Fishing and Festivals

Last Friday I updated you on our trip to Valdez. Since then, we had a friend come to town for a few days and my husband and oldest son went halibut fishing with him. They had a fantastic time and my son was so proud of his catch! Especially now that he's old enough to be considered "one of the guys." It's a major shift when that happens. After all was said and done, they brought home plenty of fish to keep us cooking for the rest of our time here.

While the guys were out sighting whales and puffins on the boat, the younger two and I went to the Anchorage Saturday Market and Festival. It's down by the train depot and the Alaska Geographic shop, where I bought some great homeschool resources. We'll be starting school officially (obviously the kids have been learning since we left, but don't tell them that. ;-)) the first week in September, and will be focusing on Alaska geography, economy, history, sociology, etc. until we leave. These books and poster will be useful tools for that. Like I said, the kids have learned a lot about Alaska already just by exploring and experiencing it. These resources are to reinforce that knowledge.

The market, itself, was huge and filled with more people than we'd seen in one place for a while. We saw a few busses there, so the cruise lines probably had a part to play in that. There were vendors galore but I was excited to meet one person in particular. Dan Seavey, one of the founders of the Iditarod, wrote a book recently and has been driving up from Seward with his lovely wife, Shirley, to sell it at the market and sign autographs. It was such a pleasure to talk to them. They really are some of the nicest, most interesting people you'd ever want to meet. I've been reading his book "The First Great Race" ever since I brought it home. It's very well written. I especially love that I've been everywhere he's talked about so far, and can picture it in my mind while reading. It's a wonderful picture of recent Alaskan history and the Iditarod. You can feel the connections he has with his family and friends on every page.

Another person we went to find at the market was Laurel Downing Bill, author of the "Aunt Phil's Trunk" Alaska state history series. Her books are approved curriculum for Alaska schools and each one is broken into short stories with pictures galore. I bought the first book so we could get a taste before leaving but something tells me I'm going to want to read the whole series on my own when all is said and done! Ms. Bill is never hard to find in a crowd. She's the one dressed in full 1900's regalia with a large brimmed hat to finish off the look. She also sells sourdough starter that began in the 1896 Gold fields. We bought some and are happy to report a successful experiment in bread making this week!

The rest of the market was full of local vendors selling everything from scrimshaw (carved ivory and bone) to t-shirts. We enjoyed listening to the singers and tasting culinary delights like mixed berry ice cream, lemonade, and reindeer sausage quesadillas.

Another place we visited this week that was a lot of fun is the Alaska State Fair. This is their 80th Anniversary and yesterday was the official start. You'd better believe we were there right as the gates opened- despite the rain!

Once a year in August, the whole state comes together to enjoy each others' company at the fair. There's a feeling of comradery and excitement as people pass and smile at each other. Volunteers come out in droves to help, from the very young to the very old. People work all year on beautiful creations for the contests. Groups practice their dances and songs. Children nurture animals to maturity to be judged and viewed by the masses. Everyone, from people in traditional Alaskan dress to people with dyed hair and piercings, mingle with familiarity. It's really a unique experience.

I've taken a ton of pictures to give you an idea of what we saw. This is just a small sampling. There are some amazingly talented people here.

We were able to touch several kinds of fiber, from musk ox to moose.

 This is the commemorative quilt they'll be raffling off at the end of the fair. I wish you could see the details in the blocks. You'll just have to check them out here. They were designed by local artist, Ruth Hulbert and the quilt was made by local quilter, Kathy Rockey.

I can now appreciate the hours of work and skill that went into each of these beaded flowers!

 I may have to try this project with the kids. What a pretty result! It's a leaf and dried flower collage!

Look at the close up of this drawing. It's AHH-MAZING!

At the fair, people are exposed to things they don't ordinarily have the opportunity to experience. We were treated to demonstrations in Yup'ik dance, woodworking, cooking, and goat milking. We were also able to make and take home beeswax candles, which was a lot of fun.

Because Alaska is so far removed from the "Lower 48," the professional fair vendors you generally see everywhere can't make their way up here easily. This means the fair is manned by Alaskans. The booths boast "Alaskan Made" and "Alaska Grown" everywhere you look. I love the pride they take in those labels. You can buy everything from Mukluks (Alaskan fur boots) and birch baskets to cosmetics and key chains. We were able to get an autograph from "Tundra" cartoonist, Chad Carpenter, himself, because he lives nearby. A lot of the food vendors are made up of local organizations that make their dishes from scratch, from produce grown nearby or locally harvested meat. I'm giddy just thinking about it! It's authentic. It's genuine. It's generous- A lot like the people here.

In the 4H area, the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks provided all kinds of great information about Alaska-relevant topics, all for free! We made sure to pick up a poster and some booklets to help us in our studies.

The kids and I had fun in the barn with the different animals. You can get close and touch just about all of them!

 Yep! That's a reindeer!

 Every year they bring in hatching eggs for observation. There's a brooder with chicks in it nearby and a pen with chickens that have chicks trailing after them. Needless to say, I was captivated.

The theme is "Bee Happy," which is why you see so many bee related pictures. This is a giant topiary. By the time I took this, the sun had come out.

 I can't resist the cheesy activities! They're too fun!

After the fair, we visited "The Noisy Goose" in Palmer. It's right across from the fairgrounds and is an institution in Palmer with a hunting theme and down home cooking. Cruise lines used to bring tourists there while traveling through, but have since built their own establishments, bypassing some of the local businesses. It's a shame, really. I could go on for days about what I think of this. Instead I'll just encourage you to make an effort to visit local establishments whenever you are. 

When asked what I will miss most about Alaska, I consider the scenery, the vastness, the arts, but ultimately my answer is this. It's the people. In all our travels to date, every person we've met has been welcoming, genuinely interested in talking to us and giving ideas to help us learn about the "real Alaska". They've been generous, and most importantly, they have a real desire to be involved in their communities and to help their neighbors. They love this land and understand the relationship they have with it. It's a beautiful thing.

Alaska, itself, seems to be in a hurry to get back to the cooler months these days. We've been experiencing Seattle-like weather (rain and gray) since the middle of July. A few weeks ago the trees started turning various shades of red, gold, and orange. This past week we saw a report in Anchorage of "termination dust"- a term I had to look up. It's the first dusting of snow in high altitudes signaling the impending end of summer. I have mixed emotions about this. On one hand, we are able to be here to experience this along with everyone else, which is cool. On the other hand, it makes me wonder what the roads will be like when we leave in a few weeks, which is iffy. I guess we'll see what happens when the time comes!

- Jen