Life on the Last Frontier in the 21st century could be all wood cutting, an outhouse, and a dry cabin. And many folks do still choose that lifestyle. But it is interesting that we humans generally go all out to have our creature comforts within reach. I am reminded of just how much crap these creature comforts can represent as we’re buried in seasonal advertisements for just about anything you might wish to buy. Gigantic television sets bigger than small children? Choose your model.

I’ve sent appliances, jewelry, hunting gear, fishing gear, video games, cameras, clothing, tires, tools, shoes, boots, mittens, scarves, blankets, cookware, backpacks, luggage, lawnmowers (!), chainsaws, snowblowers, cameras, tablets, speakers, boats, phones, furniture, watches, safes, exercise equipment, toys, computers, movies, headphones, bikes, something called bluetooth, optical gear, artificial trees, outboard motors, flannel sheets, a 3/4 ton engine leveler, ammunition, digital thermometers, a drone, and some really weird shit (what’s a streaming stick?) up the chimney in smoke as I used basically all of “Black Friday” (what an inane concept) to start fires in the woodstove this weekend.

Praise Cheeses! Clockwise from lower left: Moran, beer, aged blue, and Wensleydale with cranberries.

But, Grinchiness aside, there is at least one nice thing about the holidays, and that is the ability to go long on cheese. Artisanal cheeses abound at this season even here in the Far North, and when it is cold and dark with snow softly falling, it is wonderful indeed to taste some of the many varieties to be had.

The vast majority of the cheese we consume in Alaska is imported. There were only 300 head of dairy cows in the whole state in 2014, down 100 head from the year before. This is not offset by a large increase in other milkable mammals. And only a couple of Swedes have made moose cheese into a viable business. (Seriously, moose cheese?)

“Gouda ya do?”
“Fine. You?”