AUTHOR’S NOTE: Seven years after his friend William Weaver nearly drowned in Kenai Lake while returning from guiding a wealthy East Coast hunter in the Kenai Mountains, Seward’s Benjamin Swesey guided a pair of New Yorkers into the mountains for what would prove to be his final guiding job.

These cabbage rolls can be made with ground meat or extra-firm tofu as a vegan substitute.

In John 9, Jesus makes the astonishing claim, “I am the light of the world,” then backs it up by healing a man born blind.

I have a brilliant friend who was a former archaeologist. She recalled the meticulous and painstakingly slow process of uncovering ancient sites with the promise of finding bones, building foundations, and other unique structures and artifacts. While I assumed most of the work consisted of heavy-duty excavation tools like shovels or backhoes, the items used to do this careful, controlled work included everyday items like brushes, dental picks and sieves. I thought, it takes a really long time to uncover anything! She confirmed that the work of excavation can take several decades to fully uncover a site. Every potential artifact and seemingly insignificant portion of dirt is sifted, mapped and recorded so that the ancient site is thoroughly excavated, examined and, essentially, known.

Like all great things familiar and traditional, these sesame seed buns were born of a woman’s labor.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Danger was inherent in the job. Although his fellow hunting guide, William Weaver, had narrowly escaped drowning in Kenai Lake in October 1910, Ben Swesey was undeterred. Swesey, by 1911, had been a licensed guide for only a year, but he was already developing a sterling reputation for his knowledge, his expertise and his warm personality.

Local events and happenings coming soon.

This sweet, steamed rice cake is chewy, gooey and full of positivity.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Michigan’s hard-luck Swesey clan sprang into existence because of the misfortunes of the Basom clan. All those trials and tribulations, however, led Benjamin Swesey to a life of adventure on the Kenai Peninsula.

Your habits are already forming you.