Paparazzi?! ME?!

Am I now paparazzi? I guess that depends on whether Scotty and Fiddy are celebrities. This evening I took advantage of the internet to prepare for, capture, and now present the image on the right.

October 10th, my friend Joel posted a link to two guys who were planning to hitchhike to the capitols of all fifty states in fifty days. Amused and intrigued, I started watching their progress. Alaska and Hawaii seemed to be the big question marks... until they got to Juneau!

My interest piqued and Iowa still on their To-Do list, I wondered if there would be an opportunity to see these guys. This evening, I popped up my browser and saw their near real-time GPS locator beacon was nearing Des Moines! Close enough that I better hustle if I wanted to try to see them. With a few hours before a planned online gaming session, I hopped in the car.

Arriving with what I thought would be time to spare, I noticed a Civil War monument set against a beautify sunset sky. I took a few shots and went to the far side of the capital to see if they were here yet, possibly shooting "jump shots." A group of kids were climbing the steps toward the capitol. I heard the door open and there was a guy that looked a lot like Scotty! I asked the kids if that was one of the Hitch50 guys and they confirmed. We shook hands and all went inside.

After an attempt to get to the dome, the small band stepped into the gallery box overlooking the Iowa State Senate. When they paused to take a picture, I grabbed a couple quick shots. They were looking to get to the floor so I wished them well and went back for some more evening monument shots. It was a fun little adventure!