Willow Hetrick/Turnagain Times
Crab apples from the Kenai Peninsula.
By Willow Hetrick
Turnagain Times Moose Pass Correspondent
Annual Christmas Tree Silent Auction
The Y South Foundation cordially invites you to donate a decorated Christmas tree or other holiday related item (wreath, stained glass, etc.), to the Annual Christmas Tree Silent Auction. Various past trees have been decorated as: a Beanie Baby tree, a Martini Tree, and a stained glass wreath, and were donated by businesses, individuals, and schools.
Proceeds from the auction benefit organizations in need of funding for health related activities or equipment in the Seward, Moose Pass, and Cooper Landing areas. The Annual Christmas Tree Silent Auction trees will be on display from November 30-December 5 at the Breeze Inn. Final bidding will take place at 6 p.m. on Dec. 5.
If you are interested in donating a tree or would like more information, contact Rose Hetrick at 907-288-3667 or Vanta Shafer 224-2525. Trees can be dropped off from Nov. 23-30 at Breeze Inn lobby area. Your participation in this worthwhile fundraiser is greatly appreciated in these economic times. Y South is a 501.3.c organization, and all donations are tax deductible.
Injured Swan Rescued Again
Local Moose Pass residents who monitor Tern Lake on a daily basis noticed that while the rest of the group of swans (about 13 birds) that had been there for the past two months left, two remained on the lake: a male swan circling and calling in the air for its mate still in the water. The female, 23-pound trumpeter swan, that survived being shot with a training arrow on the lake in late August, was unable to migrate with the rest of the group. Alaska SeaLife Center staff was called that night by bird watchers and neighbors of Tern Lake in fear that she would be trapped by the ice, and fall victim to predators.
The next morning, she was rescued for the second time by the Alaska SeaLife Center. She was transported to the Northwest Wildfowl Farm in Lake Stevens, Washington.
An Unusual Alaskan Fruit
The fall season is officially over and at this time of the year I like to look in my pantry and inventory my yearly harvesting efforts. Jars of raspberries, blueberries, salmon berries, currants, cranberries, and wildflower honey to name a few, line my shelves.
This year, for the first time, I picked and canned crab apples! A group of us put up quite the harvest effort; to avoid climbing the limbs of the trees we used long sticks to knock off the apples. Teams of two or three would pick the apples off the ground and by the time we had enough, four crab apple trees yielded almost thirty pounds of fruit. Tired of the usual jams and jellies of the season, I decided to make crab apple butter.
Unfortunately my efforts did not produce as much butter as I would have wanted (enough to supply the majority of Moose Pass), but I will be able to plan for next year, allotting for more time and helping hands in the kitchen. The outcome however is fantastic! The butter is perfect on just about everything; ice cream included, and is a complimentary blend of sweetness and spice (and all things nice). Getting ready for winter, with a small snapshot of the past season canned in jars, makes me grateful for the place in which I chose live, with its bounties of tasty fruits and flowers, wild game and fish. Bring on the winter.
Beer, Wine and Food Tasting Event
The Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance is hosting their 3rd Annual Locally Grown, Close to Home, Beer, Wine, and Food Tasting Event which includes a silent auction and live music. This event will be held on Friday, Nov. 20, 7-10 p.m., at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Admission is $35 per person, $25 for RBCA members, and $45 to join the alliance and admission.
Moose Pass Food Bank
The Moose Pass Food Bank is located at the Moose Pass Community Church. The food bank does not have regular hours, but please call Bill or Mona Casselman at 288-5101 for assistance.
Trail River Bridge Construction Update
The nightly closures of the Seward Highway at the Trail River Bridge temporary bridge construction site have now ended.
