qalli and Aivaaq lie and declare the death a tragic accident. As Barrow roils with grief and his protective father becomes suspicious, Qalli stumbles through guilt-filled days, wrestling with his part in the death. For the first time in his life, he's treading alone on existential ice. Written by Anonymous

***

It took me a while to muster up the nerve to watch this movie as I thought that the storyline might be upsetting to me. Too much gritty realism in movies is distressing to my kind tender soul. There was also the worry that the movie producers would botch the representation of life in Barrow. Alaska has been misrepresented so many times that there is a lack of trust on my part in the way the outside world views Alaska and the people that live here. Having also lived in Barrow we have a clearer understanding of what it means to live near the ice and in a village.

There were a few tense moments in the movie along with the fact that one young man dies but the movie producers were able to portray the realism of the events and yet give the viewing audience the emotional distance needed to stay focused on the hope for a good outcome. The ending really did have a lining of hope. Hope that young people who have gone astray from a healthy family and community culture can make a left turn back to the right. Hope that a young person who did not have the best of family upbringings can break the cycle of destruction and start anew. They can choose what kind of person they want to be, correct a mistake, and choose the right path.

On The Ice was a true representation of life as it currently is in Barrow. A very thought provoking movie about the Iñupiaq culture, the one worth saving, and the one that it has become in the last 60 years with many non-redeeming qualities.

The last song during the ending credits is wonderful and gives a message of hope that the old can mix with the new in a healthy way. The path just has to be found, by more than just a few ~ by all!

Tip Tuesday ~ Good Habits

What makes you smile the most?

Alaska Subsistence Fishing

Subsistence in Alaska was a mainstay for people living here, just a way of life, even before they even knew this word existed. Today Alaska residents can use the wild resources in moderation for family consumption as food, shelter, fuel, clothing, tools, or transportation. Most of the population lives in the larger cities with all the conveniences of the modern age and only partake in a few of the subsistence resources. Our family fishes, well currently the oldest son fishes and can take pride in the fact that he, and he alone provided salmon for the entire family for the past two years.

Drew drove the 620 miles round trip from Fairbanks to Chitina and back again, by himself. He bought a new dipnet, fishing license and read up on the current regulations for dipnetting on the Copper River this year. He fished for four hours and limited out for the family. Once home with the four coolers of fish on ice it was time for the family to get to work. After supper on Monday we set up shop in the yard to prepare the fish for the freezer. It took four of us three hours to put forty salmon in the freezer.

The life of a salmon it rough ~ this fella was probably cut by a boat propeller.  Another  fish we processed had claw marks on the side from a bear, and one had a seal bite out of its side. Even with all they have to pass through they just keep swimming upstream to their goal (or our freezer).

Drew is just so exhausted he is not even sure where he is, Ken holds up the first fish and wonders if he has the energy for this task after the long flight to Noatak and back, and Brett is thinking... smells like someone caught a bunch of fish.

The secret to wrapping fish ~ tape!  Lots and lots of tape!

Drew put  five fish on a stringer to help keep track of how many he caught and it took two strong arms to lift each stringer out of the cooler.

Each fish has its tail cut off and finished bleeding out, gets washed down with cold water and brought to me to be wrapped.  Now I know what you are thinking ~ this fish is not gutted. The best way to keep fresh salmon from getting freezer burn is to freeze them in their original packaging. Keeping the heads on and the guts intake save the meat from becoming contaminated. When it is time to cook the fish just let them thaw on the counter for a few hours, cut the head off and gut it, which is easy because the guts are frozen together in one lump and pull right out.  No mess no fuss.  

Happy  subsidence fishing Wednesday everyone!  How do you like your salmon prepared?  Baked with dill and lemon, or wrapped in bacon?  Let me know when you will be over for supper and we will prepare a salmontastic feast.

Tip Tuesday ~ Plan of Action

What is on your to do list? And what have you checked off today?

Pumpkin Girl Gets a Bath

Bath time for Pumpkin Girl and a waxing too!

The tail and the back left side of the plane have been waxed.  Can you see the difference between the panels that are finished and the ones not waxed yet?  We sure can!  Dad would be so very proud and be telling us "about time"!

 

 All dressed up and ready to go.  

Where should we take you next Pumpkin Girl?

After a washing you have to make sure all the moving parts have the proper amount of lubrication for safety of flight.

An inspection by the master ~ thanks Captain Awesome for the use of your hanger, supplies and keen eye.

It was a long day, a very long day.

I wonder if I could hide over there and get out of the remaining waxing? Nope not so lucky, good thing supper at Pike's Landing has been promised for all my hard work.

Let's go home!  Go Team Wash!

Quiz for Today

Quiz ~ trust me this is great!

Pass mark: 4 Correct out of 10 Questions.

1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last?

2) Which country makes Panama hats?

3) From which animal do we get cat gut?

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?

7) What was King George VI's first name?

8) What color is a purple finch?

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?


Remember, you need only 4 correct answers to pass.

Check your answers below ....

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years

2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador

3) From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel fur

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs

7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert

8 ) What color is a purple finch? Crimson

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange (of course)

What do you mean, you failed?
Me, too! And if you try to tell me you passed, you just might be telling a fib!

Pass this on to your brilliant friends ~ Happy Wednesday!

Tip Tuesday ~ Goal Setting (part two)

How is that new goal progressing?