Only in Nome

Since Monday was a holiday, there wasn’t much to do around here. I took a gal to school in my Alaska Dad’s car. My wonderful principal that drives me to and from school everyday lets me take his car if I need to run errands and he always says “Now Jennifer, drive slow, turn on the lights, and be careful where you park.” Sounds just like my daddy back home! We spent a few hours in school. I got a head start on the next few weeks of math and science. We left school on a hunt for something that can only be found in Nome. We found what we were looking for! A rubber duck race down the river! Over 800 people buy rubber duckies and enter them in this race. People go out in a boat and release the ducks while the bystanders race down the riverbank to see the exciting finish. It is about 150 yards that the ducks float before coming to the finish line: the bridge. Winners and the very last duck take home prizes and the rest of the money goes to a good cause apparently. I don’t know what that cause is though.

Coming back to the dorms I returned Alaska Dad’s car and decided to make grilled cheese. While I was cooking two delightful gentlemen came in to harass me about the kind of food I like to eat. Apparently canning (it’s actually in jars so I don’t know why they call it canning) sockeye salmon is all the rage here. There were bits of salmon floating in olive oil and other juices in a pressure sealed jar. DISGUSTING looking. I said no way would I eat that fish that has just been sitting in a jar on a shelf for who knows how long. Of course, they took this as a challenge and made me a sockeye salmon spred. It had mayonnaise, only the real stuff, dill, pickle, and some other spices. They loaded it on some pilot bread for me and they wouldn’t take no for an answer. DELICIOUS. I also tried dried smoked sockeye that was marinated in brown sugar before being smoked. DELICIOUS. Fish is definitely better in Alaska! I told the guys that my dad would be so jealous. I have a pretty wonderful home away from home up here. I am still amazed every morning when I wake up and see the mountains through the clouds.