moose meat

(photo credit: Adrienne)

I can't emphasize to you how much I love Alaska so far. Everything about it is beautiful and unique. The air is crisp and fresh. Adrienne and I have walked around Unalakleet a lot so we know where most places are now. We've picked berries out in the open tundra, explored the remains of a crashed plane, petted dirty native dogs, took pictures of very expensive cereal, looked at drying fish, touched the skin of a musk oxe, visited Kira (school counselor in UNK) a million times at her apartment, met our mystery housemate and fellow teacher Willis, tried to lean on the wind, and talked to kids who might have been drinking beer (but we're not sure). We also visited a "baby puppy" that Adrienne was in love with named Dink.

Dink's owner shot a moose this morning around 7 a.m. about 30 miles upriver. He said it was the biggest one he had ever caught. I use the word "caught" specifically because natives say they "catch a bear" or "catch a moose"...the way we would say "catch a fish" or "catch a cab."

He dragged the moose out of his boat, wrapped it up in the blue tarp, and hauled it off with his ATV. He said that he'd hang it up for a few days and let the blood drip. That makes it tender. I asked him how long that meat will last him, and he said it'll last a whole winter. I'm pretty sure that Adrienne and I need to catch a moose for Diomede now.