CRACK!

Monday, August 03, 2009

The writer rose at six thirty to say one last goodbye to the folks leaving but they were already gone.

He went back to bed.

Glancing at the thermometer before returning to bed he saw it was forty four.

He and Onie woke at eleven.  When he went out to get the paper he found keys to Kurt’s house and camper on the picnic table along with an assortment of beer.

Inside Onie was getting brunch ready, soup and cornbread.  Onie had coffee and the writer had Chai tea.

Fed and thirsts slaked Onie sorted clothes while I made notes for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  It took both of us to recall the events and get the notes made then it was off to the laundry.  Onie carried one load of clothes and the author carried the rest with the soap.  When the washers were loaded and running Pawpaw went back to the coach , gathered items left from soup night and returned them to their owners.  A movie was taken to Priscilla and then it was back to writing.  But before the writing was commenced the writer stopped to visit with Ruth who was taking in the very warm sun.  A quick glance around showed several other ladies laying out on loungers.  Those not laying out were strolling about in shorts and tank tops.

Onie coming in the door with a basket full of clothes said the wash was progressing nicely.  While the writer was helping her with it Bill and Nancy stopped by to visit.  We sat outside and talked until Onie left to go back to check on the clothes still in driers.  The Hagers stayed on until Onie signaled from the house that she needed my help, the clothes were ready. I hustled off to help her and the Hagers headed for town.

After we had hung up some clothes and stored the rest we settled in for a little Bookworm.  She has her game up over one million and we pressed it for another two hundred thousand.

The river was calling and the writer, in his shorts and tee shirt, pulled on his waders while Onie got her’s on, then it was off to the submerged grate.

The level of the river seems to have fallen about four inches but it is still in flood stage and navigating on the grate, which can’t be seen, is tricky.  A misstep and one is in the water.  Apparently the mud and debris from the broken dam has passed us for the most part and the river water seems to be clearing, a bit, but still has a way to go before it is back to normal for this time of year.

We hadn’t been at the grate too long when the writer hung into a good sized red.  It was putting up a good fight when a loud crack announced a failed rod.  Now holding on to a rod two third’s its original length the writer struggled to get the fish to shore and on his stringer.  In a bit the fish was strung but the writer was without a rod.  Not to worry.  Kurt had left one of his rods leaning against the coach.  The writer retrieved it and continued fishing.  Sometime later when both Onie and Pawpaw had their limits he floated the stringer down the grate to the cleaning table.  Onie headed to the coach to fix supper.

The temp had been dropping as the fish had been strung.  Now with fingers growing colder by the minute the writer stood in knee deep water and filleted the catch.  Overhead clouds were gathering and taking on a darker shade of gray.  When the last fish carcass had been flung into the fast moving Kenai the writer rinsed his knife, filet glove, skinning pliers, stringer and numb fingers.  His five gallon bucket was half full of fresh sockeye filets.

Weary legs carried him and his load back to the Marlin where Onie waited.  Inside she had the heater running and a hot drink waiting for him.  He sunk onto the couch and gratefully accepted the drink and warmth.

Warmer and a bit refreshed he moved to the dinette where sliced tomato and avocado waited along with grilled chicken and okra and onions.

After supper the two played Bookworm before watching a movie they had borrowed from Priscilla, Last Chance Harvey.

They went to sleep at midnight.

END OF FIREWEED

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

If only some of this rain could fall on Coldspring it might save a few of our azaleas but we are thankful for it here as it continues to make our flowers here bloom and thrive.

At nine we sat to read the paper, do the crosswords and have our breakfast, hot biscuits, bacon, tea, coffee, figs, marmalade and fireweed jelly, courtesy of Priscilla.  That was the last of the fireweed blooms she had picked to make the jelly but it was a good end as far as we were concerned.

The rain was still falling at noon and the temp had just managed to reach fifty seven.

Some things go on regardless of weather.  We were out of water so the writer ventured out in the rain to fill the tank.  Onie was busy cutting up yesterday’s catch for canning and smoking.  She made the brine and placed the fish in it, a plate on top to hold the fish under the brine.

The writer was uninspired by the gloomy day but sat and made notes and wrote anyway.

With her kitchen work done Onie had an inspiration which quickly took hold in the writer’s breast, we would go to town together, just the two of us, and spend an afternoon holding hands and shopping.  With smiles on our faces we went out into the rain which was no longer cold or wet.

In Soldotna our first stop was at the Moose Is Loose, a bakery here.  We had apple fritters, a latte and a Chai tea, lingering at the table while we enjoyed our quiet time together.  Our next stop was the bank to cash checks and then it was on to Trustworthy Hardware to return the pole that had given up yesterday.  The lady there warranted it giving us a new one at no cost to us.  We bought an extra, just in case.  At Safeway we wandered up and down the aisles doing my favorite kind of shopping, coupon.  With nothing but coupon buys in the cart, save a watermelon, we checked out and headed up to Fred Meyer, in the rain.  At Freddie’s we shopped for veggies and clothing deals, more coupons, before heading home, in the rain, at five thirty.

We had plenty of fresh water and we had plenty of used water in our holding tanks so it was out into rain to empty those.  The four wheeler is up the hill, locked in the garage until next spring so the writer used the toad to tow the honey wagon.

Back in the Marlin notes were made about our full fun day and then previous days notes were expanded until six thirty.

At seven the Hager’s showed up for a date to go to Magpies Pizza.  The rain had stopped but the thermometer had started dropping from its high of fifty six.  With Nancy driving we made our way to the pizza place.

Inside we were seated at a table for four but before our food arrived the table was expanded to accommodate six when Mike and his wife, Margarete, showed up.  The company was great even if the service was lacking something, like a smile, and the food was somewhat forgettable.  Even so we stayed until ten, when the place closed.

Bill and Nancy invited us to stop by for a game of Skip-Bo, when we got home.  We dropped off our box of pizza, we didn’t eat all of it, and walked to their rig.

The first game was hardly a contest as Onie and Nancy seemed to have all the Skip-Bo cards while Bill and I couldn’t draw a one.  The second game the tables were reversed with Bill and me having the luck and the girls having to watch.

The games were over at one twenty.  Onie and the writer walked the short distance to the Marlin in complete darkness except for the dim light cast by the full moon which was almost completely obscured by the low clouds, scudding along before a high altitude wind.  Where we were not a leaf stirred.

In the coach Onie took her pills and headed to bed.  The writer made notes and wrote until three.

POSTED

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Late nights mean late risings and Onie got up at eleven while Pawpaw rose an hour later.

Onie checked her email, the market and the fish count which was twelve thousand seven hundred.  The numbers are dropping but we can still catch fish.

With Pawpaw stirring Onie fixed steel cut oats with all the trimmings, biscuits and tea.  While Onie worked the crossword Pawpaw read the paper.

Breakfast at an end Onie showered and dressed while the writer proofed week ten and worked on week eleven.  His writing was interrupted for a minute when Sandy came by inquiring about Onie.  The writer told Sandy there would be snacks here, tonight. Back at his laptop he finished week eleven, put it on the stick and laid it next to Onie’s laptop before making notes on today and starting to write week twelve.

Onie posted week ten and then worked on halibut dishes for tonight.  The writer went to catch some reds.  An hour alter he had his limit and had them cleaned.

Ted and Chuck were at the river and the writer stopped to visit on his way back to the Marlin.

With the fish in Onie’s capable hands the writer and Sidney went up to the house.  The splitting maul was needed as well as a piece of plastic pipe that had been used in filling the boiler which is now working, keeping the house comfortable.

Back at the coach Sidney split wood for the impending party at Sandy’s and then worked on the GFI plug on the outside of our shed.  It has been difficult to use as it trips every time something is plugged in.

Inside the coach was a beehive of activity as Onie cooked halibut, two different ways.

At six folks started gathering at Sandy and Dennis’s for Hor’s d Ovres.  What was supposed to be snacks turned into a full blown meal.

Several requests were soon made for the boom box and more music from our library, fifties and sixties tunes for the most part.  The requested music and player were brought forth and soon the air was filled with the sounds of the oldies.  Of course a lot of the folks present thought it was contemporary music but two or three folks, those in their teens, had never heard any of it.

Once again a chill in the air called for a campfire.  It was lit and chairs pulled close.  We stayed until nine when the writer left to go take the fish from brine and get them on drying racks, in the shed.  Onie applied the seasoning.

Inside the coach the writer made a few notes and Onie started Fireproof.  Pastor Tim had sent the DVD home with the writer so Onie could watch with close caption.

When notes had been made the writer joined Onie, to finish the movie which was over at one.

Then it was time to sleep.

During the night, rain fell.

SILVER FOR KURT

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The nights are still relatively warm with the low last night only reaching forty four.  In a couple of weeks or less we will have freezing temps at night and another blanket will be taken from the closet and placed on our bed.

By breakfast, at eleven, the temp had risen to fifty seven.

The daily posting of the red count on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website placed yesterday’s numbers at around twelve thousand.

This morning we had a bonus newspaper, The Soldotna Clarion.  It and the Anchorage Daily News were read while we ate warmed up pizza.  With the news digested we worked crosswords before turning our attention to Bookworm and note making.

Then it was off to the showers.

Clean once more and back at the shed the fish were placed in the smoker, time and temp set and then it was time to start the canning process.   The writer did what he could to help Onie with it.  At three thirty the canner was heating/going.

With that project underway she turned her attention to packaging and freezing two silvers for Kurt.

Clouds were replaced by bright sunlight when we went down to fish at four thirty but the air remained a cool sixty degrees.

An hour later we had our limits.  A quick trip was made into Custom to drop off the filets before we sat down to another helping of Sandy’s salmon.

Supper was followed by The Bounders with Glenn Ford.

The TV went off at one. 

FALLING

Friday, August 07, 2009

Onie was up at eight and quickly off to the shower in the lodge.  Today would be another day of visiting yard sales for her and many of the ladies in camp.  Back in the coach she had her breakfast and made me a pot of tea before heading out the door at ten.

The sound of the closing door woke me.  In the kitchen I found the tea and sat down with a cup and the paper.  Later the fridge was raided for some cold pizza which was nuked before it was eaten, with more tea.  Even more tea was drunk as I worked two crosswords.

At the laptop Monday’s story was finished before notes of this morning were made.

A quick shower was taken in the coach and then I dressed and headed off to check the river.  It had dropped at least three inches overnight, and the water was clearing nicely.  It should be back to normal before too much longer.  The bright sun reflected off the river causing me to retreat to the motor home in search of sun glasses.  Once inside a quick check of the thermometer told me it was sixty degrees.

I sat down at the laptop and began a game of Bookworm.  Two hours later I was still seated at the laptop.

Glancing out the window I saw Dennis and Chelsea fishing.  Abandoning the laptop I joined them.  We fished and visited for the next two hours and while the fish were slow in coming I managed to get a limit.

By then Onie was back from her day of searching for treasures with her lady friends.  They had had a good time and of course they had eaten lunch, out, and she had found some great buys.  Among those was an almost new printer complete with software and manuals.  The previous owner was going wireless and had sold it for ten dollars.  In addition to the printer she had bought a coat for herself for two dollars and a nice set of bookends for me, price undisclosed. 

When we had looked at everything and she had modeled her coat she got our supper out of the fridge, Sandy’s salmon.  Once again it was delicious.

After supper I went to the grate, got the fish, went to the cleaning table where they were skinned and filleted.

Back in the coach Onie got the fish in the fridge.  We were accumulating fish to can and smoke.  Some fish had been frozen against the time when we would use them with this most recent catch.

At ten we settled in to watch GSN and at midnight we settled into bed to sleep.

OKTOBERFEST

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Cloudy skies kept the temp from falling below forty but not much.  It was forty one at seven.

Onie decided to face the day around eight thirty and Pawpaw followed her about nine.  The clouds still prevailed.

At breakfast we made our plans for the day.

Agency work was done and a bank deposit prepared to be mailed while Onie cleaned the kitchen.

Now we started to work our plan.  We drove into Soldotna where we went to the post office to post our mail and then on to Freddies and Safeway to shop for stuff for tonight.

In town we had opted not to stop at the Moose Is Loose for fritters and hot drinks.  Instead we had bought two boxes of “two bite” size blueberry scones at Freddies.  Now back home we made Chai tea and coffee and sat down to enjoy some of the scones.

Later Onie worked on her salad and deviled eggs for the party this evening.

Pawpaw fished, then cleaned his limit for Onie to freeze to be canned later.

A visit was paid to Sandy and Dennis’s rig where we talked about the party tonight, Oktoberfest, up at the cabins, hosted by Mike and Margarete.  Readers from past years may remember that Margarete is an accomplished gifted pianist.  She can’t bring her piano with her and doesn’t have one here but Sandy does have an electronic keyboard, hence the visit to talk her into taking the keyboard to the party.  When we get it there we will prevail on Margarete to play for us.  Perhaps we will even have a little sing-a-long.  As in the past Sandy very graciously agreed to take her keyboard.

Six o’clock saw a string of cars and pickups headed up the hill to the cabins for Oktoberfest.  Brats, sauerkraut, potato salad, baked beans, green salad, pickled okra, asparagus, etc, along with lots of breads and deserts graced the tables.  The Brats and sauerkraut were furnished by the host and hostess and the rest were brought by various ladies.

Onie with Alan and Marguerite. Perfect Oktoberfest hat provided by Priscilla Gotto.

When most had eaten their fill a table was set up with the keyboard and Margarete sat down to play for us.  We sat in chairs we had brought or on picnic tables.

Hostess and entertainer, Marguerite Richardson.

Young entertainer Alex Hickel.

Sandy and Dennis Camp, Amy in background

Bill and Nancy Hager

Chelsey Eager and Chuck Lockner

Dixie Eager

Kaye Harpel and Barbara Johnson

Charcoal, a member of Don and Julie Hickel's family.

Julie Hickel

Donnie Hickel

Lavon Lockner

View of Kurt and Becky Tatsumi's beautiful new cabin from the area

where we had the Oktoberfest.

A little distance a way a campfire was lit.  Marguerite played until ten when the cold had crept so far into her fingers that she was having difficulty feeling the keys.

Wrapping up the evening--Sandy, Sylvia, Marguerite and Kaye.

The keyboard and table were put away and then Onie and I stayed to help clean up.  The rest of the crowd went back down the hill, some to bed and some to start another campfire.

We were back at the coach at ten thirty.  On the way home we had passed Don and Julie’s where a campfire was blazing.  Several chairs were drawn up close as the occupants tried to keep off the cold.  We were invited to come back and we did where we stayed until after eleven when we walked home.

Tired and cold we went to bed.

TIMING

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Fall may be coming.  It was thirty nine this morning at five.

We got up at nine to get ready for church.  We had our coffee and tea along with our cereal and morning paper before heading off to take showers and then dress for church.

At twenty minutes to eleven we picked Margarete up to go to church with us.

Attendance at church is down a bit as summer folks and short term tourists have begun leaving.  Even so the church was nearly full.  Pastor Weekly brought a good sermon on the importance of the Bible entitled Not an Ordinary Book.

The writer visited with his wife, Julie, a native Houstonian, just a little, about the Astros, before leaving church.

In many things timing is important and it is very important when it comes to seeing wildlife.  A minute too early and one misses it.  A minute too late and it is gone.  Today our timing was good.  On the way home, on the gravel road just outside the camp, we saw a cow moose crossing the road.  We stopped to watch her as she went down into the little vale next to the road to eat and drink from the rill that runs there.  While we were watching her twin calves walked across the road, behind the car, to join her.  When mom and her offspring had advanced so far into the brush we could no longer see them we continued on home, arriving at twelve thirty.

We changed clothes.

At Sidney and Barbs the writer had a couple of bites of barbecued ribs.  Onie passed.

The next twenty minutes were spent, by the writer, fishing during which time he strung one fish.

Onie was preparing to help Margarete with her first canning experience.  Canning takes fresh water and creates waste water.  Our holding tanks were full so the fishing was stopped and the task of emptying tanks undertaken.  In addition a fresh propane tank was hooked up to the cooker.

Kurt and his group had left early their last morning and hadn’t had time to empty his tanks.  He had asked the writer to take care of that task for him so that was done as well.

Onie and Margarete were canning and visiting.

The day turned hot, so hot that the motor that operates the pump for emptying the tanks overheated and quit.  This caused a delay in finishing the job of emptying tanks while the writer waited for the motor to cool.

Five o’clock found the writer back on the grate, fishing again.  He was still there at eight having strung only one more fish. 

The grate was deserted in favor of the dinner plate.  It had sliced tomato and avocado as well as brats and sauerkraut on it.

Weary but not ready for sleep we went to bed where we watched Cary Grant in Mister Lucky.

Somewhere in the movie the weary caught up with us and we were ready for sleep, dozing through the last part of the old flick. 

As the closing credits were scrolling down the screen we turned off the TV and went to sleep for the night.  It was midnight.