Pete Pierce and his dog, Freja, walk Wednesday past a field of lupines along Minot Avenue in Auburn. Originally from Oakland, California, Pierce says he has been drifting for the past 10 years and is about to backpack to Florida. He says he came to the area six months ago and has had a couple of jobs. “I’ve been doing this long enough,” Pierce says. “I know that if things don’t fall into place, I move on.” Andree Kehn/Sun Journal