Getting ready and getting out

There is a wonderful photo essay book called Always Getting Ready. I found Bruce a copy for Christmas. It seems that the idea has become a theme for us.

 We had a big 'ole storm come just after Christmas. We moved the snowmobile closer to the house so Bruce could work on the hitch. He ended up having to dig it out twice.

 Great shot of the girls down on the river. Don't they look like they should get along all the time??

 We needed to dig the sled out from its home nestled against the supply building. It took some digging and shoving and pushing to get it out from its hole. Bruce came later to hitch it up and bring it around to our side.

 Lily and neighbor boys had fun digging snow caves in the drifts outside of the house. The snow is perfect for creating snowforts/igloos as the wind packs the ice crystals tightly. When you walk across, or fall down, it feels like concrete.

 Bruce beginning to attach the new hitch that Shorty from Bethel made.

 December 31, all dressed up and where does one go? It was beautiful out, fairly warm and we decided to take a ride to Kasigluk to see if their store was open.

 Bruce started us off with Lily on the back. The idea was to get the girls use to driving. We are heading out back of the village swinging off to the North. The pink building ahead is the clinic. They drove pilings in last year, and are beginning construction of the addition.

 Here is the switch over. Gwen hops on and takes over first. It is about nine miles to Kasigluk.

 Lily's job is to turn around and check on us old folks to make sure we are still being towed. We give her thumbs up and she does the same.

 Here, Lily took over and had the most fun driving over the tundra trails. Gwen headed out mostly over frozen lakes.

 We got to the village of Kasigluk, but the store was closed. They have a store that is about twice the size of Atmau's. It has a wall of freezers, fresh produce, and a variety of other goods, like clothing.

We went on to view one of the three wind turbines. 

 We left Kasigluk, then headed over to Nunapitchuk to see if their little restaurant happened to be opened thinking a meal out would be fun on New Year's Eve. No such luck!

 So, the New Year's Eve meal preparation began.  We made mini pizzas with all the trimmings we could think of.

 We'd gone to the Corporation Store here in Atmau and bought everyone's favorite junk food to last through the evening. We watched a movie while we waited for midnight.

Once Midnight hit, so did the fireworks. We had them coming out of the south side of the village, then the north, and some eventually to the west. It was a great treat!!

But, no meal is complete without Bruce's roasted marshmallows.....ala drill.