I awoke before the sun had risen above the red rock cliffs of the Colorado River canyon. I enjoyed a breakfast of canned fruit, then made a self-portrait in front of my tent and some images of the area before packing everything back into the Civic. Driving into Arches National Park at dawn, before the gates and visitor center were open, I stopped and hiked the Park Avenue area in both directions, making several images of such sights as the Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, Baby Arch, a fleeing jackrabbit (hare,) and a red velvet ant (wasp.) After the hike, I returned to the now-open visitor center, where I signed up for a 4:00 PM ranger-lead hike into the Fiery Furnace area and watched a brief park orientation video. I also walked a short distance to the entrance gate to obtain a campground payment envelope. Then I drove straight to the campground, selected a site with some shade, set up my tent, and hiked the nearby Broken Arch loop. Returning from the hike near the time of peak temperature, I had canned ravioli for lunch and read some more of Desert Solitaire while hiding in the shadow of a sandstone fin a few yards from my tent.
At four, I joined several other visitors at the Fiery Furnace viewpoint, where we met our guide, an intelligent, friendly, and cute volunteer affiliated with the Student Conservation Association. (Another lost name, though I recall it began with "G.") During a fairly difficult hike between huge fins, we learned about desert flora and fauna and the geology of the park, including the formation of the arches. I say the hike was "difficult," but a woman with arthritus in her knees and a family carrying a 35 pound baby in a backpack made the trip with minimal delays at only a few points, the woman with arthritus poking fun at her companions for failing to warn her of the challenges before she agreed to go. Some interesting points along the route were two optional crawls, a pack rat home, and Surprise Arch, the most recent arch to be discovered in the park.
Back at the campsite, I had dinner and did some more reading, this time at the picnic table, which now received shade from a tree. At sunset, I walked a short distance to the ampitheater, where another ranger (from Tennessee, via Alaska, forgot the name again) taught a group of children and adults about the history of Wolfe Ranch, which is now a part of the park. The presentation included slides and a prompted question-and-answer session with a former resident, played by the ranger, who disappeared briefly to don an appropriate costume. Some of the guesses and comments provided by guestes were rather funny. I had arrived a bit earlier than most and had a brief conversation with the ranger about litter, prompted by my discovery of cigarette butts during the hike through the Park Avenue area early that morning. Cigarette butts are full of toxins and degrade very slowly. In fact, in the dry air of the desert, they essentially don't degrade at all. So, if you must smoke, please don't throw your butts on the ground.
Today, our friends at City Market got their surprise. Tim and I drove into town to drop off at least sixteen rolls of film. Then we went to the Durango Diner for breakfast. The diner was packed. So, when a booth became available, I invited the two young women who were behind us in line to share the table. (There I go forgetting names again.) During breakfast, we discussed their reason for being in the area and plans (a friend's wedding and something crazy like jumping from great height into the icy waters of the Animas River.) We also talked about our various hometowns and current residences, while I tried to deal with the incredibly large portions that came with my (therefore) over-ordered meal. The company of strangers made the meal more pleasant, and far more memorable; I recommend that you try inviting someone to join you sometime.
After breakfast, Tim helped me choose food for my camping trip and we tracked down a reasonably-priced headlamp. When we got back to the house, I packed for the trip and discussed the route with Tim. Minutes later, I had a momentary mental breakdown and left town headed in the wrong (but serviceable) direction. Instead of driving west, toward Cortez, I went north, through Silverton and stunningly beautiful Colorado mining country - a much longer route to Arches NP. Due in part to the longer route, I arrived at Arches at dusk and the campground in the park was full. I was starting to stress a bit by the time I got into the area, but, fortunately, my route had taken me along Utah Highway 128 (River Road,) through the Colorado River Canyon. Therein, the Bureau of Land Management maintains several campgrounds, which I had noticed as I passed. I drove back in the dark and found a site at the Hal Canyon Campground, where I set up my tent (grateful for the headlamp) and spent the night, falling asleep to the sound of mild whitewater from the Colorado River. I didn't have the proper bills for the $10 self-pay, so I stuffed an envelope containing four ones and 24 quarters into the pipe safe. My apologies to the Moab field office.
Tim and Mandy each had plans to be out of town for most of the day. So, I spent the day at Mesa Verde National Park, making many pictures. I went on a ranger-guided tour of the Cliff Palace and a self-guided tour of Spruce House, and I drove my Honda Civic Hybrid around the mesa top, stopping at nearly every point of interest to view ruins and read about the lives of the People, who were formerly known as the Anasazi. I also stopped at a small stand where I bought, tried, and enjoyed fry bread prepared by a Ute family, presumably from the nearby reservation. It was very sunny and I did some hiking that included steep ascents, so I was rather tired when I got back to Durango. I arrived just in time to enjoy a delicious pizza prepared by Mandy. My tent had arrived while we were away. So, after we ate and discussed the day, Tim helped me assemble the tent, and I spent the night in the yard to get a feel for it.
I was uncomfortable with the way my beard and mustache looked with the shorter hair, so I trimmed parts away until I decided it all had to go. Mandy said I looked like a different person. I spent the day practicing guitar and reading Desert Solitaire, which Tim and Mandy recommended and leant. This in preparation for my upcoming trip to Arches National Park.
Tim helped me choose a tent, which I ordered online from Campmor. I got the Eureka Apex 3XTA, which, after $30 sale reduction, $30 mail-in rebate, and the displaced cost of two hotel rooms on the way back to Florida, will essentially be free. Later, Tim and I went to downtown Durango to visit the Image Counts gallery. There we checked out the nature photography of owners Jim and Eileen Baumgardt and others. We met Jim and Eileen, who are wonderfully friendly, and I began to consider having them make and frame some large prints of my images. Then Tim and I went to the Carver Brewing Company for beers. At sunset, he and I took River and our cameras for a walk up a hill adjacent to their neighborhood, making some photos on the way. At one point, Tim was telling me how he had been walking in the same area when an owl made repeated passes within arm's reach, seeming to be checking Tim out. Just as he reached the final word of his story, I noticed something flash in the edge of my vision. Turning to see what it was, I saw a large owl sitting in a low tree, watching us. "You mean like that one?" I asked Tim, who shared my wonder at the bird's timing. We didn't want to frighten it off, and it was rather dark. So we didn't attempt any photos. When we got back to the house, we related the story to Mandy, then joined her to watch Baraka, which everyone enjoyed.
The dry Colorado air was turning my split ends into dreadlocks, and my Honda Civic Hybrid was wearing a coat of dust and a beard of bugs. So, I drove into town for a trim and carwash. First I went to the City Market to drop off the film that Tim and I had shot during the hike to Taylor Lake. Then I drove to a do-it-yourself (sprayer) carwash on the north end of town. I like that most of these filter and recyle the water.
At the carwash I saw a similar Civic Hybrid, this with Colorado plates. I inquired of the owners what kind of gas mileage they were getting, to which they replied about 32 miles per gallon. That's very good for mountain driving, but get this - in driving the mountains, mesas, canyons, valleys, city streets, highways, interstates, and dirt roads since my arrival in Durango, I am averaging 38.4 mpg! Buy a hybrid (or a biodiesel,) people!
Next, I went to Fantastic Sam's to get the split ends cut off. While I was being told that I would have a half hour wait, I noticed ads for Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children with long-term medical hair loss. Now, I was planning to donate my hair eventually, but not today. So I sat to wait, but only a few minutes later a hairdresser (I am so bad with names.) arrived and invited me to her chair - where there were more ads for Locks of Love. I asked for a trim just to remove the split ends and mentioned that I was planning to donate later, when my hair was long enough. She replied that my hair was more than long enough and told me that all donation haircuts were free. I am writing this on the 19th of July, and I have just recently become comfortable with my new hairstyle, which is short (just below my earlobes) and curly. I still reach back to squeeze my ponytail after a shower.
I returned to the Town Plaza City Market to pick up our film and buy some groceries. To our delight, again we were charged the same unbelievabIy low price we got on the Third. I went a little crazy and shot an entire roll in Tim and Mandy's yard when I got back from town.
Mandy, Tim, River, and I met Jenny, Reggie and Daisy in downtown Durango, then drove into the La Plata Mountains. We got a flat tire on the way but easily changed it with the full-size spare under Jen's SUV. We hiked from a point where the road was blocked by fallen trees through Kennebec Pass to Taylor Lake and back, Tim and I taking pictures along the way. We only saw two other groups hiking. We rested for a while by the lake, and I slowed the group down a bit, causing the hike to take most of the remaining daylight hours. Coming back toward Kennebec Pass, Tim ran long-stride across a snowfield in a shallow bowl. I tried something different. I aligned my shoes, the soles of which were worn nearly flat, and "skied" down the bowl. It was great fun, and it felt wierd playing in snow in July. On the twilight drive back down, we spotted (and Tim avoided hitting) over 20 rabbits and a deer or two. Back in town, we and Jenny parted ways. Mandy, Tim and I went to the Carver Brewing Company for dinner and a microbrew. Mandy and I shared an incredibly delicious southwestern-style cheese ravioli. Fireworks were visible over the buildings across the street, and one of the percussion blasts shook the windows with surprising violence. Once we got home, I slept very well.
Tim and I drove into Durango to drop off another batch of film for processing. In order to save on processing costs, we combined both of our rolls into one order, to minimize the number of CDs required. While we awaited the results, we returned to the Steaming Bean for a chess rematch. This time Tim's pins and forks had me straining my main brain for quite a while before a costly oversight on his part allowed my eventual win. When we returned to pick up our negatives and CDs, we got our surprise. The processing and scan to CDs cost less than half of what I paid the first time - which was already a bargain. It seemed likely that a mistake had been made in our favor.
That evening, I joined Tim, Mandy, and River at the home of their good friends and neighbors, Steve and Amy for grilled eats and sonic treats. We gushed over their child, Maggie, who was, unfortunately, uncomfortably cutting teeth, and said "hello" to their dog, Kali, who is part Wolf and looks it. Jenny and her two dogs were already there (to River's great delight,) and other guests, Cindy and Chris, soon arrived. Mandy made scrumptious green chile and cream cheese rolls, and the others provided more delicious dishes to accompany the grilled treats provided by our hosts. Steve and Amy enthralled us with their musical talents, Steve with guitar, harmonica, and some vocals, and Amy with her astonishingly beautiful singing. There was good conversation and some of us threw a few games of darts before we retired, full and contented.
Tim, Mandy, River, and I hiked up Spud Mountain to beautiful Potato Lake, where we savored the scenery and clean air, while River swam for sticks thrown into the chilly water. Other visitors were enjoying swimming, fishing, (illegal?) camping, hiking, and just resting around the small, snow-fed lake. This was an easy hike, and I only felt weary during short moments here and there. The "real" hiking was yet to come. Tim and I took some pictures during the hike. When we got back to Mandy's car, we decided to visit Silverton for dinner. In that formerly-booming mine town (which has now become a popular tourist destination) we enjoyed a meal, an ale, conversation, and the humor of our friendly waiter at the Brown Bear. It was late and we were tired, so I only made one photograph in Silverton - of a mine cart, the result of which is not worth sharing.
Tim and I drove into Durango to drop off my (locally) first batch of film for processing. To pass time while the film was developed and scanned, we went for coffee, snacks, and chess at the Steaming Bean Coffee Co. Tim seemed to hurry through some of the moves, and I easily conquered his pitiful forces, beginning the end with a revealed attack. When we returned to the Town Plaza City Market for the negatives and CDs, we were astounded by the quality and friendliness of the service, as well as the bargain price. I only had six rolls done this time, but both we and the staff of the photo lab were in for bigger surprises. Later, Mandy, Tim and I joined our mutual friend, Jenny Stollar, for dinner on the tiki-bar styled patio of the Lost Dog. Then we went to Jen's place for light conversation and reminiscing. I got to see her dogs Daisy, who did not seem to remember me, and Reggie, who I was meeting for the first time.
I awoke early and returned to Sunshine Canyon, this time turning in Gold Hill onto a road whose destination I did not know. I continued on that mountain road well beyond the point where I thought I ought to turn back, eventually driving around the mountain and arriving back in Boulder a few blocks from where I entered the canyon. I checked out of the hostel and started for Durango, Colorado. Per the suggestion of my friend, Tim Hamza, I drove via Colorado 285, down the San Luis Valley, and in southern Colorado turned not toward Durango, but eastward to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park. I stopped at Zapata Falls on the way to the dunes, and made good use of my camera at both sites. I was traveling fairly quickly through Colorado, hoping to reach my destination in the Four Corners area before dark, but I got stuck behind a VERY slow driver on a busy two-lane road for a while and was delayed by construction on Wolf Creek Pass. So, I arrived in Durango after dark and promptly got lost. A quick phone call to Tim got me back on track and I spent the evening chatting with old friends and new hosts, Tim Hamza and Mandy Bucher and their pets, River (timid, athletic dog) and Lucy (aloof cat huntress).
It is July 16 as I write this. I am so far behind that I will write minimal updates for each day, then expand the text as I have more time. I awoke early in Topeka and drove into Boulder, Colorado to meet my cousin Rick Heeder, who I had not seen for (I believe) more than twenty years, at his place of employment. We had dinner together and talked quite a bit. It was amazing to me how much alike we are. I mean, he seemed like a great guy, anyway. With Rick's help, I found the Boulder International Youth Hostel, where I spent the night. During the evening I explored Sunshine Canyon and made a few pictures.
I said "goodbye" and "thank you" to the Reese family, and went west to South Vienna, Ohio, where I planned to have a very brief visit with my friend, Scott Bellew. Scot showed me around the family home, then we continued the conversation while working on a family project, painting hand-cut wooden letters and shapes that will be sold as customized name plaques during area festivals. I was thinking it was time to get on the road when Scott's mom called, saying she would soon arrive with his niece and nephew. So, I stayed and enjoyed some time with them, as well. Departing hours after I expected, I arrived at a hotel in Topeka, Kansas around 1:30 AM.
My Honda Civic Hybrid got an oil change thanks to the friendly, efficient and inexpensive work of Honnaman Automotive. Afterwards, I did some computer work, then spent the evening with another friend, Patty. We had dinner in the Short North at the Northstar Cafe. There, we discussed, among other things, the likelihood that brain activity, as an electrical field, influences other nearby electrical fields, including the brain activity of other beings - in subtle but important and potentially discernible ways. Implications include the possibility that some part of the mind of each being resides in the minds of those with whom they have spent a lot of time. Further, that part would survive the end of the central processing unit (brain) in some way. That is, your deceased loved ones live on not only in your memory of them, but in neural pathways in your body created and strengthened by their brain activity. This has the potential to offer a physical explanation consistent with many spiritual belief systems, noteably those which incorporate a belief in an afterlife of freedom from the distraction of the self (location and sensation) and connection with others.
I drove to King's Island (near Cincinnati, Ohio) with Scot, Monifa, and the kids, Callan and Tala. We moved quickly to the Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle ride, where each of us frightened away many ghosts with our special flashlights. Scot has to beat my score of 2,350 if he returns to the park. The children particularly enjoyed the water play area in Nickelodeon Central and the 3D Spongebob Squarepants movie. Tala wasn't ready for coasters yet, but Callan rode The Beastie twice. Before leaving the park, I replaced my Scooby Doo travel mug, which some will understand was a really big thing. Scooby fits so nicely in my 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid and my hand.
Scot and I returned to ComFest for more beer, Indian food, music, and to kick the foot bag. This time, we ran into several friends while wandering the festival grounds. We spoke to a few of the people I formerly worked with at Indianola Elementary School, including my friend and mentor, Laura Tabachnick, and her family. We also ran into my former long-time love and roommate, Heather Baker, and Scot's former college roommate. It was rather hot and muggy when we arrived, so we sat a while at the gazebo stage. A cold rain began, and rapidly developed into a refreshing summer shower. The rain kept coming and some people began to leave the park, but many stayed. Scot noticed a circle of people kicking a soccer ball in the rain and spent several seconds convincing me to join him in the circle. The rain became a downpour, but the circle continued, changing at some point to the use of a ball made of loosely-woven hard plastic bands. We were soaked completely through, and our cell phones were no longer working. Nonetheless, we were having a blast. At one point, a mischievous young woman ran into the circle topless, shaking her breasts and shouting "Can I play?" (I should note that in Columbus toplessness is legal and increasingly accepted, especially in festival atmospheres. Several men and women in the park were more casual about their partial nudity.) We continued until lightning began to strike, whereupon we exited, meeting again with Mike Lukacsko at the parking lot.
Scot and I went to the Columbus Community Festival, where I snapped a few pictures and Scot got several good shots of people and their tattoos. We had a beer and some great Indian food while listening to great local music. On our way out of Goodale Park, we stopped to chat with Mike Lukacsko and others who were taking care of festival parking for the Victorian Village Society at a nearby grocery store.
Today I managed a bicycle ride before making photos of the exterior of the Reese house. Ten images depicting the house are in the "06-22 Reese Home" folder at Yahoo! Photos. Eleven images of objects in the yard (flowers and such) are in the "06-22 Reese Yard" folder, and eight images of the nearby park are in the "06-22 Playground" album. I then drove to Sunbury, Ohio to visit a friend, Jill Neeper, and her infant son. After sharing pictures, Jill and I enjoyed some conversation in their above-ground pool. I was fortunate enough to see and speak briefly with Jill's parents and a friend of the family before I left to return to the Reese home in Columbus. I arrived just in time to help Scot and Callan distribute several wheelbarrows full of top soil around the landscape - a productive way to get some excercise while helping a friend.
I got some film processed today. See previous entries for links to images. I had lunch at The Blue Danube, my favorite Columbus eatery, and then did some shopping at the incredible Clintonville Community Market. In the afternoon, I walked with Monifa and the children to a nearby swimming pool, where Callan and Tala enjoyed swimming and playing under water. Did you know that you can give a high five under water? Afterwards, the children accompanied Scot and I as we joined a pick-up soccer game at Whetstone Park in Clintonville. We both were quickly exhausted, Scot because he played very agressively (two goals) and I because I'm out of shape (one assist).
Scot and I met at the Euro Cafe in downtown Columbus for lunch. Scot brought and introduced a friend, Jason. We had a delicious lunch at the deli, which is operated by a friend, Helena, who I originally met when she and Scot worked together at another job. When everyone got home, we played with the children a bit, then Scot and I got back to the dart board - where I actually got to win once, having retrieved my own darts from under the passenger seat of my car.
I took Mom and Dad out to eat for Father's Day, then Mom and I went to see two of Kayla's three basketball games that day. A couple of hours after her third basketball game, Kayla had a softball game, but I had to get back to my parents' place to pack. Shortly after 6:00, I left for the home of friends in Columbus, Ohio. Upon arrival, I was warmly welcomed by the whole family: Scot and Monifa Reese and their children, Callan and Tala - even the cat. Scot and I quickly got down to a few games of darts before we both succumbed to exhaustion and retired.
After our breakfast/Dad's dinner, Mom and I started a busy day by visiting the Grave Creek Mound Archaeology Complex and the former West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, WV. Timing and some facilities maintenance prevented us from ascending the Adena mound, but we did visit the onsite Delf Norona Museum. Most of the displays at the museum seemed amateurish, though they communicated information about the history of the mound and surrounding area well enough. I talked to Mom about the image processing I did a few years ago for Dr. Christopher Carr, an anthropologist at Arizona State University. Dr. Carr, with others, used the images to learn more about mound-builder artifacts like those on display at the Grave Creek Complex. The guided tour of the penitentiary was informative and entertaining. While there, I was locked briefly in a cell that had been painted by the inmate it once held. There is a small display of related artifacts and information at the end of the tour, including the electric chair formerly used at the facility. Most impressive were plans to rehabilitate the staff quarters for use as a bed and breakfast. Fourteen images from the mound and prison are in the "06-18 Moundsville" album at Yahoo! Photos. Images of inmate art inside the prison are in the "06-18 Inmate Art" folder.
After the tour, we travelled to Saint Clairsville, Ohio for my brother, Michael's, girlfriend's son's birthday party and cookout. (I graduated from St. Clairsville High School in 1986.) We chatted a bit with their family and friends, especially my niece, Breann. I snapped a quick portrait of each guest with Mom's digital camera. After dinner, we moved on to Bridgeport, Ohio for my niece, Kayla's softball game. We visited a bit with my sister, Teresa, and nephew, Michael Lee, and Mom spoke with other friends of the family and distant relatives. While we were there, I allowed Michael Lee to play with my camera, and he shot more than a roll of film.
After taking Mom home, I drove back to Saint Clairsville to meet my friend, Mike Lukacsko, who grew up in the same tiny town as I - Fairpoint, Ohio. (Mike also lived in Columbus, Ohio while I did, and moved to Florida shortly before I did. He has since returned to Columbus.) We took our cameras to the streets of Saint Clairsville after dark and discussed plans to get together again in Columbus. Sixteen images are in the "06-18 St C Night" album at Yahoo! Photos.
I took one of two bicycle rides this day. The first trip was south to the southern end of the village of Dilles Bottom and the second carried me east, across the Moundsville Bridge to a riverside park and back. Images from both trips are in the "06-17 Bike Rides" album at Yahoo! Photos.
Mom and I visited the Marx Toy Museum in Moundsville, WV. It is amazing how the sight of toys from my early childhood cued memories long forgotten. For instance, when I was a toddler, I rode this plastic horse. To ride, one bounced up and down. On each down bounce, the front legs moved forward, while the wheels under the back hooves "locked". On the up-bounce, the front hooves locked and the rear legs pulled forward and under the rider. The horse was light tan, with white mane, and came with attached saddle and bridle. When Marx was still in business, my aunt, Lita, worked for a nearby toy plant. So, I got a lot of Marx toys for Christmas, including a Big Wheel, Johnny West dolls, Disney figures, and a plastic army set. I made photos of these and many other toys - some from my father's childhood. Twelve images are in the "06-16 Marx" album at Yahoo! Photos.
This morning, I got up (kinda sorta) early and hiked up a steep hill ("mountain", to you Floridians), and across to another ridge. I walked mostly on "roads" cut for access to power lines radiating from the coal-burning R. E. Burger Plant that is almost literally "across the road" from my parents' home. Along the way, I exposed two rolls of film, depicting, for the most part, wildflowers and insects. Eleven images are in the "06-15 Hike" album at Yahoo! Photos. When I got to a point overlooking neighboring Shadyside, Ohio and Moundsville, West Virginia, I noticed rain clouds moving in. So, I returned home, exhausted. After I cleaned up, my father and I shared pizza and westerns while Mom was out running errands. After my father had gone to bed (he works night shift) and my mother returned, my brother visited with his daughter and his girlfriend.
I awoke early and drove from Gainesville, Florida to Dilles Bottom, Ohio, stopping only for the acquisition or removal of liquids. While there are no events to report, I enjoy driving, and this trip has been wonderful thus far. So, I spent most of the day with a smile on my face, bopping and "singing" along with the CDs.
While Caeli and Mike were at a movie I had already seen, Rachel, Duncan and I went to Maude's Classic Cafe for great coffee and conversation, mostly about education. Later, we (Duncan, Mike, Rachel, and I) went to see The Help (Bill, Caeli, Nick, and Tim) play a show at Tim and Terry's Music and More. I shot two rolls of film during the first set, then sat back and relaxed during the rest of the show, which was fantastic and well received by all attendees. Eight images are in the "06-12 Help" album at Yahoo! Photos. As I am away from home, these are not as well touched up as I would like.
After doing some preparatory work for this web site, I packed, selected CDs for the journey, and departed for this summer's trip. About three hours later, I was enjoying the company of my friends, Caeli, Duncan, Mike, and Rachel in Gainesville, Florida.
Meighan picked me up after I dropped my car off at the body shop. (I got hit in our parking lot a while ago, but couldn't see any damage, beyond a small scuff. I discovered there was hidden damage when I drove at night and the headlight was aimed only a few feet in front of the car.) We had breakfast , then we went to Sunken Gardens, which is small enough to enjoy even during our current noontime heat. I shot about two rolls of film, which has been developed. However, I doubt I will be able to scan and prepare images for the web before my departure tomorrow afternoon.
I was still exhausted (perhaps because of a mild allergic reaction to the many mosquito bites I suffered in central Florida). So, rather than attend the St. Pete Shuffle, I watched some episodes from the DVD of the second season of Chapelle's Show with Meighan.
Uncle John, Brandon and I had breakfast, then drove to a church camp, where we installed eight double-tube fluorescent light fixtures on the ceiling. I didn't get injured until we were done! I didn't sleep well the previous night, though, and I am not used to holding heavy loads above my head, so I was sled-dog tired at the end of the day.
I got my car washed (it rained the next day), bought some awesome new camera equipment from my friends at Pasco Camera Exchange, and drove to my uncle (John)'s house in Haines City, FL. While there, I delivered copies of images a mutual friend, Brandon, had made with my camera.
The next day, I went back to The Bounty to give the crew a framed 8x10 of one of the images I made, and a CD containing the 4x6 version and 59 others from artsalive Free Museum Day, most images of the ship. Meighan joined me and we had a bite to eat at The Pier. Meighan also purchased an Abba Zabba bar (her only friend.)
I heard from a friend and former coworker who wanted to drive to California with me this summer. Unfortunately, she won't be able to go for now. So, I am going to plan some shorter road trips for this summer, and save the California trip for another time. I plan to visit Columbus, perhaps during the Community Festival at the end of June. I also watched the film, Baraka, which is incredible.
I won! I won! I won! I had planned to visit Sunken Gardens as part of artsalive Free Museum Day. However, I read that there was a street market downtown, near the museums. So, I decided to head there first, to get a light breakfast. I did not find the market. Being downtown, I went first to the Museum of Fine Arts, which is kind of small - and little had changed since my previous visit, except exhibitions of mostly contemporary ceramic works. Then I walked east to the Saint Petersburg Museum of History, also small. The movie was interesting, but the exhibits focused on the period during which Saint Petersburg became a city, which I read as rich white people destroying local habitat to make more money. Also, most of the items on display were not labeled. What was absolutely awesome there was the exhibit of history projects by local children, including displays related to racial discrimination and the movement for an Equal Rights Amendment.
Continuing eastward, I re-boarded The Bounty and shot a few rolls of film there. Twelve images are on the web at photos.yahoo.com/donalan9/. Then I grabbed a bite to eat at The Pier (in a building shaped like an inverted pyramid, with a primary purpose of convincing tourists to spend money). After eating, I popped upstairs for a quick walk through the (tiny) Pier Aquarium. There was a form -laden table just inside the entrance, behind which a woman was explaining to another guest that they would like to have one's email address on the form, in order to later get feedback for future events. So I started filling out a little form. The woman began to tell me that she wasn't excepting other forms, then said mine would be the last, so that they could give the advertised door prizes away soon. I was blocked from getting to the west side of the room by the small crowd who were hoping to win something. As I waited for the crowd to disperse, I could not hear most of the prizes and names being announced. However, I did hear them say that they were giving away the final door prize - and then I heard them try to say my name! They gave me three items from the Salvador Dali Museum - a mug and bag depicting Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea Which At Twenty Meters Becomes The Portrait of Lincoln (Homage To Rothko) (Second Version), and a magic cube with various Dali paintings on its many faces.
On the way back to the car, I stopped at Cherie's Eklectika, where I purchased a bottle of soap bubbles and a painting by a local artist, Phillip Clark. The painting, titled "ditto," features a two-dimensional, cartoon-like kangaroo, with Joey in pouch, painted solid white with bold black contour outlines. The background is a collage of words, letters, numbers, and drawings from materials for the teaching of beginning reading. I hope to hang it in my office at school. You can see a portion of the painting in the background of a picture at photos.yahoo.com/ph/donalan9/.
I drove to the Dali museum next. There, in addition to being amazed by the large collection of Dali's work (which had changed since my last visit), I met and spoke a bit with a couple of cool guys, and downed a few swallows of delicious, free champagne (well, sparkling wine - it was from Spain.) The conversation with the two young men started when one of them said he liked my "blow up your tv" shirt. (blow up your tv is an anti-consumerism Columbus art zine that Joe Wirtheim started when he and I were roommates.) Among other things, we discussed education and swapped a movie recommendation. The champagne was provided because the museum had just received money that will allow it to move to a larger location, nearer to the other museums. As I was leaving, I bought a DVD of L'Age D'Or, which was written by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali.
I did drive to Sunken Gardens, but got there shortly before 5:00, and they had closed at 4:30. I think that closing time is ridiculous, because it means that the gardens are closed during some of the best hours for photography, not to mention the cooler hours of the evening. It would make more sense for them to be open in the morning, close for siesta, and then open again in the early evening. So, I drove home and watched the DVD, which I did not enjoy, despite its high critical acclaim.
While I was taking a walk before watching Star Wars III, I discovered that the wooden sailing ship Bounty built for the 1960s version of Mutiny on the Bounty is docked in Saint Petersburg. I didn't have time before the film began, but I walked back to go on board after the movie. It was so cool that I looked into doing some volunteer work restoring the ship.
The job at Gulfport Montessori Elementary School went well enough this year. During the last year, I was trained to handle students who pose a threat to themselves or others, became an alternate union representative, and just got started on a basic training program to share with classroom teachers some of the strategies I use to help students who are far behind in reading. I also attended first aid and CPR trainings in case someone gets hurt. I can get up to $5,000 of my federal loans forgiven if I stay at Gulfport for another three years. I am inclined to stay at least that long. Unfortunately, I was informed on May 26 that the county did some research indicating that, countywide, 1999-2000 year students in the program I teach (Early Success Program, based loosely on Reading Recovery) have made less progress than similar students who were not in the program. So, even though there are problems with that research, I will probably looking for a job change during the next year.
Scott Bellew, a friend and former coworker and roommate of mine, came to Gainesville to visit our mutual friend, Caeli Lohr. Scott is in the feature length movie I made for my parents years ago, when we were roommates in Columbus. Caeli created the music I used as the soundtrack for the movie. Caeli is living with Rachel, Mike, and their son, Duncan, in Gainesville. While I was staying with them, various groups of us went on a photo safari in Payne's Prairie (former lakebed and current home of Buffalo and other wild things), to a band practice (Caeli's new group, The Help), a butterfly exhibit, a coffee shop, and an outdoor Woody Guthrie tribute (which included a small set by The Help). We also played Scrabble and chatted quite a bit about politics and education. My images from that trip are at photos.yahoo.com/donalan9/ and Scott's are at groups.msn.com/SeeScottSee/.
I was asked to do the informal photography at Daisy's April 3 wedding. Then the person who was going to videotape the ceremony backed out, and I did that, too. It took me a couple of weeks to scan the negatives and touch up the ones I liked best. Several of the images from the wedding are at photos.yahoo.com/ph/daisydayz3/. I did not have a good flash at the time, so lighting was a challenge, particularly since most of the photos weren't posed, and when some were, the pose lasted only moments.
