The Great White Blizzard 2009

Now that I can think about this storm without pulling all my hair out, I thought I'd post some of the pictures that I took. Three days without power and water was tough....and cold. One thing we had no shortage of was snow. We melted bucket after bucket to flush toilets, wash dishes and wash us! I learned that living in the mountains is not without its hazards. The "city" does not come and scrape your roads. If you have good neighbors with heavy equipment, you're golden. If not, they'll have to come up and find you in the Spring! Lucky for us we've got good neighbors with oversized tonka toys.

All in all, the inconvenience and discomfort was balanced by the beauty of the snowy mountains. Reminded me of scenes from Cold Mountain....which is not far from here.

Click on the pics for a full sized view. All pics shot from the safety of my porch!

Early in the storm....

Later, we thought it might never stop. Unfortunately the snow was very heavy and there were lots and lots of broken trees.....the worst of which blocked roads and took out power lines.

Goin nowhere!

By nightfall we had over 1 1/2 feet

Diggin in to the back door

Fire on the mountain. Dawn day two. Sometimes it pays to get up really early.

By afternoon.....blue skies!

.........the 'new' fridge.....the kind that doesn't require electricity.

Yup'iit Cultural Museum

The museum is housed in a multipurpose building which also is home to the Bethel Public Library and a good sized auditorium used for celebrations and the occasional showing of a movie. The building itself is quite beautiful. The architectural features are derived from the Yup'ik double circle design representing the cosmos and the earth. The Yup'ik language and culture have been fairly well preserved as outsiders (oh yes, the Christian missionaries at it again) did not arrive here until the late 1800's. Over 75% of the native population here speak the Yup'ik language. This is a very high percentage for native people as languages such as Cherokee in the Eastern Band of the Cherokee are spoken by only about 300 or so people.

The Yup'ik people mostly live a subsistence life, meaning that they live off the land rather than on a cash economy. This is true still today. Fishing, berry gathering and hunting are not done for entertainment, but as a necessity to survive.

Here are some pics from the museum.

This amazing tile mosaic is located in the main hallway of the building. Easy to see the circular themes. It has a sister panel further down the hallway.

Traditional fur parka's and kuspuks.

Fish catching basket.....for whitefish I think?

Traditional women's headdress, worn in dance ceremonies

Hand made dolls. The artisans show their wares at a monthly craft fair. The detail on these dolls is stunning and the pictures do not do them justice.

This is a raincoat made from seal gut, which is apparently quite waterproof. Who needs Gortex?

Drums, instruments and hand fans used in traditional dance

Mukluks, mittens and hats made from seal, beaver and other furs. These are beautiful examples of items that are still worn today. I was luck enough to buy a seal and beaver hat from one of the few traditional skin sewers here.

Kale??? What's Kale???

With the advent of my bi-weekly veggie boxes has come the necessity for a little kitchen creativity. Although I cook with a good many veggies on a regular basis, one veggie box contained some lettuce-y looking stuff that didn't taste so good. After sorting out the veggies against the packing list, I discovered it was red kale. What the h$%* is red kale and who would eat this stuff......cows perhaps??

After an internet search I found a kale and bean soup recipe courtesy of another blog:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/02/rustic-red-kale-and-white-bean-soup.html

I decided it was worth a shot......the vegans gave it rave reviews after all.

It was delicious!!!

And even better with a moose at the bottom...

When in Alaska..............

Visitor

While here in Bethel I have missed my dogs (among other things) very much. Before the snow flew I was very happy to have a furry visitor! She parked herself in front of my living room window and watched me watching her. Labs......gotta love em! She still comes by from time-to-time for a pat on the head and a scratch behind the ear......oh....and doggie treats if ya got 'em!

Out and About

Found a new store in town while hiking around with a friend. Its the variety-slash-Radio Shack store. Interesting combination of party favors, personal care things like soaps and shampoos, and Radio Shack electronics.

Keeping an eye on the whole thing is a huge buffalo head! Radio Shack at home's got nothing on this shop! I may have let out a little squeal when I rounded the isle. :)

Went to a yard sale at a house that overlooks the tundra. Was a drizzly day, but not too cold. Got some good buys too!!

Veggies!!!

Special Delivery

Way out here on the tundra, fresh veggies are not the easiest thing to get.....and never mind finding organic produce. So what's a veggie lover to do??

Full Circle Farms, located in Washington, has a CSA (community supported agriculture) program that ships to Bethel.....yes, way out here to Bethel! Each week (or every other week) you can order a box of farm fresh organic fruits and veggies and other items such as free range eggs. The boxes come in each Thursday on the afternoon flight and are brought to the Cultural Center to be picked up. I got my first box this week......what a treat!

http://www.fullcirclefarm.com/index.html

Just a few of the items I ordered. The corn never stood a chance. I shared two ears with my neighbors and immediately cooked the other two, slathered them with butter and salt and shamelessly gnawed away till not a kernel was left on the cobb. Yeeeeuummyy!

Signs You Just Don't See Everywhere

Bethel is a very unique and interesting place. Even the signs are unique. Here's a few from around the hospital....

Apparently, ice cleats and hospital floors don't go together. I'll keep this in mind this winter.....not want to get nabbed by the ice cleat police!

Apparently, spit doesn't go with the hospital floors either. Good thing I wasn't planning on spitting.

Just in case any of you were looking for some fresh seal blubber....Fresh!!

I LOVE Bethel!! :)