A day out in Idaho Falls
Today the trip caught up to me and I felt more than usual. I felt foggy and real out of it. I was hoping to not get sick but felt an odd feeling I couldn’t shake. As the days go by I learn that the altitude is a fact and boy does a glass of water feel nice. Coffee only does not help. Nolan like always is up early again feeding the varmints and doing house work. He is one of the most eclectic people I know but cleans like a little maid. He hates mess and I try my best to keep my 2 luggage bags tidy as possible. He comes in to see if I’m awake and offer me some coffee.
Elvis mug please I gotta keep this up digging the hilarity of it. I have a small cup of coffee with a dash of goat’s milk and 3 glasses of water. Gulp. Thinking clearly again the idea today was to shoot some guns and ride a motorcycle. But realizing we need some parts. We end up testing some social media posts filming and photographing Nolan on guitar with my iPhone. Testing out the hashtags and twitter tagging eventually gets a couple favorites for his small string of 15 sec clips on Instagram. As old as we are the idea of reaching the company through one tweet is exciting. Always learning the new and driving ahead with it creatively. Multiple times on my trip it has worked including my 2 day ago travel debacle.
I make us an egg salad sandwich before we head out. It’s with Mayo of course, avocado, bacon cilantro and green onions. I boiled the eggs from Broulin’s we bought the day before and got wicked with the ingredients. Well Nolan of course like any normal person went to town on the incredible sandwich. so incredible that I had to stop set up a shot and photograph my breakfast snack lunch. Nolan made a fresh Salsa picante from scratch for the week. I also had to photograph that as well. fresh with vibrant colors.
We get a call form Nolan’s Mother and we tall about possibly photographing her for her store and her use for business. I also score more samples of portraiture. We both help each other out. We finally get ready and head out of course with my camera equipment in tow. Treasure’s Bridal and Tux in the downtown area of Idaho Falls is such a giant wonder in the small town. Very well designed and pretty popular as Nolan tells me. Treasure Nolan’s mother is delightful woman so kind and ready to please but also very busy. She welcomed me with open arms hug and all. As long as I was there not a moment was the store empty. A testament to her happy and successful spirit. Greeted by Natalie one of the sales staff and Angelica, a 17 yr old sales wonder both nice and of course busy as can be. Very accommodating to me as i wandered around photographing. Brides were in and out and I got a sense of the place. I wanted to poke around to see what would be a good photo opportunity. We photographed the gowns with a lower light source to give it that memorable look on in camera. It really worked. Each gown for the mannequins have their own stage places all around the upper bridal salon. Lots of the brides were accompanied by mothers or friends.. A small window into what it’s like for the brides getting ready for their day. A nice touch I got to experience.
After hanging out and setting up a time later in the week to photograph Treasure and her staff we head out to grab a bite. We first stop in to Cal Ranch store first thing I see is giant stuffed bear. I had to photograph it and Nolan gave me an egged on photobomb. Passing my country plaid snap button shirts that are the real deal not the hipster versions from Urban outfitters. An aisle of all cowboys hats and rows of boots, which are much nicer and more ergonomic than the boots you find at Thrift stores. The cool factor is nice but here at Cal Ranch people are actually working in them. So cowboy cool but with purpose. No bullshit. If i bought anything here I would be a definite poser. Further into the store we see a box of chicks. Little yellow peep peep kind. Not chicks at a bar kind of chicks. Just so we’re straight. $2 for each. Wold thinking to me but if I wanted to have some chickens in my yard I could easily buy some. So cute but they are whittled down to livestock here and in a box with heat lamps next to the popcorn on a shelf. After a couple more aisles. something visually explodes in front of my eye socket, CheeseBurger Taters in a bag by the comedian Larry the Cable guy. I can't help but chuckle and the people all around see me. Still I had to photograph it. “ Oh Man Come on!”, Nolan poses and I snap it. I ask for some game meat jerky and luckily they have it. Finally! I get some elk and a bison jerky. If I am not going to get it anywhere else now is the time and in jerky form. We grab some bullets for Nolan’s gun and as we he is asking the guy some questions I am overtaken by the mounted heads. I wonder how long they have been there, where it was shot and I have moment to photograph them. I don’t take to much time so not to look like the tourist foolishly photographing in a department store and totally blowing Nolan’s cover since she shops there.
I am starving at this point but want something not so smart and healthy like a salad. No problem we head to Scotty’s, Nolan thinks it would be cool since it is an old drive in burger joint a la American Graffiti that is way more original than Sonic burger place. It takes me back back to the movies watching The Wraith, Can’t buy me Love, Porky’s and Last American Virgin and The Heavenly Kid. I can see how cool it all must have been but it's lunch time and no hot 80's girls to be found. Now just down to families and a couple randoms grabbing burger. I order the Pastrami Scott Burger around 1964 where I am corrected by their motto “ We are not fast food, we are good food fast.” As I am photographing my food Nolan is just sitting pondering with the soda straw in his mouth. a take a few snaps and this becomes a new image for his SoundCloud the artist forever staring into the next song. Happy to capture these moments.
Back at the house we crash and rest and I get a couple more minutes for some writing. Vegging out we watch Pirate Radio. A good movie but full of free sex and rock n roll. I am wiped and we as the night goes on we just settle in for the night. Plans to go out get squashed. Nolan passes out and I nod off eventually making my way to the room. Another full day in Idaho. Done.