Hey from Scammon Bay!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Groceries in Scammon Bay, Alaska

Hey Everyone! Several people have asked about

the availability and cost of groceries and other supplies

here in Scammon Bay. This blog entry is about our grocery stores.

All groceries, except for those caught by hunters,

fishers and berry pickers, come in by small bush planes.

This is the view from just outside my front door.

(except the tundra is gold and brown now! We had our first

snowfall yesterday! It accumulated for a while but has

already melted)

The runway is dirt/gravel. We have about 4 flights in everyday

unless the weather prevents it.

I enjoy seeing and hearing the planes come and go.

Deanna and Angel carry groceries home from the store.

Our General Store with one of my students, Steven.

4-wheelers are the mode of transportation in this village.

I want one! But the exercise of walking down into

the village is good for me, I know.

The store has just about everything in the way

of necessities. We don't have to go without. It's just that

the prices are quite a bit higher than in the Lower 48 States.

That's expected because the merchandise is transported across

many, many miles.

Lots of snack/junk foods and shelf staples.

Sailor Boy Pilot Bread is a box of big crackers.

They look like giant Ritz but taste like unleavened bread to me.

These are popular here and, I'm not sure, but may only

be sold in Alaska. They cost $9.95 a box.

This is the Pilot Bread. The cup gives you an idea

of the size of the cracker. I like the Pilot Bread with

my fried eggs, bacon and grape jelly breakfast.

I've seen people eat the Eskimo Ice Cream (Agutaq) on these.

Agutaq is made with Crisco,sugar, berries and, sometimes

other ingredients like fish. It's very good and it never melts!

The taste reminds me of that dessert made with Cool Whip, cherry pie filling

and Jello that was often at our church potlucks back in Arkansas.

Our school cook, Rose, makes delicious agutaq.

Lots of babies in Scammon Bay. And they are so

darn cute!

The checkout counter is always crowded. No "Speedy

Checkout with 20 items or less" here! This store

reminds me of Hankins Grocery in Oil Trough, Arkansas when

I was a kid.

Another store in town is Tisha's Snack Shack. It

carries similar items in addition to more bulk groceries.

We do have fresh produce in both stores on

occasion. I've seen bananas, apples, oranges,

tangerines, peaches,plums, strawberries, potatoes and

onions. When these come in they go fast! I've seldom

seen the leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, and cabbage.

Of course we have frozen pizza!

We do have shopping carts! And an ATM in the

far right corner of this picture.

Here are a few things I've purchased at the store and

the prices. You can do a comparison with the prices

here with where you live.

Olives $6.99, Ranch Dip $3.89,

Sour Cream $3.59, Sweet Pickle Relish $ 6.79,

Maxwell House Coffee $18.49, Folger's Instant

Cappocino $7.19, G2 Sport Drink Mix $8.39 ,

Tostitos $7.89, 1 Dz Eggs $4.29, also a 16 oz

bottle of Kraft Italian Dressing $6.49. .

Here's a receipt. I know it's all junk food except for the

bananas. I thought that I'd quit junk food in remote Alaska--

Ha! Not. Don't judge. :)

Look what I found in Scammon Bay General Store!

So I drank this Coke in honor of my brother, Buddy

and wished he was here to go hunting and fishing

and let me tag along.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Moose Hunting!

Our assistant principal, Harley Sundown and his sons took us moose hunting! The Sundowns are a well-respected and well-known Eskimo family.

Loading the boat on the Kun River with Scammon Bay village and the Askinuk Mountains in the background. Our journey would take us ( 3 boats) down river into the Bering Sea. We would follow the coastline for a couple hours then turn up into the Black River and head for Kuzilvak Mountain to make camp. We left about 6 pm. and made camp about midnight. It was still bright daylight.

Young hunters in the front of the boat on the lookout for moose moving about the tundra.

Stewy, hoping to "catch" his first moose. Stewy is about 9 years old. He is Harley's grandson. The Eskimos say "catch or caught" instead of "kill or shot" a moose. Someone explained to me that they believe the moose allows itself to be caught and willingly gives it's life to them.

Our camp on the banks of the Black River. Tundra is lumpy and soft. But it's wet, too. Thankfully there was a constant breeze which kept the mosquitoes at bay. This was my first time to ever really, I mean really, go camping. No paved roads. No roads at all. No Port-a-Potty. No stores just over the hill. No phone or Internet service. Just gorgeous tundra wilderness.

Kuzilvak Mountain and the Black River from our campsite.

Sunset over the Black River.

We hunted Friday night and all day Saturday through the many tributaries and lakes winding across the tundra. It was fun! Harley ramped the boat over beaver dams!

But as the day went on, we didn't see any moose and we were beginning to give up hope.

Everyone scanning for a glimpse of moose. Then suddenly Harley whips the boat around and the hunters jump to attention! There's 5 moose walking across the tundra. Jerry and Theodore take aim and shoot. Several shots are fired. One moose goes down. Then a second moose goes down! Harley pulls the boat to shore and everyone takes off running toward the felled moose. Well, everyone except for me. My boots sunk into the muck and filled with water. So while I was trying to extract myself from the tundra and pouring water from my boots----they were already butchering the moose.

Harley with two of his sons, Theodore and Cassius.

Harley's son Jerry and my roommate, Allie.

Harley showing his sons how to butcher a moose--an essential skill for subsistence living and being an Eskimo man. As Harley was working, he said "God has not forgotten us."

Those antlers will be displayed outside the Sundown home to let the villagers know of their successful hunt.

Young hunters enjoying the fruits of their work---moose chili. Moose hunting is hard work. They helped butcher and carry two moose across the mushy, mucky tundra to the boat. I was impressed! I could barely stay upright.

Eskimo culture is a sharing culture. They always share with others in the village. The Sundowns gave us two moose legs. There's a lot of meat on a moose leg. I think we have plenty of meat for the coming winter---and I am very thankful.

This pic is Drew and Holly (from Kansas City) and Allie (from Maine) admiring our first moose meal---- ribs!

What a wonderful experience it was to go moose hunting with the Sundowns!

The Lord's blessings abound!