North to Talkeetna

Talkeetna is approximately 170 miles north from Kasilof and we stop off in Anchorage to pick up provisions. I still can't get over the fact that while you're pushing the shopping cart picking up the coffee and toilet paper, you can buy a gun over the counter! Another unusual incident involved Frankie being asked for I.D. when he went to buy cigarettes. Now I'm not saying that Frankie's been around the block a few times,but there's no way he doesn't look old enough for ciggies. After thanking the cashier for the compliment, it turns out it's standard practice to ask for I.D. in Alaska when buying tobacco. Unlucky Frankie!!

Helen and Gwen bump into Sol and Fine-line in the shopping mall, obviously stocking up too. We head back to the RV and head up the Glenn Highway and once again we're witness to beatiful countryside. Further on we take the spur road that leads us to Talkeetna itself and we start to see buildings that we've heard Jim and Esther talk about on Wholewheat Radio.

The streets in Talkeetna are alphabeticised(!), that is A Street, B Street and so on. We know that Jim and Esther are on H Street and Paulette has no trouble getting us there. We see the CONCERT sign outside and all pile out of the RV excitedly. The first person I see is Esther coming down the path and burst out laughing and call out,"We finally made it Esther!" This is the start of the craziest twenty minutes in a long time. Esther and The Farmer's Wife hug each other like long lost sisters. At the Wheat Hole already are not only Fine-line and Sol but J-Walk and Mozie, who have come up from Tucson, Arizona and arranged their holiday around the concert at the Wheathole as well as Mr and Mrs Toad, all the way from Pennsylvania.

Then casually walking down the path, beer bottle in hand, is the man himself, Jim Kloss! More hugs and mad laughing from yours truly and The Farmer's Wife makes the formal introduction to Lyndon,Alex and Frankie. Hugs all round again. I'm beginning to realise this is going to turn into something very special.

The evening was then spent in the Wheathole and a song circle commenced. Those that were there had the privilege to hear Esther Golton, Robin Hopper and Larry Zarella. The Mice also did a few numbers as a warm up for the official Wheatstalk concert, the next night. It was a fantastic atmosphere having all these musicians just chilling and making music. Yours truly eventually hit the RV bed, but as it was still light had absolutely no idea what time it was. Suffice to say the howls of either wolves or sled dogs led me to bed.

Jim and Big Tom meet. Mozie and Frankie are much more polite! :)

Photo by Fine-line

- posted by Tom @ 1:36 PM