Lakes

The sabbatical has been over for months now. I have nothing finished to brag about, although I am spending a lot of time in the darkroom. I am working on a series of lake photos for a client in California. A customer. Ok, a friend. They are photographs of lakes in the Sierra Nevada.

This is an artist's interpretation of what a typical lake photo looks like except that they are all black and white.

This is a bit more accurate.

Dusty Photographs

Another project

This young lady, one day old in photo, is known as Princess Contessa Cinna of Brookside Farm. Her mother, Giada, is the white alpaca nearest her. She was born sometime in the late afternoon and surprised jenny when she came running into the paddock after all the others. We waited quite a while to see if she would nurse. A watched cria (baby alpaca) never eats. We finally had to go to bed. In the morning I contacted Jenny who was at the vet with Danny, one of our dogs, and asked her to get colostrum for her because she wouldn't eat. Then she ate. That was a relief.

Lately

I've been in Chicago for a couple weeks then a few days in New York and I'll be in Chicago for another week. We were in New York for the Robert Heinecken opening at MoMa. It is a beautiful show. I recommend seeing it, but if you cannot make it to New York, it will be at the Hammer in Los Angeles. in the Fall.

In Chicago I am working on Tenspeed Hero and preparing for the Heinecken show in Brussels.  I'll be in Belgium and France for three weeks in May.

Guns on Campus

The Idaho legislature has done what ever it is it had to do to allow students and teachers to carry fire arms to school. I am not sure if it is a law yet or just passed one branch of the legislature. What gets me is that Oregon already allows this. Kids in Oregon have been carrying guns on campus for years. Idaho is last or near last in a lot of categories including education and income, but I would have expected Idaho to be first when it comes to the right to bare arms on campus.

I guess, to be on the safe side, I should get my concealed weapons license. There is something about secret loaded firearms in the pockets of our students, or tucked in their pants, that makes you feel safe, like nothing can go wrong now that any number of young college kids might be legally carrying.

I just hope that during the next Mexican standoff in class the cops can tell the legal gun owners, the heroes if you will, from the bad guy(s)/gal(s).

Wildlife from my Window

Fox Squirrel

Canada goose

Wildlife from my Window

Fellowship of the Arts and Humanities

The Sabbatical is officially over and the Fellowship (Arts and Humanities Institute Fellowship) has begun. Today I pick up the key to my new office. I am hoping to use it as a studio.

Later: It is pretty big and has windows overlooking the greenbelt and river!

My new desk

My new office supplies

My new project: Wildlife Seen from my New Office

Birds seen during my Christmas visit to California

These birds were seen while driving to California and while riding my bike in a successful attempt to ride 500 kilometers during the last week of 2013. The goal was much easier to accomplish in the Placer/Nevada county foothills than it would have been in frigid Ada county.

Common golden eye
Ring-necked duck
Common merganser
Mountain chickadee
Stellar's jay
Scrub jay
Northern mockingbird
Red-shouldered hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Bufflehead
Mallard
Robin
White-crowned sparrow
Oak titmouse
Golden eagle (Oregon)
Bald eagle (Oregon)
Rough-legged hawk (Oregon)
Band-tailed pigeon
Hermit thrush

Alpaca Photos

My favorite camera, my Rolleiflex 3.5f, is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, the film from this lovely camera has of late been blotchy. It seems like a development problem but it only happens with the Rolleiflex. It happens when I develop the film myself and it happens when I pay a professional to do it. It is otherwise a great camera. The lens is as sharp as they come. I would like to get it serviced. Maybe it can be fixed. I was showing my negatives to another photo professor. A few minutes later he gave me his Rolleiflex. He gave it to me for keeps. I tested it. The shutter is stuck. It is going to need servicing too. Happily, my Rollei collection has doubled. Two broken cameras - top of the line broken cameras.