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     We're pleased that you've chosen to continue reading Nancy Chamber's virtual journal concerning life in America's last frontier.  If you would like to write Nancy with your comments, you may email them to her in care of station KNLS.

May 25

     It's Memorial Day, a day in the US set aside to remember Americans that have died fighting for our country. Most businesses are closed, and there is no school. For us it is the first day of king (Chinook) salmon fishing in the Anchor River. It has become a family tradition, to be on the river and ready to fish at midnight when the season officially opens. We continue fishing until it is too dark to see to tie on gear, usually about 3 am. We'll sleep only as long as the sun is down, about three hours, then we're back on the river. A bit later in the morning we'll leave the water for a few minutes to have breakfast in a local restaurant, then back to the river again. This will go on for 3 days. The fishing ends Monday night, but we'll start all over again next weekend. 

June 1

     I'm trying to get everything planted. The flower beds look good, and the garden is nearly done. I still have to plant (from seed) peas and carrots. We used raised beds, and then covered that with black plastic sheets. This is to keep the soil warm enough. We poked holes in it for water and to plant the seedlings. With our long days, once they're in the ground, vegetables grow fast.

June 21

     Kevin and the boys worked on the new addition to our house today. After dinner some of the boys' friends came and they decided to play basketball out in the driveway, and at 11 PM the sun was still shining brightly. It is easier to adjust to long hours of daylight than the darkness, although last night I did have to cover the windows to sleep.

July 4

     Today is a national holiday, Independence Day. In many parts of the US it is celebrated with fireworks displays. Here the nights are not dark enough to see them, so we didn't bother. Instead we spent the day fishing for halibut. We took our boat out on Cook Inlet , and put herring and big weights on the end of the line. We let it down about 100 feet to the bottom, where the halibut are. The biggest one caught today was about 40 pounds, but my mother pulled in a huge fish, 130 pounds, a few years ago.

July 20

Kevin had some time off from work, so we decided to take a trip in our kayak. We went to a bay in Prince William Sound. At the head of the bay are several tidewater glaciers (glaciers that end at the ocean). It is so beautiful there and the wildlife is amazing. Besides the millions of birds, we saw seals, sea otters, porpoises, even a humpback whale. It took four days to make the trip, so we camped on the beach each night, and cooked dinner on a small stove.

August 4

     We're sitting on a hill overlooking Crescent Lake. It's one of our favorite spots to hike to. Kevin and the boys bring waders and fishing poles to fish for grayling in the mornings, but we also spend a lot of time sitting around the camp visiting, napping, snacking, or looking at wild flowers. Whenever we go outdoors in the summer, it's important to use insect repellent. The mosquitoes and biting flies can be vicious.

August 15

     Our local community orchestra is preparing for a performance tonight, I play violin with them. Each year we rehearse through the summer for this. We usually have a guest artist perform a solo with us. This year we have Linda Rosenthal, a violinist from Juneau. She's playing the Bruch Violin Concerto. I think it's our best performance ever.

August 31

It's time to go back to school. We drove to Soldotna, 50 miles away to shop for clothes and school supplies. Even though our oldest son is not happy about school, he is excited that football season is here. He loves to play and thinks the season is too short. Sometimes it is so cold watching the games we bring sleeping bags to wrap up in.  It's also time to harvest the garden. It could frost any day now, but I probably have a week or two more. The broccoli and cauliflower grew really well, as did the potatoes and carrots. But the peas didn't have quite enough time.  Last week I went to a patch of blueberries and picked enough for the winter. I like to freeze them and use them in pancakes and muffins. This week I plan to pick cranberries for a good relish. But friends of ours put them in a juicer for the juice. There are many different types of berries that grow wild in the area. People make many kinds of jams and jellies. I know one woman who makes "fireweed jelly", she boils the bright pink flowers and adds sugar.

Are you enjoying your visit with the Chamber's family?   If so, you may wish to continue Nancy Chamber's virtual Alaska journal.

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