Canyon del Muerto #1
Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona
2015

We’re spending a couple of days on the Navajo Reservation on our way to Tucson. Yesterday we took a jeep tour up Canyon Del Muerto, a canyon adjoining Canyon de Chelly. We saw lots of petroglyps, pictographs and ruins as well as the usual canyon country geological and vegetative features. I’ve spent a lot of time in this part of the southwest over the years, including my two week stint in 2013 at the Hubbel Trading Post just south of here. but this short half-day trip was still quite unique. So I thought I’d start at least a short series of images from the trip, starting with these fine pictograph examples.

Kudzu Castle
Birmingham, Alabama
2015

This is actually an old building that was part of the coal mining complex on Red Mountain in Birmingham, but it has the look of an ancient palace or castle. If you’re familiar with kudzu, you probably realize that in the summertime this building, as well as the grounds and trees surrounding it are completely draped in vines.

Wraparound
Birmingham, Alabama
2015

On a hike in Red Mountain Park. One feature of forests in the east that we don’t have out west is an amazing number of vines that form all kinds of interesting shapes.

Self Portrait With Paper Towels
Homewood, Alabama
2015

Another shot of my brother’s workshop.

Old Guys Are Us
Homewood, Alabama
2015

There’s something about the workshops of old men that attracts photographers. The vernacular selection of tools, workbenches, and the makeshift adornments, along with the patina of both the work environs and the old men who inhabit these well-worn man caves are very compelling subjects. There have been many a project on this topic, Brooks Jensen’s Made of Steel in particular comes to mind.

I’ve taken my share of such photos over the years, this one being the most recent. While not necessarily the best workshop I’ve visited in terms of photographic opportunities, it did have quite an impact on me. You see, the old man inhabiting this workshop is my brother Ken who is only two years older than me. Since when did we become the old-guy generation, whose environs are capable of being such quaint subjects all of a sudden? Below is a photo of Ken in situ, old guy gray hair and all.

Ken Blackwood
Homewood, Alabama
2015

Part of the Problem
Montgomery, Alabama
2015

[warning: political rant below]

These gentlemen are of some of the Chief Justices of the Alabama Supreme Court over the years. The statues stand about a half block from the capitol building on whose steps state troopers refused access to the voting rights supporters who arrived from Selma on March 25, 1965 after a 54 mile walk. These same state troopers had attacked the marchers on their initial attempt to start for Montgomery on March 7.

When your government officials not only refuse to protect your rights as citizens, but perpetrates state sanctioned violence against you as a means of denying you those rights, the world must seem a scary place. Certainly the situation with civil rights in Alabama has improved some since the fellows show here served but the courts in Alabama are still part of the problem–as evidenced by current Chief Justice Roy Moore’s defiant stance on the separation of church and state as well as gay marriage.

Far Afield
Bozeman, Montana
2015

Hanging On By Your Fingertips
Beartrap Canyon, Montana
2015

Phoenix Rising
Madison River, Montana
2015

Larry and Julian Bond

We’re in Montgomery, Alabama this weekend for activities at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) related to the 50th anniversary of the pivotal march from Selma to Montgomery march in support of voting rights and the subsequent Voting Rights Act passed by Congress.

We went through Selma Friday morning on the way here so weren’t around when President Obama, Representative John Lewis, et al. were there. But at a dinner Friday evening we did get to meet another hero of mine, Julian Bond, a lifelong champion of civil rights for African-Americans (and more recently the LGBT community). He co-founded the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee for civil rights in the early 60s, served as chairman of the NAACP for 12 years, was the first president of the SPLC,  served 20 years in the Georgia legislature, etc. etc. etc. Most of us can only dream of having such a distinguished record of public service.

Connie (a.k.a. the Fashion Queen) got in on the VIP action as well, posing here with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Connie and Nancy Pelosi

We were humbled by all the major players we met this weekend, but also encouraged by all the stories we heard about the regular folk that were part of the voting rights effort 50 years ago. Their stories reminded us that everything we do as individuals to promote such causes, no matter how seemingly insignificant, has the potential to be a contribution to a making this world a better, safer, more fair place to live for everyone.