This year, I captured a plethora of dramatic moments with my camera--graduation, moves, Zion, the Tetons, the Bighorns, and Captain Viper amongst them. But what did I miss? Why did I pass by these photo opportunities? Shyness? Laziness? Forgetfulness? Fear of failure? Certainty that I would be unable to capture the grandeur of the moment? A hesitancy to disturb a sacred moment? All of the above.
(12.31.09) Moments Uncaptured
This year, I captured a plethora of dramatic moments with my camera--graduation, moves, Zion, the Tetons, the Bighorns, and Captain Viper amongst them. But what did I miss? Why did I pass by these photo opportunities? Shyness? Laziness? Forgetfulness? Fear of failure? Certainty that I would be unable to capture the grandeur of the moment? A hesitancy to disturb a sacred moment? All of the above.
(12.30.09) Vermiculture
Sara's son, Quinn, made her a beautiful compost bin for Christmas. I spent some time researching the basics of vermiculture (a composting system that employs worms to break down organic material) for Sara. Interested in vermiculture or home composting? Visit THIS site. (12.29.09) Airports: Our Homage to Industrialization
On my way to visit my wonderful friend Sara (and her similarly awesome family members), it struck me that airports are the ultimate temple of industrialization. In these transportation hubs, we celebrate humanity's engineering achievements more subliminally than anywhere else.
(12.27.09) Oh River Mountain Hell
In keeping with family tradition, we played several games of [you pick the name: Oh Hell/Up the River down the River/ Up the Mountain Down the Mountain/ Estimation Whist]. I don't tend to have any particular skill at this card game, but I made a personal high score of 220. Granddad still beat me with 250 points! This picture also demonstrates the meticulous scoring system of Robert W. Chandler.
(12.26.09) Ruins
I have enjoyed exploring the ruins and grounds of Rockwood Hall, a former Rockefeller estate.
I also can't quite figure out how to best crop this image.
(12.24.09) mmm....cookies....mmm
My great-grandmother's jam thumb-print cookies were resurrected today, with much success. I didn't help out, but I led the taste-testing committee.
(12.22.09) Thanks Mom!
I got these in the mail today. My wonderfully creative mother used cookie cutters to make fabric tree ornaments for me. I hope that one day I will be as resourcefully artistic as she is.
(12.21.09) Home
"And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home." Wendell Berry
(12.18.09) Something's Not Right
Frustrations with the pionjars are escalating with each tour. Ursula was out of commission for the entirety of our most recent tour. After some finicky behavior on Cruella's part, we opened her up to find this screw completely displaced within the exhaust system. Unable to fix this in the field, we resorted once again to hand digging bedrock. An anthology of ghost stories involving spirit possession of the pionjars is beginning to take shape within the crew.
(12.17.09) Don't Stop the Music
The coveted gift of our crew White Elephant gift exchange was a set of iPod speakers. Thanks to these, we are rockin' it out here at Club Fence.
(12.15.09) Surprise Jewelry
I won this pretty bracelet when my head made friends with a digging bar (think 20 lb, five foot nail). You can laugh if you like. I did once the nausea and dizziness subsided.
(12.14.09) Friends for the Journey
When we started walking around that track,
All those years ago,
Did you know that we'd still be walking together today?
I did not.
I could not have dreamt it.
We've hiked across continents and conundrums
Our pace ranges from ambling to running,
The terrain is smooth and steep, rocky in places.
We get lost occasionally.
Hakuna matata. Because we're friends for the journey.
We decided that years ago, on a dark walk around that track.
To my dear friends for the journey, across the blogosphere and the world: I love you.
(12.13.09) Cranberry Carrot Bread
Adapted from the Wycliffe Cookbook
Combine:
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of oil
Beat in:
4 eggs
Combine and add:
2 cups of flour (variation: use wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinammon
1 teaspoon salt
Add and mix:
3 cups of grated carrots
1 cup of cranberries (dried, frozen, or fresh)
Bake in a greased and floured 9x13 pan at 350 F for 45 minutes.
Serve with cream cheese or a white cheese.
(12.10.09) Salon Day
(12.9.09) Christmas Trees in the Desert
It is much more enjoyable to create your Christmas tree than to be boring and just decorate it. And it is so easy too! Stuff one string of Christmas lights in a wine bottle, wrapping the excess lights around the outside. Then decorate to your little heart's content. I just may be having a wine bottle Christmas tree next year as well.
Also, I am a little too pleased with myself to post just one picture of this masterpiece, so find more on my Flickr page.
(12.8.09) Lazy Day
Ichabod and I spent the day in a state of extreme laziness. I stayed in my pajamas and huddled in my bed. In fact, I was so engrossed in my lethargic stupor that I forgot to take a picture until it was dark, so I had to settle for a picture with my shadow in it. I couldn't quite be bothered to set up a contraption to avoid this.
(12.7.09) Rain
It actually rained in Vegas. I'm not talking about a drizzle but a legitimate, bona fide downpour. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a picture of the phenomenon until after dark. This was the result. Hexagons keep falling on my head?
(12.6.09) The Project 365 Blues
Common wisdom amongst those who attempt Project 365 states that around Day 60 you will hit a creative wall. I am right on schedule. Granted, I made the project a little easier on myself by allowing for any and all forms of art. Some days are rife with bloggable art opportunities and others are barren. Unsurprisingly, the barren days are becoming all too frequent in the desert. My surroundings take on a uniform quality that is uninspiring. Work is physically exhausting and literally sucks up every minute of daylight. My options are to steal a moment away from work, shoot in the dark, or pray that I will be inspired with a poem or story. Sometimes, I succumb to the temptation to use some of my stock photos. This feels like cheating, however, because I am not moving my artistic abilities forward when I do this. Soon my photo-stores will be empty anyway.
In addition to the above frustrations, I often return from the field to find that my hastily shot photos possess a major flaw that I was unable to detect on my small LCD screen. For instance, I failed to catch the blur here, and this antique store find was probably my favorite shot of the week.
On this next tour, I have decided to come up with a plan in advance. A photo project for each day. This is where you, the reader, come in. What about my life in the desert intrigues you? What parts of my stories need more elaboration? Anything is fair game. I would be most grateful for any suggestions.
(12.5.09) Bedouins
We have the makings of a Bedouin community now: a wonderful canvas cook tent. Sheltered from the wind and the cold, we have achieved 5 star camping. (And don't you dare judge us for this tent, my water bottle and carrots froze one morning. It is getting COLD here.)
(12.4.09) Trivial Pursuit
The appearance of Trivial Pursuit (Cold War version) entertained us in the evenings.
(12.3.09) The Rock Locusts
No one knows when the rock locusts will come. If they descend, beware. The fortunate stones will be sufficiently buried underneath the dirt or hidden beneath a bush. For the rest of us, there is no rock too large or too small to feel the effects of the khaki clad hordes. The locusts come in waves, snatching up each rock along their path. The bigger rocks know to fear the "kiss of death", the nosing of a boot against the stone to test the weight of the rock. If you escape the ravages of one sweep, do not become overconfident. As many as ten sweeps have been known to occur in some areas, leaving the landscape bare of all but the tiniest of pebbles.
Where do the captured go? There are many theories. Some suggest that the locusts consume stone prior to mating rituals. Other, less supported hypotheses propose that the imprisoned are harnessed in the construction of the various structures that appear across our landscape. These structures appear to be composed of another material, so it is unknown how the prisoners may be abused.
Legend has it that the rock locusts are a new species upon this land. Our wisestones speak of the days when the strata lived in peace, moving slowly with the flow of the land. Those times are behind us now. Our foundations are shaken by sporadic bursts of machinery, flash floods, and the rock locusts. We used to be a peaceful rock stratum, but now we are propelled to violence by forces beyond our control. With each member of ranks that disappears, our stability erodes. Peaceful periods are relished with apprehension. No one knows if the rock locusts are gone or if they will come again soon.
Note: We use rocks, gathered from the landscape along the fence line, to set the fence posts. Depending on the area, our scourges can have a radius up to a 500 feet. Sometimes I grow concerned about the environmental impact we have as we build this protective boundary. Forgive the anthropomorphizing, but an apocalyptic warning from the point of view of a rock is just too much fun.
(12.1.09) World AIDS Day
Here is another confession for you: I used to be a Facebook stalker. I do not say this in a creepy psychological sense, but just that I am a master at gleaning information from my friends' Facebook pages. My move to Nevada coincided with the addition of the "Live Feed" to Facebook, which only placed the lives of others closer to my finger tips. Fortunately, for everyone, I now have a job that cuts my technological umbilical cord eight days at a time, twice a month. Since this work pattern became a norm in my life, Facebook stalking no longer holds the appeal it once did. When I return into the embrace of the technology embedded world, I am so overwhelmed by the quantity of information available, I tend to shy away from data saturated sites. Consequently, I have more or less kicked my Facebook habit.
The negative side effect to the information-shock is that I am similarly swamped by news sources and the events of the world. December 1 marked World Aids Day and I must confess I completely forgot. This only serves as a reminder of how insulated and self-centered we are while out on a tour. Although we may be learning about conservation issues and concerns of the desert, we are losing sight of the broader context. It is essential to retain both local and global perspectives. While there are distinct advantages to my current local vantage point, I need to figure out a way to stay connected to the outside world while I am in the desert so that I am not so overwhelmed by the ocean of world events I encounter when I re-emerge.
(11.30.09) Urban Light
Here's another picture from my trip to LA. Urban Light by Chris Burden is an installation of 202 restored cast-iron street lamps from Los Angeles County.
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