"An idle mind is the Devil's workshop." Or not.
I left for Anchorage before 6 A.M. yesterday in minus fourteen-degree weather. I had my lane to myself for 55 miles before a pickup pulled onto the highway in Girdwood. It was wonderful. I could dawdle along at whatever speed I desired and not bother anyone. My speed varied between 50 and 60 mph on a 65-mph highway.
It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable drives to Anchorage ever.
During my northerly trek, I stopped for a photo at Portage where bridge-building continues as a DOT contractor replaces five well-worn bridges. In this photo, a crane is rigged as a pile-driver with five or six sticks of boom. The top ones were not lighted.
As I approached Girdwood, foggy conditions were ideal for light pillars and the lights from the businesses rose into the air as vertical beams. In one particularly spectacular sight, the headlights from a distant vehicle combined into a single beam that reached high into the sky.
Driving alone with the road to myself gave me plenty of time to ponder some world problems. For instance, if today’s digital generation cannot tell time by looking at a clock, how can they comprehend “clockwise” and “counterclockwise”?
My radio, which quit working a few months ago, was suddenly working! I missed the clock more than the radio so I was glad to have it back. The radio stayed off on this pleasant drive. And, for the first time in the 17 years I've owned this pickup, I noticed that the window and outside mirror controls on the door arm are lighted.
I continued without traffic in my lane until that pickup joined me at Girdwood. In Indian, I followed a school bus for a half mile and then both vehicles left me alone for the rest of the way to Anchorage.
Further pondering: I
cannot grasp the concept of infinite space—the kind of space where stars and
planets dwell. To my limited
imagination, space is defined by borders, such as space in a drawer, in a
vehicle, in a building, etc.
I had all my errands done and was gassed up before 9 A.M., and was parked at Costco waiting for the 10 A.M. opening. I noticed people waiting in the cold where the carts are parked out of the weather and a thought occurred. I used my limited phone skills to discover that Costco allows seniors to shop two days a week at 9 A.M. so away I went.
Potter Marsh
Costco was out of my latest sinful obsession—pain du chocolat. So, if you want to give me a birthday present…..
Shortly after 10, I was on my way out of town with plenty of food for the wild birds and some for me as well. The sun broke though the fog layer along Turnagain Arm and created some delightful photo conditions.
When I reached Tern Lake, I turned off onto the Sterling to check out my favorite dipper place. I hadn’t seen any of these remarkable birds since last winter and was delighted to find three! There was also a lone bald eagle.
Two dippers on the ice.
Bald eagle
I was home by noon, put away the perishables, and went to bed where I slept 15 hours!!! Re-entry from Africa complicated by Daylight Saving Time changes is an on-going process.
Hi Jeanne .. We almost missed this Post but a series of factors revealed it to us. We are happy we found it. We'll bet many (if not most) of your readers will miss it. Leaving Moose Pass BEFORE 6AM to head for Anchorage is stunning for the two of us. Often we sleep past 11AM. Then (thanks to Costco having the Senior Hours it has) being headed back to Moose Pass shortly after 10AM is incomprehensible to us. NO WONDER you slept for (count them) 15 hours !! Too funny : How can people used to digital time on smart phones comprehend clockwise and counter clockwise. As always, a fun and enjoyable Post with some nice photos. Patti and Cap
ReplyDeleteJeanne, IF you want your readers to see this Post, why don't you suggest, at the bottom of Chapter 2 above, that they can continue to scroll down to see this Post. Just a suggestion. Patti and Cap
ReplyDelete