Ducks

Picking up ducks at the AFLAC Iron Girl 5K and 10 miler

One of my favorite races, the AFLAC Iron Girl 5k or 10 miler is held at Tempe Town Lake. It's a medium- sized, well-organized race. There are plenty of mother/daughter teams (I've seen 5 year olds on the course), and breakfast is served after the race. The technical shirts and plush ducks are a plus.

Races

Races are perfect venues for people watching and portrait taking.  Between the crazy rush at the start and the slow flurry at the finish, there are miles of really intense people taking it one step, one stroke or one pedal at a time.  Endurance sports are one of my few remaining vices... not because I'm good (I usually finish in the bottom 10%), but because they're fun social events populated by healthy people all madly driven towards a common end.  Also, snacks are often provided - it's all about the snacking.  In the next few days I'll post my small collection of portraits from some fall events. 

Little girl waits for her mom at the AFLAC Iron Girl 10-miler.

Pasty

I'll start with a place that's not featured in AZ Restaurant Week but is worth a mention because it's one of those places you'd miss if you blinked.  And what you'd be missing is a great neighborhood restaurant that serves simple, satisfying, inexpensive food.  The Cornish Pasty place in Tempe specializes in the humble pasty - a half-moon shaped crust stuffed with wholesome meats and veggies.   Check them out at www.cornishpastyco.com.

Bannoffee Pie

Cornish Pasty Co.

Dawn

5:30am - yawn!
Dawn breaks over Tempe Town Lake

Tempe Center for the Arts

TCA