Latitude Theory (AlaskaLoneWolf)

Raven's Lesson - '..First Things First.'

Opinion: “Watching one of the most intelligent creatures on the planet, (in my opinion), I have found that they communicate with nature and their peers with a delightfully simple method. When they interact, they always invite others to share with them. It is the first thing they do. They deal with problems in the order in which they appear, and it is a good thing they are a protected species of animal. In the Inuit culture they are a highly respected animal. They have much to teach us about survival and communication. I have noted a relationship between the behavior of the Raven and that of the Wolf in the arctic. It is a condition that deserves more study, in which we would understand the true nature of them both.

“One of my observations, is while in the abscence of other food resources, that Ravens eat scat, especially of lupines/canids. They prefer meat most of all though, eating up to their entire body weight in a day, and associate feeding on meat with wolves on a hunt. In fact, there are times when I believe a Raven will actually guide wolves toward places to hunt. A Raven cannot open a carcass by itself. That’s the wolf’s job. The first thing a Raven will usually do when in a crowd of Ravens or wolves feeding, is to cache a portion of the meat for later after the fresh-kill is devoured. A cache is an important part of the Raven’s behavior since Ravens will often “steal” from another’s cache. That’s why Ravens take the time to make multiple sites, where food is put into a cache. Wolves will cache food as well; especially when there is any surplus of food before winter. Wolves often intentionally make a surplus, not out of blood-lust, but for the need right before denning to raise their young… when frequent hunting would be impossible.”

“INTO THE WILD”

Eddie Vedder - Hard Sun - The funniest movie is here. Find it

An excellent movie and soundtrack, from a story about a man in search of a deeper meaning… at the cost of his own life, an Alaskan story that spans his life in ‘society’ and his journey of self-discovery when he goes ‘Into the Wild’. This music video was done by Eddie Vedder, a movie directed by Sean Penn; an Emile Hirsch’s movie based on the life of Christopher McCandless, as written by Jon Krakauer. He died of starvation, only two miles from help, on Stampede Trail just outside of Healy, Alaska…

Lyrics to Eddie Vedder “Hard Sun” :
When I walk beside her
i am the better man
when I look to leave her
I always stagger back again
once I built an ivory tower
so I could worship from above
and when I climbed down to be set free
she took me in again

there’s a big
a big hard sun
beaten on the big people
in the big hard world

when she comes to greet me
she is mercy at my feet
when I see her pin her charm
she just throws it back again
once I sought an early grave
to find a better land
she just smiled and laughed at me
and took her blues back again

there’s a big
a big hard sun
beaten on the big people
in the big hard world

there’s a big
a big hard sun
beaten on the big people
in the big hard world

when I go to cross that river
she is comfort by my side
when I try to understand
she just opens up her eyes

there’s a big
a big hard sun
beaten on the big people
in the big hard world

once I stood to lose her
when I saw what I had done
bound down and flew away the hours
of her garden and her sun
so I tried to warn her
i’ll turn to see her weep
40 days and 40 nights
and it’s still coming down on me

there’s a big
a big hard sun
beaten on the big people
in the big hard world

there’s a big
a big hard sun
beaten on the big people
in the big hard world

there’s a big
a big hard sun
beaten on the big people
in the big hard world

there’s a big
a big hard sun
beaten on the big people
in the big hard world…

Thesis of a Twelve Year Old - Circa 1986

Opinion: Alaska is the best place for me to live.
People here are free to the pursuit of happiness, and beliefs,
under a protection from of one of the most creative documents
ever to be drafted by mankind.

We are ruled by law, and the appreciation of each of our neighbors,
though we may never truly know their heart. God protects us too.
At incredible expense, our nation was founded by trials and error.
Those first explorers came to discover and seek this higher purpose.

Our fathers wanted their children to live and endure for all time.
Democracy is the ultimate expression of their love and philanthropy.
This republic has been led by great men and tested by fools. We still stand.
Great homes, however, come at high cost. The exercising of our rights and
priveldges shows how much we care, and proves we walk a distinguished trail.
Eternal vigilance is our duty, and to share our joy, our ideas, our
hope and liberty with the world.

Wolves adapt to change…

Opinion: Decades after I wrote this response, to a question that my teacher Mrs. Miles had asked me in school, while teaching us all about govenments… she had asked the class to write about ‘what it meant to me’ to be a citizen. People still ask me who I vote for, and with who I put my allegiance. But, as always, I have believed this choice in life, to be a personal matter left up to a person’s conscience.

Especially lately, people still ask me what my views are, and then eventually it comes to why I even believe in “God” at all. They poke fun at my idealist perspectives. They claim I have a naive world view, and point out distorted ethics, skewed by my being very, very pragmatic.

It often comes to a point where my anger rises, even now; I know it will get the best of me, when I fail to rely on the values I hold closest to my heart. Yet even in the worst of arguements, when all is said, I still go back to that time in class with a beloved elementary school teacher who made the biggest difference in my life. While it takes a moment to center myself, I remember the calm and patient method she used to guide us in finding our own answers, with such skillful grace. Then I offer an answer to the question. My reply is the same, as it has been since I was a child:

 ”One day there will be a change.”

And then I ask the same question, as I always do:

“What do you believe in?”

Favorite Alaskan Recipes

The Super Secret Alaskan Seafood-Gumbo Recipe

1 lb. Dutch Harbor King Crab
1 lb. Large Shrimp
1 lb. Alaskan Valdez Halibut
Although lobster may be substituted if halibut is unavailable…
[All harvested fresh from the ocean]

1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Jalapeno Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
2 Carrots (Large)
2 Celery Stalks

[All harvested fresh from your garden or farmer’s market]

1 Purple Onion
1 White Onion
2 Fresh Garlic Cloves
2 oz. Fresh Chives
2 oz. Gypsy Mushrooms
1 oz. Fresh Oregano
1 oz. Fresh Parsely
2 Tomatoes (Large)

[Some ingredients need to be purchased from the store, however whenever possible, fresh ingredients tend to create a dish that can become something truly special…]

1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
3/4 tsp. Black pepper
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt

4 cups Long Grain Brown Rice
1 bottle of Alaskan Amber Beer
1 can of Tomato Sauce
1 can of Tomato Paste
1 Quart of Chicken Broth
1 oz. Ketchup
2 oz. Lemon Juice
1 small bottle of Tabasco
2 tsp. Honey
2 Sticks of Butter
1 box of Saltine Crackers
_______________________________________

The secret to this recipe is the fragile balance between the hot: jalepeno, pepper, Tabasco, etc… and that of the chicken broth since they tend to ‘off-set’ each other. The combination is due to personal preferrence, but adding less ‘hot’ ingredients should be done to both respectively.
_______________________________________

Preparation:

Wash all the veggies with soap
to ensure that all dirt, debris,
store produce stickers, etc. are washed
away. Make sure to rinse thoroughly.

Cleanliness throughout food prep, is crucial.

You will need to have two large
clean, wood cutting boards to prep
the food prior to cooking.

Cut the bell peppers into quarters
making sure to remove the seeds and
internals. Clean thoroughly. Cut
the bell peppers into pieces about
less than an inch square. Put all
the squares, red, yellow, green and
orange into a bowl mixing the colors
together.

Dice the jalapeno up into tiny
pieces. Mix it with the bell peppers.
Mince the bay leaf and add it to
the jalapenos, bay leaf and bell
peppers. Cut the carrots and celery
into bite size pieces and add to the
same bowl. (Keep them uniform)

Add about an ounce of lemon juice to
completely cover the surface of two
large cutting boards.

Into a seperate bowl add the onion
after cutting into sqaures about the
same size as the bell peppers. Crush
the garlic open and dice into small
pieces on the cutting board. Mince
the chives sweep to the side on the
cutting board. Add to the chives the
fresh oregano minced into fine uniform
pieces. Cube the tomatoes into bite
size pieces. Cut the mushrooms into
slices and sweep to the side on the
cutting board.

On a seperate cutting board, cut the
halibut into one inch square cubes.
Add a generous helping of lemon juice
to coat the halibut on the board.

Clean and de-shell the large shrimp
in the sink. Pile on the cutting board.

(Please read through first, then execute) _______________________________________

Cooking:

Put two large eight quart pots on the
range. Fill one half full with clean, fresh
drinking water, and bring to a rolling
boil. In the other add the chicken broth,
tomato paste, tomato sauce, cayenne,
black pepper, sea salt, garlic salt, and
one full bottle of tabasco then set the
temperature to warm.

In a skillet, add a generous helping of
real butter and turn the heat to medium
high melting the butter to completely
coat the pan.

Add the bell peppers, jalapeno, minced
bay leaf, carrots and celery. Saute’ the
veggie’s until just softened and browned
lightly. Make sure not to overcook the
veggies as they will finish cooking in
the eight quart pot with tomato and
chicken broth. Add them to the large pot
set to warm.

In the skillet, add a bit more butter,
and saute’ the onion, chives and tomato.
Saute’ on high temperature so that the
tomato browns gently, so that it will
not turn to mush. Add to the large pot
with the chicken broth, tomato sauce,
and bell peppers.

In the skillet, add a bit more butter,
then saute’ the mushrooms, diced garlic,
and minced oregano. Make sure not to
overcook the mushrooms. Dump it into
the large pot, butter and all.

Put the shrimp into the boiling water
in the other eight quart pot. Make sure
not to overcook the shrimp, watching
to make sure they are done after turning
pink. Dip them out and run them under
cold water to stop the cooking process.
Add to the other eight quart pot with
the tomato paste, chicken broth, and
veggies.

Put the Alaska King Crab into the eight
quart pot with the boiling water. Make
sure not to overcook the crab. After just
cooked, run under cold water to stop the
cooking process and then remove the flesh
from the shell. Cut the crab into chunks
slightly larger than the halibut. Add
to the pot with the chicken broth, tomato
sauce, paste, tabasco, veggies, spices,
mushrooms, and shrimp.

In the skillet, on high temperature, add
a bit more butter and fry the halibut
chunks until browned on all sides. Make
sure not to overcook the fish. It should
be tender, but firm. Fry the halibut so
that it holds its shape in the gumbo pot.
After fried add to the other pot from the
skillet, butter and all.

Dump out the water from the eight quart
pot, wash and rise thoroughly. Fill with
four and a half cups of water and bring
to a rolling boil. Add the long grain
brown rice when the water is boiling,
stir it in gently. Remove from heat when
all the rice is added. Cover.

Add a full bottle of beer to the gumbo
pot with ketchup and honey. Add enough
water to float the veggies, approximately
two to three cups. And bring to a boil
for exactly one minute and ten seconds
then remove from heat.

___________________________________________

Serving

In a large bowl take a packed ice cream
scoop of rice and very gently place
it neatly at the center of the bowl. Ladel
out a cup of broth off the top of the gumbo
pot and pour gently around the rice making
sure not to erode its shape. Dip out equal
parts veggie, with onion, pepper, carrot,
mushroom along with equal parts crab, shrimp
and halibut. Place it over the rice, and
around the bowl.

Place the bowl at the center of a large plate.
Surround the bowl with a generous array of
saltine crackers. Garnish the dish with
fresh parsely and serve with a tall glass
of water. Serves 20.