Thirty Second Stop: Kayaking Attempt #2

   Today I had the opportunity to get in a kayak again and find a new adventure.  We did not get to go to a beach and bbq this time, but went from one end of the bay to the other while surfing the swells that kept rolling in with 6 to 8 foot waves.  It was like a roller coaster that never truly ended.

    We were able to find a little area that was not as rough where we sat in the middle of the bay eating our dinner.  Who gets to do that?!  It was once agin so beautiful.  The sky was bluer than blue with cotton balls for clouds.  The sun was bright to the point of blinding as if bounced off the water.  The wind was cool, but refreshing to match the fresh smell of the sea water that we could hear start to roar as it approached the beach before crashing and stirring up all the rocks as the waves retreated.  One after another.   

      After we finished eating, we were able to sneak in through the side, where the river runs out, to the lagoon.  The river was moving rather quickly, but the water was so calm.  It was glass-like till we kayaked through it leaving a ripple of where we been.  Destination unknown.  We went through the lagoon, up the river just a tad, and then made a circle around the lagoon before we headed in.    

Happy to report that I did NOT get wet.  I was a little nervous with the start because the waves were coming in one after another, but for whatever reason I was able to make it through without taking on any waves or getting drenched.  My dismount was not seamless, but I did not fall in, nor did the kayak get tipped.    

 All around I would call that a great success!

Thirty First Stop: Why Do People Become Teachers?

  Why do people become teachers?  Is it because they get paid the big bucks to deal with kiddos all day, or because they only work Monday through Friday with weekends and summers off, or because they are provided with so many materials and supplies for the kiddos and the room to have successful year?  None of those reasons are the right one, because they all are not true.  

     Teachers get to work early and leave late almost everyday, and spend hours preparing lesson plans that promote learning for the class and the individual students.  On top of that, they are meeting standards, following IEPs and still find time to have their own life outside of the school if possible. 

     Teachers do what they do day in and day out for those precious moments of understanding and enjoyment.  Those moments that happen may be few and far between or may happen everyday ...those make everything worth it.  

     I did not go to school to be a teacher.I do not know how to make a proper lesson, but I put the time in yesterday preparing an activity. I could not even tell you all the standards that are expected for each grade level, but I had that moment of understanding and enjoyment today.  It almost brought tears to my eyes.  After a month or so of struggle today we had success.  We had enjoyment.  We had smiles.  We learned! ....That is priceless. 

Thirtieth Blog Stop: Clumsy Mule

     On the sixteenth blog spot, I mentioned how sourdough is a major part of culture and traditions. I was lucky enough to get a sourdough starter from Ms. Renee. With each started there is always a story on how it came to be. This weekend I finally had the opportunity to make my first loaf of bread, using Ms.Renee's starter. I asked her is she wouldn't mind sharing her families story on how their sourdough came to be. Hope you all enjoy the story, as much as I loved my bread!

Clumsy Mule Sourdough

     This sourdough was given to my mother, Marian Huston, as a wedding present by Miss Lola Tilly, professor of Home Economics in Alaska School of Mines (now the University of Alaska Fairbanks), Miss Tilly had got the sourdough from an old miner, and she told Mom it was around 100 years old (this was in 1963). The original culture was that shared among miners coming over the Chilkoot Trail from Skagway during the Gold Rush. 

   Sourdough starter was a valuable part of the gold seekers' provisions and was protected during the transport. Miners carried the stater in a leather drawstring pouch was worn around their neck under their clothing or stowed in leather saddlebags next to the mule's body to protect the culture from freezing. Miss Tilly's miner source told the story that during the trip over the trail, their were many challenging stretches. Once, his mule slipped and fell over. The mule was unhurt, but the sourdough pouch that was in miner's saddlebag fell and was squished all over the side of the mule. The miner, unwilling to accept the loss of such a valuable item, scraped the starter off the mule, put it back into the bag, and continued up the trail.

     Today,this sourdough starter has no trace of the "mule" in it, but it retains the original yeast culture from those old Sourdough days. Store your sourdough in a glass or pottery containers, never metal. Use the stater every week, storing in the refrigerator between uses. When making sourdough recipes, add extra water and white flour (ad yeast if recipes call for it), mix, and take out the extra by volume to reserve for the next round of starter be fore you add oils, eggs, or other ingredients for whatever you are making. This was you can continue the life of the starter. To make the sourdough more flavorful, leave out on the counter in the glass bowl for a day or two before use. To mitigate some of the sour flavor in the recipes, add a bit of baking soda as the last ingredient before cooking. Never add soda to the starter. If you can't use the starter for an extended period of time consider drying it for storage. 

     The University of Alaska's Cooperative Extension Service Publication No. 61 provides more information, recipes, and general history of the classic Alaskan staple. 

BIG Thank you to Ms. Renee for taking the time to share her story. 

My first attempt at sourdough. It was so delicious!!!

Twenty Ninth Stop: The Reef

 What an adventure!  Don't need your seat belts for this one, but you do need some waterproof boots.  I got to go on an amazing adventure with my kiddo's mom, sister, and brother.  It was far better than anything I have ever seen...  We were in a life size endless aquarium, ( the tides leftovers) ~ To see these wonderful creatures in their natural habitat is truly indescribable. 

     It may be pitch dark outside, but a head lamp and a flashlight lit up the world of these sea life creatures...The colors of the rainbow, and then some.  It was so beautiful!  Seeing sea anemones , some I have seen before and some I have not...Star fish the size of dinner plates.  I felt like a little kid in an aquarium touching and playing with everything.  The aquarium never ended and there was a new adventure around every rock.  

       One of the main reasons why we had gone out there was to find an amazing creature called a "badarkie".  A badarkie is a sea urchin that is found on the reef and is a staple food source here.  I will keep you all posted once I try them... And I am looking forward to trying them.

   

The best badarkie teacher around. 

Starfish and sea anemones.

Sea anemones.

Starfish!

Badarkies!   

                              

 

Twenty Eighth Stop: Friendship

Friendship: A bond that you have with someone.  As we move through life you develop these bonds with some, and you may lose the bond with others.

     For those of you that are on a spiritual path and or believe that everything happens for a reason... you probably also believe that people are brought into your life every day for a reason.  The reason may be to help you and you may not even know it, or, you to be able to help them.  So, no matter how much time you spend with a person, it was supposed to happen and you make the most out of it.     

     I have been so blessed for everyone that has come into my life. I cannot say thank you enough.  I recently have met some pretty amazing people who have been able to show me the ropes around the village . And... I have met even more friends in Homer.     

     Stay buckled and get ready for more adventures because all these amazing people will keep life interesting.  I am forever blessed. 

Twenty Seventh Stop: Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday at its finest.  I had a great morning.  The skies were so clear and the beach was so beautiful... Especially as we were walking the beach to the cutest little coffee spot called "Two Sisters"...Another location you have to check out if you ever make a trip to Homer.   We got energized from some delicious pastries, coffee, and blueberry tea.   I wish I could find the blueberry tea in stores... it is so delicious and just makes your day better.

     After some food shopping, I was headed back to catch a flight, but had to make a quick pit stop... My friend ended up buying a brand new 1911 hand gun.  We, of course, had to try it out!  These things go BOOM!!!   Needless to say, I have an awful shot with the hand gun, but, ohh boy, was the AR15 fun!!!!  I was able to hit the empty propane tank every single time.  The "ting" to my ears was amazing!  It was so much fun.     

     Thinking that my weekend was coming to an end and I had to get settled back in and get ready to take on the week, the pilot informed me that we were going to be picking up 2 other passengers going back to Nanwalek in Saldovia.  It happened to be the principal of the school where  I live, and her husband.  As we were flying back, the view was so beautiful.  The water was so calm.  As we were getting off the plane,  she asked me if I would like to go kayaking.  I could not say no.  What a great adventure!     

     I am not the most balanced and or coordinated.  Trying to get my big butt in the small opening for the kayak is a challenge.  Once I got situated, we paddled out of the bay and around the corner to this hidden little gem of a beach.  On our way to the beach, though, we passed these huge rock formations that were so breathtaking.  Coming down the cliff side, too, were so many waterfalls that were so beautiful.  We even saw a few otters.     Once we got to the beach, we searched the rocks for old wood.  We were able to make a bon fire from the scraps that we found. We were then able to roast hot dogs and enjoy the evening.  We found some beautiful rocks and little treasures too.  It was then time to pack up and head back.  On our way back it was little bit of a bigger challenge, but we made it.  Again, we saw a lot of pretty beautiful things.  The waters were so clear you could see the bottom.  I cannot say it enough... it was beautiful.     

     Did I mention that I am not the most gifted individual when it comes to balance, agility, and poise... My dismount coming back to Nanwalek was a major fail, however, I'll give it a perfect 10.  Needless to say I couldn't get my chubster leg to cooperate and ended up rolling myself out.. meaning I took a a little swim.  I was surprised the water was not colder.  I do think that the Bass Lake triathlon swim was worse.     

     All in all it was an absolutely amazing weekend filled with so much beauty.  God is truly a creator of the most beautiful things.  Genesis 1:  God created the heavens and the earth, and God saw that it was good.

Shooting a 1911 and an AR15. AR15 is my favorite. 

                                      

The end of a great trip. Had to take a swim. The water was to beautiful not to. 

Twenty Sixth: Yurt

What a weekend!   Whenever I go to Homer it helps me recharge and helps me get back on track.

     This weekend was all about enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather that we were provided.  Every day was so clear, the air so crisp, the clouds whiter than white.     

     We started out at the always amazing Sourdough Express again.  I was able to eat reindeer for the first time.  It was an Alaskan reindeer sausage quesadilla and it was so delicious.  I cannot explain it and or really compare it to anything else.  If you ever have the opportunity to try it, I highly suggest it.     

     After we got fat and happy,  we walked on over to the Farmers Market.  It too was just as great as before.  I love that everything is local.  The vegetables were so fresh and colorful.  So refreshing to see so many fresh fruits and vegetables.     

     I then helped my friend Chelsea move into her yurt**.  I am so in love with this idea.  It is a very cute little set up.  It has everything one could need.     

     After everything was moved in, I was sitting on the deck and saw my first eagle fly in with such poise..."Sat so beautifully for hours on a branch ~ taking in the beautiful scenery too.  "He" was so big and just demonstrated so much strength, beauty and poise.      

     After moving in, we were able to cook up an amazing meal.  We just had to make sure the yurt kitchen was up and working. Everything was absolutely phenomenal.  To complete the night,  we went and started a bon fire right on the beach.  It was the perfect way to end a very beautiful Saturday.

**Detour:  Background and definition of a "yurt"...It is a distinct feature in central Asia that has been around for over three thousand years.  It has been described as tent-like dwelling and was used by the Scythians, a nomadic nation that lived in the northern Black Sea and Central Asian region from around 600 BC to AD 300.

The Sourdough Express started in this little van. 

                               

The Yurt. 

My first eagle sighting in Alaska. Sitting out on the yurt porch. 

The fabulous dinner in process.