Christmas and cold days

Our Christmas was a fairly quiet affair. We opened our gifts in the morning and then went to church. Following church we spent the afternoon with friends before returning home.



We got some snow overnight between Sunday and Monday. There was enough to require expending substantial effort clearing out the driveway. A bit more snow fell through Monday but the skies cleared up and the temperatures dropped on Tuesday and continued cold through today.

This set was taken during a bike ride around the airport loop. The roads were mostly icy but there were spots of loose snow. Loose snow is like cycling through sand. The wheels don't grab well and they tend to want to slide sideways. Winter cycling is great for improving bike handling and balance.



This next set is from today. It was taken from South Harbor and facing east.

Open House and Dessert Party

We had our party this evening and just finished putting things away and cleaning up. We had a number of friends and some neighbors over.

Here are photos of the results of all the work I've been doing this week. The pies were purchased and the brownies were made from a mix. Elise made the little chocolate mice.

From bottom right going clockwise: plate of cookies from a neighbor; triple ginger cookies; carrots and mini-dill pickles; egg salad, tomato and Swiss, and avocado roast beef sandwiches; mixed... nuts and craisins; double chocolate peppermint crunch cookies; cheeses; crackers; pumpkin pie; cherry pie; strawberry cream sponge cake; dark chocolate brownies; apple upside-down cake; macadamia white chocolate cranberry cookies


Macadamia, white chocolate, and cranberry cookies.


No, I didn't make the crackers and cheese. A few chocolate mice trying to sneak off with some cheese.


Double chocolate peppermint crunch cookies

Various December Happenings

Quite a few things have happened since the last post.

While at the Holiday Literary on December 4, I was asked if I was available to sing with the Oxford Carolers this Christmas season. In past years their practice was Saturday mornings making it rather impossible for me to join, but this year the practices were held on Tuesday evenings. I said yes and gave it a go. There were quite a number of tunes and songs new to me which necessitated "cramming" practice each day for the next five days to the performance at the Museum Open House.

I did get the music learned and joined with the carolers at the museum. (I'm hiding in the back corner in the photos.)


That evening we went to a Christmas potluck held by the Presbyterian Church. After a bountiful meal we headed into the sanctuary for a Christmas play. Amy was drafted into the cast to play a part of the shepherd - no speaking, just standing up front.


Meanwhile Shelley was over in Wrangell during this time. The basketball team went there to play a tournament and the cheer squad went over as well. Originally they had planned to take smaller boats on Friday but the weather turned snowy and windy on Thursday. The plans changed to take the ferry on Thursday afternoon. That gave everyone involved with basketball and cheer only a couple of hours to pack and board. It was a mad scramble during the afternoon.

The basketball tournaments were in Petersburg this past weekend. We went to a few of the games and watched the players and the cheer squad perform. I spent a great deal of the days leading up to it baking cookies (11 dozen) and brownies (about 30) to be sold at the game concession stand as fundraisers. I took 3 dozen of the cookies to a cookie exchange held on Tuesday at the Long Term Care facility.


Yesterday afternoon as the sun was setting, I was driving home and saw the most perfect photo opportunity, but alas, I had no camera with me. It was the moon rising large behind Devil's Thumb with the mountains all aglow in pink. It was one of those kinds of scenes that I may not experience again.

Later, last night, while I was baking cookies I got a text message from a friend asking if I was photographing the lunar eclipse. I was not and hadn't planned to do so. I had gone out a few times with binoculars to view the eclipse, but thought bringing out the tripod and setting up the camera with long telephoto lens and all would be too much hassle. But the text message got me motivated to grab the equipment and spend some time photographing the eclipse. In retrospect I am glad I did so.


Elise, Amy, and I went down to the Long Term Care facility this afternoon for their Christmas party. We sang some songs and then a couple of girls (of which one was Amy) read poetry and a story. There were some finger foods and dessert which we enjoyed.


Finally I am again baking dozens of cookies and brownies in preparation for an open house and dessert party that we are hosting at our home this Thursday. I also plan to bake a couple of cakes. I purchased some frozen pies (I have not yet been brave enough to try making my own pie crusts). There will also be some finger sandwiches, cheese and crackers.

December Morning

According to the weather forecast at the start of this week we were supposed to have gotten quite a bit of snow. It is Friday now and all we actually got was some rain and a dusting a couple of nights ago. The temperature has gone down and the ground is frozen now. The skies have cleared also.

I was driving our girls to school this morning (8 a.m.) when I noticed that the sun was just coming up over the eastern hills and projecting colors on the western hills. I also noticed that the there were thin layers of clouds all across the sky, amplifying the colors. After dropping off the girls I quickly returned home and picked up a camera and drove down to the water, about a quarter of a mile. I snapped a few photos before the sun rose higher and the colors washed away.

Thanksgiving Dinner

It's only Tuesday, two days before Thanksgiving, but we had our Thanksgiving dinner this evening. Since Tuesday is normally the day we have people over anyway and because most people had other plans for Thursday, today was more convenient for getting together. We weren't the earliest Thanksgiving dinner - the Presbyterian (to which we went) and the Baptist churches had their Thanksgiving potlucks on Sunday. We will be joining the Lutheran church-hosted dinner on Thursday.

The menu for this evening was as pictured: Grilled turkey; wild rice stuffing with pine nuts; green beans with sundried tomatoes, olives, garlic, and almonds; roasted carrots; cranberry-orange chutney with cumin, fennel, and mustard seeds; mashed sweet potatoes (yams) with cumin and oranges; apple crisp; roasted brussel sprouts (covered container); dinner rolls (in basket); mashed potatoes (not pictured); pumpkin pie (not pictured).



(Oh, it snowed today. Other than a few isolated flakes a few days back, this is the first real snow in Petersburg this fall.)

Recipe: Mushroom and Potato Gratin

I came up with this dish this past Tuesday. It was well received so I am going ahead and putting it together again for the Thanksgiving potluck we'll be going to this evening at the Presbyterian church.

Mushroom Mixture

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  
• 1 large onion, cut pole to pole, then sliced across thin
• Pinch crushed red chili pepper
  
• salt and pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 2 or 3 portabella mushrooms (or equivalent amount of brown creminis), trimmed and sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine
  

In a large skillet heat oil on medium heat. Add onions, chili pepper, sprinkle salt and pepper and fry until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add thyme and mushrooms, saute until soft. Add wine and deglaze pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

Gratin

• 5-6 medium russet potatoes, peeled
  
• Mushroom mixture (above)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup cream
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• Black pepper

Preheat over to 450F.

In a food processor fitted with slicing disc, slice potatoes (should be 1/8-inch slices). Place sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning. Rinse and drain.

In a 13x9 baking dish, create a single overlapping layer of potatoes. Distribute 1/3 of mushroom mixture on top of potatoes. Sprinkle 1/3 of Parmesan over the mushroom mixture. Repeat two more times with potatoes, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Finish with one more layer of potatoes.

In a small bowl combine cream, cayenne, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over the potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes until bubbling and potatoes are soft. Uncover, distribute topping (see below, or alternatively some shredded cheddar) over top, return to oven and bake until topping is browned.

Topping

• Panko (Japanese breading mix)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan

Combine panko and Parmesan in a small bowl until well mixed. Set aside.

City-wide Youth Rally

The Ministerial Association had talked about holding a city-wide youth rally for some time now. The impetus that finally kicked it into reality was the realization of how bad alcohol and drugs were becoming among middle and high school kids. We wanted to contribute to efforts by Petersburg Mental Health to prevent and combat substance abuse.

Close to four weeks ago we began making concrete plans, setting dates, etc. to make this youth rally a reality. A couple of Mondays ago there was a Town Hall meeting during which the community was made aware of the problems right under our noses. The newspaper printed a front page article on the Town Hall meeting. A small lead-in guest editorial was placed on the front page, continuing on the second, with the editorial ending right next to an ad for our youth rally.

We weren't sure how all the pieces could fall place in such short notice, but God worked to bring businesses, organizations, and individuals together to be able to put together an event that was both fun and spiritual. Our guest musician and speaker was Nathan Lopez, now living in Wasilla, but born and raised right here in Petersburg.

We had plenty of games and prizes. Petersburg Indian Association lent us the use of couple of their games: padded sumo wrestling suits and a bungee run game. During the middle of the event we were able to hold a $250 half-court basketball shot challenge through a generous donation from the Elks. Many other businesses and organizations donated large and small. We gave away coffee gift certificates and coins, a small TV set, a portable DVD player, and the final big drawing was for a iPod Touch. Pizzas and drinks were provided for reduced cost, and cookies were provided by the various churches.

Nathan spoke on pursuing one's dream, no matter what others may say. He connected it to finding one's ultimate purpose in a life devoted to Christ. We handed out nearly one-hundred New Testaments to the youth present. The count of the door-prize ticket stubs after the event showed that there were probably around one-hundred twenty kids at this event.

Album: PSG Youth Rally Nov 2010

Mid-November

Now that we've been in Petersburg for four years, the sights and sounds really aren't that new anymore. Thus the lack of much updates on this blog.

There is a bit of difference this autumn, however. It's been warmer and the mountains around us don't have much in the way of snow. What little snow has fallen on the tops have mostly gone away. This doesn't bode well for future salmon runs.

Today was another mostly sunny day and I forced myself to go walk outside with a camera. Up this far north, even at 2 p.m. the angle of the sun is quite shallow and the shadows are long.

October and Fall is Here

If September was unusually warm and sunny, October makes up for it. Fall is definitely here and with it plenty of rain and wind. There have been quite a few stormy days with heavy rains and strong winds. There have been occasional breaks and some drying -- enough for me to go out on the bike for an hour or so.

Our church group completed our study of the book of Acts and we are now into the Epistle to the Galatians. This is my third time through this epistle in about as many years and I feel like I am finally starting to understand it. It is a short letter but I suspect we will be in it for quite some time.

Yesterday I baked my first Meringue pie - a Lime Meringue Pie - for the Pie Social at the Medical Center's Long-Term Care. Prior to the pies being consumed by residents, staff, and visitors, voting was held for "The Prettiest Pie." When the votes were tallied it turned out that my pie had won! You can view the pie below...

I'll be doing more cooking later this week for a potluck gathering of the ministers and their families.

Long period of sun

Through yesterday, Petersburg saw twelve consecutive days of sunshine. This is highly unusual for September. In fact this week's newspaper mentioned the word "drought" and reported that the lake, from which we obtain our electricity, the water level was getting so low that restricting the flow was being considered. Fortunately the rains returned today and it looks like it will continue in normal fall fashion for the next two weeks at least.

Since fishing season had pretty much finished, I took advantage of the dry days to get back on the bicycle. I cycled ten of the twelve days and got my fitness back to where it should be. How much will I continue with the rain? I don't know. I definitely felt a change in the weather yesterday. Until yesterday I always rode out of town (heading south) with a tailwind. Yesterday, it was the opposite. The high pressure to the north had broken down and the winds had shifted. It was actually a pleasant change to have tailwind nearly all the way home.

Shelley and a small group from school spent five days over this past weekend in Sitka at a drama and debate tournament.

There isn't much happening that is out of the ordinary. Elise works, Shelley and Amy go to school, and I do what I do -- cook, clean, ride the bike, attend occasional meetings, prepare lessons for church.

Sermon: In Jesus' Name

Midway through last week, I was asked if I could fill in on Sunday at the Assemblies of God church service. Not too long before I had come across a text in one e-mailed devotional piece. At that time I thought the subject matter would lend itself well to a sermon, but for the past half-year, our church hadn't had a sermon.

I could see that I was being given an opportunity, but should I take it or not? I didn't want to do it because I wanted to, but because that is what God was opening for me. After spending a day in prayer and thought about it, I accepted.

The topic is, what does it really mean when we "pray in Jesus' name?" Christian prayers frequently end with this phrase or something very close to it.

I am out of the habit of recording sermons, so even though I brought along a recorder I forgot to turn it on. Someone at the church recorded it, so hopefully I will get an audio soon.

In the meanwhile here is my sermon outline. I find a graphical format works better for me (and it's cool on the iPad).

My first coho

(27 inches, 6 lbs. gutted)

Earlier this week we had quite a bit of rain, becoming almost fall-like. But today the skies cleared up and the sun came out, not that it really matters much as far as fish are concerned.

Yesterday afternoon I fished and thought I caught a large fish, but my reel acted up (at least that's my excuse) and while trying to get it to work properly, the line went slack and whatever was on the other end was gone. I did see a coho jump out in the distance so that was good news: the coho are still around.

The pinks appear to have gone away from the area around our house. I went to one of the creeks earlier in the week and it looks like nearly all of them are on their way up the river. Bodies of fish that have already spawned could also be seen.

This afternoon I went out again and about 45 minutes later I felt resistance, and then the line moving sideways - a sure sign of fish on the other end. I set the hook and pulled and reeled. During the first few minutes the fish was vigorous and pulled the line out, but it seemed to tire fairly quickly. A couple of times it shot up out of the water and did some backflips, trying to dislodge the hook.

Next problem was how to land it. It was high tide and the shore is rocky. After attempting it a couple of times, I finally got it close enough to grab and after a couple of attempts got it grabbed around the collar. Then it jerked and broke the line, but I had it securely and took it up where I hit it over the head with a rock. I took the hook out, gathered up my tackle and headed home where I measured it, photographed it, then gutted and cleaned it.

What's up...

So what has been going with us the last month?

We returned from our Lower 48 vacation. The weather in Petersburg has been quite warm and dry for much of the time. We've had a few showers here and there but not a whole lot. Looking at the forecast though, it looks like we are headed into a cloudy and showery stretch, and perhaps will remain that way until mid-Fall.

The church group that meets together, after meeting in our home since early Spring, has moved to the Presbyterian church. This is to accommodate some of our older members who have difficulty with mobility. Our home has stairs leading up to it unless a person goes all the way to the back. The path to the back is narrow and cannot accommodate motorized wheelchairs. The Presbyterian church has a ramp going up to the front entrance. We are working our way through the book of Acts as a weekly Bible study.

The group also comes together every Tuesday evening for supper at our house. Being in my own kitchen allows me to put together more interesting menus than when we held this at the church.

The group has also grown by a few people. We now have two younger girls who joins us regularly and their mother, when she is available.

Shelley has started work at Papa Bear's pizza, though it appears she is experiencing some difficulties there. We are encouraging her to stick with it a while longer. Shelley has also been baby sitting a couple nights a week. The mother goes to work and Shelley stays overnight in case someone is needed.

I continue to spend time fishing. I caught my fifth pink salmon today. I had been out there over an hour and I was packing it in, casting out for the last time when the fish hit. It fought valiantly but in the end I prevailed. The hook was quite securely set in its mouth. It turned out to be a 24.5 inch male. The photo below shows his spawning hump starting to develop.

Seems quite a few pinks in the sea

I went out around noon to see what I might or might not catch at low tide. I hooked another fish, probably a pink (did not see it) and I played with the line for a couple of minutes until suddenly the line broke. It wasn't going that hard and the place where it broke was unusual. I had just replaced the leader line on the lure with a brand new line, so there shouldn't have been any problems with it. Usually one of the knots would fail, but the break was in the middle of the leader. The only thing I can figure is that as the fish dove around, the line rubbed on rocks or barnacles and that caused the line to break.

This evening I went out to catch the high tide and not too long after I got out there, I hooked a pink and after several minutes of fighting I was able to land it and bring it home. It was 21 inches long.

Pink #3

I woke up this morning early, about 5 a.m. I did a few things and then about 6 a.m. looked out the window and couldn't help but notice how absolutely beautiful and perfect it was outside. The water was nice and calm. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to go and toss out the line. If I caught a fish, that would be a bonus.

Once out I saw pockets of schools of fish feeding near the surface. That could only mean salmon had to be nearby. I saw a few fish follow my lure but they were all pretty small.

It was after I had been out there close to an hour when I felt a definite tug and jerking on the line. I began to reel in and pulled tight after a few seconds to set the hook. Then it was a waiting game of letting the fish go out with the line, reeling it in, back and forth for several minutes until it was weakened enough to bring it home.

Once close enough to the shore I could see that it was definitely a pink and a good sized one at that. I pulled it in a few times to see if it was weak enough, but it still had strength to go out. Finally it no longer fought and I pulled it in. The tide was far enough out now that I could just drag it onto the beach - much less chance for it to give a final jerk and spit out the hook.

I took it home, measured and weighed it: 23.5 inches long and close to 4.5 pounds.

More salmon

This morning I cooked and consumed the last of the king salmon. I broiled it with some tarragon and then sprinkled some lemon zest and juice after I placed it on the plate.



I caught another pink salmon this afternoon. It was 20.75 inches long and weighed in at just over 3 pounds.



When I opened it up I discovered it was female with quite a bit of roe. I hadn't a clue how to get the roe prepared, or even if it was possible to do so. I saved it just in case. After I had finished with the fish, I searched on the web for instructions on preparing the roe. The simplest method I found is to prepare it in brine and save it in a jar. It is supposed to keep up to two weeks this way.