Allen Street Enterprises

TTVancouver

2012-01-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Vancouver is a city, a small city, but just another west coast city. You might think of it as akin to San Francisco, but more highly concentrated. There's the Haight (Kitsilano), the Castro (West End... tee hee), Berkeley (cross North Vancouver with central Main and throw in the Granville Island food markets). Don't get your underthings in a wad, my US readers... there's no place like San Francisco (but you should be jealous of the effusive green spaces that add a greater permeability to what could be a much denser Vancouver skyline). Moving on.. we've got your standard share of mysterious disappearances, serial killers, and those zombies on that corner that need not be named.

But honestly, when summer is high-and finally dry-and the festivals wash over the mini city in daily waves, it's really a remarkably darling place to spend a few years. Here are some snapshots--and I use that term loosely, since recording these means lugging around 10 lbs of a wooden box, a fat macro lens, and a stupidly heavy camera body--from some of my favorite corners of the city: Gastown, during la Fete de la Musique, and central Main St, during Car Free Vancouver day (both in June). It's a nice respite from the blowing snowballs outside tonight up here on the high side of the city.

Above: 1. The directing sign for Salt, a favorite wine and cheese/charcuterie pairing spot, in Gastown's famous Blood Alley. 2. A shop on Main, and the glassed in dining room of L'Abattoir (Gastown). 3. Blood Alley. 4. Gastown streets. 5. Dub on Cordova Street during the Fete de la Musique. 6. Bluegrass by 131 Water Kitchen & Bar (Water St, Gastown... isn't that obvious?). 7 & 8. Alleys and redesigned interior spaces in Gastown. 9. Sidewalk chalk during Car Free Vancouver on Main St. 10. Canucks hockey fever -- couldn't go anywhere without seeing it last spring.

Bottle Day

2012-01-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's here, the first installment of Allen Street Enterprises' homemade wines. Technically, they aren't homemade -- it's kit wine from Cork-It Wine Making, right here in North Vancouver. These guys and gals are stellar -- the shop is pleasantly small, the storage pleasantly large, and the staff are pleasantly darling. I highly recommend them. The best part? Two Stiffs Red averages about $2 more than $3-Chuck, and is infinitely more drinkable. Wondering about the name? Ever take a pit stop in Lovelock, NV? It's a gas station tribute, so very Nevadan.

A Dog's Life....

2012-01-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

... looks pretty awesome, doesn't it? It's been a long time since I've posted a dog photo, and I thought it was high time we devoted a little time to our faithful, furry companions.

This is not a camera trick. I think this dog was actually practicing his Charlie Chaplin routine for the camera. So patient, so goofy, so adorable!

Chloe does tricks as well. She can actually climb trees. No joke.

Ice beards in Nevada. Some mornings it's so cold we run them with the truck, and this is the result -- condensation into dog beards. Brilliant!

Arrivederci, 2011

2012-01-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

Aaaaaand...goodbye 2011, hello 2012! I got a reminder to put something up here via facebook, in the format of "PUHLEEEAZE update your blog". Thanks for the swift kick in the ass Beth.

To inaugurate blogging 2012, I thought we'd take a trip back to January, 2011 (primarily because I haven't edited anything new in months...). Last year at this time I was in Ghana with a World Vision-funded group of hydrologists, geophysicists, program managers, and technicians from the US, Ghana, Niger and Mali, all working as a part of the West African Water Initiative. You might be asking yourself how a slacker like me hid out in that group? I'm still wondering about that one... I helped teach a GIS training course and documented the trip, but it sure felt like the dose of adventure far outshone the work requirements. Thank you Alex and Jim!I posted a few images I shot in the market in Tamale last year, but here are the highlights of the whole set, loosely ordered, and accompanied by some notes I recorded in our travels (in quotes).

Yep, that's a goat. A teeny tiny goat. They are ubiquitous in this part of west Africa -- in the cities roaming the streets(ok, at least the smaller ones), in the family compounds, in my dinner...

left to right: Jim Thomas, Alexandra Lutz (both from DRI, Reno, NV), Dave Berger (USGS, Carson City, NV). Not pictured: Mary Miller and Laura Craig, also from DRI.

A bit fancy-pants, but the luxurious Holiday Inn Accra sure felt good after 36 hours awake (I have a hard time sleeping on planes). "The breakfast buffet was astounding -- we are stuffed full of freshly cut papaya, pineapple and mango, omelets, crepes, fried potatoes and kelewele [fried plantains]. Yum!" Next stop: Tamale.

Flight to Tamale, a turbo-prop from Accra. They served us mango juice and honeycake. U.S. airline travel, you could use a lesson here. Best part of traveling Citylink Airlines? The boarding pass said "Gate: ANY". "The air is thick, pregnant with dust off the Sahara. The pilot came on to warn us that we might not be able to make a 'safe' landing..." The soup is a trade wind phenomenon called harmattan. It's pea soup below the plane, and we were only at 14K'. The haze also traps a good deal of smoke, as most fields are burned during the winter dry season. They tell me it's a different country in the wet season, thickly green and vibrant.

The series above are from our accommodations at TICCS, the Tamale Institute of Cross Cultural Studies in Tamale. Bougainvillea and jasmine dress the buildings of the compound, which is crowned with this amazing rubber tree:

"Dinner tonight was pizza at the rooftop Jungle Bar, with lots of Star Beer to wash it down. They have GIANT fruit bats here, woah." The bats roost in the trees around the compounds during the daytime. Think 'bat' and then think 'gerbil' and you've got a pretty good idea of what they look like weighing down the trees. "The bats gave up shortly before dawn, about 0530 when I got up for a photo walk. The doves took over shortly after the bats took cover, in a lovely locust-style cacophany. Loud, but sure beats the bats, which squeak like rusty metal springs."

The gents below are riding on the back of a truck laden with millet or perhaps gamba grass...

....which makes a lovely thatch. Read a nice summary of NE Ghanian traditional building styles HERE.

Images around town and at work:

Yam mounds. The mounds are capped with cut greens and a clod of soil, presumably to keep the wind from dulling their perfect geometry.

This termite mound is a mere 6 ft tall. MERE 6 ft.

Our classroom at the Ghana Rural Water Project (GRWP) Research and Development Training Center (RTDC) in Savelugu, and colleagues.
Baby during our GPS refresher.

The geophysicists are finally let loose:

Easily the best day was spent checking rural wells and shooting photos with some darling kiddos. I wish I could tell you where we were, but alas, I was mapless that day. Head east from Savelugu, and I think you'll get there...
Solar-powered rural wells rock, but it does mean there's a lot of upkeep during the harmattan...

"Orange" is a bit of a misnomer; the oranges are green and only the skin is peeled so that the nutritious inner peel gets eaten. I had to suck out the juice from mine; the skin is tough as leather and these puny teeth just couldn't hack it.

Minnesota Vikings. Yep, you saw it, just can't escape that Wisconsin rivalry.

Bore hole wells are fitted with hand pumps and filtration boxes, in most cases. Unfiltered water can be diverted for animal use, and water spilled on the concrete pad runs off to a separate basin for drinking water for stock. Wasting water is the ultimate party foul. The second filtration box, the green one, is a system for fluoride removal, which is naturally occurring in the groundwater in this region, at concentrations that could lead to fluorosis. Ionic adsorbent plates pull the fluoride out of the water as it passes over. Pretty ingenius, right?

These are more fun than they look. Everybody races over after the shutter clicks, zooms in on one another and takes turns giggling at who's got the best smile, then races back and lines up for another photo. Camera up, faces turn serious and smiles evaporate, shutter clicks, grins break out, and the whole process starts again.

Grandmother and grandson (and a couple of the girls in previous photos) are most likely Fulani, a nomadic ethnic group that has seen some settling in northern Ghana towns. Fulani women often bear tattoos (or henna stain) on their foreheads, and lips, and are quite possibly the most striking individuals I've ever seen. I'm talking drop dead gorgeous.

These shoes are made out of tires. Brilliant.

The Tamale market.

I regret to inform you that from here on out, most everything I post will be far less interesting. Perhaps that's why I waited so long to blog them. Sigh...

Sunshine!... [oh the memories]...

2011-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

In this gloom, it's so nice to play with images of times spent in the orange glow of a bay sunset. Tomorrow it's down the Blaine to help Trent's cousins (here, playing in the shallows of Birch Bay in said sunset) accomplish a big move. Cross your fingers we'll get a break in the rain!

Impossible Project, Box 1

2011-10-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hee hee hee.. I got a box of Impossible Project's Silver Shade film last week, to drop into the $3 Polaroid SX600 I bought off the next-door neighbors at a yard sale last summer. Couple of good learning points here: (1) THIS polaroid camera cannot focus on anything closer than 3'; (2) the "Light-Dark" setting on the polaroid is about as useless as pants on a fish; (3) you will NEVER have to replace the batteries in your polaroid camera... do they even have batteries? This one hasn't been used in a decade, and it still flashes!; (4) Carson does not look good in my magenta wig. Boo.

Quirky New Mexico (episode 3)

2011-10-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

The weather outside today is CRAP. Luckily for Trent, he's in Nevada playing in the sun and the snow for the week. Thankfully I have some photos of sunny places to reminisce over for the next 7 months of downpours. Here is the last set of images detailing what my mom and I do best while road-tripping: driving aimlessly, sometimes in circles, and trespassing ("officer, it was all in the name of art...?"). In case you don't believe me, here's a map of our most recent roamings. It's most certainly NOT a straight line. Cartography pays my bills... would you like one of your very own? Send me some data and a story to tell!

And here are the photos:

P.S. This camera has a singular ability to photograph animals with their tongues out. On the blog roster so far: horses, cows, raccoons, and our husky, cleaning a most inappropriate place...

Quirky New Mexico (episode 2)

2011-10-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

As promised, more New Mexico weirdness, through an aging viewfinder. Nearly all of these wondrous destinations can be found around the 'magic circle' that Highways 38, 64 & 522 make around Wheeler Peak. I won't tell you too many stories about these destinations just yet; there are lots of other images with which to share details. Without further ado, here's the list: The Kagyu Mila Guru Sangha stupa at the Tibetan Buddhism center in the foothills south of Questa; shrine at the Santo Nino church in Amalia; pots at a storefront in Taos; HAIR -- get some in Taos, if you must; ok, that alien is actually not in the magic circle... he's in Roswell, where else??; an enormous duck (seriously... what is he doing there?) in front of the Alley Cantina, whose kitchen wall is a 400+ year-old Pueblo adobe structure in Taos' historic plaza streets; a wilted-looking New Mexico flag in said plaza.

Quirky New Mexico (episode 1)

2011-10-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

New Mexico is full of quirky places; perhaps that's what I love most about that part of the country. Arizona, Utah, southern California... they've all got more than their share of downright bizarre destinations (speaking of, have you checked out RoadsideAmerica.com yet?!?? Goldmine!) but New Mexico's quirks are my favorites. If you've driven the stupefying stretch of asphalt that connects Roswell with Albuquerque, then you've probably passed through Vaughn. Blinked and missed it? Not much of a surprise; this little gem can barely keep its one gas station in operation anymore. When I was little(er), Vaughn was the one official stop on the 4-hour drive between ABQ and Roswell, where we'd sit at the counter in the Sands Motel Restaurant and eat pecan pie while the driver took a break. Back on the road, town was only a couple of lonely blocks long before tall dry grass overtook the roadside again. Unbelievably, my memories of a more robust town are an anachronism in their own right -- when the highway overtook the railroad for mainstream transportation, Vaughn became the town that the town itself forgot. There's an entire generation of streets and buildings lapping against the railroad tracks on Vaughn's north side that is completely abandoned. There's a 25c movie theatre with a sign out for discount matinees; a restaurant whose walls were covered with delicate hand-painted murals; and a house with bright turquoise rooms -- I never pass through without stopping for a few photos.

The image above is the old main street, Cedar Ave. Two major regional railroad lines met here -- the N-S Southern Pacific and E-W Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe (Eastern Railroad of New Mexico, if you geek out on that kind of thing); town was established originally as a Southern Pacific stop-over, in 1919. There was even a Harvey House, but it's gone now. Sure beats the empty rooms below:

Those last two are shots from Costilla, NM (house at 36.975648,-105.534078) and Dilia, NM (round about here-ish: 35.18534,-105.079041), respectively.

Mirrored

2011-10-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

Time time time.... where did you go and why did you leave so quickly? Even on my most productive days, I feel as though I didn't get a big enough helping of time. I haven't even touched the photos from June, July, August... not to mention all the adventures in September! Here's a start on June's trip to New Mexico -- a bit of a macro-induced trip through a lazy hollyhock bloom on the streets of Taos. Got some silly TTVs coming up next... maybe I'll even stay up long past my bedtime to cheat time....

By Boat!

2011-10-02T23:24:00.001-07:00

If you give me the option, I WILL get there by boat. Even if it takes twice as long, I will still choose the boat. Ok... so maybe I wouldn't choose boat over plane to get to Australia, but I you get my point. We are lucky that half of the amazing destinations in the Vancouver area are only accessible by boat, and equally blessed to not be susceptible to seasickness... so I've got double the reason to board! There is just something infinitely soothing about slowly seesawing across the open water on something not likely to be broadsided by the heavy barge traffic in the open straights around here. Here's a glimpse of the ferry ride to Bowen Island, a quick hop between Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay to Snug Cove.

...and a frog, because on a rainy, windy, dreadfully dreary day after riding said boat, I found an entire lake to enjoy all by myself, and these little guys were everywhere!

BC Ferry actually has the most interesting website of any public transportation system I've ever seen. You can monitor the real-time positions of fleet online: http://www.bcferries.com/current_conditions/vessel_positions.html. Not geeky enough? Check out the full fleet: http://www.bcferries.com/onboard-experiences/fleet/. I think I'll try to ride them all. Oh Nimpkish... you're so cute!

Missed Connections

2011-10-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

Lovely lady, missed your call today (actually, I tried but the call got dropped... I'm up to my eyelids in technical difficulties lately).... so here's my reminder to call you tomorrow!

untitled.

2011-09-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

Just tooling around on a drizzly Sunday.

Retaliation in Motion

2011-09-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

There's a remarkable group of dancers right here in Vancouver, the Kokoro Dance troupe. A self-labelled 'post-Butoh' group, they move across the landscape in a semi-choreographed wave of bodies, painted white, sometimes beautiful and sometimes obscene. Butoh -- if it's new to you -- is a post-US occupation Japanese reactionary dance movement intended to portray scenes of taboo subjects, protest, and/or activist issues. It's quite thrilling to watch; an ultra-controlled, often very slow series of movements that contrast starkly with the world spinning around it. This group was photographed performing during the Be Good Tanyas reunion kick-off concert at Stanley Park in Vancouver. The dancers pictured include: Daina Ashbee, Barbara Bourget, Carolyn Chan, Salomé Diaz, Thoenn Glover, Jay Hirabayashi, Ellen Luchkow, Jennifer, McKinley, Philippa Myler, Kristine Richmond, Robert Seaton, and Brett Trach. The troupe also performs a nude show at Wreck Beach (go figure, right?) in July every year... maybe I'll catch them there next summer.

Read more about Butoh HERE.

Brainiac Microcosm

2011-09-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

School's back in session. It makes me grin like the Cheshire cat to see all these hungry minds hard at work.... ~~partying~~ -- uh, learning.

The Commute

2011-09-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

15 minutes on the Seabus, my favorite mode of transport from the North Shore - where I live - to the Vancouver mainland - where I work - plus 1.5 hours of overlaying, blending, masking and sharpening gives you this. Woah. This little guy is the result of a dozen or so shots taken while we came in to dock. To my wonderful, faithful, handful of readers, I hope this color range makes you weak in the knees.

Nowhereville, World

2011-09-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

In high school, much like the wide-eyed generations before, I fell under the hardened spell of Kerouac's mad writing. As it's come to pass, I spend a lot of time behind the wheel traipsing across the country... A LOT. As a photographer, I like to consider myself as a purveyor of the beauty of human folley and oft-missed details. The two make for a magical combination; spending hours passing through downtrodden towns, mountain passes and suffocating deserts with a camera in hand gives me a wealth of images to savor. There is a romance in the everyday, the slight discomfort of traveling off-the-cuff. I've filled a cattle trough with hot spring water, spent a night by my own private spring; been run off an empty field in an inspiringly empty Utah state park when the sprinklers came on at midnight; found black widows nesting under the picnic table I'm sleeping on; found black widows in the roots of the tamarisk I'm sleeping beneath (ack, they're everywhere!); fought mice in Chaco Canyon for my dinner; celebrated the remembrance of lost friends at a Magic Circle spanish mission church in the dead of winter; slept in a church parking lot in Nebraska in a stiflingly hot car trying to escape the plague of mosquitos; slept in the subaru in Napa Valley; slept in the subaru outside a bar in Nowhereville, South Dakota; slept in the car in Zion while the wind took the tent away... that was a fun one...

In all this motion there are remarkable circumstances. Here's a favorite: this thundestorm in Merrill, OR in the middle, pregnant with explosive lightning, has just started the wildfire on the left. I pulled over to watch it burn.

My favorite Kerouac passage? It's not the one you think -

"I got out of the car and stood swaying in the blackness. The whole town had instantly gone to bed; the only noise now was barking dogs. How could I ever sleep? Thousands of mosquitoes had already bitten all of us on chest and arms and ankles. Then a bright idea came to me: I jumped up on the steel roof of the car and stretched out flat on my back. Still there was no breeze, but the steel had an element of coolness in it and dried my back of sweat, clotting up thousands of dead bugs into cakes on my skin, and I realized the jungle takes you over and you become it. Lying on the top of the car with my face to the black sky was like lying in a closed trunk on a summer night. For the first time in my life the weather was not something that touched me, that caressed me, froze or sweated me, but became me. The atmosphere and I became the same. Soft infinitesimal showers of microscopic bugs fanned down on my face as I slept, and they were extremely pleasant and soothing. The sky was starless, utterly unseen and heavy. I could lie there all night long with my face exposed to the heavens, and it would do me no more harm than a velvet drape drawn over me. The dead bugs mingled with my blood; the live mosquitoes exchanged further portions; I began to tingle all over and to smell of the rank, hot, and rotten jungle, all over from hair and face to feet and toes. Of course I was barefoot. To minimize the sweat I put on my bug-smeared T-shirt and lay back again. A huddle of darkness on the blacker road showed where Dean was sleeping. I could hear him snoring. Stan was snoring too."
-Jack Kerouac, On The Road

Deliciously Despised

2011-09-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

We break from our photographic adventures to bring you this public service discussion on blackberries. Every Pacific Northwest city has a blackberry eradication plan in effect. When residents don't have a grumpy politician, a polluting automobile, a global enterprise to despise, the blackberry quickly fills in. It rains all the time -- everybody needs an outlet, right?

They are classified by the USDA as seriously irritating (grrr... I've been bloodied by my share of them) and technically invasive (Class B or C, depending on the state/nation). We've got all kinds up here in northern Washington and Vancouver; the native variety (Rubus ursinus can be recognized by its whitish, waxy stems, ground-trailing habit and most often, by the fact that it's being smothered by our two invasives, Himalayan (Rubus armeniacus) and Evergreen blackberries (Rubus laciniatus).

Oh, but for one or two glorious weeks out of the year, all is forgot. We find a way through the thickets that impede the movement of native fauna, that trap young wildlife; we reach on tiptoes to grab the ripe fruit that dangles from the carcass of a native bush that's been drowned by blackberries; we smile through the torture of picking blackberry stickers out of our hands as the plant makes it best effort to bleed us out. Ahh... blackberries... I pick a quart at lunchtime every day this week, and the vines aren't even halfway through.

Now get this: got a blackberry problem? Entrepreneurs have come up with some ~~completely ridiculous~~ downright brilliant solutions for you -- you can rent GOATS. Oooh yeah, goats love them some blackberry shoots. Take your pick: The Goat Lady, Rent-a-Ruminant (hat tip for the name), Goat Rental NW (thumbs down for lack of creativity on that one), Handle Goat Rental, I could go on... Lucrative career change in the works?

Adventures by sea

2011-09-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

Now that I've temporarily morphed into a dirty expat, I can say things like "my American friend Melissa is coming to visit for the weekend. She's on holiday." Sound a bit too British? I figure since Canada's a commonwealth, I can get away with that.
Melissa and I just realized we've known each other for 20 years. Twenty years! To celebrate our carpool-founded anniversary, she stopped in for a few days while on whirlwind tour of the pacific northwest visiting friends and family. We took kayaks out on Indian Arm for a day, rounding off our day with a 7km paddle from Deep Cove to Brighton Beach and back, complete with a creekside hike. Melissa's journalist mind put it most succinctly in summing up our adventure: "Seals! Crabs! Seeeeeeabus!" If you've never heard of this brilliant reporter, you soon will -- she's got a novel in the works that we hope to see published soon!

Find Melissa here: http://www.melissascottsinclair.com/abouttheauthor.html .

Here are more photos of our harbor seal friends than you've ever hoped to see. Sorry...

Hello World: Miss Lily!

2011-08-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

After a lovely trip to New Mexico in June, an exhausted arrival in Blaine, WA was followed immediately by a sleepless night with extended family while we all awaited the arrival of this little darling -- Miss Lillian Estelle! She and her mom were both champs, and she made her arrival shortly after midnight on July 7. Here's a quick glimpse of Lily and her family. We are so excited to have a new cousin!

Lily just zonks out when her sisters hold her -- you could tell she already recognized them by voice the moment she was born!

Weekend Roving: False Creek

2011-06-08T17:17:00.001-07:00

What to do, what to do? A weekend with no plans? Duh... go for a walk! This past Sunday I took advantage of the gorgeous sunny weather to poke around the southwestern edge of False Creek. Yes, I poked at the seafood at Fisherman's Wharf (what? the urchin man offered to cleave one open and let me taste, but I felt bad for the little guy and declined...), and yes, I fell into the quintessential tourist trap, Granville Island. But hey, the organic mangoes at the Granville Market were 4/$5! Here's a little montage of some poorly-shot phone photos... all artsied-up for ya.

Left to right, top to bottom:
Geese and babes on Granville Island; mosaic beneath Granville Br @ 3rd/4th St.; 5' boat prop on Granville Island; Bar sign on Granville Island; spotted prawns (THE ingredient of 2011... you got that?) still fighting @ Fisherman's Wharf; Boats selling whole swimming scallops in the shell @ Fisherman's wharf; Granville Island, entry under the bridge; Art by Tanya Doskova (http://fineartoncanvas.com/) in the market; carrots in the market; wool varieties @ Maiwa Handprints Ltd. (http://www.maiwa.com/); "Ingredient of the Year", the spot prawn...didn't I tell you?; a crazy vintage van in Kitsilano, modernized to be an RV. Pretty rad, eh?

Want to see this roving weekend route? Here's the map:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=205200448636914893343.0004a53c77332bd466e37

Define "Dreary"...

2011-06-01T22:16:00.001-07:00

In any other place, in any other mindset, a gray day with low clouds hugging the treetops, a steady drizzle, a slippery path... well, that might be called "dreary." On a late December day in Lynn Canyon though... "dreary" is transformed into the stuff of fairy tales. This place is so magical, I continue to be amazed! Here is a quick trip through some TTV adventures in Lynn Canyon on the north shore, a [FREE!] must-see if you're up this way on a dreary day (take THAT, Capilano!). If it's sunny... take your bike, and cruise through the old growth north to Seymour Lake -- you'll find me doing just ~~that one evening next week!~~ ok, ok.. I admit I'll probably only make it half of the 22km round-trip... but you get the point. Just enjoy the photos, yes?

Neophyte Naturalist Notes: Hello Vancouver!!

2011-05-24T20:10:00.001-07:00

It's been a few amazing weeks in the woods up here in Vancouver, and I've yet to post anything. Stalling is my middle name.

In the woods in Vancouver, you ask? Isn't that a bustling metropolis? Indeed it is, but my current location near the University of British Columbia campus affords me just a two-block walk to the 50-odd km of Pacific Spirit Park trails stretching shore to shore across the peninsula--like the green girdle of Point Grey--from the mouth of the Fraser River to the intersection of Burrard Inlet with the Georgia Strait. After an extraordinarily wet spring, the landscape out there isn't just pretty.... it's MAGNIFICENT. A trip into the trees is like a trip through a fractal image -- layers upon layers upon layers of new (to me) birds, plants, slimy things that slither by. Trees grow on the carcasses of rotting trees; ferns grow on the trunks of the living; mosses blanket the decapitated trunks of giants; snails trudge through the forest of mosses; winter wrens flit about under the lowest understory level. It actually makes me dizzy. And that's just the city's inland rainforests -- I haven't even told you about the north coast canyons yet!

I wouldn't want to shock you with the level of greenery (this one goes to 11?), dear desert readers, so I thought I'd dip your fingers into the woods inch by inch: through the macro lens. If you can stomach the slimiest and grittiest of details... well then maybe i'll try to look up once in a while and show you some trees!

Color like Candy: Leilani & Sophia

2011-04-03T12:49:00.001-07:00

In what is proving to be best photographic barter yet, Leilani and her design partners have agreed to toss me some logo design in exchange for a couple of quick family sessions. Leilani's house in the evening is a study in light, color, texture and comfort--original oil paintings, gilded frames, mid-century flea market steals, a basket of laundry, a sprinkling of daffodils-- a magical setting to photograph two gorgeous gals. In the low light, I love the richness of the color in these images, so yummy (as my mom would say), it would taste like a bowl of jellybeans.

Snowy Saturday

2011-03-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Spring!? Why have you forsaken us? Last week it was glorious; weather in the 50s, hummingbirds reappearing to fight over the territory of the neighbors' feeder, lilies starting to send up their first foliage in the front yard. Today? Snow. On the upside -- I've forcibly trapped myself inside our neighborhood javaspot, Walden's Coffeehouse, to catch up on a little editing before running errands. Cozy Saturdays... i love you. Most folks take Sunday off for this sort of laziness, but as it's still snowing I'm saving my Sunday for a XC ski when the deluge is abated.

Here's one from a project I've finally caught up on: Rina's 7-month maternity session. We shot her maternity set a bit early, but she wanted to make sure she still felt like the gorgeous mama she's going to be. This one's my favorite, I hope you enjoy it as well.

This event was unique for a second reason -- it was my first shoot with the new camera, a Nikon D-700 (and is also the first one I'll get to report on next year's taxes, since I registered my photography outfit as an official firm name yesterday!). For only $15, why didn't I do this years ago? Because nobody told me to, that's why. Sara's brain just doesn't do 'business', it's like trying to build a bridge out of jello... just not possible without significant intervention. Thanks TaxMan, you're a real lifesaver!

Can't get enough!

2011-03-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

Can't get enough of little Zachary? Neither can I!! And the best part about loving this little guy? When he's asleep, he sleeps like a stone.... and you can put him places and do things with him. Tee hee. Carrie's house carries an air of vintage elegance, an absolutely fabulous retro backdrop to her decor and a tightly swaddled bundle of happiness (that'd be Z, if you didn't catch my drift...). Best of all, for this photo series -- not a tear was shed, nor any noise rang out beyond the mumbling of Z in his sleep. What a great way to spend a day.

*Artist Disclaimer: No babies were harmed or emotionally scarred during the production of these photos. We had two hands on him at ALL TIMES, except for the split second during the quick snap of the lens. Relax folks.*

Birthday Surprise!

2011-03-01T12:49:00.001-08:00

An extraordinary photographer -- and good amigo -- Barrett Donovan has just had his work profiled in the category of "Outstanding Photographers" on a blog devoted to the best work available through Flickr. Hooray! Check out the post here:
http://photographershalloffame.blog.com/?s=Barrett+Donovan

Check out the rest of Barrett's work here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/barrettdonovan/ ... and then go pester him to sell you some prints!

Congrats Barrett!

Bathtime!

2011-02-28T19:53:00.001-08:00

Moments is real life, in real parenting, don't always fit into the 'coo and giggle' category, even when the house is 90 degrees, the porcelain is warm, and the water is sublime. Before you read on -- we modified this quick bath for the love of art, and for the love of a genuinely honest moment.

Some babies love baths. Some do not. We can safely put little Zachary in the second category. And yet, even with this grimace, the volume of a vuvuzela, and an evil eye that would make the hardiest grandma run in fear, we managed to catch a tender and beautiful moment in the first months of Zachary's life. Carrie, you did indeed, make an absolutely wonderful son.

2011-02-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

Wow. So I'm finally getting to my Ghana photos. I'm saving the details for later, but here are a few abstracts to give a glimpse into the color and culture that is West Africa. Color, think COLOR, everywhere! The women are incredibly elegant, drenched in violently colored fabrics, and have the most endearing and honest smiles! The abstract above is a group of women riding home in the evening on the roof of a truck with bales of elephant grass. The two below are composites from a handheld blurring of the skirts in the Tamale market, which is an experience in and of itself. Three cheers for color!

Sparkly and Fun.

2011-02-18T19:31:00.000-08:00

This evening I had a client shoot with the most fantastic model EVER. Her name is Mia, and she's five, and she loves the dentist. Mia came complete with a pink ring and glitter-spackled Mary Jane's. Mia's got a couple of smiles for you (below), followed by a behind-the-scenes sneak peak of art direction in full force.

What good is a logo if there's dust and snowflakes on the door, right? Thanks to all the folks involved, this evening was a hit... even with a spaz for a photographer. It was such a different experience, working with art direction and PR folks on hand; I'm used to my solo shooter gigs. I'll drop a link when the client website it up and running. Here's to more of these, Cheers!

Practice

2011-02-16T19:07:00.001-08:00

So every photographer, every artist, every practitioner of anything good has got their bag of tricks. Mine... well, it's really more of a coin purse of tricks. I haven't had any formal training since high school and I'm older than I look most days -- that was a really long time ago. I am, by training (and that'd be NONE, remember), a natural light photographer. That's NAT-CHEW-RAAAL. There will be no glamorous career in fashion photography for this gal.

So on Friday we've got a photo shoot arranged at an office that has hired a good friend's business to rebrand them. The lights (and portrait lenses!) we've rented/borrowed/begged for and stolen are bright and enormous. So naturally, the dogs and I set up an impromptu studio in the cleared out dining room (yeah, that's a genuine Texan cowhide on the wall; I give you permission to be jealous) to practice our lighting games. Cue laughter, and enjoy our homegrown ridiculousness.

A New Day!!

2011-02-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

Flagstaff sister of mine, today you are the strongest woman I know. Truly, truly, a little piece of soul belongs only to you, and I'm so proud of you! Great things are on the horizon, I can't wait to bear witness! Luv luv luv YOU.

Portraits of Mod

2011-02-14T20:55:00.001-08:00

Take a Mondrian painting, mix it with a hallucinogenic dose of fluorescent wall paint, an adorable family of three, and you've created a photoshoot with the Hendersons at the Nevada Museum of Art. With color and cuteness like this, how am I supposed to maintain my visage of contempt and sarcasm, eh? Happy Valentine's Day, Hendersons! Bowie can be my valentine ANYDAY...

P.S. Didn't know Mike owns half the internet? You're in for a treat... find his media empire @ IAmIndisposed.com.

Carrie, 37 weeks

2011-02-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

Meet Carrie. At an age that makes the rest of us embarassed to call ourselves adults, Carrie has been inspiring minds at her small town's college, has been the head of her department, managed to get through her pregnancy and only gained about 3 pounds, and is now the mother to Zachary, the brand new little man whose snoring makes you want to stay up all night giggling. I am so proud to call her an acquaintance of mine! So let's all take a moment to say ~~CONGRATULATIONS~~ Thanks Carrie, for making the rest of us feel like boorish sloths.

Meet Henry!

2011-01-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

Waaaay back in October, I spent a wonderful morning shooting some casual family shots with Sarah, Chris, and their son Henry, in Sedona, Arizona. In contrast to studio-style shots, we just puttered around the house, drinking coffee and sharing some bagels, and attempted to capture some of the tender moments of a relaxing Sunday morning home with the family. Sarah tells me Henry has grown so much since then, it will be exciting to see him now!

Naturally, we can't just ignore the dog...

Come check back soon -- I've got an enormous backlog to get to -- Erin's maternity set, Carrie's maternity set, The Henderson Family at the Nevada Museum of Art, Rina's maternity set, and photos from a recent trip to Ghana for work. Lots to show, lots to show.... whew, its going to be a busy spring!

Ringing in 2011

2010-12-31T09:35:00.000-08:00

We're finally old enough that each new year brings more than opportunity.... it brings babies!! This year we will be thrilled to welcome two new little ones to our flock of friends and family -- Mini Young-Parham, and Mini Bruno!

Here are some photos from Erin's sixth-month shoot, which were taken during a lovely October day in Flagstaff. Not pictured here: the tarantula we picked up and played with. Oh, Northern Arizona, how I love you.

School Photos are Rad.

2010-11-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

Yeah, you betcha. These are the headshots of our visualization crew at DRI. The DRI research park visualization in the background sure beats those laser backgrounds they were using when I was in grade school...

Clockwise from top left: Dan Coming, Steve Koepnick, Derek Norpchen, Matt Sgambati.

In case you've forgotten, they looked a bit like this:

And lastly, just because I can... here's the soundtrack for laser portraits...

Jumped the Broom: Vivian & Ed

2010-11-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

Yes yes, we've all been to our share of weddings. They are all lovely, emotional affairs. Weddings between friends are a positively different affair -- simply amazing events.

We've known Viv and Ed for a few years now, in Reno, and it was such an honor to be able to photograph their wedding. From the setting at Lake Tahoe's Sugar Pine State Park, to the wine that required a special trip to Sonoma to sample and obtain, to having a dress tailored by a long-time family friend, to the way the guests all held their breath trying not to sob audibly during Ed's surprising vows... Vivian and Ed put together a truly wonderful day for all in attendance. I have a whole slew of pre-event photos as well.. but I got impatient and had to share already! Cheers!

Confession: I didn't take that one.... but i rocked the editing out of it...

How many of you can say there was a ranger with a gun at your hitching? Eh?

The following four images make me giggle.... ALOT.

Psst... that one's not actually my photo either... Thanks Mr. Peng!

And then we all remembered how good that Dry Creek wine tasted....

Congratulations amigos...

Welcome to 1965....

2010-10-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Where Sara and Trent rock the wool and tweed in a Hope Valley fashion show. Don't let our handsome selves fool you -- the weather was warmer than expected and we're actually sweating like pigs under all this fabric... Hot.

I Spy... Sneak Peak of Vivian & Ed.

2010-10-13T12:35:00.001-07:00

I can't help myself. This was easily one of the most beautiful events I have had the privilege of attending. I'm about 1/10th of the way through the 700 (gasp!) photos. I couldn't help it... it's the first time I've been able to shoot with two cameras at once. Here are the awardees so far:

(1) Most squishable. (clearly I didn't take that photo--Trent did)
(2) Most 'Circus'... (Good call, Vivian!)
(3) Most Rock N' Roll BABY!

Nomads in Napa

2010-10-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ahh, road trip, how I have missed you. A road trip with Sara is akin to tagging along while a squirrel runs back and forth in front of a car in the middle of the road... "right, no - left, no - right!" I tend to roam around the countryside in a haphazard way... "Five miles out of the way for a Farmer's market? yes please! Sleep in the car on a side street in Calistoga? Yes please!"

Two weekends ago I participated in what might be the best bachelorette party yet... wine tasting, spa treatments, and a great dinner in Calistoga, followed by a solo tour up and down the coast with no particular destination in mind. The trip and photos follow this nonsensical route: Reno --> Napa Valley --> Calistoga --> Santa Rosa --> Bodega Bay --> Jenner --> inland to nowhere, followed by a jaunt through a rhododendron preserve --> Annapolis, CA (try finding that on a map!) --> Healdsburg --> Santa Rosa #2 --> Sacramento (IKEA!) --> Reno. Can you trace it? It makes a figure 8...and then some.

The Gals at Solage, Calistoga, CA:

Jenner Beach:

Just inland of the coast, where the marine layer keeps everything foggy and wet, I just love the textures of the conifers and eucalyptus:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's TASTY:

The Guadagni Red Jug (it's a blend of Zin, Mourvèdre, Carignane) from Preston at Dry Creek, Winery and Organic Farm. Sure, the L. Preston is pretty delicious... but a jug... come on, how could you NOT get it?
...and while you are there...stay for a picnic and let's add some of their still-dirty heirloom tomatoes, local figs, and a chunk of Pepato sheep's milk cheese from Bellwether Farms.
...which you can dip in Hawk's Feather Oliveto. If there ever was an olive oil for slurping... this is it, folks. (and all proceeds to go cancer research)
chilies de padron (I love these little guys!) and lobster mushrooms at Jole in Calistoga.
and more wine for dinner, you ask? Yes Please: People's Wine Revolution Syrah (Massa Ranch, Napa).

What's ON:

Bzzzzz..... Coffee Props.

2010-10-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Allen Street Enterprises would like to take a quick moment out of our busy day to thank local business and coffee connoisseur-hangout The Hub, our favorite spot to caffeinate, for giving us the honor of being one of only TWO friendly links on their blog. Keep up the love, and we'll keep taking up space in your tiny coffee shop and try to deal out way out of paying for your drugs.

And lastly, thank you HUB, for providing me the insight that permits the following comic (from my favorite, Married to the Sea) to be FUNNY. Bacon doughnuts, indeed.... Mmmmwuah!

Hams.

2010-09-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

There are two kinds of people out there.... 1) those that absolutely LOVE to have a camera pointed at them, who light up when they know they are being watched, who make every effort to glam it up, and put their cutest face forward for all to remember (Hint: that would be our niece, Audra [above])....

and 2) then there are those who fail to advantage of the brief opportunity to be remembered for the handsome humans they are. Trent is one of these. Folks, may I present to you: Trent's "Oh, that flash is bright" face. Yikes!

And while we're at it... let's all take a minute to thank the great state of Wisconsin for sponsoring this study in contrast.

Desolation Row

2010-09-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

From time to time, someone asks me to describe Crescent Valley. This is where Trent spends much of his time, checking up on drilling projects and working on his research program. Here is my answer: picture a place so desolate, there aren't enough things to die to support a buzzard population. There aren't even any vultures!

Now that's not entirely true... there is the occasional vulture circling over, and a pack of coyotes hoping to lure your dogs away from your house... but not much. I will say this though -- one of the residents of Crescent Valley proper has a giant pig, and when I say giant, I mean GIANT. I do love me some gorgeous porcine specimens.

Trent likes it; I think the desolation speaks to his work ethic, his drive to push himself, his sense of self-reliance on a level that I can't quite match. Let's all just take a moment to congratulate him on a job well done so far. Here are some images from my first chilly spring visit out there.

Jumped the Broom: Amber & Jay

2010-09-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

Despite the rain, it was a gorgeous evening in Oregon when Amber and Jay tied the knot in front of this ancient hulk of a barn. What a magical setting!

We were guests, not photographers, so there aren't many photos to share... but I did manage a couple of cute catches.

I just love Amber's expressions during the ceremony.... but seriously, have you ever seen a more gorgeous bride?? Perhaps she should consider a career in wedding gown modeling. Enjoy!

Smile! It's Oregon!

2010-09-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Twice in a month! Trent and I are actually in the photos! It's a miracle! Here is a nice series with Jim and Carrie at Jay and Amber's wedding in Oregon in June. Watch out, the farther down you go, the worse our expressions get...

I'll post photos from the rest of the wedding in a few days.... I don't have too many good ones from my spot in the audience.

Zion! (finished, finally)

2010-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

It's actually happened! I've actually managed to get through an entire set of photographs--in this case, a set of 295. Ok, so you've heard my shutter click over multiple frames in the same position, so honestly it's more like 150... but that's still a personal record I've finally met. Thank you, thank you.

Here are some more memories from a lovely weekend with Birthday Girl Katie, starting with our Sunday brunch, complete with oodles of waffles, homemade peach cobbler, chilly mimosas, and a lovely gaggle of gals (plus 1 dude).

A delicious brunch was followed by a stroll down to the river....

...where we learned that Cooper loves cows. Sara loves cows too, but i sure wouldn't go licking that slimy nose...

The river on Sunday wasn't nearly as dramatically bloody as Saturday's photo episode (below) after that amazing rainstorm. As promised, here are some shots of Saturday's post-shower vibrancy:

Sunday night I rode into the canyon, and waited for the moon to come up. Now this is my first night session, so don't be too critical. Unfortunately, I didn't get any shots of the tree frogs. And let me tell you, nothing brings irridescent, silver-pink frogs out to party on the blacktop quite like a hearty rainstorm... there were, quite literally, thousands of them. A story in gluttony, the frogs were snapping up as many ants as they could, since the ant colonies were flooded out of their underground tunnels.

If the only thing I take away from that solo adventure is my memory of nearly getting marooned in blackness, then it will still be a satisfying experience. As it turned out, I caught a ride back on the 23:00 sweeper bus.... crisis narrowly averted.

And lastly, this is what makes Zion paradise.
Desert canyons + running water + delicate microhabitats = absolutely amazing.

Sigh... relax.... repeat.

Shameless Plug...

2010-08-24T09:29:00.001-07:00

.... for myself. As Katie asked "What does your NERD Flag say?", I can answer you... "look at me, look at me! I'd rather stay at home editing photos than socialize." In a day filled with reports and dirt, grinning into the computer as static images of people I [generally :)] like smile back at me is a welcome vacation. A 'stay'cation, you might say....

However, it is nice once in a while, to let this particular pleasure of mine help pay the bills. The last round of work I did for DRI--you've probably seen all of these photos already--went into the publication of the annual Tahoe Report, a cooperative effort presented at the Tahoe Summit by DRI and UNR to highlight continuing research projects with a focus on Lake Tahoe. The pages featuring DRI researchers that I shot up at the lake are below; the entire publication is available online (full story also).

And while we're on the topic of DRI scientists in the news... take a look at a colleague and one of the lead researchers in my immediate work group, Tom Bullard. Ladies: he makes his own tights! Think of what he could do around your house...

Shameless plug for me: The opening landscape shot with the Mojave desert corestones is mine. Yes!

Stone + Water [Zion #1]

2010-08-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

ok... so there's not much water anymore... but you get the point.

After baiting your interest with that incredible storm (stay tuned for the 'after' photos of a blood-red Virgin River), here are some shots taken with the Kodak TTV setup down a small tributary canyon that I had entirely to myself one morning. What a gorgeous way to explore away a Saturday...

Here is what life is like from Katie's view... Isn't she a lucky gal?

Boy, I'll sure agree with that. This is, in case you are wondering, NOT the state of the facilities at Katie's house.

Just when things are parched...

2010-08-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

the sky explodes without warning...and the world around you metamorphoses into something wholly unexpected, and incredibly rewarding.

A few weekends back I took a refresher to Zion, for Katie J's birthday. Normally one would use the word "vacation" instead of refresher, but as the canyons of southern Utah own a piece of my very soul... I find that a "refresher" visit is necessary every few months to keep my head on straight. I was incredibly lucky to be up on the eastern tablelands when the sky broke open with the first major monsoonal rainstorm to linger over Zion this summer. In minutes the road was covered with debris, the hillslopes were buried under deep sheetflows, the slickrock carried torrents...

Photography through a wall of rain is not an easy task... thank goodness for post-processing! Here is Zion, very much alive, and very nearly invisible through the rain. More photos from the dry days to come soon...

Hide and Seek

2010-08-15T22:08:00.001-07:00

As you may know, I'm often afflicted with a tendancy towards ~~excessive eloquence~~ endless blathering... but adorable photos like these need little introduction. Between bouts of hide and seek, valiantly defending our dinner from a giant dog, and playing in the rain, we managed to squeeze in a few keepers. In the name of all that is adorable, may I present to you, dear readers: Alex and Liam....

ahhh...Boat life.

2010-08-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

I told you I still take real photos.... occasionally...
Here are a few of the lovely Carolyn and a true rarity, a photo of me!

Glaciers + Granite + Water

2010-08-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

= Lake Tahoe! Here are a few from a trip up with friends, several weeks back.

I do still take normal photographs, but something about the dreamlike state of the photos taken through the viewfinder of my very old Duaflex III just seems so well suited to subjects like crusty old antiques.. and in this case, the rough textures of wave-sculpted granite.

Boats: Can't Beat 'Em!

2010-08-08T19:08:00.001-07:00

...Sigh.... A week ago I was relaxing on a vintage speedboat, on Multnomah Channel with Carolyn. The weather was perfect, the water was clean, and dozens of ospreys were out hunting. Carolyn's boat belonged to her grandparents, complete with chrome fixtures, wooden floorboards, and a sultry James Bond aura... lovingly cared for over the past twenty years. Here are a few photos from our adventures down the channel from good old Fred's marina.

Work.

2010-06-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

work. work. work. We all do it. Sometimes it's fun...Three cheers for science! This is a selection of what I have been working on for DRI publications recently. Every once in a while I work on my own research too...

Introducing.... Jackson.

2010-06-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Another handsome little guy makes his first appearance at Allen Street Enterprises. Jackson is down here on short loan... his mom is visiting from Denver, a recent transplant from Reno. There are many more photos for mom, but here's a brief taste.

Viv & Ed.... Take II.

2010-05-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here is another round of photos from our session a few weekends back. The more I review them, the more endearing this set of photographs becomes... I will spare you the gushy pile of compliments that photographers often pay their clients (frankly, you guys know me right? I only spill my inner mush when you're not looking) ... but I do so love Vivian's happy grins coupled with Ed's reluctant smile...

These were all shot at Bartley Ranch, here in south Reno.... in less than an hour's time... think "PHOTOGRAPHY ON SPEED." Cue photos.

...if you haven't got a ring handy, grass is a lovely substitute...

And lastly, my absolute favorite from this session... perhaps one of my all-time favorites:

The Cure.

2010-05-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

The cure for what ails ya on a Friday afternoon after a long work week.... FINGERPAINTING, obviously! Little Liam's mom has asked me to shoot some photos of Liam this spring, but the weather has been so bad we haven't had a chance to play outside for them yet. Over pizza and wooden train tracks yesterday, I got to know him a little better, which I hope will make him less likely to run away when I start sticking lenses in his face...

Liam had a ball -- he painted paper with his fingerpaints... then his arms... then his face... then he had to hit the sink before he painted the wall... what a cutie!

Vivian & Ed (hate being photographed)

2010-05-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

I got them to sit still just long enough to catch one or two photos where Vivian isn't making faces at Ed, nor is Ed glaring at me or gritting his teeth. Yikes... I pity their wedding photographer...

In the end, they make a lovely pair in photographs. More coming -- but here's a sneak peak.

Danielle, with baby

2010-04-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

I find it's more flattering to be asked to photograph your friends than to take pictures for work. It's wonderful to know they have faith in your ~~accidental good work~~ photographic skills. But Danielle... oh Danielle... I had to twist her arm for 5 months before she'd finally pose for me. And what perfect timing -- the baby is due ANY DAY NOW (sorry Danielle, i know you hate that), and we lucked out finding a day when the Nevada Museum of Art was closed, so we didn't have to fight the crowds to tuck her against the statues around the grounds outside.

Trent met Mike and Danielle at a bike race the first week he moved to Reno, nearly 3 years ago. What a lucky introduction (thanks Coconino Cycles, for giving Trent a tshirt that is a magnet for bike nerds), as they are our only link to the hidden hipness that makes Reno a fun place to live. We've been honored to accompany them on some great adventures (hikes, 24-hour bike races, forays into the metalsmithing business and the quest for hidden vintage finds in Sacramento)... and now we're thrilled to see them become parents. Congratulations guys, we can't wait to meet your little screamer!

Macro, I Love You

2010-04-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Meteor Shower-0, Rain-1

2010-04-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well... so much for the meteor shower I was going to wake up and photograph (but be sure to check out Alison Erickson's blog for some great star trail shots)... I think we can safely say the rain will keep me hiding out in bed during those hours before sunrise.

So let's go ahead and welcome ~~SPRIN~~...nope, nope, altogether too hasty. Snow yesterday, snow today, rain tonight. At least I got these few in before the weather turned sour. Cheers!

Dark Days

2010-04-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

Unbeknownst to the rest of the country, each year DRI awards a particularly outstanding researcher with the Nevada Medal, presented at a dinner engagement by the--*cringe*--Governor of Nevada *cough cough, gag*.

Last year's winner was NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins (and what a great event -- he brought his guitar and sang a song about genetics!); this year the Medal went to Dr. Robert Ballard. Among other scientifically-enlightening achievements, he is best known for discovering the wreckage of the Titanic in 1985. This morning I tagged along for his presentation to a group of middle school students at Dilworth Middle School in Sparks.

It was a great event; the kids were excited... about everything except the photo of the dissected 10-ft long deep ocean worm. I have to say, if you ever have a chance to hear him speak, DO IT. Last night at the award dinner, Dr. Ballard brought a room full of sarcastic, fieldwork-loving science geeks to tears with a speech on the importance of science education and the future of discovery. Had I decided the medal dinner was a better plan than homemade whole wheat pizza crust, I too, might have been sobbing with the rest of them... curses.

Yesterday I also got another opportunity to produce some seriously poor photography of DRIVE 6, DRI's immersive virtual environment. Yikes. Dim lights are easy on the eyes....but not on the camera. Shooting professional photos in the dark is a degenerative process... after an hour of 'hold it, stay e x t r e m e l y still,' we swapped roles and took photos of each other instead. Here are a few more gems from the REJECTION COLLECTION. That's right, Professionalism with a capital "P."

Yep, I'm funny.

New Global Superpower ... literally...

2010-04-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

Here's the quote of the day folks. Woke up to this little gem being repeated on NPR, courtesy of Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi--

"Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes." AP News

Does anyone hear that tinny sound that's surely marks pennies that aren't copper, and reasoning so bad it's funny? And so, i retract yesterday's statement about stories of geological interest during an active eruption... you CAN find good stories besides that unpronounceable Icelandic monster.

All the cool kids are doing it.

2010-04-19T20:40:00.001-07:00

Yeah... it's science. Science kids are the coolest. And that's English... but only barely.

Here's another from the rejection collection for Sara's 2010 DRI photo work. Poor metering means this one was blindingly washed out, which makes it a good candidate for photoshop experimentation. From an albino to an almost normal-looking -- albeit, retrofitted in cross-processed color -- man, Paul Verburg, in one of our lysimeter pods.. And if you think the EcoCELLs are cool from a plant's point of view, you should see the underground tunneled domain that houses the maze of wires recording the lysimeter data. I'll have to ask for another opportunity to get down below and show you what goes on down there.

And now, finally, because I know you are here not because you adore us, but because you are hoping I'll toss around some more of my random and semi-useful informative facts.... here are some interesting tidbits that I know you'll find a use for these at your next cocktail party.
1) Girls are more likely to doubt their competence with math and science, though statistically they perform at an equal level to their male counterparts (perhaps due to a lack of support from generations of more traditional-role-oriented parents and teachers). Fascinating! Give your daughters a science kit, folks!
2) While looking for interesting tidbits about the lack of adequate science education in schools in Nevada (yep, it doesn't even exist at the elementary level in many schools)... i got sidetracked. I think we'll allow that, so I ran with it. I can't even tell you how many random and nerdy science blogs I got lost on.... but it finally led me to this little website showcasing the apex of geekery: Starship Dimensions. Wow kids, wow.
3) Eyjafjallajokull has far too many "j"s in it to be pronounceable by a human. I would not advise looking for other geologic stories of interest in the scientific blogosphere during an active eruption.
4) Geodesy -- and you thought only geomorphologists got to study their geologic subjects in real-time. Turns out, the dip of the fault responsible for the recent 8.8 magnitude Chilean earthquake along the Nazca-South American plate convergence zone in February is such that vertical motion can have a large impact on global physics. Not only is this single quake responsible for shortening the length of an Earth day (sure, a mere 1.26 microseconds, vs. 6.8 as a result of the 9.1 Sumatran quake in 2004), but has probably thrown off the figure axis (line about which Earth's mass is symmetrically balanced while spinning) by a couple of centimeters. Sure sure, highly theoretical and subject to further modification, you say, but it's still a fascinating subject... (original JPL release here).

Are you bored yet? Over and out --S

Like wolves to bacon...

2010-04-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Like a pack of hungry wolves after bacon hiding inside poorly-constructed homes, such is the wind attempting to blow down our house. This has been the windiest spring yet for us in Reno; going to sleep at night is like accompanying Dorothy on her trip to the land of Oz, save for the freak on the bike.

I just keep hunkered down inside and work on the warm-weather photo backlog... finally getting to July of 2009... Here are some photos of Carrie that I shot during the Elko rodeo weekend. I have quite a pile to get to yet -- but Carrie, I would not advise holding your breath; I'm back out to Arizona next week for work.

If you happen to mark it, Happy Easter to you. Handbasket confession: I ate meatball sliders at Imperial on Good Friday (honestly, with scary meat quality making the news all the time these days, you never know--there could have been fish in there too...). But then again, I've never been one to let organized religion tread on my gastronomic persuasions. Thank goodness our better half listened to Catholic Mass over the radio this morning; he's all the good in us I swear.

REVENGE OF THE --

2010-03-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

And that's all I have to say about that. These are the creative and mathematically-driven brains behind our six-sided 3-D visualization room (DRIVE6) at DRI. I shot a few photos for the DRI Annual Report... serious ones... and then we shot their album cover. Wow guys, wow. Rockstars!

Babies Babies ... yeah yeah, I know, they've completely invaded the blog.

2010-03-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

It's true. I woke up this morning anxious to toss up a bit of last night's editing here, and realized that I've gone totally soft. All I have to share with you are more kiddo photos. Seriously, grow a spine Sara. What happened to your scathing commentary on the general idiocy of society? I realize once your [scathing sarcastic] spine is broken, the therapy is a long and arduous process.... so I'll just squeeze in a few more cute photos before we get back on track with dark and gloomy. Tee hee...

Little Caleb's little details:

And introducing Sydney, the next Reno Heartbreaker! Look at that gorgeous face!

Babies Babies everywhere.... (part 2)

2010-03-27T22:05:00.001-07:00

If you've ever wondered if your friends make the cutest babies... well, it's settled... they don't. MINE do.

Smella's baby shower was a grand success, thanks to Dawn. I stood in the corner and consumed far more than my share of the cheese plate and tried not to suffocate in the estrogen-fest. Sadly though... the littlest attendees held strong sway, and I couldn't help but shoot a couple [hundred] photos of our clan's newest members: Elliot (left), and Caleb (right). These little guys are going to grow up to be Olympians!

I could just eat them up! Oh wait no, because that would be wrong.

Babies babies everywhere....

2010-03-27T10:07:00.001-07:00

Busy busy weekends: gardens to prep, potatoes to start, lighting fixtures to hang, photos to edit, papers to edit, photography backlog of 9+ months...

Today it's off to another baby shower this afternoon, for Smella this time. I can't wait to shoot some maternity photos with her - she's the perfect subject for the Duaflex TTV photography -- dark hair, porcelain skin, beautiful baby curves.

In the meantime, here's another from the lovely set I'm trying to finish editing for the always lovely Dawn. A bit silly that I can't get photos out until their son is 6 months old, but I'm working on it... geez.

Ain't My First Rodeo

2010-03-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

And how do I look on that horse?

Hehehe. Luckily for us, Nevada has no less than 21 rodeos annually, from the professional circuit bull-riding tour that comes through Reno during our July Rodeo, to the less publicized Nevada Gay Rodeo. (now click this LINK, it's haaawt...)

Last July while Trent was in the field, I went over to Elko and watched the Silver State Stampede Rodeo in Elko with Carrie. I have to say, this was the first time I've been more impressed at the Bronc riding than the bulls. These horses were mad -- running guys into the fences, bucking guys up and off.... the bulls by contrast, looked dull-eyed and slow. Sorta like wrestling a thousand pound steak off the table.

This will be a two-part post: First, the spectators...

Sublime Succulent Summer

2010-03-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

Summertime. I'm already fantasizing about it... no, not about seeing Chestie McCougarHunter (and this guy is a Real Reno Character-- you gotta check him out!), or about the way my skin shrivels up just thinking about the sun burning all the moisture out of it, and not even about the way Chloe leaves a big chunk of her coat on you as she brushes past...

But rather, for moments like these!

(Squish! Miss you Melissa!)

Jumpers are stylie

2010-03-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

No no, I'm not talking about that awesome uniform I wore to school for 15 years... I'm talking about these girls!

Last weekend I traveled back to Flagstaff, home of part of my heart, to visit the girls who hang onto it for me. Between skiing through the trees and catching up on all the MAN-tastic news, I got lots of flack from Katie J. for not posting these sooner. And though I know that Katie would ~~never~~ almost never beat up a chick, I take her threats seriously. So here (prepare your applause) are the first of the Telluride JUMP SERIES ... the first of a new tradition to mark our yearly pilgrimage to the Mecca of Bluegrass.

Yikes!

Keep holding your breath ladies, I DO still have that photo of you jumping with that guy in the Mr. Rogers T-shirt.

Sara Gets Paid!

2010-03-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

Every once in a blue moon, someone pays me to take pictures. This is such a rare occurrence -- I'm always too eager to say "oh, I'll take photos, pick me! I'll do it for free!" -- that I thought we'd roll back a year and celebrate that last time I got paid to make my place of regular employment look pretty.

These are excerpts from the DRI Magazine's 50th Anniversary Edition, available HERE in its entirety. The large photos on the left page of each of these spreads are mine.... all mine...

This spring and early summer, I will be lucky enough to continue to photograph the faculty, staff, and facilities at DRI for addition to our annual reports and to build a more comprehensive photo-database of DRI research and activity. Check back for nerdy science photos during the coming months. More of the older work can be viewed on our Flickr Site, some of which was used in other promotional materials for our 50th Anniversary.

Super Preview

2010-03-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

So when I told Vivian I would be her wedding photographer, she excitedly responded with ~~"Oh, I would ABSOLUTELY LOVE for you to do it,"~~ "Oh, huh... well, I think we'll hire somebody else..."

I'm crossing my fingers she'll change her mind, so here is the super preview of her wedding, starting at T=0, the day she found her dress.

Anytime Now.... really!

2010-03-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

We are anxiously waiting for Lisa's little Miss to make her appearance.... it could be any day now. This morning I decided that today would be the day... I was convinced she'd go into labor after lunch. Well, it's officially 'after lunch' now, and there isn't any news yet. I guess I've lost that bet. Here's a look back at Lisa, at 3, nearly 5, and 7 months.

Ok... really that last photo highlights the dog and not Lisa.. but it's still rather cute, don't you think??

Feels like Spring!

2010-02-17T21:48:00.001-08:00

While the rest of you are suffering through your 'snowmageddon' and the record snowfall of your wintry wonderlands.... the temps here have been in the 60s-- the birds are flirting at full volume, the dogs are starting to dig up the yard, and the daylilies are coming up early. Without begging winter to leave.... (Trent's got a long season of skiing left, i'm sure)... the anticipation of spring pulls hard on me. Here are some TTV images of last year's veggie garden going full-force, something i hope to repeat this coming spring.

...and speaking of spring (and forgetting to use capitals)... there is nothing quite like the way this first verse rolls off the tongue... my oldest and best poem friend. it reminds me of that first warm day when the upper soil surface thaws, when the the turbulent waves of spring wind bring humidity, when the smell of melting humus is so thick you can almost taste the dirt---

"sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love"

(all the merry little birds are
flying in the floating in the
very spirits singing in
are winging in the blossoming)

lovers go and lovers come
awandering awondering
but any two are perfectly
alone there's nobody else alive

(such a sky and such a sun
i never knew and neither did you
and everybody never breathed
quite so many kinds of yes)

not a tree can count his leaves
each herself by opening
but shining who by thousands mean
only one amazing thing

(secretly adoring shyly
tiny winging darting floating
merry in the blossoming
always joyful selves are singing)

"sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love"

(e.e. cummings)

Dawn (& Caleb!)

2009-12-22T22:21:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I did a maternity shoot with Dawn, and just in time! Dawn and Barrett's adorable son Caleb was born a bit before his due date; he must have been anxious to meet his new parents. Dawn was a joy to photograph; she ran around in her underwear for me, let me drape her in various fabrics and beads I scavenged from around our house, and let me put her in positions that made her feet go to sleep. You really couldn't ask for an easier model.

Dawn's husband Barrett is a photographer as well (Barrett Donovan's Flickr photostream), shooting in a style with a perfection in light and scenery I would never have the patience to imitate... so let's hope they like the photos of Dawn! Here's a teaser, more to come...

Salvation Army Runs Amok

2009-12-22T19:52:00.000-08:00

Trent recently celebrated his 31st birthday, with vintage ridiculousness from the salvation army store here in town, an evening of delicious homemade butternut squash enchiladas, and a trip with the boys to the Reno Roller Derby... which, I might add, was surprisingly nonviolent. I completely expected those girls to throw down on each other, but the biggest crash only knocked over one of the referees...

We took silly portraits of these gentlemen before heading out on the town. From left to right, our sometimes housemate Greg, Trent the Birthday Boy, and Chris.

Hoo-Rah!

Bored on the Train...

2009-10-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

... means there is plenty of downtime to edit photographs, catch up on a book about underwater coastal archaeology [a miscalculation on my part; it was not well written] and listen to a fifteen-minute description of where the Amtrak station in Omaha, Nebraska is located between someone who lives there, and clearly doesn't get out much, and someone who has only passed through Omaha once or twice. Let me just close with this reflection on humanity: Wow.

I am catching up on some backlog from the summer. These photos of Carrie were taken at a ranch gate near their new place in Spring Creek, NV (near Elko). We shot some fun ones with her in town as well, but I haven't gotten started on those yet.

Safely back in Reno now, after an entertaining evening of drinks and art with Trent's doctoral committee; they promise to be a very merry bunch (ahem, Rabbi Hickey) and we look forward to spending more time with them in Vancouver in the coming years. Tomorrow, we're off to pick apples at Apple Hill with a few friends. Happy weekend to you too!

Cute contest

2009-10-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

Is it twisted that I think this might be the cutest animal on the block? Pygmy hippo... you are my fluffy kitten. More photos from Flickr users HERE and HERE.

More Bartley Ranch

2009-10-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

Got a few more worked up from our 4-month session last weekend. More coming -- there are a bunch of great ones from the 3-month session that I haven't found time to work with yet. Five more months of photos!

Bartley Ranch Mama.

2009-10-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had another quick photo shoot with Lisa. We headed out to Bartley Ranch, on the south of town, where the willows and wild rose are turning bright yellow, and there's a nice collection of old ranch buildings for unusual background options. Here's the first and a fave from this session.

And here's what Trent and I did this morning... we scoped out Bartley Ranch shots and he modeled with his best maternity pose... In other news, his UBC fieldwork starts tomorrow over in Cortez, so wish him luck! Cheers.

More TTV Baby-to-Be

2009-09-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

These just make me grin. Maybe it's the light...such a gorgeous evening.These are the remainder of the edited TTV maternity shots from this last session.

In other news, I have a little photo show up at Walden's this month, if you happen to be in town. Nothing much - mostly stuff that's already made it around on here and Flickr, but a few new things in the usual style... dark and meloncholy. Trent is in the field for work (Cougar Gold, which makes me giggle)--and will likely continue through the fall, weather permitting--but at least he's in some interesting country. Central Nevada, a hard lesson in desolation, is full of lovely spots. Our best find so far is Potts Spring, a perfectly manicured cowboy hot spring (106-108ish, a bit warm for daytime...). I'd tell you where it is, but then... . well, you know.

Big Belly Woman

2009-09-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

That's actually a song title - don't sue me for copyright infringement. If Family Guy manages to hang on though--sans lawsuit--I think there's hope for me.

I shot some photos this evening for a maternity series I'm putting together with a coworker's wife. She glows - it really does exist, that motherly glow. And after a giant, nearly infinite blog hiatus, I'm back with just one photo. This is my absolute favorite of the whole shoot. The sunset light was incredible, and I shot a hundred with my regular lens... but once you go TTV, it's hard to go back. Maybe there will be an upswing in interest in poorly-focused, gritty, dusty images someday... I'd be a bi-zzzillionaire..

So I Married a Businessman....

2009-07-22T13:12:00.001-07:00

It's official, Trent is the proud owner of a new consulting business, Couloir Exploration, LLC. Wish us luck in this venture! Trent's first independent consulting job starts tomorrow. And come January, if you hear of anyone else needing to hire an economic geology or volcanology consultant, please send them our way. Cheers!

Don't Cry for Me, Kazakhstan

2009-07-22T12:58:00.001-07:00

Last Friday we had a grand send-off for our visitors from Kazakhstan, who have been with us for the past academic year. It was a fun BBQ, with endless bottles of Spanish wine, a croquet death-match (Trent and my coworker Tom battled for first, while coworkers Todd and Steve spent the entire game trying to trap each other in the low spot in the yard), and good traditional Kazakh dishes.

Here are a few photos from the book we put together for them, as a commemoration of their past year. You can find the rest up on our Flickr site.

I call this one "Sara... with foreigners." From L to R: Spain, Chile, USA, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan.

age cures boredom - - OR - - date night, solo

2009-07-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

While Trent and a buddy watched our local minor league baseball team, the Reno Aces, lose terribly to Sacramento, I took myself on a date. When I was a kid, boredom was my prison. I had a hard time spending time alone, a hard time finding something to amuse myself. Whining and heavy flopping around on the sofa often ensued, and my dad would get irritable... it wasn't a pretty sight.

Nowadays, the thought of spending a night at the bookstore, arms packed with magazines of photography and books about the politics of science, a half-caff coffee, and a warm sweater (it's really not necessary to refrigerate the books , Book Mega-store... it's not milk) is my idea of a perfect, solitary date. In fact, it's been so long since I've just relaxed with some good reading material, I actually fantasize about going to the bookstore. Only improvement? Maybe Trent, to bounce ideas off of - he plays the part of fascinated listener quite well.

Photos tonight - a study in sara, inspired by my recently acquired ability to amuse myself (and my new bangs, which sometimes invoke French indie film heroine, and sometimes bring me back to the awkward and unsightly time of elementary school hair).

How was your night? I hope you've kept yourselves sufficiently entertained.

Invaded by Canadians!

2009-07-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Trent's cousins, Kullen and Shannon, passed through Sacramento on their winding and side-tripping way down to Tucson to stay with family there, and we convinced them to take an extra day to come to Reno.

So much fun! Their four kids - Gordie, Gretchen, Lauren and George - are awesome. Trent set up a slack line in the yard, and they spent hours trying to master walking on it (it didn't go so well, but nobody lost a toe...). Then we BBQed some ribs and feasted on our roof-top deck, hoping to catch a few 4th of July fire works. We waited and waited for the fireworks, staying up waa ay past our bedtimes, but never got to see any... We built dog scratchers out of legos, froze some homemade popsicles, listened to Lauren practice her violin, played in the sprinklers, did a gymnast training workout, and entertained a little vomit episode. An all-around good visit.

Here are some photos of the kids. Tom and Marsha have never met little George, so we took an extra few of him for you..

Sara hearts TTV

2009-07-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

Images like that one [above] appear here often. If you aren't familiar with the method, this is the TTV-style of modern photography. Sure, it's not a well-respected, established method - there's not even a Wikipedia page for TTV - but it's my favorite.

For my birthday this year, Trent built me a more solid, wooden housing for the old camera, complete with circular cutouts for the old Kodak's lenses, and a gaiter to keep light out of the top end. And so the set-up is as such: 1) awkwardly balance Kodak Duaflex III, in it's 2-foot long wood-and-gaiter housing between your knees (or held out at arm's length), 2) focus through the Kodak's old viewfinder with a digital Nikon with brand spanking new macro lens, and 3) shoot something.... hoping that with the magnifying effect of the macro lens on the already limited focal depth of the Kodak... that something is in focus.

That's what I love about this style - the extremely shallow depth of field, no photoshop necessary. The images come out best when shooting crusty old things, or crusty old people. Abandoned mining towns, buildings being reclaimed by grasslands, rusty bedsprings, baby butts... they all give me the sense that I've stumbled into someone else's hazy memory and am taking a quick look around, while trying not to disturb the moment too much.

These are all from Virginia City, NV. Just up the hill from us, it's got a fabulous history. We take all our visitors there...

Little Lily!

2009-06-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

How adorable is this kid? Yes, yes, just one more cutesy blog full of cutesy photos, and then it's back to my usual dark and stormy.

On the way back from Telluride Bluegrass this year, I met up with Beth and Tom in Moab, where we shared a few margaritas, Lily drank a vat of salsa, and we made camp a few miles out of town, towards Canyonlands. The decision NOT to camp down Kane Creek Road - in case you happen to be there in the summertime - was a good one. I am still itching like crazy from the 15 mosquito bites on my ankles from the whopping 30 seconds we spent outside of the car by the Green River scouting camp. Ack!.

These photos are all from the next morning, with Lily out playing in that gorgeous morning-in-the-desert light.

Lovely Tahoe Light

2009-06-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

Looks even lovelier on Erin... despite her best efforts to give me the stink eye while shooting directly in her face...

These are a few from her coworker Robyn's wedding above Crystal Bay a few weeks back. I will try to get some of the bride up here in a little bit.

For photoshop nerds like myself ...[faithful 3 blog readers, you can tune out now...] these were made with some help of Pioneer Woman's free action set. Top photo includes action 'Define and Sharpen' (twice); lower photo is PW's 'B & W' and some boosts of my own design. Subtle background texture in black and white is from Kim Long's free texture set.

Summer days.... [sigh]...

2009-06-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

Love these summer days! We've started harvesting the early veggies from our garden - a few peppers, lots of lettuces (the spinach is bolting, but our recent rainy weeks have afforded us a longer cold growing season), and a few variegated squash.

I've probably got a backlog of 2000 photos from the past few trips - Mojave, California coast, Oregon with the Newkirk family, Arizona in spring, Roswell, Telluride Bluegrass.... on and on. It's slow going. Here's a few from the garden.

More soon, we'll try to keep up better in the next few months.

Learning Curve

2009-06-16T12:23:00.001-07:00

I've become addicted to a few photography blogs in the past few days. Yes, I AM super productive at work this week....

I've learned all sorts of fun new tricks to try, and am amusing myself in the evenings with the edits. Here are a few shots made with new photoshop tricks. I still spend much too long on each photo, and will be experimenting soon with free actions from a number of my favorite photo bloggers. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this Trent-in-triplicate: original is on the left, edits are on the right. The edited versions are quite clearly over-edited, at least the retro looking one on the right, but i still like my photos funky!

NOT 'The Champagne of Blogs.'

2009-06-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Late tonight, after a hearty laugh to myself, I thought about subtitling our blog "The Champagne of Blogs' in honor of that great American pastime... beer drinking.

Sadly for me, that subtitle has already been taken by THIS GUY, and unfortunately, THIS GUY. Wow. Shabby links to your heart's desire.

I settled on something with flagrant disregard to the rules of English grammar. One of these days we'll set us up a real photography blog, and go back to being serious.

Still breathing, humor intact.

2009-05-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

We're still around, and we're reading your blog.... and commenting on how cute your kids are, and how exciting your vacation seemed to be... but we're a little too giddy about the summer weather and fieldwork season to be locked up inside blogging about it.

However, this Trent quote of the day was too good to let pass without sharing... After a slacker day at work (I took off at lunch), and a long afternoon of grazing in the kitchen and lazily sorting through mountains of backlogged bills and papers, I have decided to reward myself with an evening of shopping. This means only one thing - gazing longingly at pretty clothes I think will look good on me, then putting them on, and then realizing they were actually cut to fit supermodels, and taking them off in disgrace. I tried to get Trent to come along, for moral support. He declined. I tried the following argument: "Darling, I see lots of men accompanying their wives shopping, it's not an unmanly task." After a brief moment of consideration, he confidently responded, "Honey, those aren't men." We're still giggling.

2009-04-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

Photo-wise, our Cali coast trip may have been the Kodak Duaflex III's last ride as my favorite (and only) TTV setup. After dropping that poor camera in a hot spring a few months ago (wind blew it in...), it rolled down a flight of stairs in Virginia City the weekend before last (wind blew it down...). This time, the plastic holding in the thick glass lens shattered. It made it through this last weekend held in by bits of painter's tape, but it might be on it's last legs. So sad...

Here are a few from the beach. The bull kelp twisted around itself, stringing from beach out to sea reminds me of umbilical cords. Were I a cheesy poet, I'm sure I'd work something in there.... birth of life, future of mankind, ties to one's mother... blah blah blah... alas, I'll spare you.

Greeny McGreen

2009-04-13T21:21:00.001-07:00

Oh how we relish in our mini-vacations. I left work a little ahead of schedule on Friday and we headed west with a friend from college. Our plans are typical - pick a spot that looks interesting, drive the long way, wander around, have some adventures.... mostly little ones, and take the alternate long route back.

Aaaahhhhhhhhh, the green of the coast. We ended up on the Mendocino coast this time, roaming down from the quaint town of Fort Bragg to the Navarro River valley. We camped at a great spot on a tiny beach in Caspar, took photos of the bull kelp and horsetails, drank beer at North Coast Brewery, drank beer at the Anderson Valley Brewery, drank beer at .... just kidding. We only made it to two.

Happy Birthday DRI!

2009-03-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

Today we are celebrating DRI's official 50th birthday. 50 years of great science and some great experiences. So glad I get to be a part of it!

http://www.rgj.com/article/20090322/NEWS/90321021/1321/news

Three Cheers for Nerds!

2009-03-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

Sophie was my nerdy science model yesterday at work while we put together a nerdy science photoshoot in the greenhouse at DRI. These are options to replace stock art that the DRI 50th Anniversary design team had used in their DRI Present/History/Future display for our upcoming celebrations. This is exciting, as the promotional materials for DRI's 50th feature a good bit of my photographs. And if you purchase a ticket to the Nevada Medal dinner this year, you'll get a free copy of the DRI magazine (Sara Jenkins, official photographer). As perhaps my only paid photography gig ever, I think it's safe to say I'm pretty thrilled. Tee Hee.