Independence Day

First of all, please go back and read the last post I did, the one with the wolf and whale pictures.  That was written quickly and badly so I at least made an attempt to make it tolerable.  My apologies for the poor effort!

The Fourth of July is a very big deal here in the hidden gem.  The population almost doubles, the town shuts down, and people just have a real good time watching boat races, logging events, kids competing against each other in toddler games, and people decked out in their most patriotic duds.

So, I obviously didn't get any great pictures but it was a great day with a miracle opening of the skies revealing that beautiful blue that we Southeast Alaskans cherish. 

A couple of shots from the logging show.  I still say that any day can always get better if there is a chainsaw involved! 

Alaskan women are something special! 

And, keeping a watch over all of it, one of the newest ships in the Coast Guard's fleet.  The ship was supposed to be available to tour but got called out at the last minute on a Search and Rescue mission involving a vessel that lost power and ended up stranded on a rocky beach about 30 minutes from Wrangell.  The ship did make it back in time to allow its crew to enjoy Wrangell's first Fourth of July boat races in over 20 years.