The Truck is Here Today!

Our friendly CV Farms truck is here today and set up in the lot near the Husky Lounge.

Leah says they have some cantelope ($2 apiece), apples, plums, nectarines – this is an impromptu stop at the tail end of their July trip so will NOT replace their August trip which will be later in the week.

So if you are looking for some fresh fruits, stop on by today (Wednesday)!

UPDATE: Got some delicious cherries, plums (you have to feel around to get the non-squishy ones), peaches, and cantaloupe as well as some Anaheim peppers. Thinking of trying my hand at making some Chile Rellenos. Anyone have an easy recipe for them? Easy being the operative word!

The truck will be back, and I just confirmed that we are allowed to do something bigger surrounding their set up. Tentative date is August 19 so if you know any artists or arts & crafts folks in or around Tok who might like to display and sell their wares, please have them contact me through this blog.

I’m so excited! I’m still working out all the details, but things are looking good for a special event on August 19!

Who do you know who is creating art or crafts in or around Tok?

Cooking and Baking in Tok

I’d love to lay claim to these two culinary creations, however, the first is my husband’s dish and the second was made by my awesome girlfriend while I was on the phone.

Introducing…Caribou Stroganoff! Caribou cooked over the fire pit, frozen, thawed, and sliced in a creamy sauce. The side dish? Lambsquarter steamed.

And a Rhubarb Crisp ala mode, rhubarb from our backyard garden. Crisp made with gluten-free flour blend that’s on sale at the Tok General Store.

I’m getting braver about baking and think I can muster up some rhubarb dishes and even some radish ones.

What have you been baking lately?

Fresh Produce Truck

Want fresh produce today?

CV Farms parked their truck next to The Husky Lounge and opened up boxes of fresh fruit including peaches, plums, oranges, Braeburn and Fuji apples, onions, and more. They’re still there this afternoon and are debating about staying tomorrow – depends on how much they have left. They said they put up fliers but I didn’t even know there were there until I happened to pass by and saw a crowd by a truck.

The owners say they’re from Montana and they drive around with their produce through other states including Alaska although they say they hadn’t stopped in Tok before.

Gotta love summers in Tok!

Hurry on over to get some produce! The oranges are particularly sweet and juicy.

Scene from Eagle

On my way into Glenallen recently, I stopped off at Jeannie’s Java for a latte and breakfast burrito. Jeannie’s daughter and I began chatting and when she heard I was coming from Tok, she mentioned that a young man was trying to get to Tok to try to hitch a flight to Eagle. He was a photographer on assigment, and she asked if I’d speak with him. Sure, I said, and that’s how I met Ross McDermott.

Ross was on assignment to shoot photographs of the devastation in Eagle. One story was a Studio 360 radio piece by his friend Jesse Dukes and the other an article for Mother Jones magazine by Ted Genoways of the Virginia Quarterly Review (both should be out end of June).

I told Ross that I’d be heading back to Tok in the afternoon, then gave him a slew of ideas and people’s names in Tok who I thought could help him in his quest to get to Eagle. We exchanged contact information, and on my way home, I learned that he was able to hitchhike to Tok about half hour after he and I spoke.

Ross got back in touch recently to say he did get to Eagle by hitchhiking from Tok, and was able to take photos. He was kind enough to send me a bunch of them to choose one for this blog. Below is the one I picked that I thought really reflected both the physical and emotional impact of the disaster.

Take a look at Ross’s professional site and also his American Festivals Project. He’s a very talented guy. I hope his images help the world see what happened up here.

You can also check out Eagle Flood Info.

photo used with permission from Ross Dermott

Have you been to Eagle? Please share stories, images and any advice on how we can help our neighbors.

Memorial Day Weekend in Tok

It has been a wonderful Memorial Day weekend in Tok so far. Some good friends of ours came to visit on their way to Haines. We built a fire pit in our yard, then roasted hotdogs and vegetable kabobs for dinner last night (yes, we called Forestry to make sure it was okay). Topped it off with S’mores.

Then we went on a 2 and a half hour bike ride today, halfway to Tanacross and back. There are bike paths leading in several directions from Tok/to Tok making for some easy and safe riding. What a beautiful day!

How did you spend your Memorial Day weekend?

More about the Ahtna Cultural Summit

As promised, here’s more information about the Ahtna Cultural Summit being held in Glenallen May 29 and May 30. Full schedule here as a PDF file to download. Cultural Summit Agenda

Ahtna Cultural Summit
Glennallen High School
Friday, May 29, 2009

8:00 AM Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:00 AM – Welcoming Remarks – Liana Charley John, AHF President/CEO, Eleanor Dementi, AHF Board Chair

Invocation – Chief Ben Neeley
Elder Address – Robert Marshall

9:45 AM – Keynote Address Fred John, Jr. – Mr. John will speak on the topic of cultural history as it relates to loss, generational grief, and events affecting the Ahtna people.

10:45 AM – BREAK

11:00 AM – Breakout Sessions (By Age Groups)

11:45 AM – Recap  – Each break out session will report back to the entire group on what came out of the session.

12:00 PM – Lunch

1:10 PM – Ahtna Heritage Dancers

1:30 PM – Breakout Sessions

3:00 PM – BREAK

3:15 PM – Skit

3:30 PM – Closing Remarks Nicholas Jackson, Ahtna, Inc. Board Chair
Saturday, May 30, 2009

8:00 AM – Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:00 AM – Welcome Liana Charley John
Invocation Second – Chief Fred Ewan

9:15 AM – Keynote – Robert Charlie, Cultural Heritage & Education Institute – Mr. Charlie will address participants on the urgency to revive the Ahtna language and culture.

10:00 AM – BREAK

10:15 AM – Language Learning Paths

11:00 AM – Organizational Reports

Noon – Lunch

1:00 PM – Skits

1:15 PM – Breakout Sessions

2:30 PM – BREAK

2:45 PM – Wrap Up

4:00 PM – Evaluation

4:30 PM – Adjournment

PDF file to download. Cultural Summit Agenda

Finding Things in Tok

Image via Wikipedia

To continue the conversation about finding things locally rather than taking business elsewhere, I thought I’d compile a list of the things I’ve been looking for and seeing if we’ve got it in Tok and I just don’t know it (or am asking the wrong people). Would love some input or suggestions!

1. A place to donate or trade in toddler clothing. I’m going to the Clothing Swap tonight at 6pm at Tok School with a bag full of 18-24 months girl clothing but am wondering if this is a regular event or another place I can bring clothes my daughter is outgrowing. I have heard there is a woman in town who takes lightly-used children’s items to provide to families in need. I’d like to connect with her as well.

2. Organic produce. I’m desperate for fresh, organic produce–fruits and veggies–or locally grown. (Yes, I know, grow my own. I’m getting started on that.)

3. Range-free eggs. I’ve heard folks do have chickens and will offer eggs for sale. When/where and how do I find that out?

4. Professional organizer. I’m looking to pay someone for a few hours of helping me set up and organize my home office. I was paying someone to help but they aren’t available any more. I’d like it to be someone who has done this professionally as I can use some guidance on setting up for efficiency and productivity.

5. Pedicures. It is summer! Where can one get a really good pedicure in Tok? (Yes, I know, do your own. Not the same.)

6. Blackout curtains. It is summer! Per comments on this post, Fred Meyers may be the place. Someone else said Loews has great supplies for these must-haves, particularly for the toddler. (Update: Found the perfect ones at Fred Meyer but they’re out of them as they switch over to a new style. Those should be in soon.)

These are just a few things that come to mind immediately. Fresh baked bread was on my list (along with the comment that yes, I know, I should bake my own) but just learned that Three Bears has a bakery and fresh bread. Now to find out the schedule and types of breads they bake!

Will report back with any solutions –or feel free to suggest some here– as well as the baking schedule at Three Bears!

Buying Local – Supporting Tok Business

Image by dawnzy58 via Flickr

I’m a firm believer in buying local and giving my hard-earned money to hard-working businesses and service providers in my own community. The fact that this is one of my “life philosophies” seems to have been missed by a recent comment on this blog where I was chastised by one of those “brave” anonymous blog trolls who love to criticize others without offering any valuable insights or information.

Did you know we have our VERY OWN rv Repair business here in tok (several to be exact) and one i know of gives a LOCAL DISCOUNT. He can repair just about anything on an RV, including the water systems, which happens to be his specialty. (Black grey and potable). Shamefull, really, to take your business somewhere other than local when the economy could so clearly use the boost. Still promoting Tok? Doesn’t sound like it.

It all started when I mentioned we were bringing our RV and bikes to Fairbanks to be repaired. After asking around and looking around the community for an RV repair shop that was open this early in the season and that repaired RV flooring, we were directed to Fairbanks and other towns even further away.

Imagination Library Kickoff a Success!

We signed up several dozen kids from our community to take part in the Imagination Library of Tok and Tanacross. We’ll also have a web site up soon for the project so stay tuned!

Here are some scenes from last Saturday at the Tok School Library. Special thanks to all the parents for giving us permission to publish pictures of their kids. A great time was had by all. The theme? Trains (as if you couldn’t guess).

More photos to come.

And if you know a child under 5 years of age in our area, please let them know about this project that will deliver – for FREE – an age-appropriate book per month to encourage reading.

Small Potatoes Returns to Tok for Concert!

The Illinois-based folk-duo Small Potatoes will be appearing in concert at Fast Eddy’s in Tok on Friday, April 3rd at 7:30 pm. Small Potatoes first performed in Tok in 2003 and left behind a new contingent of enthusiastic fans.

One of their songs was even featured in a concert by the Tok Choral Society. The duo of Rich Prezioso (vocals, mandolin, guitar) and Jaquie Manning (vocals, guitar, percussion, whistles) have released four albums, including two on Wind River Records: “Time Flies”, and “Waltz of the Wallflowers.”

Small Potatoes draws upon a wide musical vocabulary, including elements of Celtic, cowboy, folk, Irish, country, Cajun, jazz and Latin music, to create a sound that is uniquely their own. They call themselves eclecto-maniacs. They describe their music as ““Celtic to Cowboy”” and say it has taken them ““years of careful indecision”” to come up with a mix of music that ranges from country, blues, and swing to Irish, with songwriting that touches on all of those styles and more.