An Arctic Halloween.....

Just thought I would post some pictures.  Our Halloween may look a bit different than most.  It means snow and cold and barely lit days.  Tomorrow night is when the kids will put costumes over their fluffy thick winter gear and go to a few houses to get goodies.  I plan to bake some green spooky cookies to give out. Last year I gave out chocolate covered popcorn balls, but the store doesn't have the type of popcorn you can put in a popcorn maker and microwave popcorn doesn't taste as good.

My husband caught four caribou yesterday,  incredible luck.  He has been driving around in the wilderness on his time off for at least a week before he found the small herd.  He drove back in the dark with no headlight on the snowmachine.  His younger sister Kayla helped skin and quarter the caribou in the dark while it was snowing.  They had to be at least skinned before they got too cold.  I would have helped but I have been fighting a sinus infection (tis the season!) and so instead I cheered them on as best as I could...from the warmth of the house.  Our meat will be stored outside in winter bins, protected from weasels, ravens, foxes and loose dogs.  Most will go to elders and people who need it.  We kept all of the hides and will dry them in the deep winter for new bedding for camping next year.  Nothing goes to waste: the dogs were ecstatic because they knew they would get all of the parts that we would not be eating.  These pics are a bit bloody, but I thought they were neat.

My husband used a sled to block most of the wind and used one of my studio lights  to light up the area.  Here is is showing his sister where to make the cuts.  She hopes to be able to butcher a whole caribou by herself one day.  Not an easy job for a petite girl weighing not more than 100 pounds wet!

Kayla working on meat.

A bit blurry but it is my favorite photo.  My husband was wearing a head lamp, which he used to help him make the first cuts. His hands were very cold, but I think that Inupiaq people who spend a lot of time in the cold have an incredible high tolerance to it.  

It was amazing to eat fresh caribou meat again, I roasted some with olive oil, onions, garlic and salt and pepper.  Here is a pic of our 'dressing.'  It is seal oil with black dried seal meat, I have added carrots and a plant called 'ipiq', or Bistort leaf.   Very sweet, crispy and salty, perfect for meat and rice.  Incredibly high in vitamins as nothing in that bowl was cooked.

Our post office at night.