Curtis Winter Carnival

Yesterday our day on the house got shortened due to tiny town duties. 

Curtis is a little town with alot going on.  The only reason there is so much going on is because of the people that live here full time. The volunteering ethics of this little town keeps it going, from each and every event, right on down to the local charter school.

Volunteering is something that I have done for many years.  I started when the kids were little at the Curtis Library.  I moved on to the school when they started, and now that I live in Curtis I try to do what I can when I have time, which lately isn't as much as it used to be.

Since I have a volunteering nature, David didn't really have a choice to join me in my ventures.  It was either that or stay home by himself. 

Our local Winter Carnival is coming up, February 18th this year.  It's a great and interesting festival, especially for those who don't live in places like Northern Michigan.

 The festival itself is right on the ice, right on the lake. There are games and food and vendors and a bonfire and about 20 cars and trucks right on the ice. The main attraction for the festival is the fish coop. It's kind of like a fenced in spot under the ice and it's stocked with rainbow trout for the day. Kids and adults pay to fish in the coop. You can fish right on the open ice or inside a fishing shanty. For some, it's the only way they get a chance to try out ice fishing. 

Yesterday, David and Brady, with a little nudging, volunteered to help cut the hole in the ice for the fence that will hold the fish for the coop.  The ice cutting event is organized through our local Lions organization.  Our local USFS biologists have to be there to supervise the goings on.

 Brady running the chainsaw.

 David and our friend Mr. Harold Tester (who is 83) lace together the fence.

The Lions volunteers and our local park ranger pulling out the chunks of ice.

 David and Brady, my peas in the pod.
 

 They work very well together and always make me proud to know them both.

 All the chunks of ice are removed, and ready to install the fence.

 Here's where the hands are needed.  The fence needs to be held up over the cut lines.

 The two pieces need to be laced together forming a circle of fence.

Then the fence is lowered down into place.

 Posts are drilled.

And are tied to the fence.

Just before the festival they will stock the fish.  Hopefully we'll have time to lend a hand and get some pictures of that aspect of the festival.

Cheers to our local Lions.