By Jennifer Carrasco

I almost always picked up a job when I traveled.

For instance, I was a substitute teacher in Kotzebue, Alaska, 50 miles above the Arctic Circle, when the ice formed on the bay in early November, 1991.  

I had only worked a half day on November 6, and I walked home in late morning sunlight under a dazzling blue sky, my chin and nose muffled against the cold, with my padded gloves, and heavy coat and knit cap keeping me warm in the 10 degree weather. My boots crunched on the snow as I trudged toward my boyfriend Ben’s apartment along the beachfront road. Ben was flying every day then, so I was planning to get in some painting time while he was gone, and mulling over what to fix later for dinner.

Gazing out over Kotzebue Bay, I noticed the new ice was still a pale blue, even aqua in some areas, when I spotted an Inuit acquaintance of mine squatting by a hole in the ice. He was about 100 feet from where I was standing. “Hey Timmy,” I called. "Are you catching anything?”  

“Tom Cod” Timmy shouted back. “Come on out!”

So, with great trepidation, I gingerly stepped out on the new ice, fully aware that if the ice broke, it would take me 2 minutes to die. Believe me, the water under the ice was that COLD.

When I reached Timmy, I saw that he was jigging for Tom Cod with a short stick (no trees above the Arctic Circle) a line, a hook and some salmon eggs. He had already caught a nice mess of about 8-10 cod. Many Inuits feed this fish to their huskies. They prefer seal or beluga whale if they can get it. I didn't ask Timmy if he planned to eat the fish himself or feed them to his dogs.

He asked me if I'd like to try fishing, and I said "Sure." So he lent me his fishing gear, and just before I started, Timmy said "Wait!"  

He had his lunch in a good sized brown paper sack, and he took that sack, crumpled it into a little footstool, dipped his ladle into the fishing hole and poured sea water over the sack. Magic! The icy water on the paper sack froze it in place in a snap. Timmy grinned his toothless smile, pointed me to my new "fishing seat" and declared, "Use whatcha got!"

So I sat in comfort as I jigged for Tom Cod with Timmy and caught enough for dinner that night.  I used "what I got" (and caught), and walked on new ice.

Also, our dinner fish was delicious, if a bit bony.