Thursday, 6/15

One of my favorite pictures is almost 20 years old.

I was writing yesterday about how I'm one of the least likely people to document what night life—what bar life—is like.  Here's another example.  I don't remember why, but a decade ago I had to run down to the station before I went out on one of my rambling Saturday morning runs.  I do remember it was early, that it was warm, and that the sun was streaming down East Bluff Street between the First Presbyterian Church and the Longyear Building.  In fact, it was because of the perfectly positioned sun that I saw something sitting on the sidewalk, something that caused me to run into the station, grab a small camera I had in my office, and take THIS picture--

I like the picture for a lot of reasons.  I like it because of the way it's lit, I like it because I got lucky when I framed it, and I like most of all because I think it perfectly captures what it's like being in downtown Marquette early on a weekend morning following a late weekend evening of revelry.  

Besides, it's a lot prettier that the piles of vomit that you occasionally see.

I'm guessing the glass comes from the Elks Club, because I took the picture right outside the bar.  But this is downtown Marquette (or, at least, the downtown Marquette of, from the looks of the info on the picture, 2006); the glass could've come from anywhere.  There are plenty of drinking establishments within a three block area of where I took the picture.  It wouldn't surprise me if someone just happened to (ahem) accidentally walk off with a drink they hadn't finished when last call rolled around.

You just never know.

As many of you know, I'm not an early riser.  I'm not the kind of person who's up and ready to go the same time as the sun.  But there are a few times in my life I've been glad to be awake early, and recently most of those times have come when I've captured a picture of something lit by the early sun.  This is a perfect example of that.

The fact that it also captures the essence of downtown Marquette after a rowdy Friday night is just a bonus.  Who knew that I would be the one to capture that essence?

(jim@wmqt.com)