Counting Salmon - Part 6, The Ground Squirrel

We usually saw Ken about once a week. He would bring in kerosene and gasoline, along with a week’s supple of fresh and canned food. I remember there were always two T-bone steaks, which went first, a canned ham, that went second, bacon, a dozen eggs, bread, canned fruits and vegetables. We were fed well, or at least the intention was to keep us happy. But all depended on the weather.

There are no roads, all transportation depends on planes. On one occasion, when the climate showed its ugly side, we looked into grey, empty skies for nearly three weeks before seeing Ken‘s plane. By that time we had consumed all the store-bought food, and were existing on Krusteaz blueberry pancakes and salmon.

There was a small ground squirrel living under the cabin that we fed leftover-pancakes each morning. It became grossly overweight, waddled when it ran, and went missing by summer’s end. I guess we did it a disservice.

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