MOOSE DROPPING FESTIVAL ~ TALKEETNA

July 14 ~ Saturday ~ partly cloudy/sunny/sprinkles.
Today we both get up early and head for Talkeetna Spur Jct. for the ATM and to make phone calls, then to do the laundry at Talkeetna RV Campground where we will stay for the night. Mark, the owner, is a former Ididarod dogsled musher... he even remembers us***as he should~ since we stayed at the campground for over a month last year. It’s an easy ½ mile walk to “beautiful downtown Talkeetna” where most of the Moose Dropping Festival is located...music, booths with pottery, clothes, pictures, candles, jellies, food, jewelry, etc....a good place to people watch...no kidding, thousands of people with locals and all the cruise lines coming in via bus/RR and then ~those campers. Jack heard it rumored Talkeetna has over 1000 visitors on an average day now in the summer...and is readying to meet the anticipated 5000 per day soon. The population is around 700 people, 253 moose and 319 bear and one old grouch. Missed the parade...which was very short, even with the instant replay of them doubling back to the start. Found some awesome pottery...also, pen and felt tip marker drawings of animals by a young adult artist and Special Olympic athlete from Homer that I really REALLY liked. People-watched for a while, listening to the different groups play on the village green... AND found a wireless internet at Tanner’s, a grocery store/coffee shop. YES...I did eat downtown, too...smoked turkey leg...ice cream...smoothie...you know, it’s necessary! And went to the moose dropping...moose droppings numbered...in a bag... suspended above a bullseye...and the closest to the middle wins ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS...2nd winner gets FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS! Sadly, I didn’t buy a ticket...
Jack, meanwhile, stayed with the camper since his body isn’t letting him do the things he’d like to be doing. But he was nice enough to have fixed supper by the time I hobbled back in.