23/365: Awaken

Out of bed, Baltimore, MD

Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection. (Lawrence Durrell)

22/365: Sunrise, Again

Hotel window sunrise, Baltimore, MD

Sunrise, sunrise
Looks like morning in your eyes...
(Norah Jones)

The travel marathon continues; I'm now on the last, longest leg - for this month, at least. It's all been great so far, and staying at a real hotel always makes me feel rejuvenated... could have something to do with not having to worry about pesky things like dirty dishes and Riley's chewing sprees and keeping the pipes from freezing when the temperature falls below 10F. (Of course, New Mexico has warmed up, and the bitter cold followed me east...). Here, I wake up, get ready, go, come back, work out (yay for hotel fitness centers!), soak in the hot tub, and plant myself on the sofa or bed to... let's see... oh, catch up on processing my 365 project photos! And go to bed early to read and drift away... Next time I have to travel (next month, in fact) and start getting nervous, I'll remember this...

19/365: Towards Daylight

Sunrise, Hwy 60 west of Socorro, NM

I've seen more sunrises in the past 4 months than I probably did in the previous 4 years, and they are indeed worth the early rising. This morning I awoke extra-early to get to Albuquerque in time for a weekend of play therapy training; I could have stayed up there overnight but wanted to be with the kids as long as possible before hitting the road. Even without the beautiful sunrise, that would have been worth the early rising. Of course, as the sun rose I had to play this song by my new favorite bluesman:

Driving towards the daylight
Running from the midnight
Trying to find my way home...
(Joe Bonamassa)

Sometimes, to find the way "home" we must first head out into the wilderness, imagined or real...

14/365: Postmodern Ganesha

Four-armed Bionicle, an original for sure

Peekaboo (35/366)

Crocus, Magdalena, NM, Feb. 2012

Spring may be some time away, but February always feels better than January, if only because the sun is stronger and the days a bit longer. And now that I have bulbs in the front yard, I get a surprise when the first crocuses push up despite the cold to give us some early color. We've had a few nice days of sunny, 50-degree(F) weather, but today was  windy and chilly, making the flash of color all the more surprising, and heartening.

Bedtime? We shall see. (34/366)

"Password, please." Magdalena, NM, Feb. 2012

Morning Light (33/366)

Descanso, Highway 60, mile marker 122, Socorro County, NM, Feb. 2012

I've lived in Magdalena for almost nine years and don't recall seeing this descanso until this week. The bright, recently placed holiday decorations probably made it stand out, but I also think I've become more attuned to these memorials since I started looking for and at them more closely. This one, which I'll try to learn more about from local residents, is beautiful in its raw simplicity and its setting, shown more fully in the photo below.

Nap Time (32/366)

Riley and Dad, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

I so need my home days; I got a lot of computer work done but was happy to do so from my lounge chair and, later, right from bed. I'll admit to taking a short snooze this afternoon, too; given yesterday's 10 hours of nonstop work and 4 hours of commuting, I think I earned it. And you know what, even if I hadn't, a nap is always a wonderful thing.

King of the Hill (31/366)

Billy Goat, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

Thunderbird (30/366)

1958 Thunderbird detail, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

A warmish sunny day led me outside with the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood and a long-awaited photo shoot of this 1958 Thunderbird hardtop resting in an empty lot. It's a classic beauty despite the neglect and decay, and as I circled it and focused in on details I was amazed at how well the chrome has survived the elements. The headlights are intact, even, and the body shows some rust but hardly a single dent, a testament to the steel construction. What a sweet ride this must have been in its day.

Horseplay (29/366)

Precita and the boys, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

Damacio, being shy

Many thanks to all who commented on yesterday's post; your kind words and support helped me pull through kind of a rough day. I knew the photo stuff was bothering me, but there seemed to be something deeper, something more pervasive... Last night as I was journaling it occurred to me that yesterday marked 18 months since my mom passed away. I know anniversary reactions can be strong, but the 18-month mark? Well, as soon as I started thinking about it, a lot of feelings came up and within moments I was in tears; and a half hour later, I was feeling a bit better. I miss my mom. Most days I can deal with it, think about it and let it go; maybe lately I haven't really been letting myself think about it, which is how things build up. Oh, and I haven't been getting out for walks on the property or anywhere else lately... that's never good for morale, right? I finally got out there today to let the dogs burn off some energy, and as always I left feeling so much better. It was dusk, so I only got a few shots of the horses, but they seem used to my camera now and don't shy away as much as they used to... well, usually.

Mundane (28/366)

Winter afternoon, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

I'm linking up with Third Eye for Saturday Sareenity; today's photo definitely needed to show serenity because the day started off chaotically, both at home and in my head. Nothing major, just drama with my boy child, and I woke up feeling gloomy and out of sorts so nothing really seemed right today.

My photo mojo is also low these days; I submitted some pieces (several of the descanso images) to a small local show and received a tepid response: "the photos are pretty basic... easily accessible locations... not technically difficult..." Now every time I pick up the camera I think, oh, more pedestrian, mundane shots, no one wants to see these. No, I don't take criticism well, at least not that kind. They did accept three shots, but today I decided to withdraw because, really, who wants to show to a less-than-enthusiastic reception?

So I'll go back to photographing my world just for myself and forget about the Art Scene. Today's shot is about as mundane as they come, and actually I like that. Beauty isn't exotic or inaccessible or difficult; it is all around us for the taking if we can just see it. Head over to Third Eye to see some other beautiful photos -- I love these virtual gatherings.

Cutie patootie (27/366)

Maggie at the Socorro County Courthouse, Socorro, NM, Jan. 2012

I love that my girl wears cowgirl boots with her dresses. I love that she cheers her brother on when he does things like today's county-wide spelling bee, and that she tries hard to cheer him up when he doesn't win. He did make it to the 5th round and was the shortest one still in it for a while, and he wasn't at all hard on himself for not winning because we kept telling him it was awesome just that he made it to county and had the courage to get up in front of all those people. So it was a good day.

New Moon (26/366)

New moon on a telephone wire, Albuquerque, NM, Jan. 2012

No time for photography today, and not much inspiration either. I grabbed this shot before getting in my car to drive home from internship, and instead of pulling out and setting up my tripod I just rested my camera and long lens on the hood of my car and hoped for a good shot. That's not "good photography practice," but I'll cut myself a break because a person can only do so much in a day.

I'm very tired this week. I'm wishing I didn't have to commute to and from Albuquerque twice a week, 2000 miles per month, 22,000 miles by the time internship is over in June. I wish I could move up there and live a more normal life... maybe because the past six weeks have brought water outages and crippling snowfall and a long Internet outage, maybe because it's winter and Magdalena's charms aren't so apparent, maybe because I'm just tired. I'll keep going because I know it's worth it, and because when I'm with my clients, in the moment, I feel energized. For now, that is enough. It has to be.

Juicy (25/366)

Pomegranate half, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

We finally have Internet at home again! Eleven days after the outage started, our ISP got around to sending out a technician who fixed the problem in a little over an hour. So now I can get my 366 project back on track, not to mention my coursework and client documentation, and go back to my free-wheelin' surfing' 'round the InterWebz. Today's surfing took me to a Flickr 365 project that I really am enjoying, where I found some wonderful food photos by Andrew Potter. His photo stream inspired me to seek out something yummy to photograph, which led me to this pomegranate rolling around in the back of the fruit drawer. It looked beaten up on the outside, but the kernels (or whatever they're called -- pips?) were still juicy and sweet, and the kids and I devoured both halves of this beauty right after I finished shooting.

Snow, again (24/366)

Surprise! Snowstorm, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

Why does it always seem to snow on or just before my internship days? Luckily it was a wet, brief snow and I was able to make it to Albuquerque for my six clients... half of whom cancelled.... Oh well, it has been a good day, and I'm actually glad I got to go to work today! (Go figure...)

Turbulence (21/366)

Descanso por dos, Highway 550 near mile marker 12 (Sandoval County), Jan. 2012

I finally got a weekend off from everything and was able to spend some good time hanging out with and roaming around with a particularly enjoyable travel buddy (he even drove!). Although yesterday's destination was Jemez Springs and beyond, this descanso along the road offered a compelling reason to stop, and the shifting light made for an especially emotional shoot. I'll need to start researching these, perhaps visiting local newspapers to comb through their archives, because each descanso embodies a deeply personal story that a photo can only hint at.

This one, for two people named Laura and Cordy, is clearly tended throughout the year but appears several years old; I find it visually interesting but also sad that the Madonna figure has had to be cabled and chained to one of the crosses. On the other hand, the presence of numerous figurines large and small suggests frequent tending and a good degree of respect for what this descanso embodies.

Edit, 1/29/12: Here's another version of the first photo, rendered in "Opalotype" filter of Topaz Labs' B&W Effects:

Local Color (20/366)

Truck with a mission, Corrales, NM, Jan. 2012

Just a quick photo from my weekend ramblings. If I ever get home Internet access back (the ISP still can't figure out how to get us back online, and we have no other options except... satellite Internet... hmm) I'll be able to get my 366 blogging back on track. In the meantime, I'll just keep photographing whether I'm out and about or hibernating at home. I'm really liking the discipline of taking daily shots, and it might even be helping me "see" more photographically as well as sharpening my technical skills.

Pastoral Breakfast (19/366)

Sandhill cranes, San Acacia, NM, Jan. 2012

Thanks to this 366 photo project I've been making an effort to incorporate photo shoots into my Albuquerque commute, and in most cases leaving home a half-hour earlier gives me plenty of time as long as I've planned where and what to shoot. Today my first two appointments cancelled, so I had plenty of time to stop in San Acacia (yes, the link goes to a commercial site; this is a great outfit!), an agricultural town 15 or so miles north of Socorro. San Acacia is at the southern edge of the Sevilleta NWR, and sandhill cranes seem to like grazing the dormant alfalfa and corn fields during the day. These birds migrate into the area in late autumn and leave in March, and although the most popular place to see them is the Bosque del Apache NWR you can find them in several other places along the middle Rio Grande.

I noticed them a few weeks ago during my morning commute and decided to make this a photo shoot, hoping the birds would cooperate and stay around the near side of this field so I could get some nice closeups. No, they replied indignantly (I would imagine), and before I could get set up they were off to the other side. I'll try again another time, with the camera pre-mounted on the tripod and ready to go, but in the meantime I got some okay shots, and I really enjoyed the spent standing at the edge of this pasture watching and listening to them.

Edit (1/29/12): Here's another, experimental version of the photo, rendered in the Opalotype filter of Topaz Labs' B&W Effects:

Local Color (18/366)

Mural by Eddie Tsosie, Bear Mountain Cafe, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

Magdalena has a reputation as an artists' town, and although the art economy here hardly compares to, say, Santa Fe, there is no shortage of talent in our area. A local cafe/gallery owner commissioned this mural last year and it is a wonderful addition to our landscape. I'll go in soon to get more information about the artist, Eddie Tsosie, and about this beautiful painting.

The great Internet-outage-ocalypse at my house continues, but that has compelled me to hang out at another local cafe in the afternoons that I'm not in Albuquerque working, and (as long as I can lay off their cheesecake) getting out regularly is a good thing.