Son Of A Gun

Gimme All Your Money (But Arrest Me Later)

A US man was arrested after he gave a cashier in Anchorage, Alaska, his account number and showed her his picture ID before handing over a piece of paper saying: "I have a gun. Give me all the money in your drawer". He was arrested on the basis of the account number and picture ID.

FOOTNOTE: Cheque, mate.

Get The Lowdown

So, Is This Where J-Low Hangs Out, Too?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Low-flying planes? Mate, I’m well over six foot – so does this sign mean I have more case to worry than most other tourists?

This shot was taken though the window of a fast-moving SUV in Alaska last year. We had just crossed the border at Poker Creek as we traversed the Top Of The World Highway. We were still a few miles from the little town of Chicken when I spotted this sign.

Okay, so it’s not the sharpest image I shot that day, but it’s certainly one that brought a smile to my face.

Visit TNChick's Photo Hunt. Today's theme: "Low''.

On Top Of The World (No, Really!)

Don't Give It Your Best Shot, Mate

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This door is at the US border at Poker Creek on the Top Of The World Highway. We travelled the highway on 30 August last year, starting out from the gold rush town of Dawson City, through the Yukon, crossing into Alaska and finally returning to Canadian soil and heading towards Beaver Creek.

Poker Creek is stark but beautiful, but there’s not a whole lot of company. Actually, there's no company. All that exists at Poker Creek is the border outpost.

Beside the door, there is also a prominent yellow sign on the main entrance that says "No Weapons Allowed In Office". I waited until after my papers had been processed and I had a US stamp on my passport before asking if I could take some photographs outside.

I was going to say "Could I take some shots outside," but suddenly realised that the innocent question might be completely misconstrued!


For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

Baby, It's Gold Outside

Yes, It's A 22-Karat Photo Opportunity

Chicken, Alaska. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Verse And Worse

Random Wit, Errant Rhyme. Not A Literary Crime

I've been twice to Alaska
But not yet to Nebraska
When I meet Mrs Trasker
I'll remember to ask 'er

Which Famous Military Leader Is This?

Answer: It's Alexander The Crate

Alaska, 2008. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Number Cruncher

Happy Anniversary, Alaska (Love Your Colours)

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It's not every day you get to visit a place like Alaska. When I went there for the first time in 1999, I never thought I'd be making another trip back there. It's been a huge privilege to visit the beautiful state, especially for someone like me from the Southern Hemisphere.

Since this is the first Odd Shot of the new year, I thought it would be very appropriate to salute the fiftieth anniversary of the state by publishing this photograph.

Enjoy the party, Alaska. Shall I come round and help you break the ice?

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Arrow Minded

So I Just Turn Right For Canada, Right?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Luckily I was in the passenger seat when we drove the Top Of The World Highway, from Dawson City in Canada, through Alaska and then back into Canada on our way to Beaver Creek. I had my cameras around my neck, ready to take shots of anything I spotted.

Then we came to a T-junction near the end of the trip (correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was the only T-junction on the entire drive) and I figured this had to be one of the more unusual road signs I've ever seen.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Fall McCartney

I Was (Literally) On Top Of The World

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It’s not often I’m a passenger in a vehicle, so it ain’t often I get the chance to use my camera in a moving car or SUV. Just before Christmas last year I had to go to northern India for five days and that was probably the first time I was able to work on the (considerably challenging) art of photography at high speed.

On that trip, we did the long northern highway from New Delhi to Dehra Dun and then back again - so I got a fair bit of practice. Then a couple of months ago I was in the Yukon and the lessons I learnt in India stood me in very good stead.

We travelled to a very tight schedule in the Yukon, covering just under two thousand kilometres in five days of serious travel. In that time, I shot hundreds of images through the window of an SUV travelling at high speed.


Crikey, it’s not every day you get to drive the Alaska Highway or the rugged Dempster Highway or even the awe-inspiring Top Of The World Highway. These shots were actually taken on American soil, in the US loop of the Top Of The World Highway that takes you from Dawson City in the Yukon, through Alaska and then back into Canadian territory just before Beaver Creek.

It was early fall and I was engrossed in the colours when I suddenly noticed this narrow patch of hillside coming up very quickly to my right. Fortunately we were in a left-hand-drive vehicle (which is crucial to a clear view on the right-hand side!) and I was able to train my lens on this scene.

Even though I spent a lot of time in Indian forests and conservation parks when I was very young, I don’t think I’ve ever seen foliage as dense as this in my life. Honestly, looking at this solitary clump of trees was like looking at the woven pattern on a woollen carpet.

There has been quite in increase in the number of new readers to this blog, so I’d just like to reiterate something that most people know - these images are not edited or enhanced in any way. What you see here is exactly what I saw through my viewfinder.

When you shoot a scene as memorable as this, in terms of sheer density of foliage and the concentration of colour, you don’t need to improve it using electronic means.

When I shot the last image (below) I had the immediate thought that the dark-green treetops, visible at random intervals through the fall colours, looked like asparagus spears. No, they weren’t Britney’s spears.

Bark Code

Never Be Stumped For A Tree Shot

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes the least expected situations can bring you a great photo. This shot was taken while we drove the Top Of The World Highway from Dawson City through Alaska and then through to Canadian territory before heading to Beaver Creek.

We’d been told that there were a couple of places on the highway where crews were carrying out resurfacing work. So it was no surprise when we were flagged down and had to wait for a pilot car to take us through the one lane that was operational.

At the second place, we were still on Alaskan soil when we spent about ten minutes waiting for the pilot car. On a glorious autumn afternoon, with the sun still fairly high in a clear blue sky, I suddenly realised that the sun was positioned perfectly, alongside a fleeting patch of powdery cloud.

I had been shooting through the window of the SUV all along the highway and I quickly changed the settings on my camera before jumping out onto the shoulder. I only had to walk a few feet from the vehicle to get this shot, with the sun conveniently hidden behind the cloud, silhouetting the narrow trunk of this nearby tree.

And yes, I made it back to the SUV before the pilot car arrived. But if we hadn’t stopped here, I probably wouldn’t have been able to capture this image of Alaska that I’ll always treasure.

For other participants in Dot’s concept, go to Sky Watch HQ.

Pepsi Cooler

No, This Ain’t The Crate Depression

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This was shot during a very brief refuelling stop in Alaska, while traversing the Top Of The World Highway. I was keen to get a couple of photographs of Alaskan license plates because, let’s face it, how many times in your life do you get a chance to do just that?

Having taken a couple of shots, I thought I’d venture indoors and see (since I was on US soil) if I could find some Hershey’s products to take home. As I crossed the timber walkway, I spotted these Pepsi crates stacked on top of each other.

So this is for all those who enjoyed singing that Sunday School classic, "All Creatures Crate And Small".

Soar Point

Alas, The Triplane Ain't My Plane

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Last week, I was in Alaska for a few hours, taking the Top Of The World Highway back down into Canada and the Yukon. We pulled into Chicken, which is less than 40 miles from the border at Poker Creek, fo a quick lunch stop.

There I watched a man on a quad bike traverse a flat area near the picnic gazebo. Behind him on the bike he had three children, and one of them was flying this beautiful kite. Its bright colours caught my eyes, but I didn't immediately realise that the kite was in the shape of a World War I triplane.

It was so evocative of the Charles M. Schulz cartoons of Snoopy with his leather helmet, picturing himself as a World War I air ace, taking to the skies against the Red Baron.

Before I could approach the group to ask if the kite was home-made, the father left on the quad bike, blowing kisses and calling out "Love you" to the children.

Unfortunately, strangers can no longer approach children and strike up a conversation with them. But as they ran as fast as their legs would carry them, the kite bobbing up and down in the clear sky behind them, I was able to take these shots with my 300mm lens.

What I really wanted to tell them was to follow their dreams. To tell them that I was a kid once. To tell them that I used to fly kites. To tell them that I dreamed about becoming a novelist. To tell them that when I wrote my first novel, it would include a short but significant segment about a child flying a kite.

More than anything else, I wanted to tell the children in Chicken, Alaska, that dreams can come true, just as the human spirit can soar.

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

Handle Bard

Not Your Average Doorknob, Is It?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken in Chicken, Alaska, a few days ago, as we traversed the Top Of The World Highway. The early afternoon light provided an interesting shadow against the wooden door of one of the washrooms.

Yup, that and the fact that the door handle isn't exactly one you could buy in a store.

And the handles were similar to those on the two facilities below - where the shadows they cast on the wood are strangely redolent of elk or caribou too. Just for the record, the sign on the ladies' toilet says "Hens" and the one on the right says "Roosters".

Which is kind of appropriate when you do a Chicken run.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Verse And Worse

Random Wit, Errant Rhyme. Not A Literary Crime

Ol' Blue Eyes sure hit those notes on "My Way"

I tried a-singin' on the Alaska Highway

I hummed his tune as I drove through Chicken

A-wonderin' when the plot would thicken

Looking For A Sign

Forget Sightseeing, Let's Go Sign-Seeing

This week's Photo Hunt theme is "unique, funny signs". Yeah, I've shot a few of those in my time. From some very distant parts of the world, using a variety of cameras. So here we go .....

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

April 2005. Gold Coast, Queensland. Canon EOS 3000.

With my background in science and mathematics, I was intrigued by this huge street sign that pointed the way to Infinity. But there were no complicated calculations involved. Infinity is not a suburb, just the name of a nightclub. In order to get the perspective I wanted for this shot, I had to stand on a narrow median strip as puzzled drivers wondered what this crazy tourist was doing. I shot only one frame, because I figured I had nailed it.

May 1999. Juneau, Alaska. Ricoh Instamatic.

I shot this during an unforgettable cruise around the Alaskan ports. The Red Dog Saloon in Juneau has featured on my blog in the past. It has a great atmosphere, plenty of buzz and plenty of humour. This shot, taken in challenging light, shows an interesting piece of signage. The little trap says "Texas Bear Trap" and the huge one says: "Alaska Mouse Trap". In the early days of the Saloon, the owners used to send a donkey down to the wharf to attract tourists. The animal bore a sign that said "Follow my ass to the Red Dog Saloon."

You can read my teetotal guide to Alaskan pubs at Called To The Bar.


August 1999, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Ricoh Instamatic.

This is probably the most famous piece of signage anywhere in Australia. The highway sign showing camel, wombat and kangaroo contrasts beautifully with the white-grey bitumen and the crisp blue sky. Little did I realise when I did this Outback trip that I would place two chapters of my novel "Vegemite Vindaloo" slap-bang in the middle of this spectacular piece of the country I live in.


September 2006. Albury, New South Wales. Pentax K100D.

Clear blue late-spring sky. Bright red roof. Highly visible yellow signs. Does the one to the left of the TV aerial make sense to you? Does it? Really? Look again. It says "Keep Right, Mate" but the arrow points left. You can catch it at the famous Ettamogah Pub, where it is a famous landmark on the roof of a pub - along with an Aussue ute, or utility vehicle. The photograph below was taken at the same place on a stormy day last month, March 2008, and gives you a better look at the sign, through a 300mm Sigma lens.


It was harder shooting this against the dark clouds, but you can see the other sign more clearly than you can in the earlier shot. Loading Zone? On the rickety tin roof? Yeah, right! But remember - anything's possible in Australia.

September 2006. Albury, New South Wales. Pentax K100D.

This shot of the sign with the fake bullet holes was taken behind the Ettamogah Pub, near the souvenir shop. Just don't fight over it.

September 2005. Bala, Ontario, Canada. Canon EOS 3000.

I actually pulled up to shoot this photograph on a bridge over the beautiful Bala Falls in Muskoka, a region that figures in my forthcoming novel. Looks like just another sign, right? Now look at the image below, which is simply a cropped version of the original.


Despite the sign saying "Danger", there's a bloke on the rocks below the bridge, fishing in a spot he probably frequents all the time.


March 2008. Albury, New South Wales. Pentax K100D.

Remember the Queen in Lewis Carroll's "Alice In Wonderland"? The Queen who said the rule was "Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow but never jam today." This sign greets patrons (and countless tourists) at the Ettamogah Pub. And in case you think of returning the next day for several free cans of icy-cold Aussie-brewed Foster's beer, the sign will thwart you once more. It's always there!

Otherwise Engaged

Pumpkin's In The Soup

How long ya bin on the phone line, ya pumpkin? AT&T phone technician David Cooper said it was the first time he'd disconnected a pumpkin - this one was hanging on the Stiger family's telephone wire in Chickasaw, Alaska. For five months, the Stigers had watched it grow from a blossom on neighbouring vacant land. The vine climbed the fence, made its way up the phone line, then started producing what was until last week a 19-kilogram orange orb dangling from the phone line.

FOOTNOTE: Hang on, speak to the pumpkin.

Hair-Raising Experience

A Break And Enter (Or Brake And Enter)

Having been to Alaska, here is another reason I'd like to go back - to meet this remarkable woman. She was on her way to hair appointment when she actually crashed her car through the window of the hair salon. Della Miller, 73, made a surprise entry into Tina's Hair Pros' windows, knocking one customer six feet across the room, Soldotna police officer Marvin Towle said. The parking area in front of the salon was snow-covered. Towle estimated damage to the building to be at least $15,000, and the car at another $2,500. Miller, who was not injured, was not cited for the crash. So she just calmly went ahead with her hair appointment.

FOOTNOTE: Watch her when she goes window shopping.

Number Cruncher

Hand It To Me On A Plate

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes my attention is caught by the smallest of details. Like this number plate (above) for instance. I wonder if these were the owner's initials or if he/she really was a Very Important Person. And just as I was uploading the picture, I remembered one that I shot back in 1999, with a little Instamatic. I shot it not just because of the colours of the Alaskan plate, but because of the raindrops on the chrome and the words ``850 lbs torque load maximum''.

Called To The Bar

Sobering Experience In Alaska’s Pubs

Up Alaska way, they speak pretty good Strine. They know what a billy is. They know all about jumbucks. The word "billabong" doesn't faze 'em. They can tell you why a swagman is called a swagman. And, most important of all, they'll sing `Waltzing Matilda' as lustily as anyone sporting an Akubra and wearing a Drizabone.

Mind you, it wasn't always that way. Things were pretty quiet when we walked into the Fogcutter (what a great name for an Alaskan pub) late on a May evening. We'd already spent a bit of time familiarising ourselves with the other pub in Haines and things were pretty low-key. The barmaid noticed we were having a little trouble with the local coinage and came round to held us.

"Off the cruise ship?" she asked. Yep, we owned up. But how did she know?

To read the rest of the story, go to The Anglo-Indian Portal as it would be too long to post here.