It was cold and brisk on my way home but there was a break in the clouds.
I pulled over downtown and took my camera for a walk.
Down one street, then another and I stopped to take a couple of shots.
This guy came up.
He wanted to know what I was doing.
He smelled of cheap smokes and his eyes were rheumy.
They'd seen too many bottles and too many drinks.
We started to talk.
He said he was from Santa Barbara.
He was in town looking for work but there wasn't any.
No jobs anywhere.
So he was on his way, heading back to the coast.
"Goin' to Saint Louis." (San Luis Obispo)
There's no jobs there, either, because "there ain't no tourists right now", but they'd be back.
Besides, he has family there and they're only a walk from the beach.
So he's on his way back.

I shook his hand, slipped him a five and wished him good luck.