June 22, 2006

Then the rare Deer Leopard Boar hybrid:

(as if Alaska needs more animals.  Alaskans delight in creating yet more to amuse the populace.  It works!)

Also a REAL sealskin that is used as a float bag.  (Please remember that marine mammal products are only caught by Alaskan natives and made into something useful, eaten, the small parts remaining are returned to the sea)

 

and, as mentioned above, the flowers grow like crazy in Alaska, due to the almost 24 hour sun in summer.  Here's proof:

http://www.anchorage.net/salmon2004/index.cfm

here's some we found around town:

http://www.alaskamint.com/

  The kind folks that showed us through

  A worker in the mint at the back of the store

One of the most impressive stores we were to visit (we went to all the other gold stores, and this one is head-and-shoulders above them), the Alaska Mint in Anchorage not only had a wide array of gold nuggets and jewelry in gold, gold-in-quartz and even in black quartz, 

but a fine collection of Alaskan Native work - whale baleen baskets, baleen ships:

Many ivory items such as totems, ivory crab, cameo, ivory ship, scrimshaw tusks & whale bone Native Alaskan carvings too:

This ship's sails are made of seal intestine, the hull of whale bone, the masts of baleen:

This rare Arctic animal, the musk ox (survivors of the Ice Age, it lived alongside the woolly mammoth in generations past), became extinct in Alaska due to over-hunting (they would make a protective circle when threatened and were shot one at a time, unfortunately, easy prey for man).  So in 1964 a herd was flown into Alaska by John Teal Jr. to provide a supplementary income for the native peoples, settled in Palmer AK on a farm.  The herd was tamed enough to be able to comb out their inner fur (called Qiviut, pronounced "ki-vee-ute", it means "underwool" in the Eskimo language) in the spring of each year when they naturally shed.   Photos of the combing below, courtesy of the Musk Ox Co-op:

Qiviut is one of the rarest, finest & warmest fibers on earth, 8 times warmer by weight than sheep's wool.  This is painstakingly knitted into beautiful, non-scratchy, lightweight scarves, stoles, vests and hats that are sold to benefit the Musk Ox Farm which is educational, and the Alaskan Native people who make these amazing items in their villages using signature knitting patterns (dancers, harpoon, butterfly, diamond, star, and Wolverine mask designs).  Here is a photo of one of their remote villages where the knitting is done:

This is not wool and so they can be washed without shrinkage.  And best of all, it is a renewable resource from a living animal that is not harmed in the process.  Here is the OOMINGMAK Musk Ox Producers' Co-Operative store in Anchorage where they are sold, you can watch the skilled women knitting right there.  "Oomingmak" is the Eskimo word for the musk ox, which means "the Bearded One". 

Here's a link to their site showing more info & products:

http://www.oomingmak.com/store/index.cfm?target=About

(north of Anchorage on the way to Fairbanks)

In a beautiful meadow with a mountain view is the musk ox farm.  Many volunteers care for them with great affection and handle the walking tours, which makes for a meaningful visit.  They are knowledgeable and very fond of their charges, which all have names.  These 1st four photos are courtesy of the Musk Ox Co-op:

Ooh, guess this critter didn't want his picture taken?

But this one sure does! (Courtesy photo, Musk Ox Co-op)

They prefer the winter cold, as their thick fur keeps them warm, as opposed to summer when they try to find a cool wallow of dirt or mud to cool off:

He is TRANSFORMED into a true bush hunter by a wolverine hat and a fur coat.  The last picture is Glenn with the furrier that makes this exquisite wearable art, Arnie:

What makes it so unique is that it is made with strips of mink fur, woven through a wide weave waffle material, then the strips of mink are turned with a drill and sewn to the waffle material. 

A matched pair of walrus tusks scrimshawed by Joe (top 3 photos), followed by close-ups of both (3 photos for each):

more of his work on walrus ivory of a sled dog team & an Iditarod race, in color:

Right within the Anchorage city limits, this river was popular for salmon fishermen, in view of The Bridge Restaurant:

Probably the best fair we've attended, from new foods and great art work to just plain fun:

  Sweet corn!

At the ULU (knife) FACTORY in Anchorage, we saw how the handles were laser burned with a special machine, this was more fascinating to us than the rest of the store:

Here is an example of an Ulu knife we purchased elsewhere (they are very useful, we saw them everywhere in Alaska), the handle is an artifact ivory ice tester: