You asked for it.

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So, Greg. Some people with too much time on their hands and charitable hearts write numbers on the bottom of 1000 little ducks with a Sharpie. Then tickets are printed with corresponding numbers. You purchase a ticket, fill out your contact info and go on about your business. At the appointed time and place, which in this case was Pullen Creek at 5:00pm on the 4th, the 1000 duckies are dumped into the stream. They float to a catchment point far enough downstream so spectators can cheer them on. The first duck to reach the finish line wins a prize ($1000)and five more are randomly selected to win a smaller prize ($100). Afterwards, anyone could exchange their losing ticket for a losing duck to keep as a souvenir. If you won, you get to keep your winning duck. Most people did not take a duck, so they will be reused in following years. The event is sponsored and the ticket receipts are used for whatever outfit is the beneficiary. Here it was the Chamber of Commerce. They also sell Ducky Derby T-shirts, so I have one.
That was just one of the quirky activities during the day, in addition to some ordinary things like, arm wrestling, horseshoes, softball tournament, food booths, and a beer garden. The slow bike race was cool. The winner is the last one to cross an intersection without weaving, stopping, or putting a foot down. They started with kids. One youngster did not understand the concept. He crossed the intersection, then went the whole block full-out before anyone could tell him it was a sloooow race. There is nothing like a parade in a small town. The co-grand marshalls were the two still-locals who were born here in 1959. They rode in a nearly 100 year old Model T. There was a bagpipe band from Whitehorse, a troop of Mounties in the classic red coat uniform, several classic cars, hastily made floats, fire engine spraying water on spectators, 6 dachsunds pulling a sled, and clowns. And after marching the 8 blocks that comprise the "downtown," they circled the last block and came back again, so we got to see the whole thing twice! I bet Macy's and Pasadena don't do that!
Then today, as I was eating breakfast, I heard the now familiar boom of the bear-scaring gun, so I looked out the window...at the bear!! Right away two RR company trucks pulled up and the bear jumped the tracks and headed up the mountain. Then the bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain....sorry, the tune just popped into my head. It's my mother's fault. Actually, several minutes later I could hear him not too far up the hill crashing his way through the trees. You can bet I kept my eyes and ears open when I went over by the tracks to get my bus.
Did we mention in an earlier blog that bears are coming into town a lot, and that "they" use some kind of BOOM, BLAM, BANG to scare them off? It can wake you right out of a sound sleep.
Remember we came here to get out of the heat? We are now in another multi-day heat wave. It is like warm days in February in Tucson, but that is heat here. And we didn't bring warm weather work clothes. We had to turn on the A/C again today. Buildings here don't even have A/C. The snow is once again on go-away-fast mode, so the rivers are up.
Peggie had the day off and she actually got her sewing machine out, so she needed the A/C. She is the loser in the 'who-has-the-best-sewing-room' competition. Janie has the toy hauler part of her trailer, Karin has the slide out living room, Peggie has an 18"x24" computer table shoved up against the sofa.
That brings us up to date. Somebody has a birthday soon....I'm sure it will come to me.