Lonesome Einar's and blueberry pickin'

Einar, a trapper from Norway, passed on in the 1950's (I think.) His other cabin was a 50 mile walk back up the peninsula.


Here's the legend: one day, near his trapping cabin, the one 50 miles yonder, he beheld the sight of a choice driftwood log, and a great one it must have been. Knowing that his axe was here at the cabin, he jogged the 50 miles, grabbed the tool, then retraced his steps to chop and split the find. What he did with it then we can only happily ponder.

As the rest of the pictures show, the Aleutian Isles (and the peninsula) are practically treeless. We did see a sitka spruce in False Pass last week in the lee of the mess hall, but otherwise its all dwarf willows and sitka alders - shrubs and small shrubs. Wind's the cause for the open slopes. These days, the locals get wood, still a useful fuel, by scanning the shores from skiffs usually, peaveying the logs down to the surf, driving into it an iron staple, roping it up and towing the wood back home. We nabbed on the first day here with Buck. I felt better about skipping out in the middle of the Seattle stream season digging that peavey in and prying as hard as I could. we are waiting for another calm day to go fetch another one.







Jen is now a shotgun toting berry harvester. Possibly not news for those who know her well. So far the gun's remained silent, except for basic training purposes - not Inde's favorite sound.



Oval-leaved blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium)


Upon our arrival and for about three more weeks, we were blessed with an abundance of blueberries. Stonewall Place is home to two species. The above mentioned and the low-lying blueberry, or bilberry (Vaccinium uliginsum). The sweeter, tastier one being the shrub-like Oval-leaved blueberry, although we happily devour either. We have gathered these delicious fruits numerous times to the north of Einer's cabin and just north of the house. We were sad to see them disappear last week. In order to hold on to their pleasure throughout the winter, we have bagged and frozen 13 quarts and made a gallon of wine.



Oh yeah, since we are surrounded by the Izembeck National Wildlife Refuge its only appropriate to wish everyone a very happy National Public Lands Day!