Faux Pass

Saturday afternoon I decided to venture down or uptown to take photos of Lake Cities buildings, in the hope of aligning them later with old photos from Florida Memory, overlaying them. Past and present. My first stop was Railroad Street and the crossing and old depot. I ventured up and down, near Alachua Street where the free soup kitchen is for the down and outs. Sure enough, around the corner came a burley white man, late twenties, asking for a cigarette. Then asking what was I taking a picture of? I really needed to answer as he started babbling words unconnected and trying to walk too close to me as I made my way back to the car. He knew he was razzing me for he said hey, where you going? To take more photos! I went on down closer to the lake where less of these types hang out. But, here came a lady asking what was I doing? When I told her she asked if I was in the gallery and when I said who I was, knew me. She even said what was I thinking putting the hat picture in? I said, you never know. She said on Tuesday she was going to bring her drawings to be juried. You never know. That cocky, street bravado street confidence. I wished her well. Who knows, I may of been talking to the homeless descendant of Monet.

I learned that if I was to frequent downtown, to carry some cigarettes or tokens, to keep near the car and to watch my back. Or wear a meter reading outfit!

Land of Scape

There I was on social media again as too often has been my habit lately since 2009 and the discovery of Facebook. Prints I had taken thirty years ago and never seen by any could be viewed by all. Well, by those on your wall and even not most of them, but still. And so I scanned and shared. It was grand. 

And then I found Smug Mug and Fine Art America and any number of other sites where they( for a fee) would print and frame and send the photos for you, leaving me to shoot. And so I did. And in came rolling...not exactly. One-two annually? 

And then I joined the local gallery and for again a nominal fee, they would hang your work for all to see. And so again I was on my way. Not exactly again.

And so I saw where a particular person made several million from one print down in a canyon and another just purchase himself another Pentax 645Z for over 8 grand, and i again realized, I am doing something wrong.

I am chasing dreams with iPhones and little point and shoots, the DSLR I seldom even use. And when I go to enlarge that small sensor shot, well, 8x10 is about the limit. 

So what good is all this running about? Capturing everything happening within a twenty mile radius? 

The need to capture, where does that drive come from? To just shoot and not market? It sure makes for a poor man who cannot afford an 8k Pentax.

January midst

The 5th we thought of Nathaniel, who turned four, whom we haven't seen or heard from in nearly two years. On the 8th Melanie and I had our 27th wedding anniversary. Landon our son, Nathaniel born 7 months later. On the 13th Melanie had her 52nd birthday. Last evening Jordon and I drove down to Williston to take her out for dinner at the Outback. This 25th we celebrate Jordons 22nd. Then the 39th, my 60th.

I am not accepting the speed of life!

The Preoccupied God

Going onward two years of silence from my grand son and son and wife. I recall the nights sitting out under the moon and stars praying. The last moon night I sat maybe ten minutes, not hours as before. I really didn't even pray. All the things I have been asking, no doubt, asking amiss. And we gather on Sunday and I try and show thanks, wonder how others can praise such a wonderful one, when all I've seen is fire and smoke.

I even wonder if He has not moved on with me, with us. We are not doing something pleasing.