Will we awake tomorrow and wonder where the yellow went?

A big wind is forecast to hit Anchorage, Turnagain Arm and Knik River with gusts up to 90 mph - depending on location. I don't know how this will play out at our house, where the leaves are now about 60% gone, or down here where a schoolbus rolls over the Schrock Road bridge across the Little Su and golden autumn colors still hold strong. Even if the blow is half that, even one quarter, then these leaves should mostly be gone. #autumm #leaves #schoolbus #littlesu #littlesusitna #wasilla #alaska

Bike on the highway

I just dropped Margie off to babysit for most of the rest of the week, and now I'm at the Carr's gas station in Eagle River. I passed this dude on my way here.

iPhone portrait of Charlie, in Melanie's absence

Charlie, on Alaska Street in a hold over snapshot in front of Vagabond Blues, last night after the Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks concert.

Dan Hicks...

...leaves the stage.

Dan Hicks scares himself and his Hot Licks catch fire

Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks.

Dan Hicks has been around for a long time and is famous for songs like, "I Scare Myself," (my favorite performance of the night) and "Canned Music," which he said he has grown tired of but performed with spirit just the same. He described his music as "Caucasian hip-hop." I would describe it as a mellow yet electric blend of acoustic blues, jazz and country -  all performed on acoustic instruments, including guitar, mandolin, violin and various hand held percussion instruments.

The Hot Licks got hot and really got the audience going. The ecstatic crowd threw chairs, tipped tables over, hurled coffee cups through all the windows and then somebody lit a match and set the place on fire. The fire quickly spread and burned down the entire community of Palmer, except for Vagabond Blues, which miraculously remained unscorched and standing.

Maybe I exaggerate a bit. Maybe none of these things happened. Maybe the audience just clapped, cheered and rose to its feet a couple of times, demanding an encore on cue from Dan himself. But Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks were on fire and it was a damn fun concert.