Thanksgiving Dinner . . . Do you have a backup plan?

I witnessed something this afternoon at work that almost seems like a typical Alaska holiday disaster.


Yesterday we bought Turkeys for everyone so they would have a nice 20 pound bird for their Thanksgiving dinner. We wanted to make sure they were bought in time to allow the birds to thaw in time for dinner on Thursday. As things would happen we wanted to have them at the shop by three thirty when the crews returned at the end of their shift.


The back of my rig was filled with the turkeys and just after returning it started to snow. It was light at first with that icy snow cone texture but quickly turned into a nice fluffy big flake snowfall. Everyone helped themselves to the turkeys stashed in the back of my pick up and several put them into the back of theirs. No worries it is cold so there is no worry of anything spoiling.


Off everyone goes into the darkness heading home to places unknown with nice best wishes for a nice family meal in a couple of days. Overnight it snowed about 6 inches and on my way back to work I noticed the back of my rig was filled with snow. When I returned from lunch this afternoon I noticed this huge black raven (local bird) sitting in the back bed of one rig parked across from mine. Its bed was also filled with snow and this bird seemed to be having a great time bobbing up and down in a hide and seek motion hoping I wouldn’t notice him.


Curiosity got the best of me and I strolled over to take a look. The raven flew over my head and then settled down on the mailbox covered with six inches of snow. He watched me as I looked over the side into the bed of the truck and what did I see?


Buried in the snow was a nice round twenty pound turkey that the raven had somehow found and uncovered an area about the size of an apple. Within that circle had pecked a nice hole and was feasting on this half frozen breast of turkey. It cracked me up as putting things in the snow is an Alaskan tradition and Thanksgiving is all about that.


As my crews returned to say goodbye and head off to the holiday I quickly gathered everyone and asked if anyone had a backup plan for their Thanksgiving Day dinner? Everyone looked at me strangely as I proceeded to tell them about the wayward raven and the snowy turkey. Laughter erupted as they headed home for the holidays and it made me think of other possible Thanksgiving disasters.


The one we had last year was not getting them to our crews until late Wednesday afternoon so everyone woke up Thursday morning, and the turkey still isn’t thawed out. Trust me it’s Not a good thing.


The guests are due in two hours, and you just discovered that someone accidentally turned the oven off. The turkey will not be done in time.


You’ve overcooked the turkey and it’s dry.


The gravy is lumpy or the rolls are burned.


You’ve overcooked the potatoes and they’re way too mushy or turned into glue.


The rice burned on the bottom and the soup or gravy is too salty.


The gravy is scorched and your hard-boiled eggs won’t peel.


Someone can’t come due to illness, and they were supposed to bring a dessert.


The cake you planned to serve came out of the pan in chunks.


Yea, we’ve all had one like that at one time or another.


I hope this holiday is a great one for you.


Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!


Ice

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