Happy Thanksgiving!!

What a gorgeous morning. It's Saturday which is our Thanksgiving down here. I loaded up all my bags for the next 24 hour shift out on the runway and headed towards the firehouse. To my delight everything was covered in a beautiful dusting of snow. We drove out to station two in the still quiet of a holiday morning. I'd imagine most everyone was still sleeping away in their warm beds and the town was blanketed in a light powdered sugar dusting of snow. It was so peaceful and gorgeous.

As it was a holiday there were no flights scheduled inbound or outbound so it was destined to be a quiet day. During the waiting period before turkey dinner we played some games, watched a movie, spent time on the computer and had "safety" naps. Once it came time for the big feast, Captain Walters came out to pick us up and take us into town. It was such a warm day that next to the hospital there was a huge chocolate milk pond, McMurdo Pond, which was so much bigger than the usual chocolate milk puddles. Inside building 155 there were already so many people lined up to eat all the way down Highway One. Fortunately we were able to join the in town FD crew in line. The meals were served in three shifts and we were there for the middle shift. Once we made it through the line and into the galley we were faced with incredible spreads of side dishes, fresh vegetable, cheese and fruit platters, fresh salad with lots of veggie add-ons, a table of nothing but different kinds of breads and rolls, turkey, real mashed potatoes and gravy, asparagas, stuffing, roasted root vegetables, homemade cranberry sauce, prime rib, potatoes, and a dessert table of pumpkin, apple and pecan pies, pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate torte with raspberry sauce and an enormous bowl of real whipped cream! Oh, how we feasted!! We ate and ate until we could eat no more. It was truly the best meal I've had down here so far and was a lot like a typical meal at home, other than the fact that there were three hundred people there rather than thirty. Mom, I took over the autumn confetti that you'd sent and sprinkled the festiveness around on the tables of all my friends. It was a hit and brightened the tables up just that much more! Thanks!

This morning back in town and off shift I made my way to brunch after spending a few hours still at the firehouse helping with preparation of the chili for the Firehouse Expo this afternoon. There was a lot of yummy food left from the feast yesterday. I had more pie as well as fruit cheese and waffle world. I couldn't eat everything so went up to wrap the leftovers. Sitting there on a platter right next to the food wrapping station were three little piggy heads all dressed up for the occasion! It was pretty funny and gives you an idea of the humor that runs rampant around these parts.

Well, I've got to run shower, change back into a clean uniform and spend the next several hours at the Firehouse Expo. Stand by for that event up next!!