de-filed orchid

orchid found

buried deep within one of too many

to-be-filed folders

long dead, held in limbo there

grey cold day and cs5.1 has pumped new sap and made real

this flower

but photos are not real

pixels pushed to subjective taste

the surface a lie

A Snyder/Watts/Kerouac espresso

iphoned espresso in Heath

Both Edith Heath and I left Marin County in 2005.. I to England and Edith to greener pastures.. (hard to get much greener than Tiburon unless you are talking about heaven) I have been a fan of Heath Ceramics for many years and remember her always about in the Sausalito facility.

I had some of their ceramics as part of my prop collection which I left in SF and had them make up wall tiles for a remodel I did but have been Heathless since. Fast forward to yesterday when I unwrapped some Heath cups via Ebay.. it was with great pleasure to have my first espresso this morning from this "sea+sand" cup..bringing a bit of Tamalpais Zen to my intense cafe.

Post-war Marin was a hot-bed of creativity, spanning many mediums...just holding this cup gives me a small glimpse into that mid-century modern life which flourished there and all the ones who walked the talk. So, before it is totally cold, I sip to Edith & Friends, thanks.

Taste of Africa

Wandering off and exploring the area outside the safety of the Pondoro Safari Lodge I came across this mud wall. How simple the design of this huts, they blend perfectly into the surrounding Zimbabwe terrain, we back in so-called civilization strive to create environmental art.. here their architecture and all they create is sacred art. The sinking sun has enough heat left to warm the wall both in hue and in temperature, its light skims across revealing the subtle variation which only the human hand can produce, everything is in balance.

Tomorrow I will join Mr. Selous and T.R. out in the bush to chase down a few Kudu. Teddy wants some mounts for the Institute but I am looking forward to a grilled fillet with roasted local veggies..I can almost taste it now....

..oh...I just posted these two shots from the Bronx zoo I shot earlier this month and I was looking out the window, watching the snow build up outside thinking about warmer climates..I must have dozed off...

many moons

dusk in the Bronx with the moon just shy of full rising above the Bronx river..october weather in the January.

The next night was my 667th full moon... I wonder how many I have really seen?

Time is motion, like the steam, it never stops unless we freeze it with a camera.

Righteous!!

Righteous Ale from Sixpoint brewery, Brooklyn.. from the tap @ the Oyster Bar, Grand Central Station after viewing the Stieglitz show at the Met with like-minded ex roo, Mr.Kiley.. bwtn christmas and new years... Yes that was a mouthful but I can not pause about all of these things.. starting with the ale.. I really like this rye-based ale.. No, not Rye.. but rye as in the grain..and it seems that who ever is bright enough to serve Sixpoint's brew I also like their establishments.. like the dim and well worn Oyster Bar. very well worn and very dim.. I was lucky to hold still for the long exposure here..I lost track of how long after the shutter did not closing after 1/2 second.

The Met show was exhausting.. to fit into a couple hours of viewing this crammed-packed selection of all things Stieglitz, the Art and Artists he promoted was a bit much...and yet they edited so much too.

So why post today? I happened to listen to a story retold today by Navy Seal Chris Kyle about how Jesse Ventura was speaking disrespectful to a group of Seals having a wake for a fallen soldier.. after being asked to refrain due to family members that were present, Ventura did not, he got clocked and went down. One can not escape the laws of nature, in this case, cause and effect..not even former Navy-UDT & Gov., Jesse "the body" Ventura.

Bars...some are like the old west, where our unwritten laws prevail and if you step out of line, someone can and will put you back on the straight and narrow..before the officers of the written law arrive. .. a somewhat Righteous experience.

The ale is just that too.. pure and simple.. robust and clear..straight and narrow. Not for the fence-sitters or sippers, boasters or bullies..dieters or debutantes..just ale drinkers.

Ritz!!

I am working on some food paring ideas for my beloved Ritz crackers for a photo series.. what started this all off was a smear of Neal's yard Stilton and a dollop of fig jam. I think I could live on Ritz and 3 good cheeses...at least for a while. Yes I have had every cracker/biscuit made and yes I know the food content in each one.. but when you want some basic comfort snacking...give me a Ritz, topped with something exotic or just as they come.

Have yourself a Jelly Jelly Donut..

I have no idea what they put into the center of this "Jelly donut" but I am sure it contains red dye no.X. I think this same color was used in the post work on "Centurion" a very brutal UK film I watched, they spent a lot of time showing the effectiveness of the roman short sword and the Pict's axes...I did not know we bled cherry. I am trying to determine what is real and if it matters or not.. the whole idea of a Jelly Donut is not about wholesome real food..yet that is the look I was going for..the non-sterile reality of the cutting board. If you cut into a gooey jelly donut it changes, it is not a perfect thing or pristine. It's messy and you'll have some stickiness on your fingers to lick off. But there is something basic, and satisfying about this unhealthy processed food. To allow its enjoyment you are accepting your own imperfect messy world, so have a jelly donut, embrace imperfection.