Thoughts...

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“Without forgiveness, there's no future”

- Desmond Tutu
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Ok, first things first.

2010 is coming up. We all need calendars don't we? heh... (drumroll please)

Well I have calendars! Yep... now don't hurt yourself in your orgasmic fit of glee and joy... but if you enjoy my photography and like reading my blog, be one of the first to buy my first-ever photo calendar:

Oregon





Doesn't that just make your mouth water? And at only $25.65? Wow... buy 10 and give them out as Christmas gifts!

But really? These are nice, quality stock calendars and your purchase(s!) will help me continue doing whatever it is I do. What do I do anyway? Hmmm... I'm gonna have to look into that.

Thanks friends. Support the arts and support your local artists.
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Many years ago... decades ago actually... I lived with a woman (yes, a woman. Shocking isn't it?). We lived together for quite a few years and I was unofficial step-dad to her daughter. She was near life-long best friends with my best friend's now-wife (who is also one of my best-friends). We did stuff together. We got along really well. My family liked her. Her family tolerated me... She was my match. No offense to any woman I've been with since, but she was the best. Gorgeous/cute, small, smart, funny... sigh...

... and then shit happened. It ended. Life went on for us both and we never saw each other again.

Well, I had wondered all these years what happened to the daughter and about a month ago did some googling and came up with a phone number. I called and the gentleman I needed to talk to wasn't home. Later that evening I get an email from best friend's wife with a picture of C, the woman I used to live with. Well, with some more googling one thing (as they tend to do) led to another and C and I are now back in contact. We've exchanged emails and spoken on the phone a few times. This Saturday we'll be seeing each other again for the first time in over 25 years. I figured she'd be living in some upscale multi-$100K type house so big she'd have someone hired to clean it. Wrong. She's single...

I know the dangers of projecting so I'm not investing any what-ifs, nor am I ignoring the obvious... and the obvious to me is that the universe has a weird sense of humor! I'm heading to California to my nephew's wedding this Saturday. C's nephew has his wedding Saturday. My nephew's is at 6 pm. Her nephew's wedding is at 6 pm.

I mean c'mon... God has a script writer? Anyway, it should be fun. I'll clue you all in somewhere down the road. But not a bad tale, eh?

And remember I said she was smart? Well she teaches HS lit. And she writes.

You all didn't know I also wrote poetry did you? I haven't much since college (as someone once said to me "we all write poetry in college") but C sent a poem, I responded with one of my own. She sent another, I responded with one of my own. Here then are those poems, published here for the first time anywhere, ever! ©Copyrighted of course...

C's #1:

Before Desire sighed her first
lonely breath, this was unfolding;
from the rise of her heave came Love
and with the fall of it came Life.
Between the two you and I gasped
our first breath on a path free,
curious, blessed, and inspired.
This is my source, my spring,
my umbilical cord nourishing me
with Desire eternally.

From what source are you?
Is it the same as mine as I claim
or is it Nature that gave to Uruk
its walls gleaming like copper;
its leagues of city, gardens, lowlands
and temples laid out by the Seven Sages?
Open your copper tablet box—
open its bronze lock and tell me
the gleaming glory of your source.
I desire to know.

And I responded with this:

Desire...?
... to get home
again, lost
on trails crossing generations
following...
what? Life? Love?

Or is mere survival
the core? Desire?

My desire is light
love and flesh and kin
desire to crush
those who hate and harm
desire to cradle
babes and lovers,
petals and feathers...

Desire to get home
to leave these plunderers
desire to be safe
a moment, an eve
a day, a year,
a life...

Home... the source,
the well,
springs eternal
quench the thirst
when long journeys
lead us on
paths shared,
paths lost,
paths found again.

Desire? Desire? DESIRE?!?

God yes...

In all its forms
desire drives and lifts
and builds and crashes
mighty walls.

Desire...
... a touch
that makes us gasp,
that gasp
that is solely the moment
and uniquely
ubiquitous.

Desire?

Like Joseph
the Chief
and Teresa the Saint,
Martin the lamb...
desire drives
unbidden.

Source?

...aaah, yes.

So I wrote another and because that's the way she is, C responded with her own. I like the way they dovetail side by side:

Spontaneous Eruption______Visceral affection

I see not_________________I feel surely
what is ahead_____________what is ahead
I know this road___________I know this chance
curves__________________awaits
and twists________________with promises
and passes places__________and lingers divinely
ever much so strange_______laced with grace so dear

And I may pause__________And I may recall
or stay a bit_____________or remember differently
but I travel______________but I recall
often long periods________the tender nights
alone_________________together
never afraid____________youthfully hopeful
for me_________________for us
but for those_____________but for us
whom I love_____________love melted down

And tragedy stalks_______Yet Draconian vows
while blessings make_____prove matchless when
this road sometimes______fate with peace
sweet.____________________embrace.

Epic should it be__________Epic surely it is
an adventure shoor_______a journey needed
because always___________because surely
- it seems to me -________-it seems to me-
a shortage________________a curse
of men___________________of men
and women willing________and women unwilling
to give all_________________to affirm their soul
that it takes_______________and live nobly
to make this place_________to make this place
THIS earth________________THIS earth
ours again.________________ours again.

Want to___________________Sure, let's
walk awhile?_______________walk awhile,
Talk awhile________________Talk awhile
and share_________________get caught up
this path a bit_____________and gaze up
and perhaps_______________at the moon again
a meal____________________over a meal
maybe two?_______________or two or three.

And that's it. No photos today, altho I have quite few to put up. I'm going to try and do another post before I head to dueling weddings this weekend. If not, then next week for sure.

Thanks for stopping by for a donut! I'll be back soon.
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“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together”

- Desmond Tutu

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alright...

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“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”

- Henry David Thoreau
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I've been real busy. What with the Eugene Emeralds finishing their last season ever at Eugene's beautiful and historic Civic Stadium, 2 senior sittings, working 3 shows in a week (2 at the McDonald Theater, 1 at the Cuthbert)... son and daughter heading back to school...

Anyway, I just wanted to give a heads up on a few things.

First off... !!! I have a new site for my photos. This is an arts site, for artists. Image hosting is free and I'm just blown away by the quality of the artists. Wow. And yesterday I had one of my images featured on the site's homepage after only being there 5 days (apparently that's a major accomplishment at RedBubble). The wwwebsite is RedBubble and my galleries can be found here. Everything in the gallery is for sale and you can order direct from the site. Please do!

The Emeralds closing games were beautiful - photographically and humanly. I have to give props and thanks to the Bebans for allowing me to continue as the team's photographer and for their love of the game and the stadium. I'll be posting more at my Eugene Emeralds Photography blog on the closing of Civic plus posting a gazillion photos of the Ems and the fans.





I will also be posting a gallery of the 3 senior sittings I've done recently over at my photographer's blog. Thanks to the girls for being such great subjects - Kayla, Robin and Sam.







And I was speaking of working shows... last night (Wed, Sept 9) I was at the McDonald Theater working the Michael Franti and Spearhead show. Of all the shows I work Spearhead is the most fan involved... literally everyone is bouncing and dancing and having a good time. I'll be at the beautiful outdoor Cuthbert Amphitheater tomorrow night working the Crosby, Stills and Nash show. I don't know if I can take my camera to that event... some artists don't want pictures taken of them I guess... I do know I shot over 200 pics last night and I'll be posting plenty of them soon.



And I'd still like to get this shot to this family... I ran into them at the "new" bridge just above Opal Pool and my digital Pentax was new to me. But it is such a nice family picture I'd really like them to get a copy.



Now... here is a dilemma that not only touches on the freedom of religion issue but has caused some consternation at times in my life. Say you're doing a day hike, somewhere out in the woods, the hills, along a river trail... and right in front of you is this:



Do you:

a) pick it up and keep it as a special find, or

b) walk by it and admire it but don't pick it up?

For me it's an easy answer - pick it up! Of course...

... but once you possess such an item you are in violation of federal law and can be fined up to $5,000 and a year in jail. For me? That feather is from creator and it being in my path is a sign of recognition and a great gift. But here is the rub, I am not a recognized member of any indigenous tribe here in the US and only tribal folks can posess such items. No matter the circumstance of its being found, no matter even that my religious beliefs and practices are intimately connected to the land... I am not legally permitted to carry such an item. Sigh...

I've mentioned way back in the blog somewhere the music project "One Giant Leap." Well by now if you're a regular reader you know I like my PBS. OPB (Oregon's public broadcasting station) is really full of fine programming. Well last night I watched a bit of Playing for Change and I can't recommend it enough. If you like music and understand its potential as a bridge over troubled waters, this show is for you. But here, you decide, check out this version of Bob Marley's

War/No More Trouble

And I would embed the video here but being on a dial-up modem totally restricts that option for me.

Peace out... I'll be back.
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“Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.”

- Bob Marley

“I always felt rock and roll was very, very wholesome music.”

- Aretha Franklin

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Happy Birthday Robin...

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“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

- Abraham Lincoln
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My daughter Robin just turned 18.

Happy Birthday baby girl!


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“It takes a long time to grow young.”

- Pablo Picasso

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