Deep Water Dock

Yesterday evening we checked out the Endeavor in the deep water dock where work is being done to prep this thing for drilling. The transport ship headed out while we were there. When the work is completed the rig will be towed into Cook Inlet like a barge... a big barge.

Transport ship leaving Homer

Endeavor in deep water dock

Endeavor

Homer Harbor

Moving the Endeavor

Today was the big day. The Endeavor was removed from the transport ship and towed to the Homer Spit for servicing. It was a long process lasting most of the day, timed for the high tide after 2 pm.

Top, picture of the Endeavor taken with my iPhone through a spotting scope.

Endeavor under the moon last night

Three tugs maneuver around the rig in the morning

Transport ship sinking

Endeavor being pulled away 

Above you can see the Endeavor being pulled to the right of the transport ship (white). Below the Endeavor is clear from the ship. These pictures were taken from the Spit. The dogs would wait no longer for their walk.

Endeavor free from transport ship

Further apart as Endeavor is towed to the Spit

Towing to Homer Spit

Transport ship surfacing again

Kachemak Bay

We came across this research float for the second time this summer in nearly the same location. It says Alaska Dept of Fish and Game, Kachemak Bay Research Reserve. KBRR is tracking coastal uplift, sea level rise, and changes in salt marshes, monitoring water circulation patterns, collecting meteorological data, tracking water quality, etc., for the purpose of coastal management. We guess this float is part of the study on water circulation patterns.

ADF&G KBBR Float

Sea Star

Living in Oil Country

The Endeavor, a jackup rig owned by Buccaneer Energy, appeared out our front window Friday. It will be in the deep water dock for about a week undergoing preparations for drilling in Cook Inlet. It's difficult to convey the size of this thing. Towed with its 410 foot legs up its as high as a 28 story building. The rig is on a transport ship that itself dwarfs the boats nearby. The transport ship will be sunk to its wheelhouse and three tugs will pull the rig off to leave it floating. A jackup rig, which is moveable, is used for exploratory drilling. When it's positioned over the drilling site the legs extend down to rest solidly on the seafloor. The Endeavor can go into water depths of 300 feet and drill thousands of feet into the ocean floor. When a producing well is discovered the jackup rig is removed and a stationary platform built. 

Thank goodness (or the people with the foresight to protect our resources) currently there is a moratorium on drilling in Kachemak Bay.

Coconut Salmon

The fish have been jumping and Bob has been fishing -- but not catching yet. Tomorrow we're going to "the hole" out on the Spit and I will wet a line, too. Good thing we have fish in the freezer!

Here is my very favorite way to cook salmon. You are lucky I am sharing....

Smear the cleaned fish (salted and peppered) with mustard, horseradish or wasabi, depending on how much of a "kick" you like. Today it was mustard but wasabi is probably the best. I cook with the skin on so only coat the flesh side, and I cut the filets into pieces about three inches wide so they will cook quickly and evenly. I also cut the thin belly off the filet as a separate piece and add it to the pan last because it will cook in a flash. 

Press the smeared fish into a mix of Panko breadcrumbs and coconut (sweetened or not, I find little difference). No need to coat the skin side. I took a picture but it was overexposed and looked like a white blob. Who needs a picture of that anyway?

This is the most important part so listen up. The key to a fresh flavor is cooking in coconut oil. 

Yes, I know coconut oil is known as an unhealthy fat but Google the history of coconut oil in the US and Dr. Mercola's research and you might find that this medium-chain fatty acid actually has some health benefits.  Anyway, in my estimation, it beats all other oils hands down for cooking and I figure once every week or two isn't overdoing it. 

Panko, coconut oil and coconut flakes, mustard

Salmon smeared with mustard

Crispy coconut salmon!

So be brave, place the fish breaded side down into a small amount of very hot coconut oil. If you use another oil it will taste entirely different. Cook until the breadcrumbs are crunchy  (just a few minutes) then flip it onto the skin side and finish cooking. It won't take long. The skin and breadcrumbs act as a heat barrier and prevent the flesh from drying out during cooking. I serve this with chutney and it is YUMMY!

The BioCycle

We are talking holes, big holes, and lots of mud. The tank for our fancy-schmancy septic system is in use now but only as a holding tank. The alarm system needs to be installed and we're waiting on approval for the method of removing the clean outflow at which point another trench will be dug to hook up to the curtain drain (if approved as we want) or to a small leach field (if not) so there is still more to be done. The slope is ready for seeding and we need to get roots growing to help hold the dirt in place. It turned out to be much steeper than we'd wanted but we'll have to deal with it as is. If everything works as planned there should be a dramatic reduction in ground water to help stabilize the slope and next spring we'll work on making a trail through the densely wooded area to the beach. I hope this BioCycle is worth the cost.

Digging the hole

Trench for alarm wiring
(the alarm goes in the house)

BioCycle tank in ground

Hooking up the plumbing from the cabin
(Why is there a man in our septic tank?!)

Back filled and ready for seeding (almost)

New path down the slope

Looking towards the cabin

Walking - a short video

If you have two minutes to waste watch this short video of my walk today. Sandhill cranes, a bald eagle and a bunch of crows made things a little more interesting than usual.

The septic system is installed! We have a yard again. Pictures to post this weekend.

Cranes and Backhoes

Below is a picture of the crew at work this afternoon. They have found the plumbing line that goes to the old crib and are discussing whether or not the Mountain Ash (left foreground) needs to be pulled to find the line coming from the house. As it turned out the tree is safe! The BioCycle tank is visible behind the backhoe and  it will go in right about where the small mound of dirt is (center-right). The hole will be dug tomorrow.

As work ended we noticed a visitor in the road at front of the cabin. A Sandhill crane! You should click on this picture for the larger file. These birds are beautiful.

A few of the cranes are congregating in a field just up the road. Looks like a lot of young ones here....

Salmon. A very cool fish!

The BioCycle tank is here. It will be buried to the green section so you can see it needs a very deep hole. Earth work is going on right now and I think it might be in the ground by the end of the day!

While that's going on Bob is down at the beach hoping to catch a silver salmon. They are coming in with the tide and jumping just enough to keep him interested. No combat fishing here.

Some patient soul set up this rock stack at the entrance to our trail.

A curious otter came to watch Bob fish.

On the slopes behind us, an eye-catching flash of red: a Rumex species, either arctic or sour dock. 

Slopes covered with yellow monkey flower. 

So why do I think Salmon are cool?

Of course, they are delicious. Salmon caught in the bay are so much better eating than those caught up the rivers, and that gets into what I call the "cool" factor. There are numerous physiological changes happening when salmon enter fresh water that cause the deterioration of color, texture and flavor. 

They stop feeding, living off fat stored in their tissues, and the stomach begins to disintegrate. 

They undergo changes in osmoregulation while they are hanging out at the mouth of freshwater streams and estuaries before heading up for spawning. In the ocean salmon need to drink seawater constantly. A gland extracts the salt so they don't dehydrate. A large part of the exchange occurs through the skin. In fresh water they take in water (through the skin in large part) and become bloated, so now they have to stop drinking and release large amounts of urine to get rid of the excess water. This "flex-fuel" type osmoregulation totally jazzes me. There aren't all that many fish that can live in both salt and fresh water. 

Anyway, those are some of the changes salmon undergo before spawning that cause the loss of color and flavor and mushy flesh texture. Males further develop some hooking in the snout, might grow a hump and undergo color changes as they head upstream. I think it's also pretty amazing that their sense of smell leads them to the same stream of their birth. The spawning process is pretty cool, too. I have to admit I really like these fish. They are very complicated!

Bad news for the survival of the salmon is that the water temperature of streams here in the Kenai has been increasing with global warming. Salmon need cold water even in their earliest stages of life. A five year study on that (by ADF&G, iirc) is being wrapped up this year so I hope to learn more about this in near future, but I am wondering if this has something to do with the bad fish runs we've been having.

Mid-August already!

There isn't much going on at the moment. The cloudy, rainy weather is back for a few days and we're on hold waiting for the arrival of the septic tank so I'm messing around on the computer.

The Sandhill cranes are moving again, flight training for the young ones, and shorebirds are staging before their flight south. Elderberries are ripening and the trail down to the beach is overgrown with whatever... lots of green stuff. The camera on my iPhone is acting flakey, not focusing on still shots like the birds below but fine on video. Tap the camera to get it to work, I've read in the forums, Apple isn't responding to the problem. The video above was taken at Homer Spit where we walk the dogs. Really a beautiful location, wouldn't you agree?

Shorebirds

Elderberries

The beach trail

Color for my desk

Some beautiful pink flowers from the garden to brighten my dark desk.

The predicted bad weather didn't materialize so we've been spending time outdoors. Fields of magenta fireweed are in bloom. It's said when the fireweed flies (the downy seeds) winter is soon to come. Looks like a few more weeks before the flowers open all the way to the top so I'm not panicking yet. I think the temperature has finally gotten into the low 60's -- and too hot for us. Not complaining though, just enjoying all the blue sky and sunlight.

A Pendant

Walking on a foggy morning

Here is an interesting piece of turquoise I've set in silver. The turquoise beads pick up the multiple colors in the stone so well that I've incorporated them into the necklace which will be finished out with a clear rubber cord and silver components.

Kingman turquoise pendant and beads

Cooking Salmon

Thought I would start posting the various ways we prepare salmon. Fish is our main source of protein and we have a freezer full of reds. When you eat fish three or four times a week you have to get creative with recipes. Bob came up with this method and it is one of my favorites. There is no dry meat cooking it this way.

Beautiful red salmon filet

First step is removing bones. Best time to do this is just before the filet is completely thawed. The bones will pull right out without mushing up the meat. I use needle-nosed pliers to grab and pull. The white spots to the right of the mid-line are the cut ends of the bones. You can feel them if you run your finger down that line. The bones angle to the right in this picture. I leave the skin on for cooking.

Pull out the bones 

De-boned filet

Salt and pepper and add whatever might be tasty with the rest of the meal. Garlic, onions, peppers are always good, but tonight it was simply salt, pepper and dill. Add oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. My favorite oils for this are grapeseed or walnut because of their mild flavor. When the oil is hot put the salmon in skin down, cover with the large leaves of a green, like chard, and cover the pan. I think this is rapini leaves in the picture. We get greens from the CSA every week and have no idea what most of them are.

Cover with greens

Cook covered till done

Turn the heat to low and cook about 15 minutes or until done. No turning. Time depends on size of cut. The meat will lift right up off the skin and be moist and tender. 

Camp-out

Perfect for the pups!