Blame it on the Paste: Day 61--June 27, 2013

Today I had planned to catch up many things because we hope to leave Fairbanks sometime tomorrow. Every evening, I cook enough so that Lyle and Gene can eat with us. After all, we are parked in their yard, so I feel it’s the least we can do. I had everything I needed to cook dinner for us. No trips to the store. I intended to get my laundry caught up, clean the motor home, and organize it for travel.

I was taking my time, relaxing in my nightgown, and catching up on emails. I was talking to my cousin on the phone when Richard (who I thought had gone to town) sticks his head in the door and yells, “Are you dressed?” I say no. He says, “Put your robe on. Lyle wants to talk to you a minute.”

I disconnect my call with Sandy, and go put my robe on. When I get back to the living room area, Lyle says he has a big favor he’d liked to ask of me. I couldn’t imagine what it was, but I couldn’t think of anything he could ask that I wouldn’t do. He told me that this friends Bernie and Connie Karl who own the Chena Hot Springs Resort, would be coming by around six with a couple the Karl’s were taking to the airport around 10:30. Lyle wanted to know if he could show them our bus and if I would bake another cake like I did last night so they could have dessert and coffee. I said of course. I had planned to make a coconut cream pie for dessert, but I had everything I needed to make another George Peanut Butter Fudge Cake.

Somewhere in the background I heard a voice say do you think they might eat dinner with us, too? I swear I think Richard said it, but he swears it was me. Not sure, but it was 12:30pm and they would be arriving about five and a half hours. I put the cake on to bake. Cleaned the bedroom. (I had to put the sorted clothes back into the hamper. Laundry would have to wait. I cleaned the bathroom and then clean the entire kitchen and set the table. I made sweet iced tea. I searched my freezer and cabinets. I scratched my head and finally I faced the fact I’d have to go to town to the grocery store.

I did that and was back at the bus cooking by 4:00. Dinner was ready at 6:00, but they were running a few minutes late. By 6:30, everyone was filling their plates and bellies with Panko/apricot chicken, Kathy’s potatoes, fresh green beans, cracker salad, cream cheese crescent rolls. Oh, yeah and Georgia Peanut Butter Fudge cake. I was pretty happy. It all went together as if I’d been planning it for weeks.

Bernie and Connie and their friends Ty and Sarah along with us and Lyle and Gene sat for a couple of hours exchanging stories. Bernie is pretty interesting and funny. He told a couple of stories I feel would fit right into Bertie’s world. I’ll save some of them for another day.

After they left, Richard helped me clean the kitchen which was rough on him because his back is still a little touchy. I was pretty tired from my cooking marathon, so I appreciated the help. Around midnight, we decided to go to the Transfer Site one more time since we will probably be leaving tomorrow. Check out the picture below. It was inevitable. There was the coolest Christmas tree complete with lights. I admit it, I caved.

I’m also posting a few pictures of Lyle and Gene preparing salmon in jars to be canned in large canning pressure cookers. It’s pretty interesting what they do to catch their limit under the subsistence program here in Alaska. I’ve been researching online and talking to everyone I can about the way it all works. Over the next day or two, I hope to do a blog about the fishing experience for resident of the state of Alaska.