Bear Paw

Eagle River has a little summer festival of it's own....they call it Bear Paw.  It's quite different from Forest Fair, but takes on the tone of the town.  This is not hippieville...this is frontier suburbia.  Bear Paw is more commercial than crafts, its tents selling everything from solar panels to postcards.  It is hosted on the sidewalks and streets of town, rather than off road in a wooded patch.  It also conveniently happened just a couple of blocks from my house, so I could pop over for a few minutes and check it out.

I somehow managed to miss the chainsaw carving competition, but I did arrive for the dog and owner look alike contest.  There were a couple of St. Bernard's content to be in a convent, or happy to be a nun on the run if the moment were to present itself.

This young lady and her mini me stated that they ere just a couple of nerds, and happy to be besties.

This puppy mom donned so wings so her little guy named Flutter could flitter about and vie for best dressed dog at Bear Paw.

This kid and bulldog actually did kinda look alike.  The kid was a real ham onstage too...the puppy turned out to respond to commands better...but the kid was an audience pleaser and he took his bows, and gave himself 3 or 4 encores before they could coach him off the stage.

Eagle River is a military town, with military families, and that loyalty runs deep...even the family sheepdog is proud to wear fatigues.

This boy and his dog love nothing more than hanging out with daddy...who is  painter.

And a pug in a wonderwoman suit?  I don't even NEED words to make that awesome.

This future doctor looks ready to see his first patients with mom.

And this little girl, well both of them, they like fashion and the color purple.

This beagle needs no costume to help dad scout for a photo opportunity.

And after that, there was still time to stop for nibbles at the Bushnell Salmon Bake off!  I had some tasty salmon dip, and got scouted myself.  As the chef scooped me up some of his dip, a lady leaned in and said "He's handsome, he cooks, and he's the hottest real estate agent in town."  "Are you his mom?" I asked.  "Yes," she said sheepishly as the handsome, successful, good cook tried to disappear into the fabric of his tent.  Made my smile, and that's all one needs on a good day off work.