While researching How to Moon a Cat, I stopped off at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds for their annual Mark Twain Frog Jumping Competition. In the book, Harold Wombler and his green amphibian friends make a similar visit.

Frog Town

The photo to the left is the front entrance to FrogTown USA at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. Below is a shot of the frog jumping barn and its stage. The small black dot in the center is one of the contestants. Frog wranglers with large black nets on poles ring the stage, ready to capture any potential escapees.

Jumping StageWhen the frogs aren't competing, they hang out in the dark area below the barn. There are dozens of frogs inside each of these large wet canisters.

Frog Houses

Jumping Frog

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the photo to the right, one of the contestants.

Click here to return to Scenes from Northern California that inspired How to Moon a Cat.