I soon came to learn that the standard parting comment to make to someone around here is not ‘have a nice day’ or ‘ride safe’… It’s ‘watch out for the deer’! Yep, they are everywhere! So far, I haven’t failed to spot at least one, and usually many more, of those seemingly gentle, harmless critters every time I have been aboard ALI. Even on short rides, a couple can easily be spotted alongside or crossing the road. It really pays to pay attention!

We didn’t do much riding the first couple of days we were there, though. I just took my time doing anything and everything, all the while drinking in my surroundings, watching sunrises and sunsets, doing laundry, cooking breakfast, grilling a couple of pretty doggone good steaks, viewing all the deer that could be seen from ‘my’ front porch… I saw wild turkeys, too, but so far at least, I haven’t spotted any other wildlife species… no cougars, wolves, pheasants, elk, or bear, for example… even though I’ve been told they too are in the area.

Our first morning there, we rode back to Kooskia for breakfast at a café, then to do some grocery shopping… where I made a monumental blunder, which I’ll get into a bit later on… Anyway, I ordered the biscuits ‘n gravy with a side of bacon for breakfast… plus coffee, of course.

The gravy was quite good, but the biscuits were disappointing. I don’t expect anybody else’s to ever measure-up to mom’s delicate delights, but heck, even biscuits out of a can are better than the ones they served me. Those hockey pucks were more like doughy, dense bread in terms of consistency, and much too ‘heavy’ for the amount of gravy that came with them.

And, while the staff was rather busy that morning, after delivering the food my waitress was never to be seen again until I went to pay my bill. I would have accepted a refill on my coffee, had one been offered.

I don’t have unusually high standards, I don’t think, but this experience would rate well down on my list of good service examples… This was not typical of what I’m used to finding in small villages like this one… Oh well, it was all still quite tolerable, and what I ate will definitely ‘make one’…

Directly across the street from the café is the parking lot for a local grocery store… the only grocery store in town that I ever saw. We pulled across, found a space right up front and parked. Dang, this was so familiar, yet it had such a different feel… There is just something special about doing anything no matter how often you’ve done it before at home, that makes it seem different and fun when done a couple of thousand miles from home in some strange place!

I got a buggy, just like I always do, and then proceeded to walk the aisles… As is my custom, I’d forgotten to make a shopping list, so I was straining my thinker muscle hard trying to remember what all I needed to pick up. I did a decent or at least a marginally adequate job, but a return trip will still be necessary… also an all too familiar aspect of my grocery shopping routine…

Can you believe it?! One of the things I did not get was grits!!! I didn’t even think to look for them, so I don’t know if they would even have had any… I doubt it, but it is definitely worth a look and/or inquiry… There was a pleasant surprise, though…

It being a Sunday of a three-day holiday weekend, I had fretted some about the probable pickings, or more precisely leavings, to be seen of the steak selection. WOW! Much to my surprise, a butcher was carving away behind the meat counter, and the selection was actually quite good.

I passed on a two-pound ribeye I’d longingly examined and picked out two smaller ones instead. In retrospect, I wish I had bought the larger, and thicker, of the ribeye choices to later cut in half, but I’m still learning and this will help me with some future decision… if I can remember…

While there, I also got some bacon, eggs, bread, mayonnaise, sandwich meat, and a couple of baking potatoes. In addition to grits, I failed to pick up any soda, orange juice, candy bars, cookies or other essential cabin dwelling necessities… not even any popcorn… Not crisis producing omissions, however, as much of that was already at the cabin, only in small quantities.

I also didn’t get coffee, tea, sugar, butter, salt or pepper. All of those things were already at the surprisingly well stocked cabin and in ample supply. OK, tonight it’ll be a steak and baked potato for din-din, so is there anything else I need to get, I asked myself… Beer? Wine? Nah, those types of beverages are mostly just social lubricants for this pro-solitude trekker, so none were needed or called for, since I would be dining alone… Hmmm, in retrospect a merlot or chianti might have been nice, though… next time, perhaps…

Lots of folks I know can grill a marvelous tasting steak… I aspire to become one of those myself, but I’m not quite there yet. I am improving, though, and I do see that day coming in my future… if I live long enough. I did a rather good job that evening, and while it was one of my better efforts, it still wasn’t as good as many I’ve had elsewhere. Continue to practice, practice, practice… I made a mental note…

When I looked into the spice cabinet back at the cabin, it immediately became apparent yuppies had preceded me there at some point. Have you ever heard of ‘Himalayan pink salt’? I hadn’t. Well, I definitely had to try that. I couldn’t tell much from my experience, though…

Looks to me more like it’s just another way for folks to appear sophisticated when discussing the subtle nuances of gourmet cooking… To be uppity and in possession of a ‘sophisticated palate’ apparently involves some knowledge beyond simply extending one’s pinky finger and talking down about regular food… So, becoming a member of the ‘quality people’ set may not be in my future at all… Nope, Morton’s table salt will do just fine for this simple good ol’ boy. Knowing that now, can you possibly still respect me?