While growing up near Washington’s Puget Sound, I ate many a Crab Louie.

Sometimes called Crab Louis, this fancy salad is usually made with Dungeness crab. Originating on the West Coast in the early 1900s, it’s also known as “King of Salads.”

In my family making Crab Louies was usually a do-it-yourself deal. Mom would put the nut crackers and salad makings on the table, and the fun would begin. Separating the crab from the shells took time, but the effort paid off when we dug into that delicious treat.

On the TV series "Alaska State Troopers," a young man with a concealed pistol was arrested and charged with misconduct involving weapons in the fourth degree.

When the Trooper handcuffed this man, he seemed surprised. So was I. After all, it's legal to carry a concealed weapon in Alaska. You don't need a permit. But having a concealed weapon wasn't this guy's problem. His problem was having a weapon and being drunk.

For college students to apply for summer jobs at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

Are you a college student ready to work hard outdoors, don't mind getting your hands dirty and looking for work this summer? The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has a few challenging, yet rewarding, job opportunities for summer 2012. The deadlines for applications range from January to March, so Christmas Break is a great time to get your application packet ready.

Beginning Dec. 1, reservations for Kenai National Wildlife Refuge cabins can be made on-line at www.recreation.gov or by phone at 1-877-444-6777. Since our cabin reservation program began in 2005, users have overwhelmingly requested an on-line reservation system and now that service is a reality. Recreation.gov is also an excellent reservation resource not only for our Refuge cabins, but also for Kodiak NWR, Chugach National Forest, and many other public lands' recreation cabins as well.