Seafood at its freshest!

Kirk and Kathy opening the shells

A cooler full of scallops

The opportunity in Alaska to catch your dinner is everywhere  Hunting is fine, if you have the right tools and can hike the intense terrain to find that black-tail deer or the mountain goat.  Bear hunting is not something we are going to consider at this point.  Fishing, on the other hand, is something we felt we could do (fit pole with appropriate lure, drop in water).  What I didn't expect was the array of seafood available when you do have the "right stuff".   We have purchased two crab "pots" and are consistently supplied with fresh crab from our friends who drop the pots for us.  We have halibut poles, fishing sometimes 200 feet deep requires heavier "test" line and two pound weights, and salmon fishing poles with longer line are fine for fishing from the shore.  Tonight, however, we were treated to fresh scallops.  Our friends called us as they were on their way back to the dock, saying they had gone diving today and had a cooler full of fresh pecten scallops.  You are familiar with pecten scallops, even though you might not know it.  For years, the Shell Oil Company has used the pecten scallop shell as their symbol - it is very recognizable.  The ones we enjoyed this evening aren't the giant "sea scallops" that you

Cooked scallops prior to "cleaning"

Fresh scallops!

get at your favorite supper club, but are manageable one or two bite-sized shellfish.  Once cooked by boiling the entire mollusk, Kathy showed me how to pull off the inedible parts (while some would eat it all) and I enjoyed the white, firm scallop.  So good!  I ate about a dozen  - simply fresh and without any condiments or seasoning.  We have had fresh halibut, caught and cooked within the hour, crab pulled up and put on to boil within minutes, fresh salmon, grilled whole, and shrimp bought right from the boat.  Come up to Alaska and we will share the bounty with you! 

The Birds, with respect to Alfred Hitchcock

Today is a cloudy day, but you can feel Spring.  The air is calm, the water glassy but the snow on the mountains remind us that winter still has a hold on Southeast.  Last spring was the first one for us in Juneau and every day brought new sights and sounds in our little tidal basin. What we found most interesting, however, were the eagles and we spent countless hours watching them.  The eagles are now EVERYWHERE again; in fact, there is one that sits on the stop light pole every morning on the way to work.  Off our deck, especially during low tide, we are seeing eagles swoop and soar among the tall sitka spruce trees and up into the seemingly endless sky.  The bright white heads are easy to spot in the dark green trees even though the recent snows have left snow-covered branch ends that have tricked us from time to time. The ones without a white head (and golden beak and feet) are the young eagles, which reach full maturity and coloration in four to five years.  In the case of eagles (rather than some other bird species), both male and female have full coloring but females are bigger.  That is because the male eagle said "I have to lose a few pounds", stopped drinking beer and lost 20 pounds.  When we came home from church today, hoping to catch an Ohio State loss (I mean, watch some NCAA basketball), Bill called me out from under the laundry and kitchen detail (really, I was reading the Sunday paper) to have me look out the window.  There, just under our deck, were EIGHT eagles - a few more were a little farther away and even more flying in the sky.  The pictures here are of that "group" of birds of prey.  In a gathering of a few, it is called either a "convocation" or "aerie" of eagles but we just say "WOW - what a lot of eagles!"  Enjoy the pictures (and come see your own eagles in Juneau!)

 

Top Chef - Juneau style!

The outdoor area of the Gold Creek Salmon Bake

Salmon Bake "tents" where the chef's served their food

 I love the Bravo television show "Top Chef".  I always watch it - every season.  I love the challenges, the contestants, and Tom Colicchio.  Unfortunately I also hooked Bill on the show and now he calls Padma Lakshmi his second wife.  I've learned the terms sous vide, aioli, crudo and torchon.  I've seen the chefs cook geoduck and foie gras - knowing I'll never eat either.  My 9 p.m. Wednesday nights have seen me root for Fabio Viviani, Stephanie Izard, both the Voltaggio brothers (couldn't choose!) and Marcel (and his famous "foam").  The locations have been across the map - from east coast to west, Chicago to Miami.  However, earlier this summer, I heard a rumor that completely blew me away - TOP CHEF WAS IN JUNEAU!  Yes, that is right - the cheftestants, the judges, the challenges were here in my town.  A work colleague happened to ask me if I had every heard of Emeril Lagasse (she hadn't) and I suspiciously asked "why'?  Well, she said, her fiance had told her that Tracy's Crab Shack (the popular crab stand where he worked during the "season") had been shut down for the the day for filming a show with Emeril that involved a bunch of chefs.  I barely squeaked out "you mean "Top Chef"??  My office is next door to the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau and, knowing the staff there, I quietly opened their door (more like broke in running...) and asked if the "rumor" was true - was Top Chef filming in Juneau?   Their lips were saying "we can't confirm that" but they looked rather guilty and I knew that what I had heard was true.  I went home that evening and searched the world-wide web for any mention of the upcoming season and found that "Top Chef Seattle" would be filming the two pre-finale episodes in Juneau.  The next night found Bill and I driving around looking for the tell-tale signs of importance - the black limo.  We drove through the parking lots of the hotels and restaurants in town but found nothing.  We "heard" via a bartender friend at one of the hotel bars (where supposedly the staff and "stars were saying - the cheftestants were staying at an undisclosed location in town) that they might be filming at a local outdoor "salmon bake" (like a fish boil in Wisconsin) so off we went.  Driving up to the Gold Creek Salmon Bake road, we were stopped by a young man saying that the Salmon Bake was closed today.  Bill said, "but I'm Tom Colicchio's brother".  The guard said, "sorry, we're closed, come back tomorrow".  Bill insisted that he was a relative until the guard said "if you were really Tom Colicchio's brother, you would know that we are closed - come back tomorrow".  AHA!  It was true!  While I did not see any of the show's stars, there were reports in the paper of the famous chefs walking through the streets of Juneau.  I was eager to watch the two episodes and was not disappointed when I watched those two episodes of the show filmed here a few weeks ago.  Most would assume that  the episodes that were broadcast in February were "live" but to see the contestants bundled up knowing that it was filmed in August was pretty funny.  One of the venues that was used in the first episode was the fishing dock that is right in our tidal basin!

the fish dock across our tidal basin where the chef's chose their fish

In fact, if they would have turned the camera around as the chefs were choosing their fish from the ice-filled bunkers,

you would have seen our condo. This first episode of the two also had the chefs cooking for "locals" at the Gold Creek Salmon Bake, where we took our good friend in May when she visited (and the site of the aforementioned entrance failure!). 


And, Tracy's Crab Shack, where the first "quick fire" challenge was filmed, was the site of my surprise birthday

Tracy of Tracy's Crab Shack (the chef's cooked inside this "shack')

party this past August - about one week before they filmed the challenge there! 

photo from the tv show at Tracy's Crab Shack

They also filmed at the top of the Mendenhall Glacier (via helicopter) and at the Governors Mansion.  I poured over the episodes, looking for something or someone that I knew and it was fun to see the location shots knowing exactly where they had been.   If you haven't seen the show, catch those two episodes on www.bravotv.com or on reruns in the next few weeks.  While the weather certainly could have been better for the filming of the show, the scenery shown is as amazing as my every-day view. 

President's Day - it's a good thing!

Frozen waterfalls on Thane Rd

A view of Douglas from Thane Rd

View of the mts above Thane Rd

 Today was a holiday of sorts - both Mr. Meier and I had off for President's Day and we had already done all of our errands over the weekend.  I had made a big pot of chili for supper and prepared some fruit for dessert  (pineapples were looking good, not so much the strawberries!) so that we could spend the day doing something fun!  Alas, the weather didn't cooperate as much as we would have liked.  But then we decided that this is where we live and this is February in Juneau so we set out for a drive.  We had been to the end of the road (north of us, "out the road") many times, but I hadn't been to the south end on Thane Road since our first visit here years ago.  That is where we started today, driving through the quiet downtown (federal and state workers were off so the library and all city buildings were closed, too) past the cruise ship docks, past the Thane Oar House Salmon Bake venue, and finally to the "end of the road", a turn out at mile 0.  The road is narrow and winding, with the mountain on one side and the water on the other - in some parts, that side of the road drops off down the hillside!  There is still a threat of avalanches, though the February rain has melted most of the snow in the lower elevations.  Water falls are everywhere, running out of the rock and freezing upon

Driving north out of Douglas

contact with the chilly air, making for some stunning ice formations.  We made our way back to town (it took only minutes to drive the six miles from downtown to the end of the road) and took the Juneau/Douglas Bridge across the Gastineau Channel and turned south, driving through beautiful downtown Douglas (being a bit sarcastic here!) to the end of the road.  There, a trail head marks the beginning of the Treadwell Mine area, a very interesting place - we hiked the trail back in 2007 when here, but weren't able to get back there this past summer.  Now, due to very wet, slippery conditions, it is closed until Spring. We then drove back through downtown Douglas (no better this way!) and through the round-about at the end of the bridge and out to the north end of Douglas Island.  We have driven this way many times and it is really beautiful - the road is wide open and gently curving, right at sea level so the views are 

Our friendly harbor seal

tremendous.  Lots of pull-outs and hiking trails, leading us to promise each other to come back here often this summer!  We stopped at Fish Creek, where there is a nice bridge over a salmon stream, but alas it was icy and we decided that our hips might not survive a fall, so we instead walked to the small cove with the ice was just disappearing from the surface of the water.  It was very quiet and serene - might be a nice place for a little wine and cheese picnic on a nice day.  Salmon fishing is allowed, so Bill can catch dinner while I enjoy the scenery!  Then back home, past more familiar spots along a road that we drive many, many times but still find incredibly scenic.  The eagle sightings are becoming much more frequent and we were also treated to the sight of our friend the harbor seal today during high tide.  Tomorrow it is back to work - but a day off once in a while is definitely a good thing!

Bill checking out the "fishing hole" on Douglas

Baby, it's cold outside!

ice fog

Weather in Juneau, like Wisconsin, is every-changing.  That old Wisconsin weather saying "if you don't like the weather now, wait a minute" is just as true here.  It has been an unusually cold spell even for Alaska this December.  Fairbanks, always one of the coldest spots (at least, the one with the most people!), was at 46 BELOW ZERO at one point last week.  Juneau has hovered in the teens for highs (not much different for lows) and has been incredibly clear.  The last week has seen the sun rise about 8:45 a.m. and, for a change with the clear weather, we can actually see the sun come up over the mountains at the end of the channel.  It has been really beautiful, but so bright that I have to shut the blinds on the windows in my office so I can see the patients!  However, the sun quickly disappears behind the mountains of Douglas Island so we just get a hint of light the rest of the morning and early afternoon.  Sunset is about 3:00 p.m., and is really dark by 4:00 p.m.  I know lots of people who rely on Vitamin D supplements to get them through the winter, but so far it doesn't seem to bother me.  Or, maybe it is, but I am just so depressed that I don't realize it!  The funny thing about the clear weather means that the lack of snow has affected skiers and snowmobilers (snow "machines" here in Alaska!) with more than 2/3 of the ski runs in the state closed through Christmas.  A condition called "ice fog" and freezing spray in the channel has made it difficult on bridges and for those who live on their boats.  I can see the Taku winds picking up the surf and driving it in sheets up the channel (at least I can for those few hours of daylight!).  We celebrated the Winter Solstice

View of the moon just before sunset over Auke Rec

sunny day over the wetlands

last Friday with a fire and good food (and adult beverages) down at Auke Rec. Auke Rec is our favorite spot, with a clear view across the ocean to the mountains that ring Juneau and is also "home" to a number of covered shelters with large fireplaces (bring your own wood).  And, it is within walking distance of our condo!  Last year, when celebrating the solstice, the winds and rain made it somewhat difficult to enjoy our time there, but this year was clear and cold with no wind.  The stars were incredibly bright and the moonshine was like a spotlight on the ocean.  Sunrises and sunsets have also been spectacular.

Sunset on Christmas Day

  I have not seen the "northern lights" yet, but I have heard January (when cold and clear) is the best viewing month.  Here's hoping.....

Happy Anniversary!

October 31 marked one year here in Juneau - we arrived last year at 4:45 a.m. on the ferry from Prince Rupert after driving from Wisconsin.  Boy, has time flown!  It is cliche to say that we've learned a lot, but I don't know any other way to say it.  New experiences have turned into daily life, helpful neighbors have become friends.  We know where to buy beer for the best price, have our drive time to work timed to the minute and feel that going "all the way to Douglas" is too far (it's the other "half" of Juneau across the downtown bridge).  We have attended concerts and plays, picnics and football games, birthday parties and weddings.  We joined the Order of the Moose and Faith Lutheran Church.  Our freezer is full of self-caught halibut but decry the fact that we can't get fresh shrimp (the stuff in the store is just not the same!).  We've been mistaken for "locals'.  We have become accustomed to discussing weather  at "happy hour" especially this year since Juneau has broken some records for most rainfall in a month (August), cold weather (record low temp of 38 degrees on July 12) and most snowfall in a day (10.6" on November 14, 2011 - remember that Juneau isn't all that snowy).  We are familiar with "Taku winds", high and low tides (and how it affects the fishing!), avalanche warnings and xtra tufs (rain boots).  We know the five kinds of salmon, the difference between male and female crabs (important to know since you can't keep females you catch in your pots) and how to protect yourself from bear attacks.  We've hiked, climbed, and snow-shoed many of the trails here in town but have twice as many yet to do.  We've welcomed friends and family to "town" (and enjoyed it tremendously!) and we've left the "rock" to visit the United States (as some put it!).  We've become accustomed to the lack of professional sports and the fact that only west-coast teams are usually shown on television.  Our friends here are happy to chuckle at our still-present Wisconsin accents.  With all of things that we have learned, there are more experiences to share with all of you who might think that they could never do something as "bold" as what we did.  I'm here to say you can.  Our experiences here were certainly shaped by the experiences we had before, yet we don't dwell on what we left behind but are excited to learn new things everyday. Like this interesting story I read in the paper today - those of us who have grown up in the mid-west (or anywhere there is an actual Fall season) can only shake our heads at this:  seems that an annual event at a local elementary school has the city crews collect fall leaves over a few weeks and dump them in the school yard on a pre-announced day so that kids from all over can come and "jump" in a pile of dry fall leaves.  The paper said that the jumps were "carefully controlled".  

PFD does NOT stand for "Personal Flotation Device""

Before we moved to Alaska, we frequently heard "they pay you to live there, don't they?", referring to the payment that most Alaskans get every year from the oil profits.  I believe most people who live in "the U.S." (meaning the lower 48) have heard of the payment that every person living in Alaska receives every year, just for putting up with the cold, snow and remote-ness of the state, paid for by oil profits.  I also think that most people assume that this check is BIG and makes up for the challenges that come from living in Alaska.  Partly true, mostly not.  Let's start from the beginning - the PFD stands for "Permanent Fund Distribution", which started in 1978 (didn't you think it was older than that??) when a state constitutional amendment was approved to distribute the funds from an account where the profits from oil sales were deposited.  The thought was to pay every person in Alaska $50 for every year of residency since statehood in 1959.  However, that was declared unconstitutional in the original form, and it wasn't until 1982 that the amendment was approved, giving an equal amount to all who lived in the state for at least 6 months.  The first payment was $1000 - there wasn't enough in the fund at that time to pay the $100 million that was necessary so a loan was arranged from the state general fund which, by the way, was never paid back.  Someone must have been asleep at the wheel!!  Over the next few years, the law was changed over and over again - first from 6 months residency to 24 months, then to 12 months with a "physical presence" demanded for at least 72 hours.  And, up until 1996, even those with a criminal records (no felonies, only misdemeanors) could qualify.  Now, you must be a full-time resident of Alaska, qualifying by use of a registration form that one must complete and turn in by a deadline.  This year, the deadline was in March for those who were full-time residents through December 31, 2011.  The payment will be received (most by direct deposit) on October 4th in the amount of $878.  It has been as high as $2,069 in 2008 and as little as $331 in 1984.  There is a complicated formula to calculate the PFD - bear with me: 1) Add Fund Statutory Net Income from the current plus the previous four fiscal years; 2) Multiply by 2.1%; 3) Divide by 2; 4) Subtract prior year obligations, expenses and PFD program operations; 5) Divide by the number of eligible applicants.  Since 1982, the PFD has distributed over $17.5 BILLION DOLLARS.  Alaskans use the dividend for many things - those in rural Alaska depend on it to purchase clothes and food that they otherwise couldn't afford since they truly "live off the land".  Those that are more affluent use it for their annual ski pass here in Juneau at Eaglecrest or to winterize or store the boats that are so important to the Alaskan way of life.  Others, foolishly, use it for alcohol or cigarettes.  There are stories of people who travel to larger Alaskan towns by ferry where they go to the local Costco or Walmart and load up their cars with beer, whiskey and cigarettes.  Some use their children's checks (yes, even infants get a check) to start college funds, pay for braces or eyeglasses or purchase a whole years worth of clothing (those darn kids don't get smaller, you know!).  There is even a way to donate the entire check via the online program "Pick.Click.Give".  Print and television/radio ads are ripe with dividend check "specials" - even my own Alaska Vision Center is having a special on eyeglasses to capture some of those dollars.  In our case, we don't qualify yet for the PFD.  Even though we have lived in Alaska for a year (Bill was a resident as of June 1, 2011) we didn't qualify.  The requirements changed from a revolving year to a calendar year in 1993 which means that in January of 2013, both Bill and I will be able to register for the dividend to be paid in October, 2013.  I am hoping that this will be the biggest dividend ever!!  I might even be able to buy a boat to go with my PFD (the other kind)!!