LAST NIGHT: I was perplexed. Official moonrise was scheduled for 8:48. I wanted to photograph the moon over the night freight train in Wasilla, but once up it takes an hour for the moon to climb over the tops of the mountains. The freight generally rolls into Wasilla between 9:05 and 9:45, but Can come as early as 8:45 and well after 10:00 PM.

I had a location in mind. It could work if the train came on the late side, but a train on the late side would be long gone by the time the moon arrived. I decided to head north to give the train. I found a spot near Houston I deemed excellent, but feared the train might be right behind me. The moon was not visible. I continued on to Willow about 30 miles north of Wasilla, noting this spot and that as I went. I decided to into an area just north of the town where I had never been but thought it could be good. I found a back road in and sent Sancho up on a disappointing exploratory flight.

I had used up quite a bit of time and for all I knew the train was about to barrel into Willow. I backtracked to Station Street, just off the south end of the Willow airport, turned onto it and soon came to this place. The moon was up, pale and almost invisible in the wildfire smoke tainted sky. I thought of those places south that would be better. I could get to them in just minutes. - but minutes would be minutes too late. I parked and set Sancho on the roof of our car at this spot where I could see down the tracks. I waited a good 15 or 20 minutes, then heard the whistle . I launched Sancho but kept him below tree top level due to the proximity of the airport.

As I drove back to Wasilla I passed the other potential sites. I saw that each one would have made a better picture than this one. Tonight, official moonrise will be at 10:33. By the time it becomes visible, the train will be long gone from this area and even farther by the time of the first total lunar eclipse of the decade. I’ve been fretting about what to do? Drive deep into the Interior, maybe catch train and moon together and maybe not? Clouds are moving in. Maybe it won’t be an issue. - Willow, Alaska, 5/26/21