Berries, Jam, Mushrooms and Squash, OH MY!

Whew!  What an enjoyable late summer Mike and I have had picking berries, making jam, picking squash and somehow getting involved with some strange Russian who likes to pick mushrooms.

So far, I have made blueberry-raspberry (Razzy-Blue, as I call it), wild Alaskan strawberry, apple and cinnamon apple jam.  About a week ago, I found the most incredible patch of raspberries!  I picked two gallons in just a couple of hours.  Then, a friend and I went to my favorite blueberry spot and fought off the bears to gather a gallon of blueberries each.  THEN, Mike and I found a great patch of wild Alaskan strawberries and we picked enough to make a half batch of jam, even while fending off ferocious mosquitoes.

Fearing that we did not have enough blueberries to freeze for cereal, pancakes, and waffles, Mike, the Lincolns, that strange guy from somewhere in Russia and I headed back up to a top secret location to pick more.  I handed the Russian guy a bucket in hopes that he would fill it for me.  Instead, he grabbed a basket from his car and started to pick mushrooms.  Frankly, if his fingers were going to touch mushrooms, I was just fine that he didn't pick me any berries.  Everyone under God's great blue sky knows that one should NEVER touch ANYTHING after touching mushrooms.  In fact, I am almost positive that one's hands should be completely sterilized upon coming in contact with any type of fungus!  Regardless, we were able to gather some more berries to freeze for the winter. 

As I was watering the garden tonight, I found a couple of nice squash and there are many more that will be ready within the next week.  Our tomatoes are nice and big, but still very green.  Hopefully, if we can get some more sunshine, they will ripen before winter sets in!

 Chuck uses his handy dandy berry picker to load up on blueberries!

 Dawn picks berries twice as fast as Chuck with her bare hands!

 Mike eats more than what goes in his bucket.

 Oooooo!  Gross!

My beautiful squash!

 Razzy-Blue Jam

Splish Splash: Mike and I Were in the Bathtub Races!

Mike and I took part in the 2012 Pioneer Park Bathtub Races for Golden Days. Each team has 5 people. One person has to be in the tub of soapy water and the other four push the tub while carry items, such as a wash cloth, a bath towel, a bar of soap and a bath mat. I was stuck carrying the bath mat. The team that finishes in the shortest time with NO penalties, wins $125.

 The Ugly Ducklings' tub was a one man rubber raft on a

 metal cart with bicycle wheels and handle bars!

 The Ugly Ducklings: Elizabeth, Kristie, Mike, Meyoung and Chris.

Nancy Wagner, our team captain, bought us these 

beautiful shirts and shower caps to wear in the race. 

Due to her infinite wisdom in fashion, we won Best Costume!

 Mike and I are looking very duckie!

 The first lap around the course was to parade our beautiful costumes 

and let people from foreign lands (Lower 48) take pictures of us 

so that they could put them on sites like facebook and make fun of us!

 Ready....Set....Go!

 Kristie and Meyoung fall behind at the end of the race with the men outrunning us!

 At this point, I could barely feel my legs (okay, I could feel them....

they felt like jello) and we were only running for 1 minute and 28 seconds. 

 Whew! I need some cardio workouts! Of course, we were penalized 

10 seconds because Meyoung and I took a shortcut and skipped part

 of the course to catch up with the tub.

 Well, we walked away with Best Costume and 3rd Place! 

 I won't mention that there were only 3 teams.

2012 World Eskimo Indian Olympics

Mike and I have spent the last few nights going to the 2012 World Eskimo Indian Olympics, which has been held since 1961.  Each year, contestants participate in a variety of athletic events, baby contests, native regalia contests and native dancing and singing.  We had such a great time and can't wait to attend next year!

Eskimo Indian Baby Contest

 

The Blanket Toss

Using a walrus skin blanket, pullers toss a tossee into the air.  

They can get as high as 30 feet!

 

The High Kick

Contestants, balancing on one hand, try to kick a ball that is 95 inches off the ground.

Native Singing and Dancing

Native Regalia Contest

Two Foot High Kick

Contestants jump up and try to touch a ball with both feet that is 96 inches off the ground.

Seal Skinning Contest

A man brought in 5 seals from Barrow for the seal skinning contest. 

Before anyone gets upset, they are using every part of the seal.

 The skin for making clothing and the meat for eating. No part is wasted, whatsoever!

Moose Destruction!

Apparently, we had a moose visit our garden within the last 24 hours! I am so mad!!!! My cabbage and broccoli are a disaster!

 He ate most of my oversized cabbage. 

The head still looks in good shape, 

so I hope it will continue to grow. 

Unless, of course, he comes back for more!

 Why not just finish it off? Especially, if he's going to 

go to the trouble of pulling it out of the ground!

 Oh, my poor broccoli plants!

 Okay, this is it! I am going to seek complete revenge upon the guilty moose!

Trap Shooting

Well, Mike and I obviously are not letting dust settle this summer!  Today, we were off to the Fairbanks Trap Club to shoot us some clay pigeons.  This was the first time that we have every tried to hit a moving target.  With a little instruction and some lessons in trap shooting, Mike and I were ready to give it a whirl.  I did pretty well, at first, shooting 15 out of 25.  Then, it went down hill, and fast, for me!  Mike started off slow with 7 out of 25, but ended the round with 15 out of 25.  Overall, we decided that it was a lot of fun and we would love to do it again!

 First timers get a lesson in trap shooting.

 He aims, he shoots and....

 he hits the target!

 Okay, I have to remember everything he's telling me:

1.  Aim at the clay pigeon.

2.  Pull the trigger before the pigeon starts to fall.

3.  Hit the pigeon.  

Hmm...that sounds easy, right?

 Oops...I missed that one!

Yea!!!!  I got that one!

Rika's and Shooting

Mike and I drove down to Delta for the afternoon and explored Rika's Roadhouse.  The Valdez-to-Fairbanks trail brought travelers to the banks of the Tanana River, where they crossed by ferry. John Hajdukovich, Yugoslavian entrepreneur, envisioned a business opportunity here, and bought the land along with a fur trading post in 1909. The two-story roadhouse, built of logs that were floated down river, became a year-round oasis for hunters, trappers, prospectors and travelers as well as local Athabascans and homesteaders. However, John had many other interests, including the responsibility of US Game Commissioner. Sitting still and running a roadhouse did not appeal to him very much so he simply asked guests to make themselves at home and leave some money on the table. He ran it in this way until 1918, when finally a dependable, hard-working Swede named Rika Wallen was hired to take over (from www.rikas.com).

There were great opportunities for me to explore and play with my new camera!  Of course, it would not have been fair for me to get to have all the fun and Mike not get to shoot his gun.  After leaving Rika's, we drove to a top secret location and Mike took in some target practice with his new Ruger 10-22.  Mike, being the gentleman he is, even allowed me to shoot his gun.  Not to brag, my aim was just a wee bit better than my dear husbands!  However, when it comes to hunting, Mike will certainly be bringing home the meat!

Rika's Roadhouse

 The front of the main house is ready for a wedding.

 The back of the main house.

 A cabin where military personnel stayed.

 Mike takes a rest in the warm sunshine.

 The Tanana River is running high from all the rain.

 Ooooo, I just love my new camera (and my hubby)!

 Pretty little daisies, aren't they cute???

 Cute, but VERY smelly!

 Check out those colors!

Chena Flood Plain

Mike Shoots His Gun!

 Mike is ready for grouse hunting!

 With shootin' like that, we'll have a mess of grouse!

 Kristie takes a turn at shooting.

 Kristie's target: Not too bad!

Ready.... Aim.... Fire!