Monday, August 13, 2012

Freedom and Finishing Touches

We have been so lucky to have had a prolonged period of beautiful warm sunny days.  This allowed Bucky to wrap up work on the cabin for this year, Carlisle to take Talkeetna friends and some visiting Vermonters fishing and for me to move my lawn chair around our property chasing the sun.  Carlisle and I had been scouting the river when headed fishing, looking for an appropriate island on which to give Fisher a taste of Alaskan husky freedom.  She and I located a small sandy space with fast water on all sides to keep Fisher corralled.  A few days ago we made the trip upriver.  Fisher has not been in many boats so we were not sure what to expect.  She settled in like an old seafarer, nose in the wind and ears laid back.  She assumed the stance of an experienced seaman and not even the occasional chop of waves could knocked her off her splayed legs.
                                                        Getting underway wearing double harnesses.



                                                  Yay! They took my harness off, now to get this collar off!

                                                                        Beach bums
                                                      Do we have to leave so soon?

Our estimated time of departure from Talkeetna is in three days, Thursday August 16.  We will have been in AK two months, which at times feels like forever and at other times feels like only a few days.  Bucky is pleased with how the building has gone and we both leave with a feeling of accomplishment.  What once seemed like perhaps too big a task in too short a time has worked out as planned.  We are now waiting for MEA (Matanuska Electric Association) to lay wire from their transformer to our pedestal which is wired to the cabin, throw a switch and give us power.  We're still hopeful that this will occur in the next two days so we can have the satisfaction of turning on our new light fixtures.  Today, Bucky is installing an exterior fuel barrel (55 gallon steel drum) on a wooden rack so we can fuel the Toyo stove inside the cabin.  Down the road we may have a more sophisticated system, but for now this will be fine----- and possibly forever.  We still hope to cover the outhouse with tin, but most everything that needs to be done is done.




                                                     The "beefier" posts in place waiting for carving.

This past weekend, we invited folks from Talkeetna, who have helped make our cabin a reality, to a cookout with Denali Brewing Company's Mother Ale on tap and caribou wieners on the grill. It was a beautiful evening which ended by seeing the first stars of Autumn as darkness arrived around 1am.  With the Mother lying empty, we slid into the Greyhawk feeling lucky to know such a unique group of generous Talkeetnans.





















































































































Monday, August 6, 2012

and more fish!

Here it is, August 5th, and the Sockeye are just starting to turn off the Talkeetna and into Larson Creek.  This has left the whole bank of the Talkeetna open for fishing which has at times produced large crowds.  The charters have also found this fishery.  Yesterday we headed up around 3 pm with Pete and Anja, two fun-loving fishing companions.  Anja mentioned having seen the police boat being dragged to town so we weren't too surprised to see him land on the shore behind us.  We were however surprised when Bucky could not produce his fishing license!  Fortunately, he hadn't put a line into the water so he became a spectator and line rigger.  No one loves to catch Sockeye more than Bucky so we all felt badly for him, but appreciated his bonking and rigging services, both of which helped us keep our spots on the bank.
                                                                               Motley crew!






Anja had a surprise when she pulled in a nice Dolly.  We saw one other caught as well as Pink and Chum Salmon.

Bucky jumped back into the game to help fillet and the we all enjoyed some much needed late afternoon sun and refreshments.


Note how Anja, despite being German, now enjoys Genny Cream Ale!
The cabin continues to take shape.  With the foam now on and the windows in, it is becoming a home.  And, Carlisle and I are busy decorating, much to Bucky's dismay.



Friday, August 3, 2012

Just Fish!

Pictures of Fish and only Fish.....

                                                             Broken foot Ninja move!





                                                                  Big Sockeye, turning.


                                                                   Anja and Carlisle

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Fish, Feet and Framing

Bucky and Carlisle get started.

Carlisle hooks one!




The fight is on

 To the bush.
Around the bush.

Almost to shore.


And then it's Bucky's turn!
 He hooks one.

 He runs stealthfully to the bush.


 Around the bush, to the beach.

 Help arrives!








Fishing for Sockeye, is a repetitive action.. Toss, sweep then tug at the end, toss sweep and tug. Place the hook at 2:00, sweep or drag it to about 10:00, pull it up and do this again. This action is repeated over and over while staying perfectly synchronized with your neighbor. It all goes well as long as every ones clocks are reading the same time. Problems occur when I'm doing 2:00 to 10:00 and my neighbor is doing 3:00 and 6:00.  The hope is that eventually your swings in and out of the water will occur at the same time.   Knowing the person fishing on either side makes it so much easier when the tangle of lines happens. And, believe me, it will happen! When the hook up occurs, it can be pretty frantic with folks crossing over and under each other trying not to lose their fish. When a fish is foul hooked, anywhere but in the mouth, the fight can be wild with the fish heading to the middle of the river at a furious pace.  The hook is likely to return to shore at the same break neck speed with which it left so it is good to wear safety eye wear.  Getting a hook in the eye or head is not good!




 Where are my action shots?



 Carlisle had been nursing a hurt foot for a few weeks.  A visit to the Sunshine Clinic revealed a break. 



The cast.

 Heading for a swim in Fish Lake.

 A Beaver, airplane that is.

The cabin looks great thanks to Bucky's ongoing hard work.  The roof is now on and we are prepared for electricity!