Autumn is reaching it's middle. The crisp air is even harsher on my still summer-blushed cheeks. The tundra appears on fire with shades of gold and red. We've gathered our ending berries. Blackberries and cranberries are the last to ripen. Cranberries are often hard to find, but the blackberries are a neverending abundance. My darling has gotten the last bit of geese for the winter, and our moose has been harvested. Needless to say our freezers and cupbords are full. It's a relieving feeling. To know that we have finished our fall harvest and can now prepare for the long Alaskan winter. Surviving on what we can find is more of a necessity than option here. Our grocery store offers a limited supply and that supply is often dwindled down in the winter. Having a stock of natural food is practically the only way to survive. And fall is the time to create that stock. We've done well this year. I feel comfortable in our stock. Canned fish, frozen goose and moose, jarred jams and berries. We won't starve this winter. And that is enough to saticfy the ache in my back from all the hard work.
