SOWING AND REAPING IN ALASKA - Haines, Alaska Aug 2017

SOWING AND REAPING IN ALASKA

Haines, Alaska  July 2017

Leah and her flowers

Going to visit Leah and Nick in Alaska has become an annual trip, but this visit was going to be different. We would be there for an entire month, seeing the constructed yurt for the first time and really getting to know what their day-to-day life was like.

Zurg...the yurt

But it was also going to be different on another level: We were there to help with the farm. Nick had taken a job which required him to be gone 10 days at a time.

Leah was clearly burning out on working the farm alone and being wait-staff at The Pilot Light restaurant. It was amazing for us to see how much she had accomplished to date and her orientation during the Garden Tour left no doubt about her growing expertise.

Alaskan Gothic

Our room with a view

We were immediately put to work clearing weeds by hand in the field. It was grueling work but all the more satisfying knowing how much it meant to Leah and Nick. Nick, fortunately, ended his forestry work just days before our arrival so we soon became a fully-committed team.

Mike was treated to a one-week fishing license (Fathers Day gift fulfilled) and caught 22 Pink Salmon in five days. He sadly had to release most of them when Leah informed him that this particular salmon is held with great disdain in Alaska. She wanted to make sure there was enough room in the freezer for her prized Coho Salmon.

Engaged!!!

The view from the pavilion

Nicks parents, Keven and Brent, arrived after a 15-hour drive from Anchorage in their Sprinter RV "Reg." Nick  surprised us all by proposing to Leah mid-toast while we were gathered in our condo's kitchen.  

It made for a festive weekend of wedding planning. The pavilion on Letnikof Cove was reserved which has an amazing view. In July 2018 we return for the big event! We managed to talk Leah and Nick into an overnight trip to Skagway (Leah had never been) to celebrate their engagement.

Doing  a polar swim

Fishnets and Chainsaws

The weather in Haines can be unpredictable at best. We had one weekend of sunny days at nearly 80 degrees which was perfect for an afternoon of kayaking. 

Fortunately, it was the same weekend Brent, Keven and Hannah were there. The glacial water was so cold but that didn't stop Eileen, Leah, and Hannah from taking a frigid dip-- mainly on a dare.

Nick at the hammer

Haines doesn't pretend to be anything other than itself, a classic Alaskan seaside town right out of an episode of Northern Exposure. During our stay the Southeast Alaska Fair (a mini version of the Alaska State Fair) took place.

It's a throwback to another time when this small town hosts thousands of people. The food, music and all around fun made for a great weekend, not to mention dancing to our new favorite band, "Delhi to Dublin," which we had seen the month before in Victoria.

Haines is clearly a unique place and we enjoyed immersing ourselves in its local color, even if it was only for a month.