Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) The fireweed is blooming here. Alaskan folklore has it that when fireweed blooms at its very tip then winter is two weeks off. In my experience this holds pretty true. Any snow that settles on the mountains after the fireweed is blooming will be called “termination dust” meaning the termination of summer. The blooming of the fireweed and the passing of the summer solstice has caused a flurry of activity among me and my fellow Alaskans. There is a lot to be done before winter comes and the pantry must be filled. Many Alaskans, myself included, live a semi-subsistence lifestyle. Which means we are busy fishing for our aliquot of salmon to freeze and smoke and we have started berry picking in earnest although the blueberries are still tart. We don’t have fruit trees up here but what we lack in them we make up for in wild berries: blueberries, nangoon berries, raspberries, low & high bush cranberries, cloudberries, to name a few. And I've started carrying a canvas bag with me on my dog walks for the mushrooms we find along the way, some of which I eat fresh, others which I carefully dry and use throughout the winter.
Silver/Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Every locale in town has begun to smell like fish; at this point it is the smell of fresh fish that has recently been caught and cleaned. Later on it will smell like rotten fish as the carcasses of salmon begin to pile up on the beach after spawning. Even the parking lot of the supermarket smells so strongly of fish that I have trouble thinking about vegetables and fruit. I haven’t gone to get my winter’s supply of salmon or halibut yet. I’m not sure why, I think it’s because I’m lacking a co-conspirator. It’s a lot of work fishing a winter’s worth of supplies and then prepping it for storage. I’m thinking over my options: dip-net on the Kenai? Fish-wheel on the Gulkana? Snagging on Prince William Sound? All are viable options but part of me is thinking, I’m starting to get sick of salmon after 7 years of it (eaten at least 3 times a week). That thought is almost tantamount to treason in this part of the world so don't tell, will you?
you live something so many of us can't understand. planning your food for the winter. using the land to find what you need.
ReplyDeleteit sounds beautiful. and honest.
Jen, you are so right. It is a privilege, something I have been thinking about a lot with recently printed books such as “An Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: a Year of Food Life”. There is something very invigorating and self reliant in being so connected with my food source.
ReplyDeleteYou have such an interesting life! It will be very interesting to continue reading about it. I'll bet a lot of us fantasize about such a life ~ but wouldn't be able to sustain it very long. :)
ReplyDeletePeace,
~Chani
Your life sounds wonderful to me. And I can't believe winter is so close for you!
ReplyDeleteChani & Kaliroz - thanks for stopping by! And Kaliroz, ah winter, I always wake up in a panic the first night we get some real darkness and think 'oh my goodness, winter's almost here!', I don't know why because I LIKE winter. If I didn't I would surely live elsewhere!
ReplyDelete