One image from breakfast, three from coffee break: the resolute couple; Metro portrait; Mahoney Ranch; hitch-hiking to the State Fair
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 11:55AM
Wasilla, Alaska, by 300 in Carmen, Mahoney, Mat-Su Valley Family Restaurant, Metro Cafe, Wasilla, hitchhiker

This morning, I was wise. I cooked oatmeal and ate it. But these images are from yesterday and yesterday I was foolish and did what I wanted - I got up, dressed, said good-bye to the cats and headed over to Mat-Su Valley Family Restaurant for breakfast.

As I sipped coffee and waited for my ham and eggs, this couple left the restaurant and then walked by my window, resolute to the face the day.

Somehow, the day is a little easier to face after a breakfast at Family.

Sure, today I had oatmeal and that was the right thing to do, both in terms of my economy and health.

But how am I ever going to face this day?

At the usual time, 4:00 PM, as All Things Considered came on the radio, I headed to Metro Cafe for my afternoon coffee break. It had been awhile since I had shot a Through the Metro Window study, so I shot this one:

Through the Metro Window Study, #444: Carmen, Lily, Willow and Nola.

Again, I took the long way home, the route that goes by Grotto Iona and the Mahoney Ranch. Tim Mahoney was out pitching hay. I was going to shoot the picture in the usual way, from the car as I drove on by without stopping, but I suddenly decided to stop, get out of the car, shoot a couple of frames and chat a bit.

So that's what I did. Among the stories Tim told me about was how he had once been out near Council, when he looked up the embankment that rose over him and saw a big musk-ox standing above him and above the musk ox, a red falcon observing.

As I doubled back down Church towards home, I saw this young couple hitch-hiking. I used to pick up hitch-hikers all the time, but quit because too many bad things happened to others who did. But, somehow, I knew this couple would do me no harm, so I picked them up.

They had badly overslept but were up now, headed to the State Fair in Palmer. So I drove past the turn to my house, took them two-and-a-half more miles to the Parks Highway and dropped them off there, where there would much more traffic coming by than on Church Road.

I do have my Era Aviation ticket now and I fly north early tomorrow morning.

It could be awhile before I blog again, but I can't say for sure, so please check back, anyway.

 

View images as slide show

Pictures will appear larger and look better

 

Article originally appeared on wasillaalaskaby300 (http://wasillaalaskaby300.squarespace.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.