Brats on a Rake

Several years ago, we were confronted with a challenge: How do you cook hotdogs and bratwurst over a bonfire? The traditional sticks that we used for campfires were not a good option. Long sticks tend to bow, and the meat ends up in the ashes. Short sticks can't be held safely, since you have to stand so far back from the fire. Our best way to recruit the kids to help with these fires was to offer a cook out, and so Greg came up with the perfect solution. He built a special tool to hold the brats near the coals, without risking the safety of the chef. Thus, a new tradition was born: Brats on a rake.

This rake is pretty cool. It's about eight feet long, has straight tines, and two large loops of metal that hold it up off the ground.

We load the rake up with brats and then slide it into the fire. Then we sit back and watch them cook.

It's a little tricky sometimes, to turn them, but the straight tines make a big difference. We give 'em a little quarter turn and send them back into the fire.
The heat of a bonfire cooks the brats quickly, and so soon we were enjoying these tasty little morsels. Some were made of elk, while some were traditional brats, and they all were scrumptious. Eating outside in any type of weather is a real pleasure when the food is this good.

Campfire Time

As was predicted, the weather warmed up this weekend, above zero, and that made it a lot easier to be outside having fun. The fishermen were very happy, as the fish cooperated and several people were able to catch their limit. We were the fortunate recipients of trout and northern pike from some generous guests. I cooked it up for dinner tonight, and we all enjoyed the flavor of fresh fish. It's been several months--last summer--since we tasted trout right out of the cold water of Gunflint Lake. It's hard to beat. (.....though Addie admitted that she prefers fresh ciabatta bread to fresh fish!)

We got new snow on Saturday, and Addie reported excellent skiing conditions. She hit the Amperage Run trail, shortly after the groomer had been through.

Going to School at Forty Below

Many folks reading this already know that our kids are homeschooled. The commute for this is only as long as the stairway--unless if they choose to study in their rooms. These days, the only student we have left is Addie, as both boys have graduated and gone on to other pursuits. Our homeschooling adventures didn't start at kindergarten, however. All three kids attended school in Grand Marais through the fifth grade, so "back in the day", the commute was much longer.

During these cold January mornings, I often remember with fondness the winter of 1995-1996. Anyone I talk to who lived up here at that time also can't forget that one. For those who love snow and cold, it was the best. The snow started to fall in early November, and went well into spring. I remember telling someone that I thought that my mukluks would see use for at least ten months that year. Our total snowfall at the end was 160 inches, while the average was 110. It was also typical for us to see the thermometer at 25 below, or lower.

Robert and Paul were both in grade school then. The morning routine was to get them up about 5:45, make breakfast and read stories, then bundle up and off to the bus by 6:40. We drove the three miles out to the Trail, where we would then wait for the bus to come. On the mornings that fresh snow had fallen, Robert would jump out of the van, and go out on the road to check out the tire tracks, aided by the headlights. He would come back to report on what he saw. One day, he said that we had missed the bus, so we may as well turn around and go back. His self-declared snow day was not to be, however, as the glow of headlights soon was visible around the curve north.

As is typical for us, we were then driving an older van, and it needed extra help if it was going to start up in those cold early hours. I adjusted my schedule so that I would get up at 4:30 to plug the engine heater into the outdoor socket. The snow had piled up so high, it was even with our porch railing. I would use a footstool to climb up on that snowbank, and then I could reach the outlet and plug in the heater. An hour later, Greg would get up, and he would fill an old kettle with red hot coals from the woodstove. He would take these out to the van, and slide them underneath in the approximate location of the oil pan. Using two methods to pre-warm the engine proved to be effective at getting the engine to start and the tires to roll smoothly.

The temperatures that year seemed to stay in the twenty to thirty below range for many weeks. These are unoffical temps, of course. But when two different thermometers are within a few degrees of each other, you know you're pretty close to the mark. I asked Greg what was the coldest number he read that winter, and he said minus 48. I remembered that morning, and also that it was a Saturday. The coldest range he could remember was 38 to 42 below, when heading out to meet the bus....So when our kids have their own children someday, they can tell them stories of how cold it was when they had to go to school.

Staying Warm

Whenever we hear from friends in Alaska that it is extremely cold in Eagle or Fairbanks, we know that in a few days to a week, we, too, will be in the deep freeze. Robert was telling us about reports he'd heard that it was forty, and fifty, and sixty below zero in places that he has traveled to. For the record, he is still home with us right now, so he is not actually experiencing this firsthand. But he knows folks who are, and in his last two winters in Fairbanks, he saw the thermometer in places he hadn't seen it go before.

The weather forecast this week predicted the cold to arrive on Tuesday. Because our vehicles don't like to run in the those low temperatures, I decided to take a run to town on Monday to do some errands and replenish our pantry. We'd been enjoying leftovers from our New Year's feast for several days, but fresh vegetables were becoming a rare sight. While in town, I ran into a few people who would ask if I was there stocking up before the big chill. They were doing the same.

We loaded the wood rack, stoked the fire, and prepared for the cold. Yesterday morning, it was minus 26 when I looked at the thermometer. Today, I saw minus 31. I find it rather exciting to see how low it will go. During the day, we have warmed into the minus teens, and it really isn't too bad outside, as we don't have the strong winds that other areas are seeing. I was out to check on the cabins, and with only a few frozen spots, it will be easy enough to thaw them before the cabins are needed next. We're knocking on wood that it has not been too rough on our buildings yet. Having lots of snow helps, as the cabins have been banked with all that white stuff to insulate the foundations.

Banking cabins has always been a chore in these parts, I'm told. I recall seeing photos of trapper's shacks in Alaska, seemingly buried in snow and drifts. I used to think that happened naturally, and to some extent, it probably does. But around here, we go out and shovel the snow up against the logs, as it doesn't fall right next to the building where it is needed. After our big snowfall in early December, Addie and I tackled the task. Out and about we were with our shovels, digging into the fluff and hefting it to the cabins. I even took a photo of her, as I wanted to send it to Paul. He was still at school, and we were missing him dearly. It helps to have as many hands and shovels as possible when doing this job. The next day Paul called us, and I asked if they got the same snowstorm in Morris as the one we had. He reported that they had, and also that he had gone out that day to bank the rental house he lives in. I got a good chuckle out of that one....his is probably the only house in the town that is banked with snow! But I guess he realized that since he is paying his share of the heating bills now, it's a good idea to make use of what you've been given.

Robert's friends from Fairbanks called last night, and told him that it is now above zero there. And sure enough, our forecast is for a warm-up starting Saturday. I like that Alaska connection--just another piece of the weather puzzle here in the Northwoods.