Termination Dust

The leaves are changing colors rapidly as the rain continues to fall and the temperature continues to drop.

Yesterday (Sept. 20th) the temperature was 48 degrees and I remember thinking, "if it's this


Fresh Snow on the Chilkat Mountain Range

cool down low it's got to be near freezing on the mountain tops." I said to someone today, "I wouldn't be surprised to see snow on the mountains when the weather clears." Well, this morning wasn't clear but the thick clouds thinned out enough I could see fresh snow.

Termination Dust, that's what it's called here in Alaska. The term means the onset of winter. Here in Haines it seems most folks go by the snowfall on Mt. Ripinsky, the mountain sitting to the north of town. When Ripinsky gets it's first snowfall it's six weeks until winter, or at least that's what they say. I'll let you know when it happens.

Sept. 23 More fresh snow up high. High clouds with patches of blue sky.

In the last week I have been picking rhubarb and freezing most of it. Since it was so fresh and something new to make I made muffins and rhubarb/apple crisp, both came out great. The muffins were my favorite!

 The recipe I used included: yogurt, butter, egg,

flour, sugar, salt and of course rhubarb. The recipe called for fresh rhubarb to be cut into pieces and put into the batter, instead I cooked it down with a bit of brown sugar and mixed it into the batter. I then poured only part of the batter into the muffin tin and then spoon more of the rhubarb into the center and covered it with the remaining batter. For the topping I used brown sugar, nutmeg, and butter. This was my first time making anything out of rhubarb and they turned out to be very tasty.



October 2 and fresh snow coming down on the peaks regularly with the wet weather. Yesterday as I drove into town I could see fresh snow on the mountain behind Mt. Ripinsky. It's coming!

The Coho's and Chum's are in the rivers now, which brings in fishermen from all over. Other than Alaska license plates, I have seen Yukon, British Columbia and one from Idaho. On Saturday my Alaska truck will be along the river somewhere too. Lot's of pictures coming.