Finders Keepers

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The other day I took the dogs for a run along the back road. Uyaana and his buddy Oz rode along in the back. As we were driving along I was noticing how the tundra has lost it's reds and yellows almost completely and is now full of rusts and tans and browns.

So as we are riding along I can hear Oz and Uyaana through the window. They are playing I-Spy. I hear Uyaana say "I spy something brown." Ummm yeah, I bet he does.


The dogs were doing their usual, hunting voles in the tundra. Kaija found one and tossed it up in the air. Rush stole it from her and run up on the road to get away from her.




Then he dropped it.




Maybe was still biting back. But then again it's not looking too lively.




The boys ran over to get a better look, and Kaija ran over to try and reclaim her prize.




Rush figured he better take off.




But Kaija wasn't going to let that happen. This is how it always seems to go...Kaija finds them and Rush steals them and eats them. I think Kaija had enough of that. Who does he think he is anyway?



So the argued and growled over it.




Kaija wasn't gonna let Rush get away with her snack.




In the end she got it back. She ran away and ate it before Rush could try and take it away. Those dogs are sure going to miss their furry snacks when the tundra freezes over.

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Figures

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I found my camera charger, but guess what? Photobucket is down during a period of "short maintenance". So there will be no new photos today. I may be leaving for Anchorage tomorrow for a quick trip so I will try to get them posted, if possible, before I go.

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Lost it Again!

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Yup, my camera charger. I know you are all surprised. I'm pretty sure it's around here somewhere. Hopefully I will find it tomorrow. Until then here are some photos from a cookout with friend's at the beach. These were taken 9/20/09.







































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Thank You!

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After the fire, when Maija first suggested having a fundraiser, we thought that maybe we might be able to raise $1,000. Imagine our amazement at having raised over $3,000! We are grateful for everyone's generosity. Many people who donated were from Alaska, but just as many were not. We had people from all over the United States and we feel blessed. The following is a list of winners...

Deluxe handmade Knife By Siksu's Knives – Greg Louden
Atikluk – zippered – Laurie Parker
Atikluk – pullover womens – Eva Harvey
Birch Bark Basket - Jill Meyer
Mukluk Keychain handsewn – Denise Row
Mitten Keychain Handsewn – Kathleen Barker
2 jars of homemade Jams – B. Self
2 jars of homemade Jams – Greg Louden
2 jars of homemade Fireweed Jelly – Duncan Campbell
An Ivory Seal Necklace – Daisy Lambert
Three Fillets of Kenai Red Salmon – Karen Bendler
Three Packages Alaskan Halibut – Sally Loprinzi
Matted Photo - James Parente
Matted Photo – Deb Billingsley
Matted Photo – Gary & Elizabeth Alkire
Handmade (Beaded) Earrings - Valarie Brown
Handmade (Beaded) Earrings – Greg Louden
Handmade (Beaded) Earrings – Sally Loprinzi
Handmade (Beaded) Earrings – Ida Ballot
Handmade (Beaded) Earrings – B. Self
Walrus Ivory Earrings – Jill Meyer
Atikluk Apron – David Holthouse
Gift Certificate from Margie's Materials – Karen Bendler
Grass Handweaved Basket - Margaret Lawler
Swan Antler Carving – Jackalyn Riggs
Beaded necklace and earring set – Patty Frawley
Kitchen towel set – J.A. Siglin
Towel set – Denise Lachowsky
Towel set – Susan Sharbaugh
Towel set – Susan Severston
Crochet potholders – Rachel Lockwood
Crochet table doily – J.A. Siglin
Crochet table doily – Constance Steeples
Ivory Face Earrings – J. A. Siglin
Scarf – Sam Towarak
Scarf – Daisy Lambert
Scarf – Leslie Parrish
Scarf – Rodney Keeland
Baby Blanket – Lorraine Bartlett
2 salmon fillets – Chester Ballot
Seal skin slippers – Elizabeth Moses
Alaska Airlines Ticket – (OTZ-ANC) – Aggie Jack

We will be contacting people starting next week to confirm addresses to send items to.

So once again, thanks again for helping us help out neighbors. And a special thank you for everyone who donated prizes. It is awesome, especially in these tough economic times, to see people step up to help others. God bless you all.

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Info on Reilly Wreck

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In the previous two posts I talked about a place on the Baldwin Peninsula that we call Reilly (Riley) Wreck. It is basically located near the mouth of a creek that has an old shelter cabin and reindeer corrals near it. I have been told that there was a ship that ran aground there, but didn't really know any information. A reader was nice enough to give a link that contained info about the wreck. It never occurred to me that I was spelling it wrong. See how goon an investigative reporter I would be? Once I spelled it correctly I was able to find more info.

The info came from Minerals and Management Service shipwreck records. It stated that on 10/13/1905, the steamer, John Reilly, was blown up on rocks approximately 4 miles east of Cape Blossom, Kotzebue Sound in strong wind. The John Reilly called the Kobuk River its home and had made many trips up and down the river since 1898. Vessel had been assembled on St. Lawrence Island from materials brought up from southern ports on the bark Alaska. It had last been to port at Kiwalik.



Here is a photo of the John Reilly, (from the Alaska Digital Archive) being loaded by the S.S. Sadie. It is assumed that this photo was taken in Kotzebue Sound or Hotham Inlet (Kobuk Lake).

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Ride to Riley Wreck, Part 2

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Here is a screen shot from Google Earth that shows the Baldwin Peninsula and part of Kotzebue Sound. You can see that I have labeled the locations on the map. The distance between Kotzebue and Cape Blossom is roughly 12 miles. The distance between Cape Blossom and Riley Wreck is roughly 6 miles.




Here is another section of the shore where the waves undercut the bank melting the permafrost. Eventually the bank had no support and huge pieces collapsed. The water now laps right up against these pieces making it impossible to ride down the beach ion this section, except during periods of very low water. The water was so low this day I was able to ride right around. When the water is too high you can ride up onto the tundra and bypass this section of the beach.




This is the shelter cabin and the old reindeer corrals at Riley Wreck. If anyone is interested in reading about the history of reindeer herding in Alaska you can click HERE.




It has been a long time since these corrals have been used and they are staring to fall apart. I guess they call the name of this place Riley Wreck because there was a steamer, named Riley, that wrecked here many years ago. If someone knows the story please write a comment and let us know.




The inside walls of the shelter cabin are like a guest book graffitied with the names and dates of visitors over the years.




Looking back the way we came.



Back along the creek behind Riley Wreck I came across this whale vertabre. I put it on the back of the four wheeler to take the photo so you could see the size.




This just looks like a shot of the tundra...but there was something there that attracted Kaija's attention.....




...a flock of these little birds. Kaija jumped off the four wheeler and tried to catch some but they took off flying.




They would fly really fast and make 180 degee turns at full speed, never breaking formation.




Kaija chased them as the flashed up and down the beach.




She never did get close. The birds reminded me of those huge schools of fish you sometimes see on documentaries.




You know, the kind that swim together in big schools and they turn this way and that all at the same time.









Almost back to town, few more miles.
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Ride to Riley Wreck, Part 1

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Last Saturday I decided to take a ride on my 4 wheeler to Riley Wreck. It is located past the point you see in this photo about 12 miles south of Kotzebue.When I first moved to Kotzebue 12 years ago you used to be able to ride your four wheeler around the tip of Cape Blossom along the beach anytime, except during a really high tide. Now because there has been such erosion of the shore the water is, more often then not, right up to the steep banks. Now, unless the tide is quite low, you have to ride up over the tundra to get bast the cape. This day the tide was very low so it was a great day to take a ride down the coast.




On the way down the beach not far from town I met up with some folk training their dog team.




In this photo you can again see Cape blossom in the distance. It's approximate coordinates are Lattitude 66°43'55.92"N Longitude 162°29'43.88"W .




Here I left the beach for a while to go up on the tundra to pick some berries.




Name that bird.




Seagull tracks in the sand.




Here is a good example of the shore erosion. You can see the exposed permafrost under the bank.




Along the way there were a few jelly fish that had washed ashore.




Here is the start of coming around the point of Cape Blossom. The cape consists of tall eroding bluffs.




The water was so low that there were a lot of exposed sandbars. Kaija had fun running around chasing birds on the sandbars while I looked for clams and pieces of mammoth ivory.




More eroding bluffs.




The water is usually right up close to the bluffs.




I came across some starfish that had washed up on the beach.




These guys past me by. The were headed farther down the coast than me. They had brought with them extra gas and rifles.




Another washed up creature.


I will post the rest of the pics tomorrow.

Mostly Cloudy Chance of Rain

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Cemetery Evening

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These photos were taken 9/16/09
















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More Labor Day Pics

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These were taken on the Noatak River on Labor day the approximate coordinates for for the first three photos is Lat 67°16'14.32"N Lon 162°44'29.83"W
























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Stripes

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Lower Noatak Canyon

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These photos were taken on Labor Day. I included the GPS coordinates so that if your interested you can enter them into Google Earth and see the approximate location of where the photos were taken.

Latitude 67°11'51.11"N
Longitude 162°31'41.78"W































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Filed Under: "Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time"

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* Main Entry: tun·dra
* Pronunciation: \ˈtən-drə also ˈtu̇n-\
* Function: noun
* Etymology: Russian, from Russian dialect (northeast) tundra, tundara, from Kildin Sami (Sami language of the northern Kola Peninsula) tūnter
* Date: circa 1841

: a level or rolling treeless plain that is characteristic of arctic and subarctic regions, consists of black mucky soil with a permanently frozen subsoil, and has a dominant vegetation of mosses, lichens, herbs, and dwarf shrubs






















I think these fellas didn't read the "mucky" part.

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Checking In

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I'm in Anchorage until Monday evening. Went to the Lion King (AWESOME), I'll talk about that more later. In the morning I will shop til I drop and head back to Kotzebue on the evening flight.

I still have lots of photos that I need to post from labor day weekend.

The fundraiser is moving along. I just want to thank everyone who has donated so far. In Kotzebue many have been collecting donations from people at their places of business, donating clothing, raising money at the post office lobby with a bake sale. This is what we do. But I find it so awesome that people from all over, many of whom have never even been to Kotzebue, have given so much so far. You are really helping to make a difference in our community and we are grateful.

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Kotzebue House Fires Fundraiser

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In the early morning hours of Saturday, September 25th, three houses belonging to Homer and Margaret Russell, Chuck and Barbara Janitscheck and Henry and Eva Booth burned to the ground. They barely made it out with their lives and the clothes on their backs. A fourth house, owned by Dolly Sours, was extensively damaged by the flames.

In an effort to raise money to assist these families Maija and are are hosting a fundraiser. Here's how it will work.....

We have been collecting donations of locally made items. For every $10 dollars that you donate to the Kotzebue House Fire Fund, your name will be entered into a drawing for these items. After you donate email me at aqvaluq@hotmail.com or Maija at finnskimo@hotmail.com and let us know how much you donated (confirmation of donation would be nice, but we will go with the honor system too). So for example, if you donate $50 your name will be entered 5 times. If you donate $10 your name will be entered once.

The prizes are still coming in from all over the region. Here is some of the stuff you could win...

Deluxe handmade Knife By Siksu's Knives
Eskimo Kuspuk (atikluk) made by a local sewer, custom to fit YOU!
Birch Bark Basket made by a resident of the Upper Kobuk
Mukluk Keychain handsewn
Mitten Keychain Handsewn
2 jars of homemade Aqpik Jelly (made by Red Seeberger)
2 jars of homemade Blueberry Jelly
2 jars of homemade Fireweed Jelly
A beaded Barrette with Mukluks and Flowers sewn into it
Ivory Ulu Earrings
An Ivory Zipper Pull
Three Fillets of Kenai Red Salmon (Vacuum Packed, frozen)
Three Packages Alaskan Halibut (Vacuum Packed, Frozen)
4 Matted Photos by Aqvaluq Photography
Handmade (Beaded) Earrings
Atikluk Apron
Gift Certificate from Margie's Materials in Kotzebue
Grass Handweaved Basket by Kathy Westlake
Swan caribou Antler Carving
1 round trip MILEAGE ticket Kotzebue-Anchorage

(obviously if you live outside the region we will make sure you don't win an IN REGION ONLY prize)

The drawing will be held Friday, September 25th at 6pm Alaska time.
We will pay the postage on prizes that need to be sent out of town/state. Due to customs fees and excessive postage we can only send items within the USA, but please do consider making a donation anyway.

There are 5 ways to donate:

1. Write a check to: KOTZEBUE HOUSE FIRES, and send it to , "C/O Maija Lukin PO BOX 1350, Kotzebue, AK 99752" and email me or Maija the amount.


2. Go to any Wells Fargo bank and tell them that you want to deposit a donation to the account "KOTZEBUE HOUSE FIRES" ACCOUNT: 9790207832.


3. If you have Wells Fargo as your bank and you would like to donate via online transfer you can send it to "Rick Janitscheck" (account custodian for the fund) account# 9790207832.


4. If you are here in Kotzebue you can come see me or Maija at home/work/wherever and donate. If you use this method you don't have to email us.


5. Use the Paypal button below! I think I can accept credit cards now. Please know that the paypal widget does display the first name and last initial of donors. It still leaces you quite anonymous as it does not reveal location of the donor. I don't think that function can be disabled. I will try looking into a different widget.




PLEASE do not forget to email either me or Maija with your name and the amount of your donation, and your preferred method to contact you (name/email/phone/)otherwise we won' be able to enter you into the drawing!

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Remember

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Please Help Us Help Others in Need

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Here is some info from Maija's Blog about a fundraiser for the victims of the terrible fires we had here in Kotzebue on Saturday. Please feel help us spread the word of this fundraiser by linking directly to my post or Maija's post or by re-posting the info onto your blog (if you have one).

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One good thing about living in a village, is the astounding help you get in the wake of a tragedy.

Early Saturday morning, the residents in Kotzebue (those who were awake, or awakened by the sirens) witnessed a sight so awful, words can not describe.



A house fire ravaged four homes in the middle of town. Three of those homes were completely destroyed along with the memories within them. One home was partially burned, but will survive this with a nasty scar on one side.



Those homes belonged to a father and mother, Homer and Margaret Russell, elders in our community, grandparents taking care of grandchildren, parents who raised children. Homer suffered a fractured leg and Margaret scrapes and bruises. Their daughters, Eva and her husband Henry Booth also lost their home, as did their other daughter Barbara and her husband Chuck Janitscheck, but all escaped without harm.

These families lost everything.




The home that was damaged belonged to another elder, Dolly Sours, who escaped unharmed with a friend who happened to be visiting.






So...we need YOUR help!


Starting today, we will be hosting an online contest for locally made products.

For every $10 you donate to the family, (I'll tell you how in a bit) your name will be put into a random name generator, for a chance to win some pretty AWESOME items.

So far, we have the following: (I'll post photos tomorrow, as well as other prizes as we still have them coming in from local people)

Deluxe handmade Knife By Siksu's Knives

Eskimo Kuspuk (atikluk) made by a local sewer, custom to fit YOU!

Birch Bark Basket made by a resident of the Upper Kobuk

Mukluk Keychain handsewn

Mitten Keychain Handsewn

2 jars of homemade Aqpik Jelly (made by Red Seeberger)

2 jars of homemade Blueberry Jelly

2 jars of homemade Fireweed Jelly

A beaded Barrette with Mukluks and Flowers sewn into it

Ivory Ulu Earrings

An Ivory Zipper Pull

Three Fillets of Kenai Red Salmon (Vacuum Packed, frozen)

Three Packages Alaskan Halibut (Vacuum Packed, Frozen)

Matted Photos by Aqvaluq Photography

Swan Antler Carving

And a multitude of other fun, and SUPER ESKIMO things!


P.S. if you want to donate something, please let me know, and I'll add it to the list.

Here's two ways to win:

1. A SAVINGS account has been set up at WELLS FARGO Bank under the name:

Rick Janitscheck (the custodian for the account)
ACCOUNT: 9790207832

Visit your local Wells Fargo Bank and donate in increments of $10 (ten dollars) to that account. For every $10 you donate, your name will be placed in the database.

Email me the confirmation of donation to: finnskimo@hotmail.com

2. Write a check to: KOTZEBUE HOUSE FIRES, and send it to me, "C/O Maija Lukin PO BOX 1350, Kotzebue, AK 99752" and email me the amount and I'll put your name into the database.

The drawing will be held Friday, September 25th.



Witnessing the fire only gives you an awareness of your vulnerability on this earth. A year and ten months ago, my aunt and cousin died in a house fire. Several months ago, a Selawik family with young children lost their home to a fire. Fire's rattle my nightmares, and shake me to the bone.

What else can I do? I don't know, but what I can do is help.

Thank you for your support and help. The residents of Kotzebue really appreciate it!

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Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

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Can I just tell you that I have tickets to The LION KING in Anchorage on Sunday?? I am so excited I could just about pass out!



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Tundra Walk

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Here are some photos from a walk we took along the tundra near the Noatak River last Sunday. I have some more photos of our camping trip on Labor Day weekend and will post them during the week.








































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Annivililuktutin Uyaana!!

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Happy 10th Birthday Uyaana!

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Falltime Sunset

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Full Moon

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Here are some photos of the full moon last night. We will be playing out in the wilderness this weekend. I have a couple posts set to pop up while we are gone. I hope everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend.












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More Short Eared Owl

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Here are some more photos of the short eared owl that lives near the gravel runway.
























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Running the Raven Gauntlet

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The other day I took the dogs for a run out on the road behind town. There were about 10 ravens in and near the road just hanging out.




Of course the dogs took off after them trying to catch one but the ravens scattered into the air.




But the ravens didn't fly away somewhere else.



Instead they followed the dogs for about a quarter of a mile, swooping and teasing them.




Ravens like to have their fun.




The tundra is covered with color now.




Those red colored plants by the water are what happens to fireweed after it has gone to seed.




I love the tundra in the fall.





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Corned Moose

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Maija was asking for "Alaskan" recipes today and that made me realize I had forgotten to blog about corned moose. I meant to post it in July the first time I made it.




Corning meat is not a very complicated process, but it does take a while. First you need a container to make it in. I use a food grade 2 gallon plastic bucket that has a lid. Fill the bucket with 1/2 gallon of hot water.




Add 1 cup kosher salt to the hot water and stir until it is dissolved. When the salt is dissolved add 1/2 gallon of cold water.




Then add 1/4 cup of sugar...




1/8 cup of pickling spices...




...and one teaspoon of Prague Powder. Prague powder is also sometimes called "Insta-cure #1" and it can be purchased at places that sell sausage making supplies. You can also use Morton Tender Quick. Prague Powder is 6.25 percent sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrite is what prevents you from whipping up a jolly good batch of botulism while you are corning your meat. It also helps it retain that pleasing pink color after you cook it. I know, I know, nitrites are supposed to be bad for you but really, you probably have to eat a ton of it all the time before it kills you and botulism will kill you lickity split. I'm not a doctor....but I did once stay at a Holiday In Express.




All those ingredients that you have mixed into the bucket are your brine. This is what you are going to soak your meat in. Now you can use just about any red meat you want, moose, caribou, musk ox, whatever. I have also heard of people corning duck or goose breasts, but I have never tried that.

Whatever you decide to corn try and use pieces of like size. for example I was able to fit four equal sized pieces of meat (not sure how much they weighed) into my bucket. The general rule is that for every inch of meat thickness you need to keep it in the brine for 3 days. So if your roasts are 5 inches thick you need to soak them in the brine for 15 days.

So put as many roasts as you can into the bucket while still having enough room to ensure that they stay submerged. You can keep them submerged by weighing them down with a heavy plate or bowl. Put the lid loosely on the bucket and place the bucket in your fridge. Make sure you move the meat around and stir the brine ever couple days. When the roasts are done brining you can freeze them until your ready to eat them. You cook it as you would any corned beef that you buy at the store. I know it sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't. Give it a try.

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