Day 66 - Wednesday, June 5 - Milepost 5807 - Birdcount 260 - Anchorage, Alaska

(BF's Journal). Today is retirement at its best: slow paced, relaxed, interesting conversations, beautiful weather, leisurely exercise (bicycling) and a person to share it with. I start at 5:50 AM; Shari starts a couple hours later. In the interim I study the photos I took with the new lens, trying to understand what f-stops, shutter speeds, light conditions, distances and composition works best for taking nature shots, especially of birds. Bird photography is particularly challenging since most subjects are only six or eight inches, are hard to approach within 50 feet and rarely sit still long enough to make all the camera adjustments, but I enjoy trying. We plan to bicycle and set out about 10 AM, but detour to check the status of parts to be ordered for our motor home, then to talk to a Michigan couple with the same 1995 35 ft Pace Arrow with blue interior as ours who also are at A&M Motors for repairs, then to the camera repair shop, where we bought the used lens, to show Mike the photos we took and to buy a book on taking better nature photographs, then to the film developer where I forgot my MasterCard and finally to the park where we start our bicycle ride. See what I mean about retirement? It’s kind of like the Family Circle cartoon where the kid traverses the whole neighborhood before he reaches home, only the kid is us. Bicycling is perfect: comfortable temperature, warm enough for T-shirts but cool enough to avoid sweating; easy paved bicycle paths winding through fragrant woods, mudflats, ponds and ocean views and lots of rest stops with benches to absorb the scenery and watch the wildlife. Along the way I photograph Mallards, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Lesser Yellowlegs, Mew Gull, Olive-sided Flycatcher and a Moose with Anchorage as the backdrop. I savor days like today.

(SF's Journal). Anchorage News Bulletin!

TEXAS COUPLE ATTACKED ON ANCHORAGE BICYCLE TRAIL. The two tourists had just turned around for their return on their 15 mile sightseeing bike ride when the attackers swooped out of the forest about five miles south of Earthquake Park. Although she had seen a few unsavory and shabby people using the bike route, Mrs. Frenz said "We had no warning and the attack was very sudden. The trail at this point was less populated but none-the-less well used by other hikers, bikers, joggers, and roller bladers and the day was beautiful, bright, shiny and clear." Mr. Frenz guessed the couple had gotten too close to the nest and forced the Lesser Yellowlegs to attack. He said they first went after his wife until she skidattled out of there and then they attacked him as he tried to take their picture with his new 300mm lens. He thinks he got two good snapshots before he too was forced to evacuate.

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