Why I like fish

Points to anyone who can create a Lena and Ole joke out of this one...

Why I like fish. Well, I grew up in Petersburg, Alaska and Puget Sound, WA. My Dad, my Grandfather, my Brother, all my Uncles, my Mom, my Step-mother, most have commercial fished or worked in something related to fishing, and everybody really likes to eat fish. Especially halibut, blackcod and salmon.

It's not just about the fish, though. I like anything that has to do with life on the water; I like foods that I can harvest myself; and I am interested in how and why people feel connected to a particular place. In the Northwest and Alaska, salmon combine all of these things, and the decline of salmon leads to an unraveling of how people live.

As an aside, I'll report that I am very excited that raspberries grow wild here in Norway, and I have arrived at the peak of the raspberry season. Blueberries are also in full swing, and blackberries are on their way. I am visiting family on the island of Varaldsøy before the semester starts at the University of Bergen, so I have time to pick berries and bake. Yesterday I made raspberry pie, and today blueberry buckle...

Back to fish... I just finished commercial fishing in Bristol Bay this summer, and although it's not Norway, I thought I'd start the Blog off with a fish photo.