When was the last time you interacted with any sort of wildlife?
Submitted by warpedreality.
Well, this morning we saw a sad little bird just as the life was draining slowly out of it after it had smacked into a glass panel at the mall. Other than that, I don't see much wildlife around these parts.
One of my favorite experiences interacting with wildlife was when I was in college and as part of our winter training one year the crew team trained for a couple of weeks in Melbourne, Florida. We were rowing in the canals around where we were staying, which were full of manatees and dolphins. Being naturally playful creatures, they liked to swim alongside our boat while we were practicing, just out of reach of our oars. That interaction on the water was one of my favorite encounters with wildlife.
Where else could I place him where I would be sure to see him every single day, but dangling from the rear view mirror of my car? Perfect. That way Mussolini could peer out the window scouting every adventure we went on up and down the east coast throughout my college days. One of my fellow rowers gave him his nickname on an early morning ride to practice because of the way his little nostrils are stitched sort of in a little Mussolini-like mustache. Needless to say, the name stuck.
It still makes me happy to look at Mussolini when I'm pausing at a stop light - he can look so pensive sometimes, like he does in this picture, and I can daydream about whatever he may be imagining at the moment.
Our joke sort of started when I took this picture one day when I was waiting around in my car and messing around with my camera. I uploaded it to flickr with a long title:
Mussolini the sock monkey always stares out the windshield, often contemplating the meaning of life, wondering where our next amazing journey will take us, if not the same parking deck as yesterday. But today - is escape possible, to the great beyond?
I think that tickled my dad. Maybe it was just the image of Mussolini staring out the window, but it made him happy too. He had it as the wallpaper to his laptop screen for awhile. Somehow there's just something so profound to me in his expression, and with some of the things I've been dealing with lately, it helps to look inward as well as out into the world.The coming weeks are going to be a tough time for me and my family, but we must remain optimistic about whatever outcome is presented to us. I have felt love and support from my friends and family, and know that to me that is the single most valuable thing I have in my life. The most important thing right now is to keep on keepin' on, as if nothing is wrong, because as of right now we don't have all the answers. To find joy in little things, like a mini monkey made of socks, is what keeps me going. And to prove it here is one more chapter in the story of Mussolini:
I was on my way to bring dinner to Phillip tonight, because he was working late, and as usual, had worked all day without eating a thing. So I made a big salad, scooped together some other items, and was stopped at a stoplight waiting and thinking. Out of the blue the person in the car next to me beeped the horn and started making some gestures with her hands. At first I thought she wanted to get in front of me and make a right turn from the left lane, but then I realized she was pointing at Mussolini. She thought he was great and wanted to let me know. That really made me smile, and I'm sure it made him happy too.
What are you going to do with your tax return?
Submitted by KB.
Three words: credit card debt.
I've got lots of it...and my return has already been applied to it. Easy come, easy go :)
I heard an interview with Clive James on NPR on my way home from work on Thursday. It soooooooo made the fact that my normally 15-minute commute lasted 45 minutes (after I had stayed at work until almost 7:00 anyway to "avoid the traffic"). Such is living in the ATL. Anyways...
I was so excited to listen to this interview (which was the feature of Between the Lines) because it just hit me at that moment how much of a nerd I can be and how happy learning can make me. This book (which I immediately went home and ordered on Amazon) is all about the author's collection of memories, which happen to be about art, history, literature, and other manifestations of cultural richness, and how these things were all affected by 20th century politics.
James used a term that I hadn't heard since college - humanism. And it brought back the giddiness I used to feel after walking out of a classroom where I had just learned the most amazing things. It brought back how much I loved being in college, and that I couldn't write fast enough to record the words coming out of the mouths of my professors, because I wanted to forever document the amazing experience I was having for the day when I couldn't actually remember everything that was said in class.
Humanism was the central idea I studied as a history major who focused on the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. How humanity had a re-awakening and discovered Art for Art's Sake. The interesting thing about the interview with James was how he acknowledged that we are quickly losing Art for Art's Sake in our current culture based on marketing and the almighty dollar. It made me think about what I do in my own life with my photography hobby, and how I do it because I love it. Some of my colleagues are trying to make money from it, which is totally fine and their prerogative. But I will never be able to do it. It's just a part of my bones and who I am as an eternal student of the arts, and a lover of all things humanistic.
It's been a busy week and here it is already Easter weekend. For the past two weeks I've been battling what I thought must have been the worst case of poison ivy anyone has ever had. It ended in a doctor's visit Friday morning because the time I could make it between showers to stop the insane itching had decreased to about four hours, and I felt like I was satiating a drug addiction every time I got in to let the cool water wash over my body and could rub more poison ivy soap against my burning skin. However, what I was treating with every poison ivy antidote on the market turned out to be a secondary dermatitis brought on by all the topical crap I was slathering myself with. I was just making the condition worse every time I reapplied. Who would have known...it was my first and hopefully last experience with poison ivy, and now I know the truth about it after seeing my doctor. Things are much better now though after a couple days worth of steroids under my belt to calm the irritation...
Enough about yucky skin conditions! Today through one of our flickr groups we had a lesson in macro photography. Unfortunately it was one of the worst days and locations for such a lesson given that the temperature suddenly dipped into the freezing zone and wilted all of our beautiful spring flowers. Ah well, we made due, and still had a cookout! Indoors. :)
The one really neat thing about our location up in the outskirts of Marietta was the horse ranch next door. I think I have been reliving some repressed childhood fantasies about the horses I used to dream about having, because I've had the opportunity now twice in the past month to photograph these beautiful beings.
This time we had three white and one black subject. One of the larger white horses was clearly the leader, and he definately had command over the other three. It was interesting to watch the dynamics of their body language and sounds they made in communication.
It was a large group that assembled to listen to an explanation of the true definition and history of macro photography, and all the different ways lenses and extenders can be used to replicate the optics of a true macro lens. I think for now I'll stick with my Quantaray 70-300 telephoto that has a pretty cool macro setting. Today was the first time I had ever really experimented with it, and I think I got some pretty good results.
I tested a few prints out on Phillip's new printer, and I may just have my first print to hang on the bare walls of my condo! Its the dandy lion picture at the beginning of my post.
Happy Easter!
What's your best tax tip?
Well, the things that helped me out the most in 2006:
Go to school so you get the education credit...
Start paying on your student loans so you get the interest deduction...
Buy a house so you have the interest deducted from that...
Work full time only half the year so you had way too much taxes withheld...
and...
File early, so you already have your money back!
...if only you could deduct interest paid to credit card companies!!
A few weeks ago we drove to Washington DC to photograph an anti-war protest. More about that later, but some of the most interesting parts of the trip occurred on our drive back to Atlanta. I already explained my first encounter in the world of marksmanship, but we had another very cool experience before we reached our friend's place. As we were driving along US 360, not to be confused with Virginia state route 360 that we later turned on to, Phillip noticed this run-down motel along the side of the road. We flipped a U-turn as soon as we could and went back to investigate. We pulled up right in front of the motel and began shooting away.
Within minutes, as I could have guessed, someone pulled up in a sedan and approached Alan. I figured it was someone telling us to get off of the property. In his diplomatic way, Phillip approached and began to disarm the situation.
"Can I help you?" asked the man.
"Sure," Phillip replied. "Can you tell us about this property and its history?"
"Yes."
"Well, we are interested in this part of American culture - the motel - and how it seems to be disappearing. When was this one built?"
After several more questions, the man began to warm up to us, though he still seemed suspicious of our cameras. He began to tell us about the history of the hotel, and emphasized over and over again about how it was just built, but "without a plan." Everyone needs a plan.
The first phase of the hotel which included the first six rooms adjacent to the living quarters for the owners and was built sometime in the '50s. Chris, who eventually told us his name, showed us inside one of the rooms. It was dated and old, and full of stuff being stored there. It had been just the essentials: a bed, TV, bathroom, and air conditioning unit. It had the same wood paneling that Phillip's house of the same era sports. When business picked up, a need for more rooms was addressed by six more added to the other side of the owner's living quarters. According to Chris, this lack of imagination and vision sealed the fate for the entire development. Each time the place grew, there was an addition, but no vision. Each successive phase had the cheap wood paneling appropriate to its decade, looking progressively cheaper, and less wood-like. Though Chris said that the place had only been empty for three years, it looked much farther gone than that. With windows broken the elements had invaded into some of the units. It reminded me a little bit of when we visited New Orleans about six months after hurricane Katrina. After a few remarks comparing this property to the Bush administration as far as the lack of planning went, Chris invited us in to the restaurant...a treat considering it was Monday, the day they usually stayed closed.
In the end, his final advice was to take advantage of our youth and follow opportunities and dreams. Love your friends, and follow your hearts. Pretty wise words for a random encounter on a seldom-traveled backwater highway. I won't forget it.
The first one I tried was a .22 pistol, lightweight and without a lot of kickback. That being so, it still felt way more powerful than I had expected. I didn't realize how in tune I would be with the feel of the shot being fired. It was very exhilarating, to say the least.
Next on deck was the 357 magnum long barrel. Much heavier, and with much more of a kick. This one was harder for me to squeeze the trigger, and once it did, it was hard for me to keep my eyes open! More than a little bit scary, but just as equally thrilling, I popped off the full round, mostly into the dirt in front of me. They sure make shooting look so much easier in the movies.
We also tried two types of rifles. The first was an AK-47 knock off, which was big and pushed against you as it fired. It was a bit difficult at first, because I didn't have the safety off, but eventually I figured it out. I kept my eyes closed again at first. The semi-automatic capabilities were also very cool. It was a little bit difficult to keep it aimed straight ahead...I had the tendency to raise it higher and higher with each shot.
My favorite was a .22 rifle with a really cool sighting piece. I actually hit some bottles and made them do a little dance with that one. Phillip and Alan both did really well with all of the above. I was just mostly amazed by how much fun it was. What an adrenaline rush, and what a feeling of power I had at the end of the afternoon. After finishing our visit with our friends, we had to hop back in the car and make it to Atlanta in time to return the rental car. All in all, it was definitely a fantastic end to our adventure.
I definitely have more respect with both of my parents that served in the military and had to become proficient at weapons usage. Most notably, my dad received excellent marks with a bazooka, and my stepmom was an above average marksman. Nobody said life isn't full of surprises.
The theme for the shoot was to depict the Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, and Greed. The girls had some fantastic costumes and hairdos, and they had many ideas pre-planned for each shot. I will be excited to see how everything turns out. Behind the scenes I spoke for a long time with the owner of the farm and the horses, Kelly. She bought her first horse at the age of 22, and after a brief stint in the breeding market, decided to stick with training and teaching adults how to ride. Her three horses, Intrepid, Avatar, and Lucky were Percherons, basically the French version of Clydesdales, and thus very large. Actually, Lucky was half Percheron and half Thoroughbred. All of them were beautiful, and Kelly was a wealth of information on everything that goes into caring for them.
Aside from the horses were four dogs: Honey, Smokey, Ocean, and a stray. Honey played the part of Lovemuffin, always thankful for as much attention as you could give. Smokey was the official welcome wagon and security patrol. Ocean was the old man, who because of an aging and ailing body, chose to just hang close and watch the action from his post. The stray, according to Kelly, was new in the past few days, and only liked hanging around Smokey. If Smokey appeared to be cool with you, then you were cool with the stray as well. Weird dog society.
After several hours, it was clear my Claritin was wearing off, and the sun was setting, so we were losing the light quickly. Time to wrap things up and get on home. At least it was a fun escape from the city for a little while.
You can see links to the photosets here and here.
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emily ann said:
Oooh, I know... the beluga tank at the Atlanta Aquarium?? I swear I could live in front of that tank.... read more
on QotD: It's A Wild, Wild Life -
katieandersen said:
I love Belugas too!!! They are so amazing to watch :) read more
on QotD: It's A Wild, Wild Life -
emily ann said:
manatees are almost my favorite thing ever... only being surpassed by beluga whales. <3 ! read more
on QotD: It's A Wild, Wild Life -
kentwill said:
[c’est top]I heard the Between the Lines show as well and as always find James interesting. Some years back he had... read more
on Cultural Amnesia by Clive James
salut katie, j'espere que tu vas bien et ta famille aussi, read more
on Me BW 4-1-07