Our days off this week took us to the funky little town of Talkeetna, Alaska. Do you remember the TV show Northern Exposure? Talkeetna is the basis for that quirky show. Where else would you find a cat as mayor? Talkeetna! The first mayor, Mr. Stubbs, ran out of his 9 lives sometime after 2018 (when we worked in Alaska previously). He was replaced by Denali a few years ago, followed by the current mayor, Aurora. Susan is holding the mayor. LOL!! (Yea, that's a bear skin tacked to ceiling over Susan's head.)
And of course, if you have a cat for a mayor, there will be a dog driving the car.
The paw-sibilities for canine humor are limitless. Send me yours. 🐕😝
Talkeetna is Athabascan meaning "where the rivers meet." And today, jet boats take tourists up and down the Susitna and Chulitna Rivers. Talkeetna borough is located where the Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers meet. Confused? Me too!! I think it's because the Susitna and Chulitna Rivers are navigable for the jet boats. As soon as we left the park, it started sprinkling. (That's OK 'cuz we need the rain. The snow fall was below average in Alaska Range and the spring has been dry as well.) When we got to Talkeetna, it was full on rain...all day.
Talkeetna is 2 1/2 hours south of Denali and we were joined on our day off by Diane Nachel, who is 1) one of our many Yellowstone friends 2) also working in Denali this year and 3) lives about 20 minutes away from us at home! Ironic and fun! And more irony, she has a cousin that she hasn't seen in 40 years and who lives in Talkeetna! We met Kevin for lunch and had a beer at Denali Brewing in downtown Talkeetna. (I'm exaggerating. There are only 2 paved streets.) The beer in Alaska is exceptionally good. Not sure why; come find out and let me know.
So you're asking about the moose, the state mammal of Alaska? Moose are part of the deer family, which means only the males have antlers and those antlers fall off during the winter. The antlers begin growing back in the spring. We did see moose (and evidence of moose) in Talkeetna, starting with the Antler Outpost. Need antlers to adorn your man cave or spruce up the living room? Come to the...
And of course you've heard of once in a blue moon. Well, how about once in a Blue Moose!
Several different versions of blue moose. Not sure why.
Funky!
When we headed back, we ran into real moose! (Not literally, of course. However, here's an Alaska story: when a moose is hit along the highway, the state troopers have a list of people they call who come to the crash site to carve up the carcass for the meat. I've heard they arrive with chain saws and bone saws and remove everything, leaving it spotless clean. If that first person on the list is not available, can't be reached, or says "no thanks", the troopers move to the next person on the list. Perfectly efficient and prototypical Alaska!) We were in the car (protected) when we found this cow and calves having dinner.
These calves will grow to be 6 feet tall at the shoulder. They are a very large animal, and very ornery as well. Similar to bison in that you never know what they are thinking. If you're ever confronted by a moose, get behind a large, stationary object (tree trunk, car, corner of a building, etc.). Don't try to run; they have 4 legs and are much faster! 😉 But these calves were so cute.
Moose love to eat the leaves of willow, alder, and the lower branches of aspen. They'll wrap their lips around the branch and run up the branch, stripping it clean. Watch (it's only 10 seconds)...
We were in the perfect spot to observe these huge creatures (males weigh 800 - 1500 pounds; females weigh 500 - 1100 pounds; calves weigh about 30 pounds when they drop) enjoying dinner without bothering or stressing them. Eventually they simply evaporated into the woods. There are between 175,000 to 200,000 moose in Alaska (remember, it's a big state!).
Take care and enjoy the rest of your spring until summer arrives (June 20th this year). Tonight, the sun will set at 12:07 am and rise at 3:40 am. It's an amazing state.
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