March 2011

Let It Be #4
Bozeman, Montana
2011

This is one of those dome-shaped mirrors they mount on the ceiling so that you can see around corners in hallways in order to avoid collisions. Not much chance of a collision when I was there though. Or maybe it’s actually a one-way mirror concealing a camera, in which case there was probably some security guard watching and wondering what that guy was doing wandering up and down the hallway taking photos of everything and otherwise casing the joint. I kind of wish a security guard had shown up and questioned me; I could have used the diversion.

Let It Be #3
Bozeman, Montana
2011

While I was wandering the halls in the hospital someone turned the lights out in the waiting room so it was quite dark in there when I got back. This is the kids playroom in the waiting area. In retrospect while it would have been nice to not have been the only one there, I’m glad there weren’t a lot of rambunctious kids around. The commotion kids sometimes make would have taken my mind off of other things, but not in a good way.

Let It Be #2
Bozeman, Montana
2011

Everyone and his dog (literally) seemed to be leaving the hospital while I sat in the empty waiting room. I had thought this guy was just walking past the hospital but he came out of the building and got in a truck with his dog and drove away. I wondered if it was either a companion dog or one of those dogs trained to go to hospitals etc. to provide comfort to patients. Not a bad idea, I could have used a taste of that canine elixir myself at the time.

Let It Be #1
Bozeman, Montana
2011

Suppose your spouse (or significant other or parent or just someone you care for a great deal) has been in surgery for almost ten hours and the doctors told you it would only take five and they haven’t told you much of anything since the surgery started except everything was “fine” and it has been two hours since anyone has said anything to you at all and in fact all the visible hospital employees are leaving the building and come eight in the evening you’re still waiting, the only person in a large, empty room and it’s gray and dreary out, and it’s starting to snow and getting dark. How would you maintain your vigil, allowing yourself legitimate concern but occupying yourself to keep your imagination from taking your mind to places you don’t want to go? What calming techniques would you use? In my case, I went to my car and grabbed a camera and starting taking photos from the waiting area. Did it work? To a degree yes. This story had a happy ending–everything came out fine, and now I have a short series of photos from that evening to share over the next few days.

Window Abstract
Wilsall, Montana
2011

A close-up of some interesting shapes and textures on the grain elevator in Wilsall.

Not an Exit
Wilsall, Montana
2011

Another example of why you shouldn’t believe everything you read.

Montana Elev’Co.
Wilsall, Montana
2011

The side of a rather massive grain elevator seems like an odd place to need to resort to creative abbreviation. Looks to me like there would have been plenty of room to spell out the whole name using the same size “font” as the existing letters if only they had arranged it like this:

MONTANA
ELEVATOR
COMPANY

Maybe they were just trying to save paint.

Grain Geometry
Wilsall, Montana
2011

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I love the geometric shapes and forms and lines found in grain elevators. They make such compelling abstract images they’re hard to stay away from.

Sylvan Sundials
Bozeman, Montana
2011

Down the road from our house, these trees cast a shadow straight down the hill at about 2:00 o’clock–make that 3:00 o’clock now that daylight savings time has taken effect.