It's Time for a Smoke



Cold morning on the river

 Winter is so close that I can feel it, literally! The wind the past few days has been voracious, devouring the leaves from the trees and making its howling presence known. Because of that, my attempt at smoking fish has been a trying one. I’ve smoked fish before, mind you. However, this is my first try in the tundra. There is no place that is completely out of the wind other than inside the house. I started with the smoker underneath a corner of the house but came out to check on it a couple of hours later and the lid had blown off. So, I moved it into our back door mud room but it wasn’t long before our kitchen smelled like a smokehouse. Then, I moved it to the back steps, and bungee chorded it down to keep it from shifting with the wind. It has now been there for 28 hours and the fish is still smoking, slowly smoking.



The Salmon has been brined and prepared for the smoker.

The temps didn’t get out of the 30’s today and with those 30mph winds, it felt like winter… at least it felt like winter in Homer. I took Nali out for a walk and my ears hurt and my jaw was frozen by the time we came in 15 minutes later – a hat is in order for my next venture outdoors, that’s for sure. Locals here tell me that it isn’t unusual for it to be 60 below in the winter. I’m a believer now with this cold wind in September.

I do like winter better than all the other seasons put together. I love the snowy blanket covering everything in its path. I love the howl of the wind. I love the comfort of a warm house after spending too long outside. I love the deceptively sunny days… deceiving you into going outside to enjoy the sun’s warmth, but the frigid air snaps at you the moment you open the door. I love the long nights, giving sloth a reason to come in and bed with you.

The final resting place for the smoker.

However, will I love 60 below and the isolation that brings? Will I love the snow drifting in under the outside door in my classroom? Will I love the creeping cold air as it finds its way through the cracks in the classroom walls? Will I love the fact that the heaters are old and broken in my classroom? I may not love it, but I will savor it – I can promise you that. It is an experience that will mold my soul and shape my future. What’s not to love about that?