July 2022

Dance Practice
Rawlins, Wyoming
2022

A Bit of Dressing Up
Rawlins, Wyoming
2022

A simple shed off the alley in a simple and decaying neighborhood, but I was struck by the bit of architectural flourish the builder added via the scalloped shingles on the gable end.

African Abstract
Rawlins, Wyoming
2022

This pattern on a decaying wall in Rawlins reminds me of a pattern you might see on African batik fabric.

Creation Myth #4
Bozeman, Montana
2022

When a pine siskin met an untimely death in a freak accident at our bird feeder, I salvaged its wings because, well, that’s just the kind of thing I do sometimes. I placed the bases of the wings under this rock that was laying on our counter to force them to flatten out as they dried. Then the small jawbone I’d also found recently somehow ended up on top of the rock. This odd impromptu still life sat that way for a number of days until one day it came across to me as some sort of flying totem, so I photographed it. I worked it into this composite image sometime later. I saw it as another image that could be interpreted as illustrating some sort of pagan creation myth so have titled it as the next in the small series of creation myth images I’ve created from time to time. After sitting on the image for a while and then looking at it again, it now appears to me to be more apocalyptic than creative in nature. Perhaps I need to start a new series under that rubric, but for now, I’ll stick with the creation idea on this one.

The Good With the Bad
Leadville, Colorado
2022

I looked up the web site referenced on this sign and support their efforts. Legal and safe abortions should be available everywhere. However, I found the sentiment expressed on the sign disturbing for a couple of reasons. While the “colorful” choice of words doesn’t particularly bother me personally, I fear it may turn a number of people off to the extent they won’t bother to look up the website. But more than that, the wording suggests a  wholesale condemnation of the Supreme Court. I may be a Pollyanna in thinking the court is still a largely sound institution even though it, in my view, made a horrible decision on abortion (and also some other cases as well). But if things have gone so far off the rails that we must disregard the institution as a whole, it’s much more depressing than the abortion decision itself. I’d feel better if they could do well-deserved yet targeted condemnation of their actions on specific decisions

Choose Wisely
Leadville, Colorado
2022

It’s a sad fact that so many people seem to be making the wrong choice these days.

The High Point of My Life
Mt. Elbert, Colorado
2022

My childhood friend Steve Johnson (left) and I climbed Mount Elbert (elevation 14,440′) last week. Mount Elbert is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains, the highest point in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States (after Mount Whitney in California). Given I have no plans or desires to ever summit any taller mountain than this, the day marked the literal (but not figurative) high point of my life–not counting of course any height obtained via air transport of some sort.

Bed Abstract
Tubac, Arizona
2022

Light from the same setting sun as in yesterday’s image, casting shadows from a bed’s headboard on the wall.

Lit Lamp
Tubac, Arizona
2022

The setting sun provides external illumination for this floor lamp in a slowly darkening room.

Minimalist Moon
Tubac, Arizona
2022

This a shot of last February’s full moon, called Snow Moon (although that title seems misplaced if you’re viewing it in the Arizona desert). This is not the kind of image that translates well into the 8 bit RGB world of the internet. (Don’t worry if you don’t know what that means, there won’t be a quiz.) In fact, depending on the quality and brightness of your screen, you may not even be able to make out the mountain range in the bottom of the image, and the image may come across as having severe posterization. (Again, don’t worry if you don’t know what that means.) But I posted it anyway as even in a poorly reproduced state, it certainly gets across the minimalist composition idea.