ALASKA REAL ESTATE NETWORK

2012 has been a most exciting year here on the Kenai Peninsula. My own new Brokerage has been launched and is at the beginning of a long and thrilling journey into the future.

You may find me at:

Alaska Real Estate Network
Soldotna, Alaska
907-229-4650

For all your Alaska Real Estate needs give me a call and I will find that perfect piece property that you have set your dreams on.

Ready Set CLAM

Spring is here, not the full blown kind with flowers and leaves, but a great start on it, better known in these parts as "Break-Up". Yes, the snow is melting, the sun is throwing off warming heat and the last items of fall are starting to appear in the yard again. That is the time to think about the 1st Clam Tides of the year on Cook Inlet Beaches. My favorite spot is Ninilchik. There can be some crowds on the weekends but not so much during the week, and it has always been consistently good for getting the full meal deal down at the beach. Yep, I imagine they are waiting close to the surface for my friends and I to get our limits. I found the shovels and clam guns and buckets. Time to check the tides.....

Ok, it is a little early for these activities so what better way to spend a bit of time than looking at great deals in Real Estate in the Ninilchik Area.

Take a look at this one.

Located just 4.5 miles north of Ninilchik on the Ocean side of the Sterling Highway is this family home/cabin. It is the perfect family recreational retreat! 2 large bedrooms, 2 baths, plus a full loft and a one car garage all on a large 2.78 Inlet VIEW Mountain VIEW Water VIEW Lot. The Front deck has plenty of room for your barbeque. It is very close to beach access and has all the room you need for all your toys. Wildlife abounds.

ASKING PRICE: $185,000. Owner may partial Owner Finance with terms acceptable to seller.

There are ton's of photos available online, you really need to see them all. alaskarealestate.com LISTING #10-11856

For an appointment to see this great property, give me a call:

Michele Holley 907-229-4650 cell

alaskarealestatenetwork.com buyalaska@gmail.com

Beluga Realty 110 Trading Bay suite 120 Kenai, Alaska 99611 907-283-7374

ALASKAN BASE CAMP PROPERTY FOR SALE

Imagine waking to this view in the quiet expanse of the Kenai Peninsula. The Cook Inlet out your front windows, looking at the water and volcanos, while the eagles soar and the moose browse in your 7.8 acre yard.

Alaska is a large place and you need a "Base Camp" to come and go from all your wild and wooly adventures. This unfinished 844 Sq. Ft. Cabin/Home awaits your finishing touches. It is well insulated and has a working well, power and is easy access to fishing and hunting on the Kenai Peninsula. The hard work is done, finish the taping and painting, detail to your liking and put up your feet and enjoy the wood stove.

The decks that surround the main building are all wheelchair accessable.In addition to the Home/Cabin, there is a 244 sq. ft. gear shed. This property will welcome all your toys, campers, motorhomes, boats and horses.

NOW PENDING SALE!!! CALL FOR MORE INFO. ON OTHER PROPERTIES LIKE THIS ONE.

For more information and plenty of photos visit this new listing at:

alaskarealeastate.com LISTING #11-2963 or just call me, Michele Holley at 907-229-4650 and I will give you a tour online, or in person. Thanks for visiting and safe travels. Michele Holley, Beluga Realty, 110 Trading Bay St. Kenai, Alaska 907-283-7374

Smoking Salmon

All over Alaska, the subtle odor of smoking salmon leads people to find new friends. I know that when my smoker gets going I seem to have plenty of visitors, new and old. Nothing like a slice of this delicacy to start new conversations...

Smoking Salmon for the winter storehouse is routine in most parts of the State. When the runs hit, the knifes are kept sharp. Cleaning, slicing, marinating then drying proceed the actual smoking process. It isn't difficult with a bit of instruction, just time consuming, but sooooo worth the effort. After the fish is smoked, you may can or freeze it for later use, and will stay refrigerated for up to a month. Just one strip makes for a good lunch and will deliver needed energy for hours.

There are endless recepies for marinade, I mostly keep it simple with soy sauce and brown sugar in water. I leave the fish in the brine overnight, then hang to dry until tacky before beginning my slow smoke, which is I can keep the smoke cool enough last for about 3 days.

Contact: Michele Holley, Beluga Realty, Kenai, Alaska. 907-229-4650. Follow on twitter @Gwhizzzel

Alaskan Ocean Front Subdivision

Steve Jones contemplates the awesome view of Mt. Redoubt out his front windows. Steve was so impressed with Ocean Vista Subdivision that he purchased 5 lots here. He is just now putting the finishing touches on his new summer home.

I spent the afternoon with him yesterday and enjoyed the endless vistas in every direction.

There are still 2 Ocean Front lots left, and 2 back lots. I will be posting a photo album shortly for your enjoyment. Temp. yesterday, 73*. Oh, bty, Silver Salmon fishing on the Kenai is at it's best. Limits being caught in less than an hour.

Contact: Michele Holley, Coastal Realty, Anchor Point, Alaska 907-229-4650

Razor Clams Galore!

The local beaches along Cook Inlet are a wealth of delicious protein, if you know where to look, when to go, how to locate these delicacies. Just looking at this photo makes my mouth water...

These are razor clams, freshly dug at a minus tide at Ninilchik Beach. There are many places along the east side of Cook Inlet where these guys hang out in the easy digging sand. Just about anywhere from Clam Gulch to Anchor Point would be a good place to look. Before going on your own clam safari there are a few items you need to make this a pleasant and rewarding journey.

1. An Alaskan fishing licence. (available at most sporting store locations state wide or on-line through the State of Alaska). This is a most important step. You sure don't want to be caught without one on the beach. Yes, fish and game does check, even when you think you are away from everyone.

2. A tide book. (available at most stores or gas stations on the Kenai Peninsula or just print out a days tides online for the area on Cook Inlet that you are headed for)

3. Implements of capture. There are 2 well known choices. The first being a clam shovel. This is a narrow long shovel with a curve that gets a good grip on the sand and goes down deep. The second choice is a clam gun. This is a cylindrical device that cores the sand bringing up the clam as you pull it back out of the hole. Both work well. Don't think this is easy, it requires some effort and a bit of muscle. Make sure to bring a 5 gallon bucket with you to carry your haul in.

4. Attire. This is not a chore to bring your best Eddie Bauer or Cabela's gear to. I promise you that you will be having fun in the mud and sand and it will stick to you in some amount. Wear rain gear, mud boots and rubber gloves. I used duck tape to tape my gloves to my arm sleeves so that water doesn't run up my sleeve, and I pin my license to the outside of my jacket in case I get carded. That way I don't have to put my hand in my pocket.

Ok. Now you have found yourself on a minus low tide on the beach and you are looking for clams. Well, they are not laying on the beach, that is what you brought the clam gun or shovel for. So, as you wander along the low water you are looking for a divot. A small round indentation about 1/2 inch in diameter, in the mud/sand. After a while you will get the hang of seeing them real easy. Now you kinda want to sneak up on these guys, because they can move fast! Walk softly, looking down...when you see what you are looking for position the gun directly over the indentation, shove and wiggle down, then put your finger over the air hole on the gun to hold pressure and pull up. Release the air hole and dump out the load, hopefully you have found a clam. Not every try results in success so don't get discouraged. With a little practice you will become a pro!

The method for using a clam shovel is this....position the shovel to the Ocean side of the divot. Dig like crazy, usually 3 or 4 shovel loads. Either have a friend, (best method) drop down on the sand and hand dig in the hole, or do it yourself. Be quick!!! The clams can move very quickly and you will want to get a grip on one and pull hard. Their shells are soft so be careful not to squeeze the shell too hard or the shell will break making it more difficult to clean. DO NOT waste a broken shell clam. That is wanton waste and is not good in the eyes of others, in particular fish and game!

Oh, yeah. They are called Razor Clams for a reason. The shells are sharp on the edges. Don't try this without gloves. You will only make that mistake once.

Getting a limit of gems are the easy part! Make sure you have enough energy to clean them, which should be done immediately after coming off the beach. It will require a water source, perferably outside, a sharp fillet knife, and a table. Hot water makes things much easier. Drop the clams into VERY hot water for a minute. Do not let them cook. Pull them out and cool by rinising in cold water. Now you are ready to take off the shells. Go easy along the shell, both sides and they will slide out. There are two parts to the clam, the neck and body. Both are very tasty. Use this link for a short video of a friend of mine who cleans clams in Ninilchik to buy her winter wood stash. She shows what and how to do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYpJn8Raw2A
Feel free to contact me for more information at buyalaska@gmail.com, I can be found on twitter @gwhizzzel. Happy Clamming!

Halibut Fishing Homer Alaska

There is always something to do on the Alaskan Kenai Peninsula with 18 hours of summer daylight to illuminate the possibilities.

A short drive along the coastline of Cook Inlet (35 miles) from Ocean Vista and the Ninilchik area, took me to the town of Homer, at the end of the Sterling Highway. The bumper stickers here read " A quaint little drinking town with a fishing problem".
It didn't take more than a few steps from my vehicle to capture this shot of a Halibut catch from one of the many charter boats working the harbor.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A CATCH LIKE THIS....

Give me a call, I can help set you up with a rent a car and a local charter. I would love to show you some great Alaskan Real Estate.

Michele Holley 907-229-4650
Beluga Realty
110 Trading Bay Rd.
Kenai, Alaska