Alaska's Port Ashton Lodge

Dock Flippage

2009-08-24T09:26:00.017-08:00

Docks are an expensive luxury in remote Alaska. Buying and hauling the lumber and fabricating a dock is complex so buying a used dock made a lot of sense for us. Our dock is part of the salvage of the old Valdez Harbor dock...Russ, Randy and friends towed it from Valdez with the Wild Abandon and the Faith, Randy's old boat, to Port Ashton in June, 2005. All went well until in the LaTouche Passage they became concerned that gas was running low. They radioed a neighbor who brought gas. One friend fell through a dock hole as he attempted to tie up the neighbor's boat to the floating dock so Russ jumped onto the dock to assist.

It was rough and there was no cleat to tie up to so Russ was weaving the line around the bull rail when the boat and the dock surged together breaking his wrist!

So when we decided to bring in another dock it was an easy decision to hire someone else to tow the 120' dock.

"There's a submarine in the bay," radioed our neighbor. Our dock had arrived twisted at midpoint with half of the dock flipped upside down!
This predicament posed a whole new set of problems and Randy began ruminating about how to flip the dock back right side up. Caution is Randy's constant companion...he spent almost a week considering how to flip the dock safely.

During the contemplation week, Boulder Bay, captained by John McLean offered to help flip the dock. The plan was to submerge the front of the dock using the Boulder Bay thus flipping it as it was flipped on the way out from Valdez. In preparation, Randy disappeared one morning with Tristan, a chainsaw and the portable marine radio. He told Tristan if something went wrong to radio Port Ashton and then he cut the dock at the twist...so now there were two pieces, one upright and one upside down.

It was a sunny, warm day when Captain John had a break in fishing to assist. Randy, Russ and Boulder Bay crew tied and knotted the lines between the upside down dock piece and the seiner. Lia and I watched from the beach with some friends while the kids swam in the bay.

Full speed ahead, Captain John began pulling the dock. It looked as if the plan was working and then snap, snap, snap, a piece of the dock broke like match sticks. At this point, I dropped my camera and my mouth fell open, and I missed the shot. Come to find out Darren of the Boulder Bay caught the event on his video camera...I'm hoping to get a copy to include in the blog!

Everyone was so disappointed, probably Randy more than anyone. He knew there was more work ahead and we had lost more of the dock. This was not a project he wanted to revisit in the fall. So Randy returned to puzzling out a solution.

And, then it came to him. We could hang the dock from the old fuel dock pilings on high tide and let the tide do most of the work. Unfortunately, Randy had to return to Wasilla to teach school so it was up to us to prep the dock.

Captain John's 16 year old son, Jake, helped Russ, Russ' aunt and uncle and I run 6 lines under the dock to the outside "bull rail." Jake tied all the knots and wove the line under the dock using a salvaged 2x4 and gaff.

Fortunately, Randy was able to talk his workmates, Justin and Mike into coming out the following weekend to assist with the flip! Randy climbed up onto the creosote pilings and tied the lines to the piling header, completing the cradle.

Then we watched as the tide went out and the 15' tidal change tightened the lines and the dock moved increasingly vertical. Just before the extreme low tide of -.09 feet at 9:39 PM on Saturday the dock was about 80 degrees of vertical so we put one more line on top of the dock and pulled it over with the Wild Abandon.

Cheering ensued, we retied the dock to the pilings, and started the campfire.

I ran up to the Creekside during the celebration and heard a distress call over the radio. A seiner was taking on water just a mile from Chenega Bay. We use a trash pump to fill our hot tub so we radioed that we had a pump available. Some neighbors were rushing out their pump and so they felt they had enough pumping power...until they discovered the neighbor's pump did not work. Again, we radioed that we had a working pump...and eventually a tender arrived in front of our beach, launched their skiff and Randy and I floated the pump out to them on the kids styrofoam floats! It was dark and of course, the water went over our boots...about 52 degrees fahrenheit.

We listened to the action until 12:30 p.m. Around 11:30 p.m. the captain gave up the fight...even with three pumps they could not overcome the rushing, incoming tide. They abandon ship. We offered to host the crew at Port Ashton but they needed phone service and so they stayed at the hatchery.

It was an exciting day filled with ups and downs and we were proud to be part of the Sawmill Bay community who rallied to the rescue.

Moon Over Sawmill Bay

2009-08-14T19:05:00.005-08:00

Summer moons require late night viewing. Lia and I are typically up until 11 pm (unless I sneak off early to bed), finishing dishes, baking and planning for the next day...and sometimes a little late night internet shopping.

Whenever we see the moon rise we grab our cameras and try to capture the magic of the moment. We both agree that we need to learn more about photography so we can improve our photos. So with that caveat enjoy the photos.

One evening, we saw the dogs arrive loaded with porcupine quills...the worst case ever. Licorice's face was covered in quills but Heila had them everywhere. Quills were down her spine, in her tail, on her hips and thighs, between her toes and all over her face and head.

We love the dogs but poked up dogs find little sympathy from the Port Ashton crew. Licorice is not cooperative when it comes to removing quills so Lia put on her rain gear, laid on top of her, I held her head and Tasha, who is 9, pulled the quills while Licorice snapped at her. Luckily I paid attention to Tasha's technique as I would be Heila's surgeon. Heila had to wait for Lia and I to finish the dishes and prep breakfast for our full service guests. (One of our guests was a plastic surgeon so of course, I asked him to perform the quill pulling operation. He kindly declined.)

Heila and Licorice were embarassed. You know how that feels when you get caught doing something stupid...well, they were busted and needed our help. They hung their heads and patiently waited for the quill removal.

Finally, at 11:30 pm I geared up...with glasses, head lamp, leather gloves and pliers. Tasha had gone to bed and I was now the designated puller. Heila is not always friendly. She is our bear dog and can be ferocious when bears are in the area. I wasn't confident that she would allow me to pull her quills. But Lia assured me she would be easier than Licorice so we proceeded.

Lia was right. Once the quills were removed from Heila's back she relaxed into Lia's lap with her legs in the air. It took us about 30 minutes...and our night ended with taking photos of this beautiful moon.

Late night chores have their perks.

Feeding Dogs & Bears

2009-08-10T21:01:00.009-08:00

Every morning it is somebody's job to feed the dogs, Licorice and Heila. They work hard for their room and board keeping the bears at a distance.

Licorice lives under the Creekside cabin and that is where she is fed. Dry dog food mixed with leftover fish or meat is their regular fare.

July 31 our first black bear appeared in the cove...on the opposite side of our dock. Bears enjoy fishing in the cove...it is easy pickings. We can see the cove from our dining room and it is always exciting to see the first bear of the season.

Russ and Bjorn arrived August 4. The weather improved with their arrival and Russ decided to take on the job of painting the new Freezer House. His second day on this project I assisted him so we were painting together above the dock ramp.

We were aware of the bear activity...we had discovered bear scat on the trail to the Freezer House a week ago. And, about an hour before I started painting Licorice chased a bear down the cove, past the Freezer House where Russ was perched on a ladder. So when Heila and Licorice sounded the alert we figured it was a bear. I continued to paint assuming I was fairly safe on the ladder. Moments later I noticed Russ was gone.

"Get out of here," I heard Tristan and Russ yelling. I was unsure of the bear's location so I stayed put...painting but very curious. Tristan had grabbed my camera and shot 84 pictures out of the Creekside dining room window. This excitement continued for 15 minutes. Eventually Russ returned.

A bear had moved into Licorice's zone to eat her dog food! And that bear was not going to leave until it finished lunch. Russ tried throwing rocks at it. And, that smart bear hid behind a tree and then continued to eat. Finally, Randy heard the noise and approached from the south around the front of the cabin. Randy picked up a piece of wood and threw it in the bears direction. The bear was feeling out numbered by now so it ran just into the alders behind the cabin and considered its options. Russ finally found a good throwing rock and with a lucky shot hit the bear in the head from about 35 feet away. It ran off.

Now for the disclaimer....bears are dangerous and an encounter like this can end poorly for humans but most often for the bear. The bears were here first and will still be here after we go home, so over the last four seasons at Port Ashton we have changed our habits and worked hard to not make our lodge site "unattractive" to bears. We keep all food in secure building, limit cooking to specific buildings and burn our rubbish several times a day.

The bears move down the mountain to fish in the cove but this year the fish are late to spawn, otherwise the bears would be fishing and minding their business while we mind ours. We have learned to live with the bears and find that we can be good neighbors if we remember that we are the visitors here.

Today the dogs have 30 minutes to eat their food or we pick it up and put it back in the cabin. We are taking many safety precautions to avoid another incident...ensuring that all food is secured in the dining cabins, the fish cleaning station on the dock is cleaned after each use, barbecue grills are cleaned and burnt off and that trash is burnt thoroughly.

Again, we modify our operating procedures so that we can become even better neighbors for our neighbor that were here first, the bears. We know that its worth the trouble because bear viewing is an important part of the "close to nature" experience we live at Port Ashton. On Friday morning the value of our bear viewing was confirmed as we watched a sow bear with three cubs walking along the beach in the cove while we were having our breakfast. We are blessed to live close to all of our wild neighbors, especially the bears.

Rocking & Rolling in the Beach House

2009-07-26T18:24:00.008-08:00

Over the summer we sleep in most of our accommodations at Port Ashton at least once. Last Wednesday it was our turn to sleep in the Beach House. That night the tide topped 16' which means we were floating. Tides are high in Alaska but this was a really high tide!

Now I've been known to get seasick in choppy seas and Wednesday night there was a storm with 35 knot winds. Rain and wind were blowing so when the tide hit it's high, about 1:40 am, the Beach House began bucking and rocking. This 1100' home became a house boat.

Randy is very safety conscious so the Beach House is anchored to trees and pilings in five places. The Beach House has survived many winter storms so Randy was not concerned about us floating out into the bay. But I had not considered the effect the high tide and storm would have on the Beach House.

Tristan and I agreed that we would wake each other up to check out the high tide.

Kristofer and I were sleeping upstairs so I awoke to the swaying and bobbing motion. It was dark outside and I was apprehensive about getting out of bed. My strategy for avoiding seasickness is to stay prone. Yet, I really wanted to see how high the tide was in comparison to Port Ashton landmarks. And, I had promised Tristan that I would wake him. But I was afraid if I got up I'd start to feel sick.

Finally, I crawled out of bed to peer out the window. The water was just below the steps of the hot tub and next to the bank below Look Out cabin so there was no path to walk from the Beach House to Creekside. I'm not sure whether the Beach House ramp was floating but I was feeling that the only way off the Beach House was to swim!

It was too dark to get pictures and I chose not to risk any seasickness so I went back to bed. Later in the morning as the tide receded the Beach House began to settle in making a squeaking noise as it brushed against the floats. It was a wild ride!

In the morning I reported the nights experience. Randy started laughing. "I knew it would be a wild ride with the high tide and storm surge," Randy belatedly shared with me.

Fresh Eggs

2009-07-15T21:30:00.012-08:00

Five dozen eggs...that is our inventory par. We eat and use plenty of eggs. Most baked items require eggs...and eggs are a common breakfast entree at Port Ashton. So when we run out of eggs it's an emergency!

Our nearest grocery source is a 3 hour boat ride away. The most resourceful folks in our area grow their own produce...so why not raise laying hens? Randy and Lia raised chickens four years ago so they are experienced chicken farmers! Thus began the building of the chicken coop.

The body of the coop is an old stand up freezer that has five roosting shelves. Randy enclosed it with reclaimed cannery wood...drew up plans for the fencing and left Lia and I the task to finish the coop.

More green painting, luckily we had help from Tristan and Tasha. It was 75 degrees the day we painted and I was too hot! Between the bugs and the heat I was ready to quit.

After painting we scavenged wood from the ruins of China Town and the Cold Storage buildings and began measuring. We cut the wood with a hand saw...which was no easy task, dug the holes for the posts with a little help from Heila and set the posts. We made sure the posts were level and started in on the fencing framework.

With only a few pieces nailed in place Randy arrived from his supply run to Anchorage. After unloading and putting away the supplies we returned to the chicken coop project now with Randy's supervision.

He laughed when he discovered we cut the wood by hand and then the lesson began. We had tried leveling the framework but it was crooked...he informed us that you cannot level on uneven ground! So we dismantled some of our work and measured this time. We also learned that if we blunted the ends of the nails the old wood was less likely to crack.

Complete, except for the chicken wire...so we thought. Randy just saw my post and informed us that we need one more 1x4 in the center of the overhang.

Chickens next season!

Overwhelming Laundry

2009-07-08T12:52:00.010-08:00

Laundry is constantly arriving at Creekside - clothing, table linen, sleeping bag liners and bed linen. Between July 2-5 we had 40 guests, 6 dogs, 4 kids, 13 boats and 36 loads of laundry!

Here is our personal laundry...notice the towels in the shower...we have found the shower to be a great place to stage dirty dishes as well as laundry!

We have a full size stack washer and dryer in our bathroom that is constantly running. This means closely watching the water tank level so we don't lose the prime on the pump...see last seasons Water blog posting.

Lia is the laundry lady...she keeps the washer and dryer running during the day. Sometimes though the amount of laundry is overwhelming. Usually, she powers through it but the other day she collapsed...into the laundry!

With the beautiful weather we were hanging the laundry...Port Ashton style, on the dog run! We have a laundry line that needs to be hung up...the big decision is where to locate it. In the sun but out of site of the guests? Serious questions for us to consider...

Any thoughts?

Fish Alaska Story

2009-07-08T08:08:00.009-08:00

We were so excited to have a writer as a guest. Les Palmer, a columnist for the Kenai Peninsula Clarion newspaper, and his fishing buddies were guests at Port Ashton Lodge last season. Getting publicity for the lodge seemed very important and having a professional writer and experienced Alaskan fisherman visit was ideal. Lia and I looked forward to having Les’ impressions of PAL documented hoping that his words would describe the essence of our offerings.

Palmer planned to write and submit a story about Port Ashton Lodge to Alaska Magazine, Alaska’s premier publication. A story in Alaska Magazine would mean incredible exposure for our business. Visitors as well as Alaskans read Alaska Magazine. We couldn’t wait to see our lodge displayed on newsstands!

When Les, Dave and Rod arrived at that dock we were all there to greet them…kids, dog and moms. Our overwhelming desire to please them exuded our every action. We wanted Les to know everything about Port Ashton Lodge…but he was tired and hungry. So we hurried to finish dinner.

Dinner was wonderful…fresh Lingcod they caught with raspberry chipotle sauce and red salmon, purchased from a local seiner, served with a vegetable kabob and mango salsa. We finished the meal with blueberry cobbler and homemade ice cream. Les and his friends reminisced about fishing in Prince William Sound and we got to know one another.

We are hopeful and anxious to read Les’ story…not knowing when it will be printed we wait patiently through the summer. In August, I forward more photos to Les…and we keep in touch awaiting news of the printing date. In January, Les sends the bad news that Alaska Magazine has killed the story…they are cutting back on stories due to the economic down turn. We are all so disappointed.

Finally in April, Les sends news that Fish Alaska will print his story over the summer. We are overjoyed, thankful and eager to read the story. June 2009 the story is published and I search the Fish Alaska website for a copy. Unfortunately, it is not one of the stories featured on the web…so again I must wait.

Kristofer and I arrive into Anchorage June 20th and begin the shopping marathon. We spend five days looking for supplies from new shower knobs to cilantro. During each day, I look for something to do with Kristofer to break up the monotony of shopping. So we go to Barnes and Noble for some new books. After checking out we walk past the check stands and I see it, Fish Alaska magazine.

Going Back: Reliving Adventures in Prince William Sound, story by Les Palmer, photos by Les Palmer & Paige Talvi. Yahoo! Port Ashton Lodge is in print…

Porcupine Obsession

2009-06-28T12:00:00.007-08:00

Wildlife is abundant at Port Ashton and one of our inhabitants is the porcupine. Last season Randy and I kayaked across Sawmill Bay and went exploring. “Get your camera…there’s a porcupine,” Randy directed. “Where?” I inquired. Pointing and with much direction I finally saw the moving porcupine. Missing several shots eventually I photographed Mr. Porcupine.

Finding the porcupine is not a problem for the dogs, Licorice the black lab, and Heila the Karelian Bear dog. If there is a porcupine on Evans Island, and there are, they will find it. Seeking porcupine is a team effort…if one of the dogs is kenneled the other dog will not go out of her way to find one.

Yet, on those occasions when they are both roaming freely, they will return to camp with evidence of their excursion. Heila, and her mother before her, especially love the porcupine. Porcupine quills cover their faces…and removing them is a family effort.

At least one adult must hold the dog while our PAL (Port Ashton Lodge) medic, Randy, removes the quills, one by one. It is a painful effort for all involved.

Now one would think that a few negative quill experiences would at least cause a dog to hesitate before harassing the porcupine again. Yet, this has not come to pass. The dogs are obsessed with porcupines.

So, when you arrive at Port Ashton you may be greeted by one dog but never by two dogs. On this island of porcupines they cannot control themselves, so we do, by always kenneling one dog…for her and the porcupines protection.

PS: This is my dog, Cloud, a Bichon Friese. Cloud lives on Kauai and although she would love Port Ashton Randy advises that she would be lunch for a soaring Bald Eagle. Cloud’s coat is like Velcro…and when she runs free she attracts weeds and mud. Kristofer and I are missing her!

Water Tank Cleaning

2009-06-01T12:48:00.012-08:00

There are several levels of maintenance necessary to open the lodge...the first steps are Randy's kuleana (responsibility). And, with the help of friends he travels to the lodge on weekends, beginning in May each season, delivering supplies and de-winterizing the buildings and equipment. One item he cleans, and puts back on line each spring are the water tanks.

Our water tanks store the water pumped from the stream, first microfiltered and then sanitized before supplying the domestic water needs of all of our buildings. (see Pumping Water blog). The tanks and the entire water system is drained for winter and cleaned in Spring. Luckily, friend Steve Bartelli could fit into the tank to give it a good scrub!

Randy, reports that few repairs were required this spring and Port Ashton Lodge is "up and running"! His early Summer project is building a Freezer House that will sit near the dock and house a couple of freezers for freezing the fish caught and processed by our fishing guests. This will eliminate the hauling of hundreds of pounds of fish from the dock to the Cook House. A more difficult job depending upon the tide...on high tide we have to haul the fish by hand...on low tide we can use the four wheeler.

The Freezer House foundation is in place thanks to Randy and crew. Can you see the beautiful pepto pink color of the lumber? That is the color one gets after mixing free paint. The kids, Lia and I painted the lumber last summer so it would winter safely. At Port Ashton we use what we got...aesthetics are second to usefulness. So, the new building supply list has been created...now another trip to town!

Thanks to Randy every season life gets easier with a few more conveniences.

May Departure

2009-05-22T15:22:00.008-08:00

Less than 24 hours from departure...Randy checked the sea conditions...11' seas out of Seward, 6' from Whittier...Lia purchased the produce and last minute items. It is a stressful and exciting time returning to Port Ashton.

The Suburban and truck were packed to the gills - with some room for kids and dogs! It's tricky business getting 3 months worth of supplies out to our remote location. Randy has made several trips over the weekends...supplying the builders who are completing the Cook House. (The Cook House has been insulated and the interior walls installed...time to paint! Guests who choose to stay in a cabin and fore go full-service use the Cook House for their dining needs.) Fortunately, there are more trips to town planned and friends and guides who generously pick up fresh and needed supplies throughout the summer for us.

And a summer it will be...blue skies and warm days are predicted. Lia already has a suntan! I, on the other hand do not...on Kauai it is easy to take nice days for granted whereas Alaskans take advantage of good weather. There is no prettier place than Port Ashton on a sunny day. Kayaking, fishing and hiking are even more enjoyable under blue skies. I looked at the Sawmill Bay camera this morning...the bay is calm and the skies are blue.

We are looking forward to joining Randy & Lia...

And, I just received an e-mail from Lia...they arrived Sunday at 10AM...spent the night in Culross Bay on the way to the lodge Saturday night. Lots of rain in Whittier that they left behind. Guests arrived the following day...so unpacking is taking some time. I'll post some more photos as soon as Lia has a moment to forward the photos!

Dwelling in Port Ashton

2009-05-09T20:44:00.011-08:00

May and the signs of the rapidly approaching summer are when my thoughts take flight to Port Ashton. My life on Kauai becomes overshadowed by preparations for summer and life at the lodge. There is a necessary mental preparation that we all go through to be ready for our remote living...and for me a physical strengthening with the knowledge that the nearest store is 110 miles away by boat or plane.

What do we need? What will make our guests and ourselves more comfortable? What new recipes and menus do we want to serve...and what new ingredients will we need? Answering these questions, consulting with Lia and Randy, and searching my cookbooks, computer files, notes from previous seasons and the internet consume much of my free time. The summer is full of possibilities that require our attention and planning today.

And in this process, I'm always several months behind Lia and Randy...who are preparing all year long and who begin gearing up after Christmas by getting the boat ready, purchasing equipment and building supplies, taking reservations and getting to know the coming seasons' guests, drawing up plans...

Summer is exploding in Alaska...Randy and friend, Wally, boated out of Seward to visit the lodge the first weekend of May. It was 70º with plenty of snow still on the ground. At those temperatures though the snow will melt quickly. You can check out weather and Sawmill Bay in real time on our neighbor's weather camera, Armin F. Koernig (AFK) Hatchery. It is updated every 15 minutes!

Randy reported that the lodge is in great shape...the Beach House which floats on high tide needs some minor leveling but that is to be expected after riding the winter tides.

Lia is predicting a warm summer...Randy and Lia's home town of Wasilla has welcomed several 70º days already...so the prospects are good. Of course, this will make packing tricky...but layers are always a good idea. And, any day can start out at 50º and warm to 80º by afternoon. Alaska is a land of extremes. During the summer the sun rises at 5 am and sets at 11 pm in Prince William Sound. And, the tide fluctuates as much as 25'.

Randy, Lia and their children are moving out to the lodge May 23...less than two weeks! Kristofer and I are leaving Kauai June 19 for Anchorage where we will purchase supplies...and either take the ferry from Whittier to Chenega Bay June 25 or Randy will make a run with the Wild Abandon to Whittier to retrieve us. Russ will join us in early August and we will stay until the end of August...a first for PAL...since Randy has to return to Wasilla to his teaching position August 11. We are looking forward to our fourth season at Port Ashton welcoming our returning and new guests.

So much to do and so little time...and isn't that really why we spend the summer at Port Ashton!

Alaska's Governor VP Candidate

2008-08-29T10:05:00.002-08:00

Wow! We awoke to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's acceptance speech to run as John McCain's vice presidential candidate.

Governor Palin is from Randy and Lia's home town, Wasilla. She served as mayor of the city and her family still lives in the community. She recently had a baby...while sitting as Governor and at age 44!

Here are some interesting links to photos and news articles about Governor Palin:

McCain's Veep Choice is Historic and Hardly Known

Sarah Palin Photos

Palin's Way, Alaska Magazine

More Sarah Palin Photos

The race will certainly put Alaska in the national spotlight!

Yummy!

2008-08-21T18:55:00.014-08:00

We love to eat and so we love to cook. Reading cookbooks is Lia's past time...buying them is mine. When we find a recipe we like Lia writes next to the recipe title, Yummy! as well as any changes we made to the recipe. In addition to my cookbooks, I am lucky to be surrounded by excellent chefs from our Kauai island restaurants, Gaylord's at Kilohana and Hukilau Lanai.

Yesterday I had a meeting with Chef Andy at Gaylord's. When I arrived he was busy in the prep kitchen preparing a mushroom risotto. He needed more risotto for his special that had sold out the day before yesterday.

Featured on the lunch menu this week is the mushroom risotto topped with pan seared opah wrapped in prosciutto. The menu description is, "Hawaiian moon fish, pan seared with parma ham, served on a shiitake mushroom risotto cake and finished with a sriracha butter sauce." I devoured it for lunch yesterday...it is so delicious.

I leaped on the opportunity to learn and asked Andy if I could help him with the risotto. He set me up with a cutting board and knife...and the green onions, mushrooms and cabbage to chop. Several times he called me over to the stove top for a lesson on how to complete the stock, saute the rice and vegetables and finally to make the risotto.

Here are the things I learned:

1. Skim the scum from your stock...it's the impurities that will reduce the quality of your stock.
2. Scallions can be substituted with the white part of the green onions.
3. Cabbage infuses good flavor.
3. Keep the stock and risotto simmering when combining them.
4. Cook the rice to al dente...don't overcook it or the risotto will be mushy.

Although we don't have Hawaiian moonfish to serve at Port Ashton we have plenty of yummy white fish - halibut, ling cod, black rock fish, and yellow snapper. Lia and I made risotto this summer...and it was good but it will be better next year!

So today I brought in ground moose and Chef Andy and I made moose stew. Chef was impressed with how lean the moose is and suggested that we add pork to the moose to improve the flavor. We also added a paste of bread soaked in milk to lighten the meatballs.

I had to leave to pick up Kristofer...and returned later to finish the stew with Andy. Kristofer was a big help moving around the hot stove and ovens sharing his silly ideas. The kitchen staff was very patient and Chef Andy entertained Kristofer with his Scooby Doo imitations.

After cooking the meatballs in bacon grease we used the same pan to saute the vegetables for the stew. We heated the saute pan and added olive oil which lifted the flavor from the pan onto the vegetables...a neat trick! This also cleans the pan of the stuck on flavor! And for show, Chef Andy added the brandy which he caught on fire...can you see the flame in the photo?

Today's lessons were the following:

1. Season each layer of a dish...not just the whole dish.
2. Salt brings out the flavor of other spices.
3. Kosher salt is pyramid shape and dissolves evenly.
4. Use dried spices while cooking...add fresh spices just before finishing a dish.
5. Use olive oil to pull the flavor from the pan onto the vegetables.
6. Drop a cone strainer into the stock and ladle stock from strainer.

Finally the stew was complete and the Gaylord's family was ready to taste it. Lots of good reviews from the staff. Now we have a new and improved Moose Stew to make for the family!

End of Season Departure

2008-08-11T12:29:00.010-08:00

Blue sky, sunshine that has warmed the thermometer to 80 degrees and salmon jumping in the bay - it is an amazing day at Port Ashton and we have to leave tomorrow. I cannot believe it is time to leave. The season has felt so short.

Some of this feeling comes from the late arrival of the salmon, bears and sunshine. It was a chilly spring which kept the salmon further north, the seiners in other waters and the bears in the mountains. Much of our enjoyment comes from watching the jumping salmon in the bay and the seiners and bears working to catch them.

Instead we amused ourselves with fishing for halibut, ling cod and rock fish. We built a Cook House, Smoke House and Out House. We hosted an end-of-season party for our neighbors that included soaking in the hot tub, horseshoe challenges and stories around the fire pit.

Our neighbor, Camille, and her family attended our party. Camille has been a good friend and our children love to play with her kids. So it was easy to entrust Camille with the plants that never made it to the greenhouse and our summer sourdough.

Lia and I have closed the kitchen...no more big meals...now we are eating all the produce and perishable items that we don't want to carry home. We are eating off paper plates to eliminate the constant washing of dishes.

We are completing our end of year inventory and dreaming about what we will add to our kitchen next season. Lia and I were laughing about how the kitchen has changed over the last few seasons. Before the Creekside dining cabin was built, Randy, Lia and their kids lived in a wall tent and the kitchen was behind it, outside. Our kitchen today is indoors and filled with a variety of pots and pans, knives and utensils hanging above and beside us. Russ built two shelves that now hold our vinegars, seasonings and small wares. He salvaged boards from the hatchery printed with Port Ash Pkg, Co. Port Ashton. Our biggest problem today is where to put the dirty dishes when we are still cooking and serving dinner.

Last night we tried to light the propane heater in our cabin and it wouldn't light. So we slept in the cold. Cocooned in our beds no one in our cabin got out of bed this morning. It was 6:30 a.m. and Randy had already checked off several items from his winterizing list. He felt that we should all be helping - so he started the Port Ashton alarm clock - his chainsaw. An unpleasant sound to awake to - even at Port Ashton!

In order to get everyone out of Port Ashton, Randy decided he would need to make two trips between Port Ashton and Whittier. By the end of the season we had a lot of Talvi's and a few friends: Randy, Lia and their children (5), Russ and I, Kristofer and Katy (4), Papa Talvi, Uncle Ryan Talvi, our friend Jim Mayfield from Kauai and Katy's friend, Julie also from Kauai (4). In addition to all the bodies we had all our gear and supplies that needed to come out for the winter.

Lia and my departure time, with children, was 6:30 a.m. Not a great time to get kids organized, beds stripped and children into the boat. Thankfully, Russ suggested we have the kids sleep on the boat...a much easier morning transition.

Leaving Port Ashton is never easy. Life here is simple. Our daily activities at Port Ashton follow the rhythm of the sun and the changing tide. Our family bonds grow as we work, create and play together in an incredible environment. Living close to the land makes us stronger in so many ways - physically as we maintain our remote home; mentally as we solve problems without running to the store or calling the plumber; and spiritually as we live in harmony with God's creation. Most importantly our season at Port Ashton rejuvenates and renews us preparing us to go back to our lives in civilization. Make plans to join us next summer and experience the peace of Port Ashton.

Going Fishing by Tasha Talvi, 8 years old

2008-08-03T13:27:00.005-08:00

Here I am, Natasha Faith Talvi. I'm on our boat, Wild Abandon. I am with my Dad and four other guys, Captain Sam, Mr. Dave, Mr. Rod and Les Palmer. We have just stopped to fish. Everyone is heading outside on deck.

We're reeling up and moving closer to land but we are not getting on land. The tides drifting fast while we are fishing. Instead of catching fish we're catching each other's hooks!

Something took Les Palmer's bait. I just saw a jelly fish. The tide is a problem. I see a seiner boat floating by...did Les Palmer feel a fish? No, he is tangled with Mr. Rod and Mr. Dave but Captain Sam is working the problem out.

We are talking about sheep hunting right now. I'm still here at the fishing hole talking; I want to move though. Mr. Rod just caught seaweed. We are moving a little bit. Now Mr. Dave caught two Yellow Eyes (rock fish) and Les Palmer caught the China Rock Fish. They are very ugly. Yellow Eyes are orange and the China Rock Fish is mostly brown with yellow streaks.

I just saw a whale so close to a tour boat. It is spouting and I just saw it's back. We are now heading to Whittier? Or are we heading for another fishing hole? Captain Sam and Dad are talking.

We are now heading into Whittier. I fell asleep a little while ago. I watch my Dad as he ties the boat up to the dock.

Aaahh, that feels good!

2008-08-02T07:54:00.008-08:00

Sore and tired muscles are common at Port Ashton. Everyday tasks require plenty of physical activity...changing propane tanks, pumping water at the Beach House, making bunk beds, scrubbing toilets, filleting fish, hauling supplies and luggage, cutting wood and cooking.

There are two cures for an aching body - sleep and a salt water hot tub. Our hot tub is our one real luxury for the family. We splurged. Randy contracted a friend to weld a marine grade aluminum barrel that is four foot deep and seven feet in diameter. A wood stove was installed inside and barricaded with wood to protect the bathers.

We fill the tub with salt water, pumping the water from the bay on a high tide using a hose and pump. Ashes are cleaned out from the stove to make room for the new wood.

It takes about eight hours to heat the 55-58 degree sea water with wood. Someone must collect the wood, cut it and stoke the fire throughout the day. If we forget to start the fire in the morning only a late night hot tub is possible. And if we get overzealous the tub water can reach 120 degrees.

Collecting the wood for the hot tub is the children's chore. Today Lia and I collected the wood though. The trailer on the four wheeler was overflowing with wood. We impressed Myles with our haul.

Katy and Abbie, the nannies this season, are responsible for starting the fire and stoking it during the day. Learning to wield an ax so it efficiently cuts the wood to size is a skill the girl's acquire. Often, blisters go hand in hand with the learning process. After several weeks of chopping wood the young women are very proud of their bicep muscles.

"What is the temperature?" Randy will ask. Adding, "Stirred or unstirred?"

The thermometer is near the surface of the hot tub and since heat rises it always reads warmer until we stir the water. Often we use the human stir stick method...Randy or Lia get in the tub and move the water around with their body. If it is too hot we use a shovel!

Once the tub is to temperature we rush from our cabins clad in swimsuits and wrapped in towels. Our evening hot tubs are when we slow down, discuss the day, laugh and enjoy the scenery! Another perk of living at Port Ashton for the summer.

Good Morning, Sunshine

2008-07-29T07:01:00.009-08:00

"Wake up Shutterbug," I heard. I opened my eyes and it was Randy. "It looks like a bloody sunrise this morning," he said enticing me out of bed.

Last night we ran out of propane to heat our cabin and hot water. It is easy to fix...just attach a new propane bottle. The problem was that I let it run out and so the pilot light burnt out. And, I didn't remember how to relight it. So I adapted, adding my hooded sweatshirt to my evening wear.

The real pay off came in the morning when I was dressed for the early morning shutter call.

It was 5:30 a.m. and the skies were clear except for the clouds over Latouche Island. I hurried to retrieve my camera from the Creekside dining cabin. The light and clouds were reflecting off the water. And, the colors were changing as the winds moved the clouds and the sun rose higher.

We watched, hoping to see the illustrious bloody sunrise, an event that occurs only a couple of times during the season. Lia and I were about to give up on the sunrise when an eagle flew towards the cove. Hurrying, I moved towards the cove, camera ready, to photograph the majestic bald eagle.

And, there he was, perched on a low tree. How lucky! I only had a 70mm lens so my zooming power was pretty low. Up went his wings, as he took off the limb, flying in front off me as though I had directed his flight. And, then he hit a tree top...so strange. I'm not sure what happened because I was watching through the camera view finder...maybe he tried to land on it and it was too weak or...I don't know. The eagle turned, staying in front of me, and then flew up and out of the cove towards the bay. Wow!

I was so excited. "I got it," I told Lia. "The eagle flew right in front of me," I explained. And then we looked at the pictures - blurry. Ugh! A few were okay. I guess I got too excited and moved more than my Super SteadyShot feature could accommodate.

We took another look at the sunrise...the color was fading so we headed towards the cabin to relax. A sip of coffee and there gliding over the bay...the elusive blue heron. I grabbed my camera, switched lenses and ran towards the beach. The blue heron was perched on the left side of the point and with my 210 mm lens I could zoom in on it. I started to climb onto the sea rocks, took another picture and the blue heron flew off.

I ran around to the other side of the point where I had seen it perch before...and there it was...waiting for me. Now it was so near. Shooting as I moved closer, he looked as if he was preparing to spear a fish near by, angling it's neck into an "S" shape. But, no luck, he straightened up and flew off.

We are in for a beautiful day at Port Ashton. And it began with a shutter...

Pumping Water

2008-07-22T21:55:00.012-08:00

I've been feeling guilty about something that I must confess...water usage. At Port Ashton we pump our water from a fresh water stream. There are two 325 gallon tanks and it takes about 30 minutes to fill a tank. Typically, we use one tank of water a day. The water tanks support our dining cabin, the Cook House and two guest cabins as well as our laundry.

In an effort to manage our resource and time we ask guests to limit their showers to five minutes. We shower every 2-3 days and the kids shower 1-2 times a week with a lot of cajoling. For my Hawaii friends, please do not be alarmed...the temperature is about 60 degrees so we don't get too stinky...but our hair is another story.

We call it Port Ashton hair. There are two cures for Port Ashton hair: a shower or a hat. Randy and I prefer to wear a hat for a day or two. Lia has beautiful long, blond hair so she puts it up, a sort of Port Ashton up-do.

Lia, Randy, Paige & Russ with Port Ashton hair.

Lia, right, wearing her Port Ashton Up-Do.

So back to the water confession. When we wash dishes, we rinse them with a low water pressure so water isn't wasted. And, when we wash our hands, we turn off the water while lathering them. Well, I noticed the other day that I had reverted to civilized life and was rinsing the dishes in high water pressure and washing my hands with the water running.

And, it occurred to me that I had only hooked up the water pump once this season. Because we use a tank or more a day, someone has to fill the empty tank every day. It typically is Lia because the person in the kitchen is supposed to watch the water level in the tank. Yes, I am in the kitchen too but I often fail to catch the lowering tank.

In fact, last season I allowed the water to go below the valve and we lost the prime on our pump. Re-priming the pump is a pain and Randy wasn't pleased. It took he and Lia about an hour to get our water back on line. You would think after this experience I would be more careful....

Filling the water tank requires several steps:

1. Retrieve the pump from the generator shed.
2. Fill the pump with gas in the gas shed.
3. Fill the measuring cup with the water treatment solution stored under the cabin.
4. Add the water treatment solution to the water tank & place the hose in the tank.

5. Walk down the trail...trying not to focus on the bear scat...to the water pumping location.
6. Hook up the water pump to the hoses.
7. Start the pump with the pull cord.

God must have intervened - unfortunately, to Lia's discomfort. Lia woke up with a seriously sore neck...she couldn't get out of bed without assistance. It was a beautiful day and Lia spent half of it in bed...so I had to step up to the plate and take care of meals, water, and cabin cleaning without Lia's eyes and assistance. And, I had the responsibility for filling and monitoring the water tanks.

So, I took my responsibility seriously. I wanted Lia to rest and she wouldn’t if I was failing to take care of necessities at Port Ashton. Well, Lia’s neck has been sore for four days and on the third day it started to rain…and it didn’t stop. And the tanks had to be filled.

The trail to the water pumping station is sloppy during the rain. The branches hold plenty of water and the path gets mucky. And, your sight lines are blurred by the heavy laden branches bent over the trail. So, I get a little paranoid, worrying about coming upon an unsuspecting bear. (Although, Randy assures me they have acute senses and know where I am before I would ever see them.)

Bear scat on the water trail.

To deal with my anxiousness I have a song I sing to the bears to let them know I’m on my way. It probably doesn’t help but it makes me feel better.

This rainy day I started the pump, confirmed that the water was flowing into the tank and went inside. Ten minutes later the water had stopped flowing…I went back down the trail…started the pump…confirmed that the water was flowing and went back inside. Five minutes later the water stopped flowing again! I restarted the pump and ran into Randy. He inquired about the pump status…

He went down the trail with me for the fourth restart. Finally the tank was filled and I was soaked!

Randy respects persistence and hard work. To reward my efforts he had a surprise in store. The next day he was working on a fitting at the dining table. He looks up at me and says, “If I can get this fitting to work I can hook up the electric water pump.”

I looked back at him and said, “What? A water pump for what?”

“To pump the water for Creekside,” he replied. “I have had this pump all season. It should take me about 15 minutes to install it. Then all you have to do is plug it in to pump the water,” he smiled. “But I’m not sure I have time to do this,” he laughed.

Fifteen minutes later he had the new pump installed. Today, we treat the water, put the hose in the tank and plug in the pump. What luxury!

Smoking Salmon

2008-07-20T08:27:00.004-08:00

Chum salmon hit the cove and the boys were there to greet them - with their fishing poles. This was the sign for Randy to build the smoke house. Always resourceful, Randy reclaimed a shipping crate - one of the original crates that carried the first supplies to Port Ashton.

All the children were there to assist. Kristofer decided it was a fort for him and Tristan. Patiently, Randy worked with the kids climbing in and out of the box and swinging on the beam.

Once the box was framed it was time to raise the roof. I got to assist this time, lifting the roof onto the frame and holding the roof in place while Randy nailed it down. Finally, the walls were installed...with holes to vent the smoke. It was time to hook up the wood stove.

A wood stove, discovered by Lia at a garage sale, was installed. This heavy, cast iron stove, used to heat an old cabin. It is a decorative stove with a scene of dancing Russian woman on its side. Lia was so excited when she found this wood stove. She brought it home to show Randy who was less than pleased.

It was heavy. When it was delivered to Port Ashton one of the legs were broke off, so it was a tripod. At Port Ashton, we are constantly moving items as our storage needs change. So every time Randy had to move the stove he would complain about this piece of equipment we had no use for at the lodge.

Lia was redeemed...her find paid off...and the smoke house had a source of smoke!

Next, it was time to create the brine and prepare the fish. Randy made his secret brine. A lesson was brewing...Myles, Randy and Lia's oldest son, is a patient and focused learner...and he so admires his Dad. So he helped his dad cut the fish into strips; learning the techniques of his experienced father. Then Tristan and Myles assisted with tying the strips of salmon to be hung in the smoker.

Randy experimented with hanging the salmon by string and hanging the meat over the alder branches. Ultimately, he decided the string hung salmon was preferred.

Now it was time to smoke that fish. Randy and the boys cut the wood and started the fire in the wood stove. Tristan kept nursing the fire, ensuring that there was plenty of smoke. Finally, Randy had to tell Tristan to stop stoking the fire because the salmon would only taste like smoke!

Five hours later the salmon was smoked...and the delicacy was served. We had red and chum salmon as well as sable fish. It is delicious. Stop by and we will give you a sample!

Hiking to Shangra La

2008-07-15T08:58:00.019-08:00

Blue skies enveloped Port Ashton on Friday…the thermometer read 90 degrees in the sun. This was a day made for relaxation. We hurried to finish our chores. We were hiking to Shangra La, Randy announced.

Randy encouraged the family to wear their XTRA TUFS, tennis shoes of every Alaskan fisherman, or what land lubbers call rubber boots. Our new family member, Abbie, wore her leopard print rubber boots. We grabbed our water bottles, buried candy bars into our pockets and set out for paradise.

Our route led us up a stream. We made our way through a forest of evergreen branches and skunk cabbage, while trying to avoid the dreaded devils club. (A plant that has brittle yellow spines that imbed into your skin and cause pain.) The ground was muddy; cautious footfalls were in order for this mom guiding four-year-old Kristofer up the trail.

Kristofer’s cousins, Aunt and Uncle were pros, scurrying up the trail, turning back to check on us, the kids laying a carpet of skunk cabbage to cover the muddy trail.

And then the trail opened up onto Flower Meadow. Irises, purples daisies, and flowers I have yet to identify covered the meadow. It was beautiful. Lia and I were captivated photographing the scenery and hardy Alaskan flowers.

Randy and the boys waited patiently as we collected our digital memories. The meadow was like muskeg or a bog – very wet and dotted with small pools of mud. I was grateful Kristofer and I had worn our boots. We walked towards the hillside passing by an abandon dam. And, then headed up the hillside.

At this point Kristofer decided this hike was too hard and he persuaded Abbie to give him a piggy-back ride. Abbie was amenable hoping that her extra 40 lb load would increase the effectiveness of her workout, preparing her for her upcoming volleyball camp.

At the top of the hillside we discovered another meadow. Myles taught Kristofer how to make a cup out of a leaf, demonstrating its usefulness. Kristofer loves all things that are his size, so the leaf cup was a big success with him.

We continued on to a viewpoint that was spectacular. A view of Float Plane Island, the other side of Evans Island and the mountains of Latouche Island back dropped by blue sky.

Next stop was towards the back of the hillside to another meadow where Lia began twirling and singing, "the hills are alive with the sound of music." Another beautiful spot on our way to Shangra La.

Myles made a bed in an Alaskan bonzai tree...resting up for the final hike to our destination.

Kristofer was enthralled with the meadow flowers...picking a bouquet for his lucky Mommy. Uncle Randy was scouting the area. As we approached him he mouthed, "bear." We never saw the bear, it scurried into the forest on the hillside 150' away.

This area was filled with little streams and pools of water...keeping Kristofer out of the water was my primary responsibility. Kristofer's cousins on the other hand could leap and walk through the shallow pools. Several times I caught Kristofer preparing to leap after Tristan.

Around the corner we happened upon two human eagles perched in a Dr. Seuss tree, Tasha and Tristan. They are amazing tree climbers...the other day I walked out of the cabin and found Tasha up in one tree and Tristan in another...both were up about 25' above the ground!

And, then we found ourselves in Shangra La, a basin near the top of the mountain, with a wide meadow and spectacular view. See Heila, the Karelian Bear dog, in the background. She was so happy running and leaping throughout the meadow. Kristofer had built up a lot of confidence on this hike. He really wants to be a "big boy like his cousins." So he leapt after Tristan, his left foot landing behind his right on the bank, he twisted and kerplunk! He was neck high in a pool of cold mountain water.

Lia is quick; she pulled Kristofer out of the water and we quickly peeled off his clothes and covered him in Myles sweatshirt. We rung out his socks and reapplied them followed by his boots which were emptied of water. Myles also donated his hat for Kristofer's wet head.

I'm sorry to say that I missed the in-the-water photo opportunity but it would have been a bad Momma decision.

We stopped for a few photos...of Sawmill Bay, the cousins with Heila and the Talvi family. This is a breathtaking view...if the bugs would have dispersed we would have lingered longer.

So, it was time to head back home. Kristofer was in good spirits but he was tired. Auntie Lia offered a piggy back ride. Lia is so strong...and I suspect she has goat feet. She carried Kristofer down the steep, muddy hillside - never slipping or complaining. Check out the view...

At our final rest stop, Lia just bent forward allowing Kristofer to rest upon her back. Randy, Lia and I finished the day in our saltwater hot tub. And, everyone slept very well that night.

Painting Day

2008-07-13T09:10:00.007-08:00

Propane and supplies were running low so it was time to run into town. Running into town is a boat trip, 60 nautical miles from Port Ashton to Whittier Harbor. With a light load and smooth seas it takes about three (3) hours in the Wild Abandon. And, the nanny switch needed to occur - Katy was off to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks for a two-week long course in creative writing and Abbie was joining us at Port Ashton.

When Randy is gone, Port Ashton is run by the women...our priorities are a little different. Taking care of the aesthetics, playing with the kids and checking off our list becomes the focus. Painting was the task of the day.

Lia is the master painter. She has a painting uniform of jeans and a sweatshirt that is decorated with the myriad paint colors that have been applied at Port Ashton. And, the ipod earphones tucked into her ears is the finishing touch. I'm always many steps behind Lia...and still working on the colorfulness of my uniform.

We split up the job...Lia went to the Beach House to scrape old paint and paint the peak...the scary and laborious job on a tall ladder. I started with the repainting of the pantry...the easy job on a smaller ladder. We painted all day with the kids searching the low tide near the Beach House and the sun shining.

Lia and I met at that Cook House to finish it...balanced on our make-shift scaffolding we painted the back of the building. This meditative work was back dropped by the sound of the stream rushing, the blue birds calling and the trees rustling in the wind.

Finding Fish

2008-07-12T08:01:00.005-08:00

It was time to fish....we had a break in our guest schedule and Randy was ready to take the family fishing. We were excited. Tristan has been busy fishing in the Cove for black bass. And the salmon have been moving into the cove where Myles has been catching them. The boys are excellent fisherman and will amuse themselves with fishing off the dock or in the cove the entire day.

We quickly ate lunch, packed some snacks, got on our boots and hollered at the kids to put on their life jackets. And off we motored out of Sawmill Bay to Elrington Passage. We were headed to Procession Rock.

Sea lions use Procession Rock as their tanning beds. There is always one or two big bulls who are surrounded by their harem. Stretching their necks up towards the sky, the bull bellows orders to his underlings. We spent almost 30 minutes watching and photographing the sea lions.

Next we moved to our first fishing hole! Randy has a cut on his finger so he gave me my beginning of the season lesson on how to tie the swivels onto the line and bait the hook - oh that bait is slimy and smelly! Once the lines were ready we dropped our hooks overboard and started fishing.

And lucky Paige...I pulled in the first fish, a black rock fish. A yummy eating fish. "It is a little more dense than halibut and has a buttery flavor," Lia describes.

Well we were all excited now. We had our first fish and we were looking for more, especially a big daddy halibut. And, then nothing...so we moved on to Randy's secret halibut hole. Now this hole is always a winner. So we were confident that we would get our halibut. But instead we caught a pea cod and a little ling cod that we sent back to grow.

Now we moved on to our third hole...where Randy declared, "the fish are where we find them." Now that may seem obvious (it did to me...I'm still giggling about it) but his point is that there are fish throughout the ocean and one day they will be in one spot and the next day in another. The only way to find out where the fish are is to fish the area. So that's what we were doing...finding fish.

Myles was getting disgusted with our slow catching - he wanted to head out to the big water where all the charter boats fish. But Auntie Paige is a fair weather fisherman, who gets sea sick in the rolling seas, so staying in the covered waters was a necessity. Instead we kept fishing...well I kept fishing...the boys went into the cabin to play cards. And, I fished...jigging which is a workout. My arms were getting so fatigued that if I had caught a fish I wasn't sure I would be able to reel it into the boat.

Randy was willing to keep drifting while I looked for the fish. After an hour went by without a bite he took pity on me. We moved around the corner, I dropped my line to the bottom and boom a fish hit the line. Now this is the kind of fishing we all like. The kids jumped out on deck to get their lines in the water. And I pulled in our first halibut.

So now it was the kids turn. Tristan got the next bite...check out the look of determination and pain on his face! He kept saying, "I don't know if I can do this." But Randy kept encouraging him and he brought up a nice sized halibut. Katy and Tristan also caught good sized halibut.

When we got back to the dock it was time to clean the fish. Randy started filleting the fish, the kids and I rinsed the fillets and Lia packaged them. I watched Randy fillet a few halibut and, then it was my turn. Fortunately, Lia brought out our Wusthof fillet knife so I had an excellent tool. And I filleted my first halibut...don't tell Russ because he will expect me to process my fish now.

4th of July - Port Ashton Style

2008-07-11T11:09:00.005-08:00

Tristan, Tasha and Myles were so excited to celebrate the fourth of July...all day long Tristan was asking, "where are the fireworks." Of course, Lia did not reveal the secret location. Randy, Lia and I were less enthused about celebrating but luckily for our kids, our guests Jeff, Barbara and Bob were looking forward to producing a fireworks display. (In fact, Randy disappeared and missed the festivities. We sent Steve, a Talvi family friend, to look for him. Steve found him asleep on the boat...the next morning Randy admitted that he fell asleep reading a book, Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls, by Edward Leslie.)

Jeff is a frequent visitor...bringing friends to fish and relax at Port Ashton. And he is a good fisherman. His party came back with their limit. So, Jeff, Bob and Barbara struck a deal with the kids - they would assist with the fireworks if the kids would help package their fish.

Alaska's midnight sun does not lend itself to awe-inspiring fireworks displays. It just doesn't get dark enough to really see all the color. At Port Ashton though one must be flexible...so the show went on before dark. Barbara lit the mortar shells that shot off the aerial displays.

And the kids went nuts with the sparklers. They never stopped moving...running with sparklers in both hands around the adults, surrounded by smoke, insisting that it would keep the bugs away from us. We couldn't decide which was worse...the bugs or the smoke! (The bugs show up when the wind stops blowing.)

Our neighbors joined in on the fun shooting off their fireworks. A big light shot up into the air. We were waiting for the big boom and then poof an umbrella popped out and the flare slowly floated to the ground. They must have forgot their fireworks and used a flare gun...Alaska style...you have to improvise.

I brought some patriotic music to add to the festivities and Lia and I sung back up. Exceptional entertainment! But really the music took away from the experience of being on the beach, in view of Sawmill Bay backdropped by the snow capped mountains of LaTouche Island. It was a delightful night to share with family and friends.

Check out the photo of the fog, which is really the smoke from all the sparklers and fireworks, floating out over Sawmill Bay. It was a beautiful end to a fun evening. Thanks kids!

Very Big Tides

2008-07-08T09:28:00.004-08:00

Tides in Alaska are big...these photos show the Beach House at high tide and low tide. The high tide was 14'4". Fortunately, the Beach House can float...there is a ramp up to the deck so you can enter and exit without swimming.

One of the benefits of the big tides is we can use them to move heavy items - like lumber or a house (see Beach House Remodel blog). And during a low tide we can dig for little neck clams.

Our neighbors, Craig and Camille, dug this bucket of clams...it was a family affair with their children and Camille's sister and brother-in-law.

Lesson with Uncle Randy

2008-07-08T09:17:00.002-08:00

Fishing is a favorite pastime of our children at Port Ashton. There are plenty of black cod this year and salmon are filling Bear Cove. One of the hazards of fishing is a tangled line. A rat's nest on your reel is frustrating because you cannot cast your lure until you untangle the mess. Our kids have found an easier solution - they just switch poles.

As you might imagine, Uncle Randy expects the kids to restore the pole to working order. So when he finds a tangled mess tossed on the dock he finds the culprit and helps them fix the mess.

Yesterday, it was Katy's turn to learn how to restore a reel. She had cast her lure and the reel fell off the pole into the water! Salt water eats away at mechanical equipment so Uncle Randy told Katy to soak the reel in fresh water. Then they took the reel apart and cleaned it. And, finally they restrung the line.

These lessons occur daily with Randy. And all of us are the recipients. Randy has been hunting and fishing in Alaska since he was 11 years old, commercial fished for more than 10 years, worked as a fisheries biologist and carpenter, wrestling coach and currently teaches middle school students. And, he reads like a maniac.

So he is a wealth of information. And, he is a problem solver extraordinaire. To be successful in remote Alaska you need a lot of skills and knowledge. A mistake is not easily fixed - supplies are a three hour boat ride and an hour drive into town away...if the seas cooperate. And, getting an expert out to Port Ashton is expensive.

Learning how to solve problems is a skill we all must acquire. And, Handy Randy is not looking for job security - he wants us all to be capable of making wise decisions that will keep us healthy and productive. And, keep him from making an extra trip to town!

Beach House Remodel

2008-07-06T13:13:00.007-08:00

Port Ashton boasts three cabins, a cottage and the Beach House. The Beach House formerly known as the Float House was built by a gentleman who lives in Port Benny. Port Benny is down the beach from Port Ashton...it also was a herring saltery in the 1900's.

The Beach House is 1200 square feet with four bedrooms, a kitchen/dining room and a roomy bathroom. Russ and Randy were so excited when Marvin offered to sell them his floating home. Lia and I were less enthusiastic.

The plan was to use the Beach House as the staff quarters...a place for our families to call our own. It has plenty of room to sleep our family as well as space to hang out when the weather isn't cooperating.

And, then Lia entered the Beach House - the bachelor pad of a rural Alaskan. At that point it was determined that we would not reside in the Beach House. Lia sent me photos to validate her decision.

Randy and Lia cleaned up the place...and it became a great alternative to camping out for do-it-yourself guests. And, last season it was our most requested accommodation.

This season, Randy and Lia had a surprise for me...the new and improved Beach House! Randy and Alan built a retaining wall (crib) and new foundation - moving all the beach gravel with shovel and wheel barrow and moving the timbers on a high tide, lassoing them to set into place.

Randy is Port Ashton's McGyver...he can figure out how to use what is on-hand to solve a problem. Last year he, Lia and I moved the tent house frame up an incline 100 yards! I was the skeptic, "Let's call the village and see if someone can come help us. There is no way just the three of us can move this building." But Randy just gave me that I'll show you look and we proceeded.

Like Egyptians, we rolled the frame up the incline. It was amazing and empowering. Like most activities at Port Ashton it takes a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work!

We're Screaming

2008-07-05T22:52:00.002-08:00

Handy Randy lived up to his name when he problem solved our disconnect from the internet. Last season we had a pretty reliable connection but this year has been inconsistent. So Randy asked me to pick up a satellite finder or what is sometimes referred to as a screamer.

What we learned is that we realigned our antennae to the wrong satellite and that is why we completely lost our internet connection. (Which has been very frustrating...requiring us to mooch internet time off our friends in the Sound.)

Obviously, we are back on line and now understand how to keep a strong signal. Realigning our antennae requires only slight adjustments - listening for the high pitched "scream" on the satellite finder.

It is past 11PM when the generator must be shut off for the night - my duty tonight.

Satellite Discontent

2008-06-30T15:18:00.003-08:00

Katy is over my shoulder begging to use the computer...we arrived at Port Ashton on Friday. Randy and Lia have had inconsistent access to the internet all season so I was anxious to get the satellite antenae realigned with our new satellite finder. Randy was less anxious - so Lia and I tried ourselves. Well, we didn't have any luck - so Randy decided to help - but still with no success.

So today we are at our neighbor's home using their computer. Thank you Craig and Camille!

We are sending the computer and modem into Anchorage to Alaska Satellite for "repair". Don't ask me the details because I don't understand. Why does this have to be so complicated? Our internet was so easy to access last season - except on stormy days.

Cross your fingers!

Hunting in Wasilla

2008-06-25T21:54:00.008-08:00

Which humming bird feeder do you think will attract those nectar seeking little birds? One of our shopping adventures was to purchase three humming bird feeders. Chris Olivera, a family friend, was my Wasilla navigator...he is holding the three choices. If you know anything about humming birds please post your comments!

My day began with consolidating and organizing all the supply lists. It is now only five pages long and includes eleven stores. Thank God I have several days to purchase everything.

Our supply hunting (in Alaska you don't shop you hunt) was initially unsuccessful. After visiting six stores we still hadn't purchased a single thing. I was getting frustrated and my headache didn't help my attitude. Aha! I realized at about 12:00 that I missed my morning coffee. How is this possible? I realized today that I do need Russ - he makes and delivers my first cup of Joe most mornings!

So our next stop was a caffeine drive through. Now we were perking.

On the plane from Seattle I read through my Alaska gardening book and made a list of plants and supplies I wanted to purchase for my Anniversary Greenhouse. Yes, Russ bought me a greenhouse for the lodge for our 23 wedding anniversary. He is so sentimental. Our first wedding anniversary he gave me a 500 gallon fuel tank.

Chris called his Dad, Tony, to ask where we should look for plants - Jacobsen's Nursery was the answer. Our first purchase of the day! We left with tomato, cilantro, mint, orange-mint, sage, and oregano plants, as well as seeds to grow carrots, radishes, peas and lettuce.

Now, Alaska's growing season is short. And starting a greenhouse the end of June is late. But this is my Anniversary Greenhouse. And when Russ arrives in August I want to have some produce to show him.

This is about the time of my trek that I wish I had come out at the beginning of the season. I'm late. And so my greenhouse is late. It will take me a few days to adjust to lodge life - long days that are more physical than I experience on Kauai. And the I should haves start - I should have lost that extra weight, built up some fishing muscles and read more books.

Speaking about books, I'm a member of Mary Lou's Book Lover's Bookclub and we are reading Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. Julie spent a year making every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and then wrote about it. So, I am reading - just slowly. And I just finished the Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. A great book about Eric's search for the happiest place on earth - and no, it wasn't Disneyland.

Anyway, is my attention deficit obvious? Well, it is back to work for me, creating a poster about the lodge for the Suburban windows - another great idea from Randy. Since the Suburban sits most of the summer in the Whittier boat harbor why not use it to get the word about our lodge and cabin rentals.

I'll let you know how tomorrow fares.

Handmade Ceramic Lures

2008-06-22T13:06:00.006-08:00

Russ Talvi and Mark White of Mark White Lures.

Yesterday Russ and I went to visit a friend, Mark White. Mark and his wife, Nancy, make beautiful pottery of which I own several pieces. I got to know Mark and Nancy at Island School where they were teaching art, I was working as the Admission Director and my children were students.

Mark has discovered how to integrate his artistic talents with his love of fishing. He is making lures - with a little help from his family. And, he has a cadre of friends helping with the research. Mark recently returned from a trip to Fiji where he was video taping his fishing experiments. He wears a camera on his head to keep his hands free to fish. With over 30 hours of video, Mark is going to be busy editing for a while.

Mark's lures are colorful with that sparkle that always attracts a strike. And, because of their weight, they cast farther than plastic or wood lures. So I have an array of Mark's lures that I'm packing for Port Ashton. I can't wait to cast them into Sawmill Bay and try my luck. Of course, I'll will share the bounty with Myles, Tristan and Natasha (Randy and Lia's kids) who are the expert fisher people of Port Ashton. Myles spends hours everyday fishing from the dock and off the point.

Check out Mark's web page...he has lots of photos and information about his lures and how to acquire them at: http://www.fishinglureshawaii.com

Tomorrow night Katy, Kristofer and I leave for Anchorage. We are traveling through Seattle which makes the trip about four hours longer than traveling from Honolulu to Anchorage. We are on the red-eye and will arrive into Anchorage in the early afternoon.

We will have three days to gather supplies. Then we meet Randy at the Whittier dock with a Suburban packed with supplies. Hopefully, the tide will be high so the ramp is angled more gently - this makes the job of hauling supplies from the car to the boat much easier. And, I'm out of practice!

Doughnut Call

2008-06-17T20:21:00.005-08:00

At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time our home phone rang...and it was Randy calling from the water near Crafton Island.

This photo is from a few years ago in Randy's old fishing boat. It was a nice day as you can see through the window.

Check out a great map at Bear Country Tours: http://www.bearfootguides.com/exploreAlaska/maps/princeWilliamSound.gif Although, you won't find Crafton Island on this map you can see the water path from Whittier to Sawmill Bay. Port Ashton Lodge is located on the west side of Evans Island.

There is a spot in between Whittier and Sawmill Bay, an area Randy calls the doughnut, where he can make about a 15 minute call. It is the best time to talk with Randy because he has nothing else to do. So we make the most of these calls.

Today I asked him where Katy, Kristofer and I would be sleeping at Port Ashton. (Katy is Russ and my 17 year old daughter and Kristofer is our 4 year old son.) We are busier this year so the cabins are reserved for guests most of the season - which is what we have been working toward. The tricky part is that we only have our lodge loft, the boat and a couple of spaces without bathrooms.

He told me he had a nice sleeping bag for me under the lodge...well that doesn't quite meet my lodging necessities. I hope he was joking! So, I guess I will find out when I arrive and after we unload the supplies from the boat.

Shopping for supplies is part of our Port Ashton adventure. Lia does the beginning of the season shopping - all the canned goods and items needed to open. The list is massive, taking several trips to Anchorage to gather everything. Randy gets to do the twice a month runs from the lodge, back to Whittier, then into Anchorage, back to Whittier and 6 hours by boat to the lodge. (The bigger the load the slower the ride.)

I will pick up the produce, dairy and other needed supplies in Anchorage the end of this month. Last season, the supply list filled the entire Suburban and the roof. Katy and Kristofer were surrounded by sleeping bags, food, toilet paper and coffee. I tried convincing some men to help me load the supplies but in Alaska you have to pull your own weight. So with the help of my friend, Dana, and a very nice clerk at Costco we loaded and reloaded the Suburban.

Last year we took the ferry to Chenega Village from Whittier. It is uncommon for a non-resident vehicle to arrive in the village; so we caused some interest. Randy pulled the boat up to the boat launch and we backed the Suburban down the ramp so we could easily load the supplies into the boat.

Nothing is simple to life at Port Ashton but it is very satisfying to take care of our guests and ourselves. Whether it's making bread, pumping our water, building a pantry or hauling groceries from the dock to the boat or the lodge, we do it ourselves.

Great Alaska Sportsman's Show

2008-06-15T13:57:00.001-08:00

We began our 2008 season at the Great Alaska Sportsman's Show. This was our first show promoting Port Ashton Lodge so we decided to try our luck close to home.

It was a family affair...Randy & Lia, Russ and I and our niece, Bethani spent four days on the ice at the Ben Boenke Ice Arena. (The ice was covered with plywood but it was still cold!)

Our Catering Chef, Johnny Saguid of Gaylord's at Kilohana and his staff baked dozens of cookies - Macadamia Nut Macaroons, Chocolate Dipped Shortbread and Kauai Gold Sugar Cookies.
Well the cookies, Kauai coffee and the drawing for two FREE nights at the lodge brought folks into our booth.