Day 2 - FISH CAMP 22

Household Day's total - 46
Group Day's Total 102
Trip Total - 160 
Household total - 61
Group Allowance - 315 (We will NOT catch this many!)

There you go - I'll put the fish totals at the tops of the posts....for those who want just the facts. Keep in mind this is SUBSISTENCE fishing and is only for Alaskan citizens. These are the totals set by the state Fish and Game.  Our goal is NOT the total 315...but with supply chain issues and the cost of everything rising...this will be incredibly helpful - AND it's HEALTHY. 

The fire is greatly appreciated on 37* mornings. Danny is not sure what he thinks about the whole "tent thing" afterall....but Arielle thought ahead and brought plenty of blueberry muffins. 

Everything is better with blueberry muffins. 

It's SO MUCH warmer in the sleeping bag! 

Nothing better than camping breakfast to get a day going! 

Carrey and the kids 

Oh, yeah! Danny is definitely waking up! The day is looking brighter. 

The girls pulled out the treats for the kids from Bachan and Papa's Treasure chest... LOL Actually these were slated for Friday so maybe they got them Friday night....On second look I think they got last nights and today's at the same time. LOL 

Benny's love language has to be gifts...at least giving and quite possibly receiving. 

Kids of my heart...

The morning was spent filleting and sealing last night's cleaned catch.  They are now resting in the freezer. What a great way to begin a fishing day! 

Nice fish! Krista, Cory, Alex

Cy, Luke, Cory, Alex...

Jerry, Carrie's Dad and Alex

Armed with paper towels and bags this crew packages what the others have filleted. 

Maria, Allie, Stacia, Arielle

Danny moved from Arielle's back to overseeing their sealer. 

Liv enjoying the animals around the "Ranch". 

Uncle Luke and Livvie

I began to see text traffic that they were being turned away at the parking as they tried to get to the beach for today's tide. In the end they parked on a bluff and walked down....and then Arielle and Maria drove around until they could find parking, while the others started fishing.  Without further ado here is a photo dump of an Alaska Day on the Beach. 

Jared and Jamin (being buried alive) came down to fish for the day. They must have done some fishing as I hear they are satisfied with their catch and heading home. Allie will come home with them as well. 

Uncles are such fun! 

Such a cheery shore crew! LOL 

Carrie and her Dad, Jerry

Danny

Livie

Carrie and Livie (Cy's gals)

Cy

Luke and Krista

Jerry

A whole lot of family

Alex, Arielle, Jamin, Stacia, Allie

The family

Fun on the beach 

Krista, Livie, Arielle, Danny, Stacia

Benny helps Krista

Late breaking photos from Arielle (she was making the meal tonight and didn't get to photos earlier). 

She shared Danny's first impressions of the beach made her laugh. "He keep 'oohing' at the boats going by and was NOT impressed with fish slime! Benny loved bonking again and the added fun of beach play with Livie and Danny. " Yes, 5 years ago Benny was the only baby with us...it is fun to have more on the beach. 

EW! Fish slime! 

Jamin, Jared and Allie are on their way home this evening. Luke, Krista, Maria, Cy, Carrie and her folks will be leaving tomorrow.  It will be down to CoRielle and our crew....I think Izaak and his friend are coming in on Monday.  The bulk of the catch is over....

*I KNOW the photos are wonky. It's got to be something about iphone and my samsung. When Maria sends photos they are clear. When Arielle and Carrie send a lot of photos they arrive as thumbnails that don't blow up. As I catch photos from FB, I'll switch them out with these. LOL 

FIFTH YEAR OF FISH CAMP - DAY ONE

Household total - 15
Group - Total 58 
Trip Total - 58
Group Allowance - 315 (We will NOT catch this many!)

It happens every year in the busy, frantic, manic space between the end of winter and the start of the following winter. The blog disappears. I am encouraged I made it all the way to June 18th before disappearing this year. LOL I have goals to recapture the missing weeks...

How does one begin to catch up when life continues on - I suppose one just begins? And the first day of Fish Camp is as good a place to begin as anywhere. 

After a week of "serious" prepping, today was the morning we pulled together from our various homes for the annual trek to Fish Camp. The goal: fill the freezers with fresh, wild, Alaskan sockeye salmon (reds).  On a side note, this is our FIFTH year of dip-netting. HOW could that be? Insert thoughts on the passing of time...

Benny went on his first dip-netting trip when he was just eight months old. He knows the routine. He reminds me of key elements I forget (like dinosaur shaped ice for lunch) and is quick to help with all the little chores. 

Papa and Benny bring in the slides

Loaded and waiting patiently

Tired but willing....poor Allie closed last night and was up and 
in the RV by 0800. 

There comes a point where everyone, but Michael and Cory, are loaded. The two of them do the walk arounds...adjust tire pressure....

...and it is time for Millie and me to leave the RV....Millie is quite sure she is getting the short end of this "stick." 

And they are off!

As everyone left and I was "left behind," I reminded them to send photos and info and I'd document it on the blog. I finished Grandpa's morning routine and then LIT CANDLES...My goal for these days is to RELAX...nap when Dad naps...refresh. I'm weary. 

As I enjoyed my candles and a book on finding spiritual whitespace photos began to arrive in my text feed. All the photos of fish camp are from family: Maria, Arielle, Carrie, Krista and others....

Everyone was racing for Kenai...dead stop in construction outside of Anchorage, now passing Hope turn-off, passed Hope 15 minutes ago, passing Cooper Landing...and on they raced. CyRi arrived first. 

Carrie, Liv in the back, Josiah 

Arielle, Benny, Danny, Cory 

This year's camp will have several new elements. First, I'm not attending. Second, three of the girls each took a communal meal to plan and cook.  Third, both CyRi and KrUke secured tent sites in "the pasture" as we simply can't fit everyone in one site any longer. I'm sure there will be other unique factors this year...

CyRi's site...📷by Carrie

Luke and Krista suit up at the campsite. Maria is along on the trip. She is not allowed to help with the fish in any way on the beach...she is taking the majority of the photos I will share. She is also going to be helping with children and meals....

It has been raining for three weeks!  I was happy to hear that it is a bit cold and windy, but so far it hasn't been raining on the crew. 

Luke caught the first fish of this year's extravaganza- and while I don't have a photo of him catching the fish, I DO have a photo of the fish. The "L" Arielle is making with her hand signals this is Luke's fish. 

I'm stymied on how to organize photos or even know what I'm seeing. I think I'm simply going to do a photo dump. LOL Michael reports 15 fish on the first tide. He said it was a slow start...but it's a start. 

Arielle sent this summary, "Day one! Luke got the first salmon, then Allie, then Cory. The sun was bright with some crazy waves and chilly wind, but all were grateful for no rain! If I'm making a weird hand signal, I'm trying to make the letter for whose fish it is. (This goes beyond the call of shore duty! They aren't going to need me next year. LOL) Stacia manned the camp and loved on the boys." 

Stacia with CoRielle's boys 

Allie (2nd fish) and Liv

Carrie, Arielle, Krista, Alex, Allie

Mike, Allie, Luke, ?, Liv, Carrie, C, Maria 

Cory - 3rd fish of the trip 

Krista and Allie

Assembling nets

So GLAD Alex is fishing this year 

Josiah taking a turn at shore duty

Arielle and Livie

While beach photos began to hit my feed...I relaxed at the nail salon. 

I picked up more meds for Dad and then Nolan, Dad and I finished off leftovers for dinner. Nolan is using the time to get caught up, maybe ahead, on his capstone project for college. 

Meanwhile, back at Fish Camp, Krista provided a meal for the crew, and they all cleaned fish. 

Arielle, Cory, Danny, Benny, Josiah
Maria, Michael 

Livie, Krista, Allie, Luke, Stacia

It's now after 11 p.m. and I'm going to call it a night. It's been a good day and I BLOGGED the day...this is a good trend. Here is Nolat at 10:30 p.m.  Nolan took the week off of work to stay with Grandpa. Grandpa has had some cardiac events and is on a slew of new meds.  Which meds and their dosage are determined by various readings we take throughout the day. It's all to new for either he or I to feel comfortable leaving him with all of it for 5 days.