Photo year in review

Well, it’s been a year to the day that I moved out to the US 😀 Figured that since I’ve taken more photos in the past year than I have in my entire life combined, may as well use them to create some kind of year in review! It’s easy to feel quite alone and cut off up in Tunt, and even though it hasn’t exactly been an easy first year with delays on various bits of paperwork, I did get my green card and social security card sorted, as well as getting part-time work as a laborer with the school that brought in enough money to buy a used snowmobile for the coming winter 🙂

So, in some kind of order – riding a snowmobile for the first time:

Popping down to the post office isn’t quite the same as back in England:

Getting married was probably a big event 🙂

As was cutting our wedding cake – we had a lot of yummy cakes this year:

It was also a winter of feeling pretty damn cold most of the time:

Going out ice fishing was certainly more of a challenge than casting out a line on Derwent Water:

Although I didn’t get to see it (mainly ‘cos no-one paid much attention to Jenson Button and Honda’s woes this season!), I did get my name on an F1 car:

When the ice started breaking up on the river in spring, I took my chances on a piece floating by the river bank:

The river clearing also meant we I got to drive a motorboat for the first time:

As well as firing a gun for the first time, a .22 rifle:

The summer also meant riding the 4-wheeler didn’t require 3 layers of clothing!

Over the summer we got to a bunch of places. Too many landscape photos to include here! Instead, playing on Lake Tahoe – first on jet skis with Dan:

And then going out on kayaks the following day:

With all the family together in Lake Tahoe, I got to play chef with a barbecue by the beach:

Heading back up to Alaska, we met up with Nick + Dana and headed down to Portage Glacier in the rain:

Whilst in Anchorage, we got a dog from the animal shelter that has actually turned into a moose – we’re looking at claiming compensation based on false advertising…

I tried my luck fishing on the river up here, moving around in a spiffy Sea Eagle canoe:

Kat went all out with a cake and decorations my first birthday in the US:

Having missed my flights and then got weathered into the village trying to get down to Carson City to check out a flying school, I’ve had to make do with my flight simulator setup instead:

I bought a used ’91 Polaris Indy 500 SKS from Anchorage to get me out ice fishing and stuff during the winter – after a new throttle cable it runs great!

It finally got back to looking like Alaska through November and into December with everything freezing over and temperatures back to -25C:

And we managed to get a group shot of us, even if Mia wasn’t too keen on the idea of being dressed up with a pretty scarf!

It certainly doesn’t feel like a year since I rocked up in Tunt surprising Kat, as so much as has been crammed in to what seems like a pretty short space of time. An awful lot of highs and lows, an amazing road trip in the summer, and a whole bunch of new experiences (like living off 150 gallons of water a week!) have meant it can hardly be classed as a boring year! With Christmas vacation starting today, we’re looking forward to relaxing in the village (though not sure how relaxing it will be since we’re looking after Rocky for three weeks – he’ll at least keep Mia company!) and figuring out plans for next year.