Fish: Silver Coho Salmon

Fish:  In this part of Alaska this time of the year is about FISH more precisely "Silvers" COHO Salmon.  This year we have had some very kind people drop fish off for us to process.  Fillets go either into the freezer to eat through the year or fillets are cut up and head into a brine for the smoker.  Christian does a wonderful job of smoking fish.  I do a great job of eating it!

It all starts with either fish we need to gut and fillet or once in a while fish will show up all filleted and what a huge treat! The fillets are a few pounds easily and bright orange!

Once the fillets are washed and cut into smaller pieces the fish is rolled in a dry rub.  We use brown sugar, raw organic cane sugar, and salt.  This sits in the frig for 12 hours.  When the fish is taken out in the morning there is a lot of liquid and the fish is firmer.

Christian washes of the brine off the fish. The fish is then placed onto the smoking racks.  We always put some seasonings onto the fish at this point.

Olive oil is wiped onto the racks first, then the cut brined fillets, and a bit of spice.

Perfect! Off to the smoker for some Cherry wood smoke about 2 hours worth.  Then the fillets are left int he smoker with the heat on until ready!

Oh so dang good!  Fish is then vacuumed sealed and placed int he freezer for winter snacking!

Tundra Times

I love this time of the year on the tundra!  Blueberries dot the ground cover and brilliant red cranberries are ripening.  The bugs are pretty active.  I always have to laugh about the BUGS!  We live in a pretty windy place. Until you want to pick berries, "What wind you will say?" as there is usually none this time of the year!  Like one elder told me years ago, "If you don't like the bugs just wait for winter!" Reassuring when you are swatting black flies and mosquitos and trying to pick berries.  Yesterday we were out picking berries in between all the small rain squalls that were blowing across the tundra.  All rather dramatic as you would be able to watch the squall build in the distance and then see it approach your spot on the tundra.  We would get a good healthy dose of rain.  The rain would move on and things would clear for a bit.

The tundra is green and lush as can be right now.  Fishing for silvers (salmon Coho)is supposed to be fantastic.  Early fall on the tundra is a time of abundance.  This morning the temperature at about 5:25 a.m. was +38ºF which is a wonderful sign of things to come.  The air is now cool and crisp just like it should be as fall starts to approach on the tundra. Changes happen fast and can be very dramatic in the northern latitudes.

Water just isn't always clear but with the help of a filter, it is drinkable.

Water is always a bit of an issue for us out here.  We are in a village which has water for the most part.  This time of the year with a lot of people coming through for sport-fishing, the cannery is up and running processing fish, and the school district has new teachers coming in for training.

All of this places extra demands on the village water system and supply.  Then there can be issues with old pipes, pumps, electricity.  Presently our water looks like this with a nice golden yellow hue.  This means we are on a boil notice and I am hauling water from a friends house that lives up the road who is on a well.  Yesterday as I was heading up the road I thought, "Well the winds are not blowing 40+mph, and it is not -20ºF or colder!"  I am grateful!

Looking south across the tundra to Nulato Hills.

End of summer Fire Weed gone to seed.

Oh in search of the internet!

Since I made this post yesterday WE NOW HAVE INTERNET AT OUR HOUSE ONCE AGAIN!!!!!!!  I can now add captions to photos!
*****************************************************************
As soon as I have internet at my house again I will be posting!  I have a lot to share but no working internet.  This may be a good thing as I tend to get more work related things done!  Since it is my house I really don't like working from my house . . . at times I have to as there is no one interrupting me there.  Back to the issue no internet which makes it hard to blog.  I am hoping next week we will have internet back and working until then . . .

Photos just to let you know we made it back to Alaska and captions  will be added once we have internet!

Tally resting after a day in the back seat on our drive north and me knitting away during sunset. Some where in BC.

A short stroll from Nakusp Hot Springs in BC,

Tally enjoying a swim some place along the Alcan highway.  Every day the girls got to swim in a new swimming hole.

I love this photo of Tally she is all about FUN!

The nosiest campground in all of BC!  It was also very clean with wonderful campground hosts.  This rail line was yards from our camping spot and there was another on the other side of the river.  

The girls enjoying the AC and view.  If their eyes could talk: "Are we there yet?"

Jiffy Pop Popcorn!  The secret is a leather glove and vice grips and you get perfect popcorn every time.

Kluane Lake a beautiful spot which we love.  Last spring it was frozen on the drive south.  Now we all got to enjoy the sunshine and ice free lake.

One of our favorite hot springs, Liard Hot Springs, and I do mean hot!  This one is set in a pretty spot and always a treat.

Liard Hot Springs

This is the divider between the extremely hot pool and the lower temperature pool.

The boardwalk at Liard to the pools a pleasant stroll.

Takhini Hot Springs This place was a great discovery in the spring.  The pool is currently filling in the early a.m. 

Tetlin Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.  This little place has a nice small campground with the call of the lonely Loon.

Tetlin Camp ground with the morning cup of joe!

Back home in the village rainbow and all!

Christian with his huge grayling!

Now we are talking FISH---silver salmon from the Unalakleet River.

Another HUGE salmon!

Christian with a salmon more our liking!

Rainbow above Unalakleet River

Unalakleet in the far distance by Norton Sound and miles of tundra.

We actually hard a visitor here!  Our friend Karrin, recently back from Africa and now working in AK, dropped in for a week-end visit!

Here are several Kayaks a few plastic and the rest have been made by Maligiaq.  He was here at our school for some work.  I wasn't able to get in a paddle but I hope to next year. 

Maligaq working on a practice paddle.

Knitting and mosquitoes sometimes don't mix!