All in a day

"Just to let you know" (that is one of my daughters favourite sayings), we have been buying New Zealand apples over here. Gala apples at $1.99lb ($4 a kg) from Fred Myer's in Wasilla, and Braeburn apples at $1.69lb (approx $3.70kg), from Cubbys at Talkeetna. We are at the very end of the road here and I didn't think it was too bad considering. NZ apples are comforting for some reason.

Stopped in at the kids fishing derby on the way home. Would have signed my darlings up except we didn't have the right amount of cash on us and they had no zip zap machine. It's a humpy derby, so have grown a great hump on their back after spawning and are going to die. Will see what happens tomorrow when we have to get up early. I presently have one that is willing and one golden haired child who would just like to hang out and go to the library. Actually being Sunday I think it will be closed, so that decision is made. Reagan and I will make our own fun. Probably try directing her brother at some stage, unsuccessfully of course since he's a boy with a mind of his own.

Watched a delightful programme on the box tonight, Black Grace dance company. Originating in Porirua, Auckland. Pretty cool contemporary mix of NZ cultures, mostly Samoan. They put on a good show. Wonderful to see the work and effort that goes into a show, and wonderful to see them rise to the top of their genre.

Talkeetna here we come!

What a great trip. The road to Talkeetna has little interesting places spotted along the way. Great fishing spots, a birchwood syrup factory, a kids fishing derby. So much to see. When you get to Talkeetna you understand why, it's a little tourist trap. People everywhere!

First stop, the little old visitors center, way out in the middle of nowhere just at the turnoff. What a good choice that was. Then on to Birch Syrup. Well I have heard of maple syrup. Birch syrup? It is delightful, a bit like golden syrup or treacle without a sickly sweet taste, still sweet though. There is only one other group who harvest significant quantities of birch syrup that they know of. It takes 110 gallons of birch sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. They tap trees 8” or more and use a reverse osmosis machine to seperate the water out and then boil down the remainder. Apparently in Russia, they drink the sap straight, it is like ever so lightly sweetened water with calcium, potassium and manganese. Who would have guessed. Makes one look at birch trees in a different light.

Next stop Talkeetna itself. My first thoughts were; old fashioned setting, full of hippies, dirt/gravel roads, and despite the loads of tourists by the bus-full everywhere, I loved it. This is a really quite a small town center that is reminiscent of the olden days and brings in huge numbers of people. We visited the town market where Reagan chose a lovely little necklace with coloured glass, then a couple of bits of Alaskan gold with clear glass fused on top. Next stop, a wonderful museum.

The Talkeetna airstrip in the middle of town!

Then on to the ranger station where all Denali/Mt McKinley climbers have to sign in, pay $200 to register and go through a ranger training session before their ascent. Only 50% of those who attempt to climb Denali are successful. Tax payers money rescues those who are unable to come down themselves. We watched a wicked video showing people climbing up and down Denali. Sitting out incredibly severe weather even though it is summer, being rescued, being treated for injuries such as swelling of the brain when one hasn't given ones body enough time to acclimatise. They are all issued personal tins for toileting in, everything that goes up has to come down, and so it does. No oxygen is used on Denali, so they can really only climb 1000ft a day. Not my thing – the climbing part, much too old and far too unambitious in that department. Although, as we sat in the Talkeetna Roadhouse having a reindeer pasty, there were plenty of young guys who looked loaded up and rearing to give it a go.

Talkeetna Road House with live music,
a warm and inviting atmosphere.