Great news for brewery patrons on a random Tuesday in February: Leslee Downer was cleaning out her fridge, which would not usually be of note. Downer shared some high quality garden leftovers including zucchini relish, pickled eggs, red peppers, cauliflower and hotdogs. Scott Rossman was thrilled.

Richard Cook escaped the winter weather in Haines for the winter weather in New York City. One red-eye flight and a pricey Uber ride landed him in the best hostel that he has ever stayed at. Cook met up with his cousin for brunch, enjoyed walking the city, ate a pretzel as he strolled across the Brooklyn Bridge, rode the Staten Island ferry with his daughter, Kara Cook,and they were off for warmer weather in Costa Rica. The two enjoyed horseback riding with friends. Richard Cook took surfing lessons, with excellent results, while Kara Cook — excited about the possibility of crocodiles — did some beachcoming instead. No crocodiles were encountered. They did a guided tour of Corcovado National Park and did see tapirs, anteaters, monkeys, stunning birds and the golden silk orb-weaving spider. They wrapped up the vacation with sushi and margaritas. 

The annual wild game feed at the New Hope Fellowship church featured a raffle for the kids that did not disappoint. Fishing poles, a handy machete, a hunting bow and other sporting equipment were just a few of the prizes  handed out by pastor Sage Thomas. Fishing and hunting stories were swapped and a slide show with proof of the adventures was the backdrop for an amazing buffet of potluck-style dishes shared. There was halibut, goat, moose enchiladas, and even a moose-poop dessert, not made of moose or by moose. Candace Hall’s rabbit with home-grown carrots was a stand-out. Kim Rosado’s ducks had their moment to shine, with duck eggs for everyone. Heather Rogers’ cornbread complemented the chili very nicely, especially when adding spicy kelp pickles on the side. 

February can be a difficult time to predict weather between Haines and Whitehorse. Debra Schnabel and her brother Roger Schnabel decided to roll the dice recently and spent an unplanned two-day hiatus in the Yukon. Due to challenging road conditions and  a series of unfortunate events, they ended up at a lackluster movie with perfectly buttered popcorn. Debra says that she loves a good “crime thriller,” and the movie “ Rip” would have been ideal, but her brother was intent on seeing the latest version of  Wuthering Heights. The two did manage to drop off a vehicle for a new windshield, so the trip was still a success. Doug Olerud had a different border experience recently. He learned that a single orange safety cone does not signify a pothole hidden beneath it, and he should not go around it. Olerud realized that it signifies a driver should pause, as Canadian Customs is not open. The Canadian border agent explained the situation. As of deadline, Katrina Zahnow and family are spending some unplanned time in the Yukon as well, she says they are off to the hot spring or swimming pool to regroup and make a plan and check 511 Yukon often to see when the road has reopened??…

The ice safety and rescue course offered at Chilkoot Lake last past weekend was a chilling experience for Peter Kohlstedt. Kohlstedt is one of the seven that attended the Friday presentation and Saturday hands-on training, which boasted temperatures around 10 degrees. He enjoyed being in a drysuit to practice his new ice-breaking skills, but also took the opportunity to go for a quick cold dip without the drysuit. Kohlstedt says that the day was made even better when Kate and Mark Finley smoked a brisket and shared it post cold dip.

Carol LaVerne Clifton, longtime Haines resident artist, cake decorator and mother of six died in Juneau on Feb. 27 at the age of 88. A full obituary will follow.