Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

I can’t believe it’s been nearly 10 days since I’ve written. It doesn’t seem like so much time has passed - in fact it feels like time has just flown by over the last week or so.

I have been keeping busy attending special events around town, and it’s taken me a long time to download photos, sort through them, and resize them for sharing. I think I’ve shot more than 1000 frames just over the past couple of days.

In my last entry, I wrote about the outhouse races in Chatanika that were coming up that weekend. Well, we didn’t go after all. We had all intentions of attending, but the weather took a nosedive, with below zero temps and strong gusting wind. At the last minute, Steve and I mutually decided that we didn’t want to have to bundle up and brave the elements. So instead we spent a nice quiet weekend here at home.

We had a visitor to our yard during the week. A cow moose decided that our yard was the perfect place to stop for a nap. We have two moose (cow and calf) that are regular travelers through our yard, so seeing a lone moose was different. After looking at the photos I took of her, I think she’s pregnant. My theory is that she’s either an entirely different moose than the two that have come by in the past, or she’s the cow moose of the pair and she’s pushed her calf away since she’s expecting. I didn’t pay close enough attention to the pair to see if there were any identifying marks, so I’m just guessing.

Anyway, she stopped at the back of our yard, hunkered down in the sunshine and rested for a good three hours, before getting up and coming towards our back door and then leaving our yard. I wondered about another “climb on the deck” adventure, but she merely glanced our way as we watched her through the glass.

I loved watching her rest out there. Such a beautiful creature!

	Through the kitchen window
	A redpoll fluffled against the cold	Airborne watching Animal Planet

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I spent a good amount of time last week working on my online photo gallery. I’m revamping the site to remove old photos and upload new photos. It’s not updated yet, as I’m doing all of my work offline. It’s tedious, as I’ve been sorting through thousands of photos that have been taken since the site was last updated - but when I’m in the mood to be creative, there’s no stopping me. At one point last week, I found myself awake for 36 straight hours.  I just lost track of time, and I kept drinking coffee and getting a ’second wind’. When I finally did fall asleep, I slept for about 10 hours. While insomnia is an ongoing problem for me in the winter months, staying up for 36 hours is not common at all. I was really focused on the task at hand! I’m happy to report my sleeping habits are back into a somewhat normal (for me) pattern. I’ll be glad when summer comes. When summer comes I sleep well. Probably because I’m much more active.

Friday night, Steve and I - and my friend Lisa - went to the Native Arts Festival.  The wind was really blowing and without the shelter of the buildings protecting us, we were pelted with fine blowing snow. The festivities were held in two different buildings on UAF campus, so we had to walk (run!) between them. We went to the theater first, to watch a few groups sing and dance.  After about an hour, we made our way to the building where the craft tables were.

I have been searching for a trappers hat for a while now. (Here it is with the flaps up.) I want one made of beaver and dyed black. They can be purchased in a variety of places throughout the country, but I want one that has been hand-made by Alaska Natives - not one that has been mass produced. When I attend craft shows, I keep my eyes open for just the right one. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many hats this weekend. I did see quite a few sets of stunning fur mittens, adorned with beads - but they wouldn’t be practical for me, as I need finger dexterity because my camera is practically an appendage! Nevertheless, I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful items on display - from jewelry, to fur items, to spirit masks, and more.

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The North American Championship Races took place all weekend. Lisa and I attended the race on Saturday. We made it downtown about 11:30am so we could watch the action at the fur auction. The race didn’t start until 1pm.

The fur auction is put on by the Alaska Trappers Association.  Here is some information I took from the website linked:

Trapping has been economically and culturally important to Alaska’s people since time immemorial. This seasonal harvest of wildlife provides the meat and warm fur needed to sustain life in the north. Thick fur parkas, mitts, hats and leggings protect against bitterly cold temperatures, enabling Alaskans to survive in the harsh Arctic environment…

…Trapping continues to be a very important part of the Alaska economy to this day. It is particularly important in rural communities because it provides cash income during the winter when few jobs exist in most isolated villages. In the larger towns and villages, trapping income provides a supplement to salaries and a healthy, pleasant outdoor pastime during the colder months.

With that being said, I want you to know that I have never hunted or trapped. I have no desire to hunt or trap. In fact, I’m such a “softie” when it comes to wildlife, that I don’t think I could ever kill an animal, unless it was in self-defense.

However, despite my personal feelings, I am not against hunting for food, fur, and other by-products. Most of the hunters I know take only what they can use or eat, and what they can’t use or eat, they give to others.

The photos I took at the auction may disturb some of you. It can be somewhat shocking to see so many pelts and hides in one place. One attendee in particular wore a wolf hat (photo at left), which still very much resembles the wolf in every way - down to its paws. The hat “creeped” me out, because it looked so much like a family pet.  The pelts, on the other hand, didn’t bother me so much, as they only looked like fur.

We stood downtown on 2nd Avenue for the start of the race. Just after #5 (Ed Wood) left the line, we drove to Creamers Field to see some of the teams pass by the fence. While standing there taking photos, I remarked to Lisa that it wouldn’t be long before we’d be standing in the same location enjoying geese and sandhill cranes. It sure didn’t feel like spring was anywhere near, with the way the wind was blowing and as deep as the snow is.

We gradually made our way to the last stretch on Creamers Field - the portion of the trail that crosses back over College Road and heads back downtown to the finish line.  There’s a short, but steep, hill just as the team comes off of one field and onto another. I love taking photos from that vantage point because the dogs and musher seem to disappear from sight before they come up over the hill.

When Ed Wood (#5) showed up there, Lisa and I decided to call it a day. We opted to eat at The Bakery - where we both had breakfast for lunch. Bacon and eggs never tasted so good, washed down with several cups of hot coffee. I was chilled to the bone!

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Lisa and I attended the final performance of the play “Cinderella and the Prince”. I am so glad we did! It was a fabulous play with lots of laughs, great acting, singing and dancing, and the familiar story line. And the costumes were excellent too. Everytime I see a play or musical here in Fairbanks, I am reminded of how much talent we have here near the top of the world. I have never been disappointed in any performance I’ve attended. Lisa loved it too. I look forward to the next play/musical.

Steve and I will be leaving for Homer later this week. I’m looking forward to the change of scenery, and the eagles. I do hope that there are a lot of eagles to photograph and observe. They will be fed by Jean Keene’s assistant through the 27th. We won’t get there until after that date, but I hope they’re still hanging around waiting for a free handout. Even if the eagles aren’t abundant, the drive will be amazing as always.

Until next time…