It's Hard to Improve Nature's Designs
On a bright, cool, and breezy November day in New Mexico I came upon these milkweed pods alongside the road. The pods had split and the tightly packed seeds were waiting for their silky tails to catch a wind gust and be carried to who knows where for a potential new lease on life. I don't know what the odds of a seed landing in a place where it can grow into a healthy plant, but I'm thinking they are pretty long in such a harsh, dry, environment.
The milkweed pods are a marvel of compression and timed release. Bearded irises are similar in that way and watching the blooms emerge from the iris flames provides an equal level of amazement for me. We could probably learn a thing or two about packing from nature.
The Beauty of Oxidation
While passing through Carrizozo, New Mexico I saw this relic of a Studebaker truck parked near a garage. Restoration by its owner appeared to have stopped a few years back for reasons unknown and since then the New Mexico climate has been customizing the vehicle over time as only it can.
The Middle of Nowhere
Chances are pretty good that you've never been to Chloride, New Mexico, but if you have, the route took you through Cuchillo. I don't know if Cuchillo was ever a booming community, but there's not much happening there now. Still, this abandoned church against a beautiful New Mexico sky made the long drive on a serpentine road more than worth it.
The Patience of the Fisherman
My brother-in-law, Robert, lives to fish and has a keen interest in stocks. After being around him for a few years, it is hard for me to discern which brings him greater joy; reeling in a big catch on the water or one in the stock market. Whether on the bank, wading in the water, or on a boat, Robert is a study in patience and economy of motion. If he comes home empty handed, it has still been a good day fishing.
While at the Bosque del Apache last November with friends Geraint and Pam Smith, we spotted this blue heron that Geraint nicknamed Hank. I don't know if Hank plays the stock market, but he shares a number of fishing attributes with Robert: patience, stillness, persistence, and economy of motion. While Robert lives to fish, Hank fishes to live. He doesn't have the option of going to a restaurant if he doesn't catch anything. Maybe that's why he's so good.
I've never heard Robert talk about catching anything that was too big to handle, but we did see Hank spear one that appeared to be on the upper limits of what his gullet could handle. He spent quite a bit of time repeatedly smacking it against the bank and using his bill to tenderize it. This too, was an exercise in patience and persistence that Hank had done many times before. Like a skilled chef, he sensed the precise moment the dish was ready and swallowed it whole.
As good as Robert is, I have to give Hank the edge when it comes to fishing. I always enjoy watching a skilled professional work.
Hung Out To Dry
I'm engaged in a long-distance love affair and my wife approves. Before your imagination engages in too much speculation about the nature of our marriage, I encourage you to "pump the brakes." My love affair is with New Mexico and it has existed since my first visit back in the early 1960's. I'm sure my love of native American art has something to do with it as does my interest in the history of the western U.S., but it runs deeper than that.
There is a quality to the light in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah that I have not found in any other place and it is magical. Since artists have been coming here for decades to work in the presence of this special light, my observation is less than groundbreaking. Still, each visit leaves me awestruck. Hearing the local meteorologist talk about "visibility of 70 miles" always brings a smile to my face. I don't recall hearing that in Florida.
Then there are the things I just don't see anywhere else like the scene above. I got off the Interstate to explore a bit of the countryside and found this outside San Acacia. The juxtaposition of the hanging chiles and laundry was too good to pass. Look closely and you'll find a pair of "tighty whities" among the tube socks.
I'm going back to New Mexico at the end of April and am taking my brother-in-law. I hope Marilyn is as understanding as Monica if he falls in love with the place like I have.
Decorating Tips From Not Martha Stewart
You can always use an extra set of hands at outdoor gatherings. This idea takes care of that and adds a bit of design zing to that log outbuilding in your backyard. While good for any season, it's at its best during chilly weather when piping hot beverages will kill any germs that may have accumulated in the cups over the summer. No washing means you can spend more time with your guests!
You Are Me and I Am You
I have been blessed to be able to travel to many countries, learn about different cultures, and meet fascinating people who, I'm reasonably sure, have impacted my life more than I have theirs. Haiti is one of the places I've returned to several times and today I'm as conflicted about that country as I was before I left on my first visit there. First, let me say that whatever opinions you have about Haiti can be easily supported if you spend a bit of time there.
If you're expecting to find rampant poverty, overcrowding, a bloated bureaucracy, pushy people, and chaotic traffic patterns, you can see all that without getting off airport property. Take any of the bumpy roads and you will see overwhelming evidence of what nearly a century of a government's failure to take care of its people looks like. Of course, you may have trouble discerning that from the failed efforts of numerous aid and charitable organizations. Throw a rock in any direction and you will likely hit promises unkept and potential unrealized. Disasters are attracted to Haiti like tornadoes to a trailer park and destitution sticks on the country like a bad tattoo. Only a small portion of the population has access to things we take for granted: clean water, dependable electricity, quality healthcare, and readily available transportation.
If you can suspend your judgment about all those things and get to a different perspective, other views are possible. You will find people hard at work each day to make ends meet. Folks doing all they can to overcome their circumstances and refusing to give in. I stand amazed at the depth and breadth of the faith of many of the people I've met there when my eyes and my experiences tell me there is absolutely no evidence for their hopefulness. Like our kids in the U.S., Haitian children dream of being doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, firemen, and super heroes. Who am I to say that it is not possible?
I do not have any glib answers to solve any of Haiti's problems. At the same time, I cannot pretend the country does not exist or that things there will improve if left alone.
Signs - Part 13
Monica spotted this at a restaurant in Carmel, Indiana and I thought it was a lighthearted way of addressing the ongoing debate regarding public bathrooms.
Textures
Cedar fences are common in New Mexico and their textures are very appealing to me. This one is in downtown Santa Fe and the character of the posts is enhanced by the tracks left behind by a saw blade. Converting the image to black and white eliminates some of the visual distractions and brings attention to the extent of the scars left by the blade.
In this image there is more texture to the wood bark, the tones in the exposed parts of the fence are richer and match up nicely with the rusted wire holding the posts together. Color works better here to emphasize the impact of exposure to the elements. The interesting thing is that these two shots were taken in the same location on the same section of fence. They just happen to be about three feet apart and that distance allows a different story to be created.
Take an Engineer to Lunch
This past December was our three year anniversary of moving to Jacksonville. When we arrived there was construction on I-295, which is the outer beltway around the city, and sections of I-95 that cut through the downtown area. That construction continues as I write. By land mass Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S., and fortunately there is a good amount of economic growth in the area, so it is reasonable to expect road construction will be a part of that.
If I have any engineering genes, I'm sure they're recessive, so I marvel at the designs of the roadways and applaud the folks who turn those designs into expressways. In between the applause, I will continue to pray for patience and calm as I deal with the traffic delays.
The Hallway to Heaven's Waiting Room
Monica and I were walking between buildings at a design conference and our route took us down this long, dimly lit hallway with a frosted glass door leading outside. The sunlight coming through the glass overpowered the existing light in the hallway and created the illusion of an energy filled room just beyond the door.
Signs - Part 14
While I've been in countless restaurants and on numerous flights with infants who were having a bad day, this punishment seems extreme.
Upon closer examination, I discovered some joker had carefully removed the "C" from the sign. It's pretty doubtful anything like this would be found in the ladies bathroom. With the increase in unisex facilities it will be interesting to see what happens with the quality of graffiti.
Looking For Relics - Part 2
I'm not sure when getting baby shoes bronzed fell out of style, but my kids gaze at these with an expression that is equal parts amazement and WTF! They belonged to my Dad, who was born in 1913, and my grandparents chose to make bookends from them. When I came along, Mom and Dad opted to have my shoes tastefully displayed on the base of an 8 x 10 photo frame.
In the past couple of years bronzing baby shoes has experienced a bit of a resurgence. Starting at $89 a pair, that's good news for the American Bronzing Company (ABC), the folks who started the practice in 1934 and claim to have produced more than 14 million pairs. These days you can get nearly anything bronzed if you have the money: cowboy hats, pacifiers, dog collars, and all kinds of adult shoes. I've already made Monica promise not to have me bronzed. Spending eternity looking like the "Extra Crispy Colonel" from KFC would be too much!
Looking For Relics
Sometimes when in pursuit of a particular image, I come across something that turns out to be better than what I was looking for. My good friend and fellow photographer Geraint Smith and I were in southern Colorado looking for subjects when I happened on this old bulldozer parked in what appears to be its final resting place. Caterpillar produced the RD - 7 from 1935 to 1940 and it was the predecessor to the D - 7. I'm sure it would have some stories to tell if it could talk.
While there were several aspects of the dozer that were visually appealing, this is the one I liked most. I used a wide angle lens and positioned my self low to isolate the yellow of the tractor against the blue sky. The late afternoon light gave some nice shape to the various textures on the front and helped emphasize that the machine has been repainted multiple times during its long life. The size of the radiator and the vertical bars in front of the radiator screen let you know right away that this machine did serious work in its day.
Post No Bills
Located on a corner in the Five Points area of Atlanta, this utility pole has been a popular location for posting flyers of all kinds over the years. So many nails, tacks, staples, screws, and fasteners of various kinds have been used that there is precious little space available for any new ones. I thought the variety of sizes, shapes, and stages of oxidation served to create an interesting composition.
Shadow Play - 3
If you are aware, opportunities for the creation of something visually interesting often present themselves. You don't have to seek them out. Just be there and push the shutter button. Monica and I had just finished lunch with friends and were walking back to our car when I spotted this composition. It was taken in an alley around 2 P.M. with the sun high in the sky and the subject matter features a bent steel handrail and a shadow of a walkway on the back of an old building. So much for the idea that "good light" and compelling subject matter are necessary for a successful image.
There are great images waiting to be created all around us. Learn to look for them. You might find your next one in an alley or a parking garage.
Welcome to the Future...50 Years Ago
World's Fairs used to be truly fantastic events and none were more notable than the 1962 event held in Seattle. High speed "air cars," schools of the future with "electronic storehouses of knowledge," and climate controlled "farm factories" were all part of exhibits that emphasized we were about to enter a technology-filled world where our biggest concerns would be how to make the best use of all the leisure time we would have. Fifty-five years later there are still a couple of iconic elements of the fair that people still associate with the city: the space needle and the monorail.
Built at a cost of $3.5 million, the trains provided an important link between the fairgrounds and downtown. More than 8 million passengers rode the monorail during the six months of the fair providing the builders with a decent profit. Still in operation today, the Monorail carries about two million passengers a year and continues to be one of the few fully self-sufficient public rail transit systems in the U.S.