A blog by Bill Hess

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« First hot Saturday of the year - I just have to blog it: return of the French visitors; Alaska State Trooper in action; Wild Child replaces duck in Little Lake - plus 5000 more stories, condensed | Main | Scot left us early Sunday morning, but when I pulled up to Metro Cafe today, I found him still here »
Wednesday
May222013

I receive instructions from a duck; birch buds about to leaf; a variety of very young people; Scot's funeral service announced

Seeing as how I am now on a once a week blog schedule and I had already put up so sad a post as my last one, I didn't know if I should put one up tonight, on my new Wednesday schedule. "Do it, Bill!" this duck quacked at me as I walked by the pond my boys named "Little Lake" when they themselves were little. "Otherwise, your Wednesday schedule means nothing."

As you can see, I listened to the duck. 

Driving down Lucille Street, I noticed that as soon as I passed Spruce, there was the tiniest tinge of green visible in the trees. Out here, we are always last to get leaves and you still can't see green from the car. But if you look close... This is going to be the week spring finally arrives.

I found these buds right across Wards Street from the duck.

I continue to get my afternoon coffee at Metro Cafe. Always. Yesterday, today, tomorrow and for however long Carmen, Metro Cafe and I are all together here in Wasilla. Sorry, seemingly infinite multitude of other coffee shops in Wasilla, that's just how it is. Except Sundays. Sundays Metro is closed. On Sundays, I go to other coffee shops.

Here I am, in my car, drinking Metro Cafe coffee as this little girl flees from her bus toward her house.

And here I am, drinking Metro Cafe coffee on Church Road.

And here I am, in the morning, breakfast dining at Abby's. 

When I came in, Tim and Wesley were already sharing a table with another cowboy, so I sat at the small table by myself. Wesley came over to join me. He told me about his hat. He is proud of his hat.

I will breakfast at Abby's again tomorrow. Mornings are hard for me, but when I know I am going to have breakfast at Abby's I actually feel excited when I go to bed. It doesn't matter how many times I go there. If I went for breakfast at Abby's seven mornings a week, I would go to bed seven nights a week feeling excited about getting up and going to breakfast.

Abby's breakfasts are that good.

The road home from Abby's.

Now... I have a problem. Last weekend, when I was not blogging, Kalib and Lynx stayed with us. On Sunday, Jobe came out to join us. I told Lavina I was going to do my next blog all about the boys, but it didn't work that way. So tonight, I thought I would still do it, backing up from today, but there were just too many pictures of my grand boys. Not only that, but too many good ones - perhaps even a couple that could become classics, if they are ever seen and circulated.

I spent about one hour browsing through them and then I just gave up for now. I just don't have the time to edit, process and write about them.

Maybe I will do it later, maybe not. I wish I had succeeded at this blog. If I had, then I could take the time and do it right. But I didn't. I did not succeed at this blog. Maybe some day I will yet, but I have no idea how.

If I do post the weekend essay on the boys later, some of the pictures have snow in them. That might be jarring to some folks. Margie, of course, is back in Anchorage babysitting.

Funeral services for Scot Starheim will be held Tuesday, May 28, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, followed by burial. Afterward, there will be a Celebration of Life at Evangelos.

It will be sad. It will be happy. People will cry. People will laugh.

Reader Comments (6)

I think I will wait for the grand boys pics..Love seeing them!

May 23, 2013 | Unregistered CommenterSuji

And I, Bill Hess, am drinking decaf from Wawa, the largest convenience store on the Eastern Seaboard. I certainly don't have any gorgeous mountains here in Willow Grove, PA, tho I do have mountains of work to do. Will have to check your previous post to learn the sad news about Scott.

May 23, 2013 | Unregistered CommenterRuthie

Ducks are well known as good advice givers. You can't go wrong following what a duck recommends.

May 24, 2013 | Unregistered CommenterWendy

You have brought a great deal of joy to us. How is that not successful? Perhaps you should ask your visitors whether or not your blog is successful.

May 24, 2013 | Unregistered CommenterWakeUpAmerica

Suji - I guess I must post them yet, then...

Ruthie - Sometimes, having real mountains around you makes having mountains of work that much harder to do. Especially on a beautiful weekend such as this.

Wendy - For all my life, I have had regard for ducks. Sometimes, I claim to be a duck in human disguise. Maybe I really am.

WakeUpAmerica - I appreciate the sentiment. Even when a project fails, it can experience its own little successes along the way and it can be a good thing to have done. I have not given up on it yet, though. I plan to keep it on life support for another year or two and then see if I think it worth the effort to tackle again. I hope my many fewer life supports will continue to bring you and others a bit of joy.

Successful blog? That is an understatement. I LOVE it!!

May 29, 2013 | Unregistered CommenterGuest

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