Life in the Desert

(5.27.10) Operation Access

Operation Access Ruby Mountains has begun. The barbed wire revolution effectively sequestered the Ruby Mountians--a magnificent E-W mountain range in eastern Nevada--from the public. While some may contend that the mountains are now protected from the rampages of humans, I would argue that they are a state and national resource to be enjoyed. These snow crusted peaks turn red at sunrise and sunset, rightly earning the name of "the Rubies". Private ranch land surrounds the range, prohibiting public access to the national forest within. Our friend Sue, the sustainable rancher, has led a successful bid in the community and with the Forest Service to build 40 miles of trail into the heart of Ruby wilderness. Two NCC crews, including my own, are contracted to work on the first 10 miles of this trail which will connect 11 canyons, skirting through the Rubies. It is a phenomenal project.

Our preliminary walk through of what will be known as the Secret-Lamoille (LAH-moyle) brought us to amazing vistas of the Lamoille Valley, the Ruby mountains, and the remnants of cultural history of the area. And that was only in the first 3 miles. We are literally the first crews and members of the public to venture on a large scale into this area. In addition to this privilege, we are joined by various community crews. The BLM HotShots asked to hike their chainsaws four miles and clear corridor for us (umm...YES!). One Forest Service summer trail crew will camp and work with us. Two convict crews cleared corridor to the snow line this week. A community trail day in two weeks will give our crews the opportunity to display our considerable progress and train volunteers in trail building. The Secret-Lamoille project will double the length of trails available to the public in Elko county. Needless to say this is a paradigm shift in outdoorsmanship for the community and we are excited to play a significant role in the muscle power of the project.

Oh, and to make things even better, we are camping on Sue's ranch. A brook winds its way through the field, scattered aspen protect us from rain and sun alike. The cows and horses greet us in the morning and the deer provide nightly entertainment. It is going to be a beautiful summer.

(5.26.10) Untitled

Of the many perks of camping on a ranch, the reclaimed farm equipment ranks near the top for my photographer-heart.

(5.25.10) Rain Makes Pretty Things Fall

(5.24.10) What's Not to Love?

This will be the view from my doorstep this summer. I am not trying to make you jealous now, I'm just trying to convince you to come visit me!

(5.23.10)

(5.22.10) Can I Have Your Number? Can I Have It? Can I Have It?

Or rather, do you want my number? Do you want it? Do you want it? I have a new cell phone and a new cell phone number. If you want my new digits, send me an email. Meanwhile, check out this classic skit.

(5.21.10) Hurry Up and Wait

Waiting for the Americorps Swearing-In ceremony to begin.

(5.20.10) Sky

(5.19.10) Trail Building

My crew built 250 feet of trail during orientation. I am so proud of them. It is a beautiful trail, if I do say so myself.

(5.18.10) Mornings in the Pines

I miss the days when mornings spent camping were magical. The crisp air thrilled me to the bone as I waited for hot chocolate water to boil. Now, unfortunately, its just any old morning and I grow antsy and crabby as I make breakfast.

(5.17.10) Orientation

`1 Orientation. 145 participants. 145 tents. 100+ new members. 70 pounds of chicken. 14 pounds of hummus. Countless oreos. 2 extended games of hearts. Numerous new friendships. Oodles of fun.

(5.16.10) Elements of Design: A Reflection

I have had no formal art training. Absolutely none. Unless you count that 3-D Art class in high school which was a resounding disaster and left me renouncing myself as an artist forever. Enter photography, with which I quite obviously fell in love. My journey as an artist and a photographer is depicted fairly well in this blog, so I won’t bore those of you who have patiently walked with me for the past 236 days. For you newer readers, I refer you to the archive at the right. Preliminaries aside, I now find myself craving formal artistic training and direction. Perhaps one day this will result in enrollment in an actual class, but in the meantime my budget and my schedule only permit a self-guided foray into the technicalities of creativity. So when a block of time presented itself, I jumped on it as an opportunity to focus on my photography in a specific way while having a “photo adventure”. And where better to begin than the beginning? The resulting project was the series depicted over the past 6 days: shape, texture, color, pattern, form, and line. These are the basic elements of design, although some will add space, perspective, and a slew of other categories depending on the medium and the distinction between the “elements” and the “principles” of design. I chose these six, mostly due to time constraints and personal interest.

And oh the things I learned. I noticed patterns within myself as a photographer. For example, did you see in the “Pattern” category that I take a lot of pictures like that? Metallic/industrial surfaces at a macro angle? Did you know that I like the color red? I swear that I did not notice the color theme until half way through the project. And then I thought I might as well stick with it. I learned about equipment that I would eventually like to acquire (a remote, polarizers). I came to appreciate new equipment (tripod!) and of course my good old (newish) Rebel. I have a greater sense of position, light, and storytelling. I delved back into diptychs (not depicted on this blog due to formatting issues). Patience—not always my strongest trait—was essential, and I am proud to say that for the most part I took the time I needed to get the shot. I could ramble on, but you get the idea. I will be assigning myself similar projects in the future, as the camera fun and learning portion of this blog continues.

Next up: NCC Summer Orientation!