Good Evening, my Beautiful, Artistic and Sweet Baby,
I am home, and I am looking at weather.com because your friend reported tornadoes. It says thunderstorms for you guys tonight. 100% chance rain. My goodness. That is some weird weather! Now I am gonna check out your ten-day forecast......okay, it's looking pretty good for 4th of July : 77 degrees, partly cloudy with only a 10% chance of rain. After that weekend it gets a little sketchy again, with some isolated t-storms projected, but it doesn't look as bad as this past week. And your 4th weekend should be good.
You deserve sunny days of nice weather. :)
I liked your tattoo this morn, and I especially like the idea of the henna tattoo, because not only do you not have to do anything permanent, but you can keep doing different ones - if and when you want to, at your discretion - and in that way, you are your very own ever evolving canvas. You are part of your art.
We went to the basketball park this morn, and had fun, but boy am I a terrible shot these days, haha. But I am glad I started our park routine, it has livened things up for Pearl, and the Kobester loves it. He starts barking every morning when he knows it's park time.
Then I came home and watched a movie. Redbox sent me a freebie code, so I used it to get "Devil's Knot", about the West Memphis 3 case. I had read the book about ten years ago, and as you know I have followed that case since the beginning. The movie was very good, not quite as revealing as the "Paradise Lost" documentaries or "West Of Memphis", but still quite engaging, for lack of a better word. It's also very grim subject matter, and so not for the squeamish.......
Then this afternoon I finally finished "Transhumanism". Man, you don't so much read some of these books as absorb them by osmosis. The language is professorial and it is assumed that the reader is versed in esoteric subjects like Hermeticism and Masonic Rites and very obscurely written philosophical criticism.
So, being a layman, you have to slog your way through some passages, but then..........when you get to the end..........because it's a Joe Book.........it all sinks in, and you feel like your mind has been expanded by several acres. His books are all mindblowers, this one is right up there at the top.
So, tonight I will take a mental break, do a little Amazon surfing, see what's happening and then go for my walk. I hope you are having a nice evening. I Love You and will be back at the usual time!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo XOXOXOXOXOXO xoxoxoxoxxoxoXOXOxoxoxoxoxXO :):)
^^^^^
(giant-sized ones)
11:45pm : I saw the all the conversations this morning, on FB, about the whole Hobby Lobby thing, but I wasn't aware of that case so I didn't know what it was all about. All I know, in the long run, is that people are better off controlling as much of their own destiny as they can manage. Expecting the Supreme Court to make a ruling in anyone's favor (conservative or liberal) is ultimately a losing proposition, especially nowdays, because it puts the citizen at the mercy of the system, and right now that system is more powerful than ever before, and they've got everybody divided up on two sides, and those sides seem to be tending to extremes. It's not a good situation - a similar situation of "us vs. them" led to the Civil War - and a way out, or at least a partial way out, is to simply not participate, or to participate as little as possible, in the daily "us vs. them" battles that the media so loves to perpetuate.
It's funny because in the past, the only Supreme Court decisions that made news were ones like Brown vs. Board of Education or Roe vs Wade. But now, because everybody seems to be on one "team" or another, every decision becomes a political war.
The thing is, it's just a store. It's like a Chic-Fil-A, run by conservative Christians, and some of these franchises that likely started in the Bible Belt have done well enough to open up in more liberal states.
So all people have to do is not shop there, and don't apply for a job there. It's pretty simple.
What gets me, when I see all the hubub about these issues, is that people - on the left or right - always assume the sky is falling. The right think Obama is a communist and the left think the conservative Christians control the government and that, pretty soon, they will have to answer to the Church for every thing they do.
But if you take a step back, and look at the big picture of history, what you see is that America is all about (at least since the late 19th century) progress related to development and the dollar.
Development meaning anything that gives the elite more control.
But the type of control they really want is not some Hitlerian fascistic police state, where the cops are in your bedroom and the government is controlling your health.
No, the control they want is the same as what they have always wanted, and that goes for either political party, or even the Libertarians or Tea Party or anyone who wants to play that game. It is to control the flow of people's lives, keep 'em on the 24/7 cycle, keep 'em corporatized, in their thinking as well as their buying habits, entertainment habits, what they talk about at the water cooler, etc.
It's all about herding people into a Groupthink mentality, and then, in this case in America, splitting them into two sides so that they are especially focused on the system, and their side of the battle - their stake in it, their "team", and who is going to "win". So, when a simple contraceptives case is decided, it becomes a big deal to people. And nobody ever wins because America just goes along, doing it business. And it will continue to go along like it is going, as long as people keep participating in the American Groupthink mentality,
And all the same people, all across America don't realize just how much freedom they actually do have, and that freedom lies in the opportunities they have, everywhere and everyday, not to participate.
Don't shop at a certain store, don't apply for a job at a certain place. Allow the people on either side to live their lives, and don't waste energy on a constant battle with them.
It was like the whole Duck Dynasty thing. Yes, that guy was a Yahoo. But then it wasn't black and white. He was articulate enough to state his position. Where he comes from, a whole lot of people agree with him. But then, corporate America (in this case a TV station and various marketers) see an opportunity to make a quick fortune, because not only are a lot of people behind the guy, but there are also a lot of people who spend energy on hating him, even though they've never heard of him.
That energy is wasted, because where he comes from, people have been shooting ducks for hundreds of years, and they're gonna keep doing it. Backwoodsers are a part of life in America. It's just that Corporate America only recently realised, when Wal-Mart became gigantic, that there was huge money to be made off of pitting that part of lesser-educated (whatever that means), blue-collar, lower-middle class rural America against the more "developed" part, i.e. Blue State suburbia and major cities.
Anyway, it is my hope that people in this country will stop turning to the media in order to see what they are supposed to pay attention to each day. I don't mean to stop watching all news, but just to stop taking sides in the everyday battles the media promotes in order to keep the "dialogue of division" going.
People have so much freedom in this country, and one of the most important freedoms is the right not to do something. Whatever that something may be, you don't have to do it. And in that way, you are out of the fight, a media and corporate created fight, and you are then free to live your life as a human being.
That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Monday, June 30, 2014
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Ruler! (I'm back) (Love)
Happy Sunday afternoon, my Darling. I'm at home, doing some dishes and staying out of the heat. It's officially Summer now! I took the Kobester to CSUN this morn, did a little more shopping. Grimsley called and said that Ticket To Ride are gonna be playing for free tonight at Warner Center Park. You remember them, the Beatles tribute band. I've seen 'em a bunch of times and they play Warner Center every Summer, but usually in August or September. This is the first time they've played so early in the season and I didn't know about it until Grim told me. So, I am gonna head over after I leave Pearl's at 6:30. The concert starts at 6pm, and it'll be 7 by the time I get there and get parked, etc. So I'll only get to see the last hour, but they are always good, and you can't go wrong with live Beatles music, especially for free.
It should end at 8pm, which means I'll be home about 8:30 - 8:45pm. Then the evening will proceed as usual. I hope you are having a nice day. Starting Tuesday I wanna do some more trails, so I'll be on the lookout for new ones, if there are any left that are not too rugged. Trails and/or scenic drives, too, if I can find some that I can do during my 2-3 hours breaks on the days when Pearl is at Church or Club. It will be a fun week anyway, with the 4th coming up on Friday.
I'll be around either here or at Pearl's until 6:30, then back home about 8:30ish.
I Love You, and also.........You Rule! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
8:50pm : Hi, Sweet Baby, I'm back. It was a lot of fun, though brief. Tons of people there, probably 7-10k. I had to park a half mile away. Grimsley never showed, but his loss cause the band was great as always. Warner Center is about 9 miles from Northridge, but there was no traffic coming back, so I made it in about 20 minutes. A nice vibe for a Sunday Summer night. So, I'm gonna take my shoes off for a little while cause I've been on my feet all evening, and then I'll put 'em back on later to finish my walk.
I Love You and I'll be back later at the usual time. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : I'm listening to the Elliott Carter music I just posted. He was known for being way far out there in terms of Modernism and atonal or serial composing. This is actually the first time I've ever consciously sat and listened to an entire piece of his. He kinda makes Schoenberg sound conventional, lol. I actually love the Schoenberg album on Deutche Grammophone called "Das Klavierwerk". It's as atonal as it gets, but not so herky-jerky as this Carter piece. This one does have it's moments, though, and the funny thing is, you actually have to know how it goes to play it, lol.
I know many folks would dismiss this type of piece within 30 seconds from the beginning - my Dad certainly would have, and he is the reason I got into classical music - but I give it a chance, just because I am always in search of new piano repertoire. Well, now it has finished, and I was not overly impressed. Not as bad as Iannis Xanakis, but he's no Schoenberg, either. That type of atonality - that actually makes you feel something - is difficult to pull off.
Tonight turned into The Mercury Hour as Mom would've called it. I think I've mentioned The Mercury Hour before, "Mercury" as in communication. It's funny because nine times out of ten, I post something on FB and nobody responds. But once in a while there is a Mercury Hour phenomenon and tonight was one of those nights. My friend Mike used to play violin as a child, and I think I already mentioned, too, that I've known him since 1970 but haven't seen him since 1989, and also that I got him into MGM (at the lab) three months after I began working there, and so began his career in the film biz. Anyway, Mike used to play violin for many years, and he got quite good. Prior to him becoming my FB friend a couple months ago, I had not spoken to him since 1989, 25 years. Hence, The Mercury Hour.
At any rate, my girl, my favorite is Mercury Hour with you, or even Mercury Day, Week, etc, etc. I just feel really happy right now, and I like the way things are flowing at the moment. Did you go to the outdoor concert tonight, the one from your friend Paul's post? Very cool that his band's song got picked up. I know you did their recent pics, good ones as always.
That's all I know for tonight, my Angel. I will see you in the morn and we will have a fun week.
I Love You and wish you Sweet Dreams. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
It should end at 8pm, which means I'll be home about 8:30 - 8:45pm. Then the evening will proceed as usual. I hope you are having a nice day. Starting Tuesday I wanna do some more trails, so I'll be on the lookout for new ones, if there are any left that are not too rugged. Trails and/or scenic drives, too, if I can find some that I can do during my 2-3 hours breaks on the days when Pearl is at Church or Club. It will be a fun week anyway, with the 4th coming up on Friday.
I'll be around either here or at Pearl's until 6:30, then back home about 8:30ish.
I Love You, and also.........You Rule! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
8:50pm : Hi, Sweet Baby, I'm back. It was a lot of fun, though brief. Tons of people there, probably 7-10k. I had to park a half mile away. Grimsley never showed, but his loss cause the band was great as always. Warner Center is about 9 miles from Northridge, but there was no traffic coming back, so I made it in about 20 minutes. A nice vibe for a Sunday Summer night. So, I'm gonna take my shoes off for a little while cause I've been on my feet all evening, and then I'll put 'em back on later to finish my walk.
I Love You and I'll be back later at the usual time. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : I'm listening to the Elliott Carter music I just posted. He was known for being way far out there in terms of Modernism and atonal or serial composing. This is actually the first time I've ever consciously sat and listened to an entire piece of his. He kinda makes Schoenberg sound conventional, lol. I actually love the Schoenberg album on Deutche Grammophone called "Das Klavierwerk". It's as atonal as it gets, but not so herky-jerky as this Carter piece. This one does have it's moments, though, and the funny thing is, you actually have to know how it goes to play it, lol.
I know many folks would dismiss this type of piece within 30 seconds from the beginning - my Dad certainly would have, and he is the reason I got into classical music - but I give it a chance, just because I am always in search of new piano repertoire. Well, now it has finished, and I was not overly impressed. Not as bad as Iannis Xanakis, but he's no Schoenberg, either. That type of atonality - that actually makes you feel something - is difficult to pull off.
Tonight turned into The Mercury Hour as Mom would've called it. I think I've mentioned The Mercury Hour before, "Mercury" as in communication. It's funny because nine times out of ten, I post something on FB and nobody responds. But once in a while there is a Mercury Hour phenomenon and tonight was one of those nights. My friend Mike used to play violin as a child, and I think I already mentioned, too, that I've known him since 1970 but haven't seen him since 1989, and also that I got him into MGM (at the lab) three months after I began working there, and so began his career in the film biz. Anyway, Mike used to play violin for many years, and he got quite good. Prior to him becoming my FB friend a couple months ago, I had not spoken to him since 1989, 25 years. Hence, The Mercury Hour.
At any rate, my girl, my favorite is Mercury Hour with you, or even Mercury Day, Week, etc, etc. I just feel really happy right now, and I like the way things are flowing at the moment. Did you go to the outdoor concert tonight, the one from your friend Paul's post? Very cool that his band's song got picked up. I know you did their recent pics, good ones as always.
That's all I know for tonight, my Angel. I will see you in the morn and we will have a fun week.
I Love You and wish you Sweet Dreams. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Stormy Weather? (Self Portraits)
Good Evening, my Darling,
I saw your friend's picture while I was at Pearl's and figured it was either the Madison or Chicago skyline, and then Pearl had CNN on, and they were talking about very heavy rainfall in Minnesota, flooding in Minneapolis. I know you're some distance away, but since the sky looks dark in her photo, I hope you aren't in the middle of a storm, too.
Listen here, clouds! It's Summer. Go rain on somebody else! (like maybe us here in California.......but wait til next January if you can........or on second thought, just forget it. We don't want any rain. But leave those Wisconsonites alone!)
There! I sure told 'em. :)
It'll be drying up any minute now, skies clearing just in time for a nice Fourth of July week.
'Twas a typical Saturday here in The 'Ridge. We took Kobi to Lake Balboa this morn, then I went shopping, sans Vickie. Now Ono is coming over at 7:30 to take his doggie for a CSUN walk, so that'll count for half my mileage. I hope your day was good.
I'll be back later at the usual time. I sure do love you, beautiful lady. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : I just finished the rest of my walk, and now I am listening to the Massenet piano music. It's nice in places, although in other places it comes perilously close to the dreaded Piano Banging.
Ono and I had a nice dogwalk, and it was just like last week because we were once again joined by Dave F., who called as we were beginning the walk.
You know, I have remarked on your talent for photographing people, but within that talent is a sub-talent for photographing yourself! Elizabeth, you have now compiled several excellent self-portraits (never to be called selfies for you!). No, for you they are very creative and individualistic self-portraits. You have the one from last year that is still your Flickr avatar, side view with your hair in motion. That is a majestic image. Then you have the studio-lit and styled "braids and ear cuffs" look from early this year, a portrait shot. And now you have the Lace Look, super creative and mysterious; a veiled look.
I know you have others, but I mention these three because they are all individual looks with different techniques, and each conveys not only a different aspect of photographic creativity, but also an entirely different look.
Those are three exceptional shots.
Make sure to make prints of all three, if you haven't already.
I Love You and wish you Sweet Dreams, my Baby. I will see you in the morning.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I saw your friend's picture while I was at Pearl's and figured it was either the Madison or Chicago skyline, and then Pearl had CNN on, and they were talking about very heavy rainfall in Minnesota, flooding in Minneapolis. I know you're some distance away, but since the sky looks dark in her photo, I hope you aren't in the middle of a storm, too.
Listen here, clouds! It's Summer. Go rain on somebody else! (like maybe us here in California.......but wait til next January if you can........or on second thought, just forget it. We don't want any rain. But leave those Wisconsonites alone!)
There! I sure told 'em. :)
It'll be drying up any minute now, skies clearing just in time for a nice Fourth of July week.
'Twas a typical Saturday here in The 'Ridge. We took Kobi to Lake Balboa this morn, then I went shopping, sans Vickie. Now Ono is coming over at 7:30 to take his doggie for a CSUN walk, so that'll count for half my mileage. I hope your day was good.
I'll be back later at the usual time. I sure do love you, beautiful lady. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : I just finished the rest of my walk, and now I am listening to the Massenet piano music. It's nice in places, although in other places it comes perilously close to the dreaded Piano Banging.
Ono and I had a nice dogwalk, and it was just like last week because we were once again joined by Dave F., who called as we were beginning the walk.
You know, I have remarked on your talent for photographing people, but within that talent is a sub-talent for photographing yourself! Elizabeth, you have now compiled several excellent self-portraits (never to be called selfies for you!). No, for you they are very creative and individualistic self-portraits. You have the one from last year that is still your Flickr avatar, side view with your hair in motion. That is a majestic image. Then you have the studio-lit and styled "braids and ear cuffs" look from early this year, a portrait shot. And now you have the Lace Look, super creative and mysterious; a veiled look.
I know you have others, but I mention these three because they are all individual looks with different techniques, and each conveys not only a different aspect of photographic creativity, but also an entirely different look.
Those are three exceptional shots.
Make sure to make prints of all three, if you haven't already.
I Love You and wish you Sweet Dreams, my Baby. I will see you in the morning.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Friday, June 27, 2014
Fantastic Shot! + Triple Love!!! (Noir Star) (acknowledgement)
Wow, Elizabeth! That is a great picture. I love the patterns of light and shade, and the way your eyes stand out through them. Your earring is also highlighted to the side. Very dramatic. and you look stunning as always. I am still at Pearl's, and I just walked in the door and saw that, so "Wow"! again. Really great work.
We took Kobi to see the doggie cardiologist and he got a good report. Afterward, we took him to The Shady Park for a reward and we just now got back.
And I am happy to see your excellent and very artistic self-portrait just now. I am gonna head home in a moment, and then I'll mostly be around there until 4:15. And then I'll be back at Pearl's.
I Triple Love You!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
7:20pm : Hi, my Darling, I am home. I wanted to say again that your photo today was really well done. It's very film noir, and you have the perfect expression on your face for mystery. A star is born!
Well, I have gotta do my whole walk tonight, so I will do part of it at 8pm and then the rest later on. I watched a movie this afternoon, "Mud", which was a minor classic in a "Stand By Me" kind of way. I'd heard some good things about it, but it was even better than I expected.
Now I am gonna see if I can finish my book ("Transhumanism") before and in between walks. I hope you are having a great Friday evening. I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back in a bit)
11:45pm : Listening to Faure, one of my favorites. At this time of night, this music and the sound of the piano are so conducive to contemplation. The tones both relax and stimulate your brain, and the rhythmic flow takes you away. So you can contemplate, and there doesn't even have to be a subject. It's just a state of contemplation, i.e. allowing thoughts & messages to come into your brain, rather than focusing on them, although you can do that too. It's just that something in this music and in this instrument - I don't want to identify it and I know I harp on it - is extremely conducive to abstract thinking or letting your mind wander, and that leads to daytime creative thinking, which leads to creating your own reality, which is what we do.
It's all about defining what your life is to you . Without being anti-social or off-putting to people, of course. One must live "in the world". But as Christ said, one must also not be "of the world". And as humans, and artists, we can kind of straddle the whole thing. We can wake up in the morning, and the first - the very first - thing we recognise, every day, is our connection to Something Special, "special" being the key word. There is no lessening nor underestimating just how Special that Something is, and there is certainly no underestimating our connection to it.
We wake up in the morning, and just that act alone is awesome, even if we are tired. We notice the new day, even if the days sometimes seem like a continuum - and we notice that element of physical reality also - but what we really notice , each and every day we awaken, is our immediate connection to the Special Something. And at that moment, as we begin our day, we are locked in .
We may not cease to notice the ordinary goings on of life, for we are always "in the world", as we must be. And there is much to be learned, and experienced, and pleasure and camaraderie to be found in the day to day goings on of the world. And we draw strength and reserve from those things as well.
But where we truly dwell is not "of the world", and it is this Outer Region from which we are drawing much of our contemplation, which leads to the best of our creativity.
By locking it in every morning, upon awakening, we can ensure that we are never distracted from our actual presence in this region. We lock in that connection by acknowledgement.
Let it know that you know it. It will never leave you, and you will live inside it always.
:):)
We took Kobi to see the doggie cardiologist and he got a good report. Afterward, we took him to The Shady Park for a reward and we just now got back.
And I am happy to see your excellent and very artistic self-portrait just now. I am gonna head home in a moment, and then I'll mostly be around there until 4:15. And then I'll be back at Pearl's.
I Triple Love You!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
7:20pm : Hi, my Darling, I am home. I wanted to say again that your photo today was really well done. It's very film noir, and you have the perfect expression on your face for mystery. A star is born!
Well, I have gotta do my whole walk tonight, so I will do part of it at 8pm and then the rest later on. I watched a movie this afternoon, "Mud", which was a minor classic in a "Stand By Me" kind of way. I'd heard some good things about it, but it was even better than I expected.
Now I am gonna see if I can finish my book ("Transhumanism") before and in between walks. I hope you are having a great Friday evening. I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back in a bit)
11:45pm : Listening to Faure, one of my favorites. At this time of night, this music and the sound of the piano are so conducive to contemplation. The tones both relax and stimulate your brain, and the rhythmic flow takes you away. So you can contemplate, and there doesn't even have to be a subject. It's just a state of contemplation, i.e. allowing thoughts & messages to come into your brain, rather than focusing on them, although you can do that too. It's just that something in this music and in this instrument - I don't want to identify it and I know I harp on it - is extremely conducive to abstract thinking or letting your mind wander, and that leads to daytime creative thinking, which leads to creating your own reality, which is what we do.
It's all about defining what your life is to you . Without being anti-social or off-putting to people, of course. One must live "in the world". But as Christ said, one must also not be "of the world". And as humans, and artists, we can kind of straddle the whole thing. We can wake up in the morning, and the first - the very first - thing we recognise, every day, is our connection to Something Special, "special" being the key word. There is no lessening nor underestimating just how Special that Something is, and there is certainly no underestimating our connection to it.
We wake up in the morning, and just that act alone is awesome, even if we are tired. We notice the new day, even if the days sometimes seem like a continuum - and we notice that element of physical reality also - but what we really notice , each and every day we awaken, is our immediate connection to the Special Something. And at that moment, as we begin our day, we are locked in .
We may not cease to notice the ordinary goings on of life, for we are always "in the world", as we must be. And there is much to be learned, and experienced, and pleasure and camaraderie to be found in the day to day goings on of the world. And we draw strength and reserve from those things as well.
But where we truly dwell is not "of the world", and it is this Outer Region from which we are drawing much of our contemplation, which leads to the best of our creativity.
By locking it in every morning, upon awakening, we can ensure that we are never distracted from our actual presence in this region. We lock in that connection by acknowledgement.
Let it know that you know it. It will never leave you, and you will live inside it always.
:):)
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Perfect Timing :):) (The Essence of Summer)
Sweet Baby! How's that for perfect timing? :):) You posted the Eric Whitacre/Calvin & Hobbes just as I was posting The Archies video. Two hearts beat as one! I am just getting back from my walk, so I'll be back in just a couple minutes, but I wanna post this now because of the perfect timing.
I Love, Love, Love You!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : Another quiet day, just taking Pearl to the hair salon as usual on Thursday. I walked around the area while she was there - it's located in classic Reseda - and I looked for good pictures, but it's one of those things where I have to connect with whatever I am photographing. It's a psychic thing, and it doesn't matter if it's a stone wall at the back of a parking lot. Of course, everything I photograph in Reseda will have special meaning to me - even if it's a stone wall - but the important point is that I must photograph it with the intent to convey that meaning. Without that intent, it's just a stone wall. So, today I'm on foot while Pearl is getting her hair done, but the timing was all wrong. Too many cars going by, too much foot traffic. I work best in empty spaces (maybe you've noticed, lol) and when there are too many people around I get self conscious about what I am trying to do, which is to connect with the vibe of a very specific space or area which has meaning to me.
So I will go back on a Sunday morn, or a similar time when no one is around. That's when I do my best photography.
Other than that, just a usual day. I hope you had a great day, and I was thinking of something just a little while ago, after you posted the Whitacre/Calvin cartoon, and that is that I want you to really, really have a wonderful Summer in the everyday sense, and to contemplate it and notice it in small ways, just a little bit every day. You had to deal with a harsh Winter, so now I want you to really be aware of the many small beauties of each Summer day. I am trying to do that myself, just so I never take the days for granted because they can tend to pass by quickly if you don't pay attention to them.
It's neat to kind of blend the time together, to think about yesterday's hike (or actually Tuesday's) and also to think about what you are doing at the moment, even if you are just reading or about to take a nap. And then, almost at the same time, to think about (or wonder about) what you are gonna do later in the day or evening.
To let all the time run together and blend, and to make sure to notice, appreciate, and celebrate the specialness of the Summer feeling. The essence of that feeling really is sitting in a tree with your best friend (or Sweet Baby!) ala Calvin and Hobbes. That's the essence of Summer. But it's also walking around, looking for stone walls with special meaning, and gathering the intent within yourself to capture that meaning.........on a humid June afternoon.
And then having an ice cream cone when you're done.
So make sure to enjoy each and every day this Summer, my Darling, and notice all the moments. :)
"These are days to remember", as the song says.
I Love You and will see you in the morn. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I Love, Love, Love You!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : Another quiet day, just taking Pearl to the hair salon as usual on Thursday. I walked around the area while she was there - it's located in classic Reseda - and I looked for good pictures, but it's one of those things where I have to connect with whatever I am photographing. It's a psychic thing, and it doesn't matter if it's a stone wall at the back of a parking lot. Of course, everything I photograph in Reseda will have special meaning to me - even if it's a stone wall - but the important point is that I must photograph it with the intent to convey that meaning. Without that intent, it's just a stone wall. So, today I'm on foot while Pearl is getting her hair done, but the timing was all wrong. Too many cars going by, too much foot traffic. I work best in empty spaces (maybe you've noticed, lol) and when there are too many people around I get self conscious about what I am trying to do, which is to connect with the vibe of a very specific space or area which has meaning to me.
So I will go back on a Sunday morn, or a similar time when no one is around. That's when I do my best photography.
Other than that, just a usual day. I hope you had a great day, and I was thinking of something just a little while ago, after you posted the Whitacre/Calvin cartoon, and that is that I want you to really, really have a wonderful Summer in the everyday sense, and to contemplate it and notice it in small ways, just a little bit every day. You had to deal with a harsh Winter, so now I want you to really be aware of the many small beauties of each Summer day. I am trying to do that myself, just so I never take the days for granted because they can tend to pass by quickly if you don't pay attention to them.
It's neat to kind of blend the time together, to think about yesterday's hike (or actually Tuesday's) and also to think about what you are doing at the moment, even if you are just reading or about to take a nap. And then, almost at the same time, to think about (or wonder about) what you are gonna do later in the day or evening.
To let all the time run together and blend, and to make sure to notice, appreciate, and celebrate the specialness of the Summer feeling. The essence of that feeling really is sitting in a tree with your best friend (or Sweet Baby!) ala Calvin and Hobbes. That's the essence of Summer. But it's also walking around, looking for stone walls with special meaning, and gathering the intent within yourself to capture that meaning.........on a humid June afternoon.
And then having an ice cream cone when you're done.
So make sure to enjoy each and every day this Summer, my Darling, and notice all the moments. :)
"These are days to remember", as the song says.
I Love You and will see you in the morn. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Frankenstein Kick (quiet day)
Good Evening, my Baby,
I'm just getting home. Today I just stayed home in between Pearl shifts, nothing special except I did watch an excellent flick from Hammer Horror " The Revenge Of Frankenstein" from 1958, with the great Peter Cushing. I love all the Hammer Studios films and I am on a little bit of a Frankenstein kick this week because I am reading about the book in Joe Farrell's "Transhumanism". I have never read "Frankenstein", but apparently the most famous film version, with Boris Karloff, bears little resemblance to the intent of Shelly the author. In reality, according to Dr. Farrell and his co-author Dr. Scott deHart, the story has an alchemical subtext about the creation, without God's help, of the "perfect man", and thereby paving the way for the "perfect society" and Unity of Man, and eventually a reascension of Mankind up the Ladder to Heaven, from which the Fall of Man occurred.
It's all very heavy stuff, lol. These guys have Oxford educations with doctorates in Theology, but they also know a lot about esoteric traditions like Hermeticism and alchemy, ancient religions and sciences, and tons and tons of other subjects. So I am getting my own education as I read. :)
But, alchemical subtext or no alchemical subtext, I love me a good old Mad Scientist Monster Movie, and this one fit the bill in all respects. So I had a pleasant afternoon. I will do half my walk at 8pm and then the rest later on. I hope you had a nice day.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
(back in a bit)
Midnight : It seems like a quiet day all in all, but a good one nevertheless. Tomorrow is a hair salon day for Pearl, so no trail hopping, but maybe I will try for a Reseda picture or two. Hope your day was good.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I'm just getting home. Today I just stayed home in between Pearl shifts, nothing special except I did watch an excellent flick from Hammer Horror " The Revenge Of Frankenstein" from 1958, with the great Peter Cushing. I love all the Hammer Studios films and I am on a little bit of a Frankenstein kick this week because I am reading about the book in Joe Farrell's "Transhumanism". I have never read "Frankenstein", but apparently the most famous film version, with Boris Karloff, bears little resemblance to the intent of Shelly the author. In reality, according to Dr. Farrell and his co-author Dr. Scott deHart, the story has an alchemical subtext about the creation, without God's help, of the "perfect man", and thereby paving the way for the "perfect society" and Unity of Man, and eventually a reascension of Mankind up the Ladder to Heaven, from which the Fall of Man occurred.
It's all very heavy stuff, lol. These guys have Oxford educations with doctorates in Theology, but they also know a lot about esoteric traditions like Hermeticism and alchemy, ancient religions and sciences, and tons and tons of other subjects. So I am getting my own education as I read. :)
But, alchemical subtext or no alchemical subtext, I love me a good old Mad Scientist Monster Movie, and this one fit the bill in all respects. So I had a pleasant afternoon. I will do half my walk at 8pm and then the rest later on. I hope you had a nice day.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
(back in a bit)
Midnight : It seems like a quiet day all in all, but a good one nevertheless. Tomorrow is a hair salon day for Pearl, so no trail hopping, but maybe I will try for a Reseda picture or two. Hope your day was good.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
I Love You :):) (KC in Madison)
Hi, my Beautiful Girl,
That was an absolutely wonderful thing to post, Elizabeth. It was so loving of you, and so true also, not just for the couple from Boston but for us as well. Each day has been memorable for us, and that's why I say something like "thinking about cover songs takes me way back" - even though it was only two years ago, it feels longer because so much has happened and so many memories have been created by each of us. A relationship becomes a story, and that is why they call it a Love Story. :):)
It is wonderful for me to love you, and to share all the things we do. We share so many ideas and so much creativity, and we also share inspiration, and optimism and kindness. I find that those three things renew each other, and give every day a sense of promise .
You really made my day with that post, my Darling, and I thank you and I Love You.
My hike in Limekiln Canyon was a lot of fun. The Limekiln trail is off the same boulevard as Aliso Canyon, but about 2 miles west. Limekiln is more rustic; dustier, more cobwebs, broken trees and a mossy creek. Not as magical as Aliso but still awesome. On the way back I stopped at Best Buy to get the new Mastodon for $9.99. After one listen it sounds awesome.
The hike counted for half my walk (and all that creeping tiredness seems to have vanished for now, yippee!), so I will just hang out for a while and finish it later this eve. And then I will write more at the usual time.
I hope you had a great day. You are so special to me, Elizabeth, my wonderful and lovely girl.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
11:30pm : A nice cool evening. I finished my walk a little while ago and I feel like my energy level is back to normal. So much of it is fine tuning, according to the rhythms of life (i.e. biorhythms), and just paying attention to stuff like when your feet are killing you. I am on my feet a lot, of course, and it adds up. But at any rate, I always rebound and get my energy back, just by paying attention to my body.
Hey, I just remembered : today I saw something neat! King Crimson, one of the greatest bands of all time (albeit in a different incarnation in 2014), is playing in Madison on their Fall tour. They are only playing 17 dates in North America, and your town is one of them. Now, you may or may not like the music, or you may have no opinion on it, but I just mention it because these guys really are one of the very greatest bands in the history of rock. Robert Fripp is their leader, a musical genius is he. They never tour, or at least not lately, but when they do, their shows are legendary. I haven't seen them since 1981, so I am really looking forward to the L.A. concert.
I also know that the tix are expensive. Still, I mention it, just because to have them come to your town is pretty mega.
Ask your musician friends if they are fans, or if they are going. I just mention it, just because.......
That's all I know for tonight, my Baby. I will see you in the morn. This Summer is off to a great start!
I Triple Love-Love-Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
That was an absolutely wonderful thing to post, Elizabeth. It was so loving of you, and so true also, not just for the couple from Boston but for us as well. Each day has been memorable for us, and that's why I say something like "thinking about cover songs takes me way back" - even though it was only two years ago, it feels longer because so much has happened and so many memories have been created by each of us. A relationship becomes a story, and that is why they call it a Love Story. :):)
It is wonderful for me to love you, and to share all the things we do. We share so many ideas and so much creativity, and we also share inspiration, and optimism and kindness. I find that those three things renew each other, and give every day a sense of promise .
You really made my day with that post, my Darling, and I thank you and I Love You.
My hike in Limekiln Canyon was a lot of fun. The Limekiln trail is off the same boulevard as Aliso Canyon, but about 2 miles west. Limekiln is more rustic; dustier, more cobwebs, broken trees and a mossy creek. Not as magical as Aliso but still awesome. On the way back I stopped at Best Buy to get the new Mastodon for $9.99. After one listen it sounds awesome.
The hike counted for half my walk (and all that creeping tiredness seems to have vanished for now, yippee!), so I will just hang out for a while and finish it later this eve. And then I will write more at the usual time.
I hope you had a great day. You are so special to me, Elizabeth, my wonderful and lovely girl.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
11:30pm : A nice cool evening. I finished my walk a little while ago and I feel like my energy level is back to normal. So much of it is fine tuning, according to the rhythms of life (i.e. biorhythms), and just paying attention to stuff like when your feet are killing you. I am on my feet a lot, of course, and it adds up. But at any rate, I always rebound and get my energy back, just by paying attention to my body.
Hey, I just remembered : today I saw something neat! King Crimson, one of the greatest bands of all time (albeit in a different incarnation in 2014), is playing in Madison on their Fall tour. They are only playing 17 dates in North America, and your town is one of them. Now, you may or may not like the music, or you may have no opinion on it, but I just mention it because these guys really are one of the very greatest bands in the history of rock. Robert Fripp is their leader, a musical genius is he. They never tour, or at least not lately, but when they do, their shows are legendary. I haven't seen them since 1981, so I am really looking forward to the L.A. concert.
I also know that the tix are expensive. Still, I mention it, just because to have them come to your town is pretty mega.
Ask your musician friends if they are fans, or if they are going. I just mention it, just because.......
That's all I know for tonight, my Baby. I will see you in the morn. This Summer is off to a great start!
I Triple Love-Love-Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Monday, June 23, 2014
Late Night Love
Hey my Darling,
Sorry to check in so late, but nothing much is happening. I figured maybe you were working on a project or something. I just saw your post - are you doing a new cover song? That would be awesome! Man, that sure takes me back. Anyhow, just a regular day, still trying to shake this feeling of wanting to sleep all afternoon. It's weird, cause I feel fine. I guess it's just a case of only getting about 6 to 6 1/2 hours of sleep, night after night, and sometimes it catches up with me. I am just not a morning person, no matter how long I get up early. My biorhythms and my Mars-in-Pisces rule my sleep and, consequently, my energy levels.
Fortunately, I am raring to go most of the time.
I hope you had a nice day. Tomorrow I may try to take a few pics, maybe visit a trail. Depends on how hot it is.
That's all I know for tonight. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Sorry to check in so late, but nothing much is happening. I figured maybe you were working on a project or something. I just saw your post - are you doing a new cover song? That would be awesome! Man, that sure takes me back. Anyhow, just a regular day, still trying to shake this feeling of wanting to sleep all afternoon. It's weird, cause I feel fine. I guess it's just a case of only getting about 6 to 6 1/2 hours of sleep, night after night, and sometimes it catches up with me. I am just not a morning person, no matter how long I get up early. My biorhythms and my Mars-in-Pisces rule my sleep and, consequently, my energy levels.
Fortunately, I am raring to go most of the time.
I hope you had a nice day. Tomorrow I may try to take a few pics, maybe visit a trail. Depends on how hot it is.
That's all I know for tonight. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Sunday, June 22, 2014
A Nice Evening + Photography (sweet dreams)
Good Evening, Awesome Lady,
I just got home a few minutes ago. A typical Sunday, though certainly a beautiful day, upper 80s, nice breeze. Took Kobi to CSUN. Feeling quite a bit better today, energy-wise. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and I like the photos you posted. The one with the stairs reminds me of MC Escher, with a little bit of Dali and Jerry Uelsmann mixed in.
We did some experiments with surrealism in photo class, way back in 11th grade, and the creation of double or multiple images in a single print could be achieved somewhat in the camera, by double exposure, but much more precisely by the mixing of imagery from two seperate photographic negatives onto one print, via the enlarger in the darkroon. This was done by techniques known as dodging and burning, and also solarization. You can Google 'em if you want to. I had a couple of so-so results with these experiments and I still have the prints. But it was fun, and very creative, to do it right through the enlarger.
I love photography! And I'm glad you do too. :):)
I saw you Megatone post, too. Did you go to the Madison Music Awards? And I'm assuming you went to the Chicago Agalloch show, too. A busy but fun weekend! I didn't take any photos this weekend, but I was just trying to get my energy back. Plus, I was shopping and dogwalking with my buddies, and today doing The Sunday Thing. Hopefully I will be back on the trails in a couple days.
Right now I'm gonna walk down to the market for.........you guessed it: avocados! Gotta have 'em or I'll get withdrawals, lol. So I'll be back about 8:30ish. Then I'll finish my walk later.
It's a nice Sunday evening and I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight : Just to wish you Sweet Dreams and a good start to the week. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I just got home a few minutes ago. A typical Sunday, though certainly a beautiful day, upper 80s, nice breeze. Took Kobi to CSUN. Feeling quite a bit better today, energy-wise. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and I like the photos you posted. The one with the stairs reminds me of MC Escher, with a little bit of Dali and Jerry Uelsmann mixed in.
We did some experiments with surrealism in photo class, way back in 11th grade, and the creation of double or multiple images in a single print could be achieved somewhat in the camera, by double exposure, but much more precisely by the mixing of imagery from two seperate photographic negatives onto one print, via the enlarger in the darkroon. This was done by techniques known as dodging and burning, and also solarization. You can Google 'em if you want to. I had a couple of so-so results with these experiments and I still have the prints. But it was fun, and very creative, to do it right through the enlarger.
I love photography! And I'm glad you do too. :):)
I saw you Megatone post, too. Did you go to the Madison Music Awards? And I'm assuming you went to the Chicago Agalloch show, too. A busy but fun weekend! I didn't take any photos this weekend, but I was just trying to get my energy back. Plus, I was shopping and dogwalking with my buddies, and today doing The Sunday Thing. Hopefully I will be back on the trails in a couple days.
Right now I'm gonna walk down to the market for.........you guessed it: avocados! Gotta have 'em or I'll get withdrawals, lol. So I'll be back about 8:30ish. Then I'll finish my walk later.
It's a nice Sunday evening and I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight : Just to wish you Sweet Dreams and a good start to the week. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Saturday, June 21, 2014
CSUN Walk
Good Evening, my Baby,
I'm checking in later than usual because when I got home, Ono called and wanted to bring his doggie over again for a CSUN walk, and then while we were up there, another friend (Dave F., he's on my Facebook) called and wanted to meet us up there. So, it turned into a two hour walk n' talk. But now I'm back.
Nothing major today, just a lot of shopping with my sister. I hope your day was good. I am gonna relax for a little while and then I'll be back at the usual time.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I'm checking in later than usual because when I got home, Ono called and wanted to bring his doggie over again for a CSUN walk, and then while we were up there, another friend (Dave F., he's on my Facebook) called and wanted to meet us up there. So, it turned into a two hour walk n' talk. But now I'm back.
Nothing major today, just a lot of shopping with my sister. I hope your day was good. I am gonna relax for a little while and then I'll be back at the usual time.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Friday, June 20, 2014
Friday Afternoon Love (editing and analysis)
Good Afternoon, my Darling,
You might be already on your way to Chicago, if you are going to that show. So how were they last night? I know they killed it! Well, I am just hangin' out at home, gotta head back to Pearl's in an hour. I don't know what came over me, I was so tired this morn that all I could do was nap or try to nap. But, having done so I feel quite a bit better now. Must be all the hiking, and regular walks and workouts too. Plus, as of today it's now hot out again. All trail excursions in the near future will either have to be in the morn before about 11am, or in the eve after I get home. Don't wanna melt, lol.
The Kobester is gonna get a surprise when I return : a flea bath! He'd been chewing on himself, so when I was off last week they took him to the vet, and it was fleas. So, besides taking medicine, he's gotta have a flea bath once a week for the next month. Into the sink with him! (Oh boy, he's gonna love that).
In your post of the Sebastian pic, somebody mentioned Miyazaki, and he is dressed like a Miyazaki character (which is to say Gatsby-like), but it reminded me of "The Wind Rises" and I meant to ask you if you've seen it yet? Was it in the theaters in your area? It was a short run here. I see it's not out on dvd yet, but if you haven't seen it yet, rent or buy the dvd. I really think it was one of Miyazaki's best films, such a great story and so full of feeling. And beautiful, of course. You will love it.
That's all I know for now. I will be back this eve after Pearl's. Nothin' special planned for tonight, unless Grim calls to go for an Aliso walk, but I think he's working. Anyway, have a blast at tonight's show, if you go, and I will be back at the usual time (but hanging around in the meantime).
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:50pm : I will guess that you did go to the show, though I saw your Eagle post just before I left Pearl's. I know you can do that from your phone. There is a red tail hawk like that at Placerita Canyon. He only has one wing and stays in a cage where he can see the park and visitors can see him. I am sure he is also cared for on a daily basis, but it is nice that they don't just put the animals to sleep anymore, simply because of a disability.
I watched your documentary again, and it is interesting that, because the sound is minimal, the flow of editing takes over to grab the viewer from a rhythmic standpoint. It would be fun to sit with you and point to the various moments of edit, and see how they constitute a rhythm. Of course, I am not a cinema professor, but just because I have seen so many films I know what grabs me and why, and you have a good flow in that film, so it would be interesting to point out why, just on an intuitive level.
It's also interesting to me because, when I was filming at the Northridge Meadows in 1994, I also included the eventual demolition of that building, and I did the same thing you did in telling that part of the story. The first thing I showed, in my editing, was the tractors starting up. I haven't watched it in a while, but I think I showed the guys getting in to the bulldozers, much like you showed the guys in their trucks before they started the burn. So, that tells a story in the most direct way. This is what happened.
And then your flow of editing sets a rhythm. I love this stuff just as a film watcher, and the one time I made my own film (a video) I did it all on intuition based on thousands of films watched. But I know that when you really study editing, there are all kinds of standards and practices on matching things up, and devices to manipulate the viewer, emotionally and visually, in order to build drama.
At any rate, film! Not sports! like last week. Thank goodness the dreaded LeBron has been discredited and put out to pasture. And now that desert Los Angeles is the hockey capital, we can give sports a break. :)
Seriously, though, because your documentary is good work, it is neat to analyse why. The crackling sound of the fire is another reason, arising as it does out of near silence. Ditto the intermittent radio communication sounds of the firemen.
Anyway, the things that are noticed are always important to be analysed, in the quest for why they are noticed. In that way, the analysis helps build the Artist's technique and creativity.
I will see you in the morn, and I hope that you had a blast at the concert if you went.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxox :):)
You might be already on your way to Chicago, if you are going to that show. So how were they last night? I know they killed it! Well, I am just hangin' out at home, gotta head back to Pearl's in an hour. I don't know what came over me, I was so tired this morn that all I could do was nap or try to nap. But, having done so I feel quite a bit better now. Must be all the hiking, and regular walks and workouts too. Plus, as of today it's now hot out again. All trail excursions in the near future will either have to be in the morn before about 11am, or in the eve after I get home. Don't wanna melt, lol.
The Kobester is gonna get a surprise when I return : a flea bath! He'd been chewing on himself, so when I was off last week they took him to the vet, and it was fleas. So, besides taking medicine, he's gotta have a flea bath once a week for the next month. Into the sink with him! (Oh boy, he's gonna love that).
In your post of the Sebastian pic, somebody mentioned Miyazaki, and he is dressed like a Miyazaki character (which is to say Gatsby-like), but it reminded me of "The Wind Rises" and I meant to ask you if you've seen it yet? Was it in the theaters in your area? It was a short run here. I see it's not out on dvd yet, but if you haven't seen it yet, rent or buy the dvd. I really think it was one of Miyazaki's best films, such a great story and so full of feeling. And beautiful, of course. You will love it.
That's all I know for now. I will be back this eve after Pearl's. Nothin' special planned for tonight, unless Grim calls to go for an Aliso walk, but I think he's working. Anyway, have a blast at tonight's show, if you go, and I will be back at the usual time (but hanging around in the meantime).
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:50pm : I will guess that you did go to the show, though I saw your Eagle post just before I left Pearl's. I know you can do that from your phone. There is a red tail hawk like that at Placerita Canyon. He only has one wing and stays in a cage where he can see the park and visitors can see him. I am sure he is also cared for on a daily basis, but it is nice that they don't just put the animals to sleep anymore, simply because of a disability.
I watched your documentary again, and it is interesting that, because the sound is minimal, the flow of editing takes over to grab the viewer from a rhythmic standpoint. It would be fun to sit with you and point to the various moments of edit, and see how they constitute a rhythm. Of course, I am not a cinema professor, but just because I have seen so many films I know what grabs me and why, and you have a good flow in that film, so it would be interesting to point out why, just on an intuitive level.
It's also interesting to me because, when I was filming at the Northridge Meadows in 1994, I also included the eventual demolition of that building, and I did the same thing you did in telling that part of the story. The first thing I showed, in my editing, was the tractors starting up. I haven't watched it in a while, but I think I showed the guys getting in to the bulldozers, much like you showed the guys in their trucks before they started the burn. So, that tells a story in the most direct way. This is what happened.
And then your flow of editing sets a rhythm. I love this stuff just as a film watcher, and the one time I made my own film (a video) I did it all on intuition based on thousands of films watched. But I know that when you really study editing, there are all kinds of standards and practices on matching things up, and devices to manipulate the viewer, emotionally and visually, in order to build drama.
At any rate, film! Not sports! like last week. Thank goodness the dreaded LeBron has been discredited and put out to pasture. And now that desert Los Angeles is the hockey capital, we can give sports a break. :)
Seriously, though, because your documentary is good work, it is neat to analyse why. The crackling sound of the fire is another reason, arising as it does out of near silence. Ditto the intermittent radio communication sounds of the firemen.
Anyway, the things that are noticed are always important to be analysed, in the quest for why they are noticed. In that way, the analysis helps build the Artist's technique and creativity.
I will see you in the morn, and I hope that you had a blast at the concert if you went.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxox :):)
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Agalloch (rock concerts)
Good Evening, my Baby,
You must be right in the middle of the Agalloch show as I write, and it is no doubt awesome. I say that from experience, of course. I hope you have a good place on the floor and that there is no moshing. By the end of the show, I predict Don Anderson will be freaking out, dripping with sweat and playing on his back! He always does. :)
I'll bet the opening acts are interesting too, at the very least. Remember Taurus, with the screaming banshee singer? Last year's openers were a little better : Helen Money and Worm Ouroboros.
Well, I just wanted to say hi. You will either see this late tonight, or tomorrow morn. I am already done with my walk, so I am gonna read my Joe Farrell book ("Transhumanism", really far out) and then I will check back in at the usual time.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox :):) and \m/!
Midnight: You may be back home by now, and possibly asleep, but I wish you Sweet Dreams anyway, and you can sleep in and soak up the feeling of the aftermath of an awesome rock concert, a feeling that can't be beat. When you go to an awesome rock concert, you are in the moment while you are there, and when you leave you are buzzing, but when you get back home and the feeling sinks in, you know that it's what life is all about.
Not just concerts, of course, but the feeling they engender, of the energy inherant in charting your own course. Rock is all about freedom, and when you see a live concert, especially an incredible one, you feel that freedom.
Soak it in, and if you are also going tomorrow, then go back with that sensation buzzing inside you.
Lord knows I did that, and it literally changed my life for the.....(better?)......no, for the best!
Rock rules.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
You must be right in the middle of the Agalloch show as I write, and it is no doubt awesome. I say that from experience, of course. I hope you have a good place on the floor and that there is no moshing. By the end of the show, I predict Don Anderson will be freaking out, dripping with sweat and playing on his back! He always does. :)
I'll bet the opening acts are interesting too, at the very least. Remember Taurus, with the screaming banshee singer? Last year's openers were a little better : Helen Money and Worm Ouroboros.
Well, I just wanted to say hi. You will either see this late tonight, or tomorrow morn. I am already done with my walk, so I am gonna read my Joe Farrell book ("Transhumanism", really far out) and then I will check back in at the usual time.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox :):) and \m/!
Midnight: You may be back home by now, and possibly asleep, but I wish you Sweet Dreams anyway, and you can sleep in and soak up the feeling of the aftermath of an awesome rock concert, a feeling that can't be beat. When you go to an awesome rock concert, you are in the moment while you are there, and when you leave you are buzzing, but when you get back home and the feeling sinks in, you know that it's what life is all about.
Not just concerts, of course, but the feeling they engender, of the energy inherant in charting your own course. Rock is all about freedom, and when you see a live concert, especially an incredible one, you feel that freedom.
Soak it in, and if you are also going tomorrow, then go back with that sensation buzzing inside you.
Lord knows I did that, and it literally changed my life for the.....(better?)......no, for the best!
Rock rules.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Concert? (Me to Self: "You Big Dummy"!) (photos)
Hey my Darling,
You are at the concert, right? I only ask because I just now got home from my walk and I saw your post of the Hannah picture, and now just this minute, your "like" of the Alison Scarpulla post. I know you can probably do this all from your phone, at the concert, but I'm just hoping that you did go to the concert, cause I know it was in Madison, and it is Agalloch.
Well, I hope you went, and if you did you are likely still there. Maybe it is in-between sets right now and you are on FB via your phone.
Anyway, I will post this right now so that maybe you will see it, and I will be here for the rest of the evening, so I will not only be nearby but I will write more at the usual time, too.
I Love You, Sweet Baby. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
9:30pm : Okay, it looks like I am a gigantic dummy. You may have already been aware of that, lol.....
Agalloch - High Noon Saloon, Madison, WI. June 19th.
Not 18th, Adam you dum-dum.
I had my dates mixed up. I looked at the tour schedule a couple weeks ago, and for some reason I had the 18th and 20th lodged in my head, for Madison and Chicago, when actually it is the 19th and 20th.
Okay, nothing to see here. Carry on as usual. ;)
In that case, have an absolute blast tomorrow night, and if you are going to the Chicago show, too, then have a double blast as originally prescribed. And, have an extra blast tonight, as a bonus, since I already suggested it in mixing up the concert dates!
So you get three blasts for the price of two.
Now that we've got it cleared up, I will still be back at the usual time. :):)
11:30pm : I love listening to, and watching, Glenn Gould. He's a character, to be sure, but really a genius pianist. Well, my Baby, I am hooked on the trails. I guess I already was as of last Fall, but now I have found a whole slew of new ones, so let's see what we can find. Tomorrow is Pearl's hair appointment, so that will be more of a Reseda Day, but Reseda is important, too, in that it's nooks and crannies must be photographed, much like a trail.
I still say we should do a "dual book" of photos and thoughts about them, as I mentioned perhaps last Summer. I thought it would be a great idea to take a trip - and it could be anywhere interesting, but it would have to be a road trip - and we would get out of the car at various stops (wherever the vibe presented itself), and each take photos, and each write about it (the location, the photo, what caused the inspiration), and it would be a great book. Just really interesting, weird or magical photos, on road trips or foot trips, someplace in America, wherever the vibe was, and then commented on thoughtfully but with reason.
Good for Alison Scarpulla that she got a book. She certainly has carved out her own niche, and that's how you do it - you just heed that muse, that internal call. And you pull it in, more and more every day.
That's all I know for tonight.
I wish you Sweet Dreams, my Baby, and I will see you in the morn. I Love You!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
You are at the concert, right? I only ask because I just now got home from my walk and I saw your post of the Hannah picture, and now just this minute, your "like" of the Alison Scarpulla post. I know you can probably do this all from your phone, at the concert, but I'm just hoping that you did go to the concert, cause I know it was in Madison, and it is Agalloch.
Well, I hope you went, and if you did you are likely still there. Maybe it is in-between sets right now and you are on FB via your phone.
Anyway, I will post this right now so that maybe you will see it, and I will be here for the rest of the evening, so I will not only be nearby but I will write more at the usual time, too.
I Love You, Sweet Baby. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
9:30pm : Okay, it looks like I am a gigantic dummy. You may have already been aware of that, lol.....
Agalloch - High Noon Saloon, Madison, WI. June 19th.
Not 18th, Adam you dum-dum.
I had my dates mixed up. I looked at the tour schedule a couple weeks ago, and for some reason I had the 18th and 20th lodged in my head, for Madison and Chicago, when actually it is the 19th and 20th.
Okay, nothing to see here. Carry on as usual. ;)
In that case, have an absolute blast tomorrow night, and if you are going to the Chicago show, too, then have a double blast as originally prescribed. And, have an extra blast tonight, as a bonus, since I already suggested it in mixing up the concert dates!
So you get three blasts for the price of two.
Now that we've got it cleared up, I will still be back at the usual time. :):)
11:30pm : I love listening to, and watching, Glenn Gould. He's a character, to be sure, but really a genius pianist. Well, my Baby, I am hooked on the trails. I guess I already was as of last Fall, but now I have found a whole slew of new ones, so let's see what we can find. Tomorrow is Pearl's hair appointment, so that will be more of a Reseda Day, but Reseda is important, too, in that it's nooks and crannies must be photographed, much like a trail.
I still say we should do a "dual book" of photos and thoughts about them, as I mentioned perhaps last Summer. I thought it would be a great idea to take a trip - and it could be anywhere interesting, but it would have to be a road trip - and we would get out of the car at various stops (wherever the vibe presented itself), and each take photos, and each write about it (the location, the photo, what caused the inspiration), and it would be a great book. Just really interesting, weird or magical photos, on road trips or foot trips, someplace in America, wherever the vibe was, and then commented on thoughtfully but with reason.
Good for Alison Scarpulla that she got a book. She certainly has carved out her own niche, and that's how you do it - you just heed that muse, that internal call. And you pull it in, more and more every day.
That's all I know for tonight.
I wish you Sweet Dreams, my Baby, and I will see you in the morn. I Love You!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Happy Trails (love)
Good Evening, my Darling,
I got home about half-an-hour ago, laid down to get off my feet for a few minutes, and promptly fell asleep! Lol. :) I guess this morning's hike was even more strenuous than I thought. Those Santa Monicas, as I said, are a whole lot steeper than the Santa Susanas of Chatsworth. And, I didn't find the cave, but I will next time. Tomorrow I will at least check out the Devil Canyon trail from the Topanga entrance (the true trail). Not sure I will hike it though : the reviews I read all make it sound a bit rugged, muddy at the very least, and with lots of poison oak. Since I am just a quick "hike on an hour's break" hiker, while Pearl is at church and such, I have to be careful not to get into any situations I can't extract myself from, or come back all muddy and covered with poison oak from. But, I still am gonna drive up there and at least check it out.
Tomorrow night will be Agalloch for you. That will be a blast! Having seen them twice myself in the last two years, I know - as you do - that it's gonna be a killer show. Now, what I really, really liked, both times, was that nobody moshed. That was awesome. Agalloch seemed to attract a thoughtful crowd, metalheads to be sure, but perhaps with a few more brains than the more common variety. So, I hope your crowd will show similar restraint, so you can be up close and enjoy the show to the fullest. Are ya gonna go to the Chicago show, too? If so, then I wish you a double blast. Maybe they will schedule some west coast dates later in the Summer or Fall.
Well, time to walk down to the store. Gotta get some black beans or split peas, or both. Not sure yet. But some kind of bean and/or legume is needed as a staple of The No Fun Diet. Good source of protein and all. So, that will count as part of my walk, and the hike this morn counted, too, which will leave just a smidgen for later tonight. I'm gonna head to the store now, and I'll be back by about 8:15 or so.
I Love, Love, Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(tons of 'em ^^^)
11:40pm : A nice quiet evening here in the building. Not much more to report. I hope your day was good.
I will see you in the morn, and then at 9:30 I will go to Topanga and try to get some pictures.
Sweet Dreams.....
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I got home about half-an-hour ago, laid down to get off my feet for a few minutes, and promptly fell asleep! Lol. :) I guess this morning's hike was even more strenuous than I thought. Those Santa Monicas, as I said, are a whole lot steeper than the Santa Susanas of Chatsworth. And, I didn't find the cave, but I will next time. Tomorrow I will at least check out the Devil Canyon trail from the Topanga entrance (the true trail). Not sure I will hike it though : the reviews I read all make it sound a bit rugged, muddy at the very least, and with lots of poison oak. Since I am just a quick "hike on an hour's break" hiker, while Pearl is at church and such, I have to be careful not to get into any situations I can't extract myself from, or come back all muddy and covered with poison oak from. But, I still am gonna drive up there and at least check it out.
Tomorrow night will be Agalloch for you. That will be a blast! Having seen them twice myself in the last two years, I know - as you do - that it's gonna be a killer show. Now, what I really, really liked, both times, was that nobody moshed. That was awesome. Agalloch seemed to attract a thoughtful crowd, metalheads to be sure, but perhaps with a few more brains than the more common variety. So, I hope your crowd will show similar restraint, so you can be up close and enjoy the show to the fullest. Are ya gonna go to the Chicago show, too? If so, then I wish you a double blast. Maybe they will schedule some west coast dates later in the Summer or Fall.
Well, time to walk down to the store. Gotta get some black beans or split peas, or both. Not sure yet. But some kind of bean and/or legume is needed as a staple of The No Fun Diet. Good source of protein and all. So, that will count as part of my walk, and the hike this morn counted, too, which will leave just a smidgen for later tonight. I'm gonna head to the store now, and I'll be back by about 8:15 or so.
I Love, Love, Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(tons of 'em ^^^)
11:40pm : A nice quiet evening here in the building. Not much more to report. I hope your day was good.
I will see you in the morn, and then at 9:30 I will go to Topanga and try to get some pictures.
Sweet Dreams.....
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Monday, June 16, 2014
Aliso Again (and Sports, too....) (dusk)
Good Evening, Sweet Baby,
I'm checking in from Pearl's because Grimsley wants to meet me up at Aliso after I get off at 6:30. So, I won't be home till about 8:30 or so. But I wanted to say I Love You, and I hope you are having a great day. It is beautiful here, a nice evening for a short Aliso hike, and a CSUN walk later. I see you are watching the World Cup! Sports!! (lol.....)
Pearl's neighbor has his England flag hanging from his garage door. This same guy went back to England four years ago to watch the Cup with his family. I took care of his doggie while he and his wife were gone, but as soon as they got to England, the national team got beat and were out of the tournament. So I wish him better results this time. :)
Of course, my sister Vickie's family are very excited about the Cup because her husband Nico is a soccer coach and my newphew Andrew (Vickie's son) was part of a Division 2 national champion team in 2008, at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Soccer is their life, and they even play on Christmas.....I tease them about it. :)
Sports, I know........but this time you brought it up..... :):)
I am glad your friends' band is doing well, too. Everything is good!
I will be back later, after all walks are complete. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:15pm : I got it all done, all my hikes and walks. Aliso is beautiful at dusk, we saw some horses and riders on the trail, too. I liked the picture of sunset at the palace of fine arts, and I want to go on a sunset/dusk walk with You, and any place of great beauty and feeling.
Tomorrow after I take Pearl to Golden Agers I may try for a Vanalden Cave hike, or at least drive up there to check it out. That is a southward destination, in the Santa Monica mountains which border the Valley on the (you guessed it) southern side. Like all of these hikes, it's only a ten or fifteen minute drive, but the Santa Monicas are a lot steeper than the Santa Susanas to the north. So we'll see if it's a simple hike, and if so, I'll go. I also wanna check out the Topanga Canyon section of Devil Canyon this week, maybe Wednesday.
These are all just quickie trips - fifteen minutes there, 45 minutes to an hour on the trail, take a few photos, then back to the car and pick up Pearl. But, they are fun. The fun is in the discovery, naturally.
I wanna discover France with you, too. I took that quiz from a couple days ago, and I got Iceland. Me? Iceland? Well, I'd visit I suppose, but I think I'll stick with France and England for starters. All the usual stops (Louvre, Pere LaChaise, Seine, Eiffel Tower) but also Paris Disney! Then take the Tube to London and do England, with a major stopover up north in Liverpool for a major league Beatles tour.
That's what I wanna do for my first trip to Europe. France and England, with the stops mentioned.
So let's go, any time you are ready. In the meantime, a whole bunch of trails await. I'll meet you at 7pm, after my evening shift, any night of the week. We will watch the dusk set in amongst the trees.
I hope your day was awesome (and I am betting it was), and now I am wishing you Sweet Dreams.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox :):)
I'm checking in from Pearl's because Grimsley wants to meet me up at Aliso after I get off at 6:30. So, I won't be home till about 8:30 or so. But I wanted to say I Love You, and I hope you are having a great day. It is beautiful here, a nice evening for a short Aliso hike, and a CSUN walk later. I see you are watching the World Cup! Sports!! (lol.....)
Pearl's neighbor has his England flag hanging from his garage door. This same guy went back to England four years ago to watch the Cup with his family. I took care of his doggie while he and his wife were gone, but as soon as they got to England, the national team got beat and were out of the tournament. So I wish him better results this time. :)
Of course, my sister Vickie's family are very excited about the Cup because her husband Nico is a soccer coach and my newphew Andrew (Vickie's son) was part of a Division 2 national champion team in 2008, at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Soccer is their life, and they even play on Christmas.....I tease them about it. :)
Sports, I know........but this time you brought it up..... :):)
I am glad your friends' band is doing well, too. Everything is good!
I will be back later, after all walks are complete. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:15pm : I got it all done, all my hikes and walks. Aliso is beautiful at dusk, we saw some horses and riders on the trail, too. I liked the picture of sunset at the palace of fine arts, and I want to go on a sunset/dusk walk with You, and any place of great beauty and feeling.
Tomorrow after I take Pearl to Golden Agers I may try for a Vanalden Cave hike, or at least drive up there to check it out. That is a southward destination, in the Santa Monica mountains which border the Valley on the (you guessed it) southern side. Like all of these hikes, it's only a ten or fifteen minute drive, but the Santa Monicas are a lot steeper than the Santa Susanas to the north. So we'll see if it's a simple hike, and if so, I'll go. I also wanna check out the Topanga Canyon section of Devil Canyon this week, maybe Wednesday.
These are all just quickie trips - fifteen minutes there, 45 minutes to an hour on the trail, take a few photos, then back to the car and pick up Pearl. But, they are fun. The fun is in the discovery, naturally.
I wanna discover France with you, too. I took that quiz from a couple days ago, and I got Iceland. Me? Iceland? Well, I'd visit I suppose, but I think I'll stick with France and England for starters. All the usual stops (Louvre, Pere LaChaise, Seine, Eiffel Tower) but also Paris Disney! Then take the Tube to London and do England, with a major stopover up north in Liverpool for a major league Beatles tour.
That's what I wanna do for my first trip to Europe. France and England, with the stops mentioned.
So let's go, any time you are ready. In the meantime, a whole bunch of trails await. I'll meet you at 7pm, after my evening shift, any night of the week. We will watch the dusk set in amongst the trees.
I hope your day was awesome (and I am betting it was), and now I am wishing you Sweet Dreams.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox :):)
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Goofy Critters! (late night love)
Good Afternoon, my Darling,
I just wanted to check in real quick before heading back to Pearl's, first to say I Love You, and also to say that I loved the critter pictures this morning! That photo of the goofy deer is a riot! :) What's funnier, like the photographer says, is that the deer knows he looks goofy with the peas all over his head, and he doesn't think it's funny. Animals know, and that makes it funnier. "Oh, I look goofy, do I? Well.......".
Yes, great stuff indeed, all the pictures, and I am glad to see that you have joined the Wisconsin Wildlife Photographers group as well. I think things are going great, and the Summer is off to a fantastic start.
I'd also like to wish you a Happy Father's Day for your Dad, and I hope you have a nice day! I am gonna head over to Pearl's in a minute and check in with The Kobester before we pick Pearl up from church. Then, me and Grim are gonna drive over to Canoga Park from 2-4pm to visit our friend Ryan (who you've seen in my Flickr and old Myspace photos, maybe in some FB pics, too). He is moving to Arizona in a week or so, so we are gonna go "say hey" one last time before he goes. He'll be back, though, at some point. He always moves back here eventually.....
Well, here I go, back to work. I enjoyed my days off, and it's all good in any case.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back at about 4:30)
11:30pm : It turned out to be a bit of a busy evening. My friend Ono came by with his doggie and we walked down to the duck pond and back. Then Grimsley called and talked for quite a while. I am not a big phone person; much rather talk in person, but Grim can go on and on. So, the evening was like what my Mom used to call The Mercury Hour. When I was a teenager, and the phone would start ringing off the hook, one call after another, suddenly, after a quiet afternoon, that would be an example of The Mercury Hour. Mercury being the planet of communication.
At any rate, I hope the rest of your day was good. For me, The Spurs won, so that was excellent. That will take me off the sports jag at least until football starts in the Fall, lol.
Tomorrow I will be back to regular schedule, but that is good too. It is always good to keep focused and stay on track, so I will see you in the morn, and it will be the start of a great week.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox :):)
I just wanted to check in real quick before heading back to Pearl's, first to say I Love You, and also to say that I loved the critter pictures this morning! That photo of the goofy deer is a riot! :) What's funnier, like the photographer says, is that the deer knows he looks goofy with the peas all over his head, and he doesn't think it's funny. Animals know, and that makes it funnier. "Oh, I look goofy, do I? Well.......".
Yes, great stuff indeed, all the pictures, and I am glad to see that you have joined the Wisconsin Wildlife Photographers group as well. I think things are going great, and the Summer is off to a fantastic start.
I'd also like to wish you a Happy Father's Day for your Dad, and I hope you have a nice day! I am gonna head over to Pearl's in a minute and check in with The Kobester before we pick Pearl up from church. Then, me and Grim are gonna drive over to Canoga Park from 2-4pm to visit our friend Ryan (who you've seen in my Flickr and old Myspace photos, maybe in some FB pics, too). He is moving to Arizona in a week or so, so we are gonna go "say hey" one last time before he goes. He'll be back, though, at some point. He always moves back here eventually.....
Well, here I go, back to work. I enjoyed my days off, and it's all good in any case.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back at about 4:30)
11:30pm : It turned out to be a bit of a busy evening. My friend Ono came by with his doggie and we walked down to the duck pond and back. Then Grimsley called and talked for quite a while. I am not a big phone person; much rather talk in person, but Grim can go on and on. So, the evening was like what my Mom used to call The Mercury Hour. When I was a teenager, and the phone would start ringing off the hook, one call after another, suddenly, after a quiet afternoon, that would be an example of The Mercury Hour. Mercury being the planet of communication.
At any rate, I hope the rest of your day was good. For me, The Spurs won, so that was excellent. That will take me off the sports jag at least until football starts in the Fall, lol.
Tomorrow I will be back to regular schedule, but that is good too. It is always good to keep focused and stay on track, so I will see you in the morn, and it will be the start of a great week.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox :):)
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Babies :):) (Quick Trip To Aliso) (love)
Good Morning, Sweet Baby,
I am just getting started cause I slept in again (hooray for sleep!), but I had to write to wish you a Happy Saturday, and also because I saw your post, and.........I was just now cracking up! :)
It took me a few minutes to figure out. The pregnant lady post, I mean. Or rather, the lady who isn't pregnant.
Now, I don't know if you meant it this way, but, I was thinking about it, and I thought "okay, it's about a 'baby'.......hmm, but what's the context? Is it about the miracle of pregnancy? What's the deal"?
I also saw your other posts, and I am glad you had a nice time with your friends last night, and I hope your friend Brian is feeling better.
Then I looked at the pregnancy post again, and I noticed the line "......a woman asked me if I was having another baby". And then the following line "I assure you people........".
So, being the Noticer of Things, those lines struck me, and I thought that - just maybe (since I've been a worrier and complainer at times), you were "assuring" me that you don't "have another baby". :)
Please don't kill me if I'm wrong! :)
But if I'm right, it was one of your most clever and funniest posts ever, so I had to tell you. And I know you don't "have another baby". You are awesome and I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
5:45pm : Hi my Darling, I just wanted to say that I am gonna head up to Aliso Canyon Park in a few minutes to meet Grimsley. I told him about it, and he wants to meet me up there for a short hike before the park closes. All our local parks close at dusk, and you don't wanna be out on a trail when it starts to get dark anyway, cause you never know what critters you might run into! So, I'll probably be up there til about 7:45 or 8 at the latest, then I'm gonna come back. Just now I watched a movie : "August: Osage County". Man, you wanna talk about grim? My goodness. But, it was a really excellent movie with great acting on all counts.
This morning I forgot to say congratulations on having the Pheasant Conservatory put your documentary on their website. That is quite a recognition of your talent, and as I have been telling you, you are already off and running! :) All you've gotta do is keep up the good work.
And, I saw your most recent post just now. I Love You, my Baby. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back in a little while)
Midnight : We went on a pretty major hike this eve, up and back on different Aliso trails twice over, until it was getting pretty dark out. Most of my pics didn't come out so good due to the low light, but it was fun anyway. We saw a couple wild bunny rabbits, hopping down the trail. And as it gets darker you can hear all the crickets and frogs start to chime in. You hear the rustling in the brush and you know it's time to leave, cause you never know who you might run into at that time of night.
Nighttime is for the critters.
Well, tomorrow morning I get one last sleep-in and then back to work. I had a nice time off; lots of rest, movies seen, lots of reading.
I hope you had a great day. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I am just getting started cause I slept in again (hooray for sleep!), but I had to write to wish you a Happy Saturday, and also because I saw your post, and.........I was just now cracking up! :)
It took me a few minutes to figure out. The pregnant lady post, I mean. Or rather, the lady who isn't pregnant.
Now, I don't know if you meant it this way, but, I was thinking about it, and I thought "okay, it's about a 'baby'.......hmm, but what's the context? Is it about the miracle of pregnancy? What's the deal"?
I also saw your other posts, and I am glad you had a nice time with your friends last night, and I hope your friend Brian is feeling better.
Then I looked at the pregnancy post again, and I noticed the line "......a woman asked me if I was having another baby". And then the following line "I assure you people........".
So, being the Noticer of Things, those lines struck me, and I thought that - just maybe (since I've been a worrier and complainer at times), you were "assuring" me that you don't "have another baby". :)
Please don't kill me if I'm wrong! :)
But if I'm right, it was one of your most clever and funniest posts ever, so I had to tell you. And I know you don't "have another baby". You are awesome and I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
5:45pm : Hi my Darling, I just wanted to say that I am gonna head up to Aliso Canyon Park in a few minutes to meet Grimsley. I told him about it, and he wants to meet me up there for a short hike before the park closes. All our local parks close at dusk, and you don't wanna be out on a trail when it starts to get dark anyway, cause you never know what critters you might run into! So, I'll probably be up there til about 7:45 or 8 at the latest, then I'm gonna come back. Just now I watched a movie : "August: Osage County". Man, you wanna talk about grim? My goodness. But, it was a really excellent movie with great acting on all counts.
This morning I forgot to say congratulations on having the Pheasant Conservatory put your documentary on their website. That is quite a recognition of your talent, and as I have been telling you, you are already off and running! :) All you've gotta do is keep up the good work.
And, I saw your most recent post just now. I Love You, my Baby. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back in a little while)
Midnight : We went on a pretty major hike this eve, up and back on different Aliso trails twice over, until it was getting pretty dark out. Most of my pics didn't come out so good due to the low light, but it was fun anyway. We saw a couple wild bunny rabbits, hopping down the trail. And as it gets darker you can hear all the crickets and frogs start to chime in. You hear the rustling in the brush and you know it's time to leave, cause you never know who you might run into at that time of night.
Nighttime is for the critters.
Well, tomorrow morning I get one last sleep-in and then back to work. I had a nice time off; lots of rest, movies seen, lots of reading.
I hope you had a great day. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Friday, June 13, 2014
Happy Friday the 13th! (xoxoxoxoxoxo)
Good Evening, my Baby,
I hope your Friday the 13th is going well. With full moon tonight, too, a good combination I say! For all things mysterious, at any rate. I haven't been doing much today. It was hot out, so I stayed in and watched a Criterion movie I found at the library, "Hands Over The City" (http://www.criterion.com/films/799-hands-over-the-city), a riveting example of the neo-realist style of filmmaking that was popular in Italy after the war. The most famous example of neo-realism is perhaps "The Bicycle Thief", which is now called "Bicycle Thieves" for some reason. In neo-realism, very often non-professional actors were used, in real-life settings, and it Italy at that time things were pretty grim.
My Dad saw Naples during the war, and he used to talk about the poverty there, and in "Hands Over The City" you can really see it. The movie is about corrupt real estate developers in collusion with corrupt politicians and how they cover up a building collapse. Another famous neo-realistic film was called "Open City", about post-war Rome. Most neo-realism came out of Italy, and if you like art films or Criterion stuff in general, it is a genre worth checking out.
Anyway, I'm just hangin' out. It's good for me to relax and recharge on my days off (unless a Disneyland trip was planned, which unfortunately wasn't the case). Maybe on my walk tonight I will take the cam along and look for some night photo opportunities.
I'll be back later at the usual time. Keep ruling! I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight : I am posting later than usual because I got caught up in the hockey game, which (though, sports..) was one of the greatest sporting events I have ever seen. I am only an intermittent hockey fan, but these two teams played their hearts out tonight and it was really something to see. It turns out that it was the longest Kings game in their history. Consequently I had to do my entire walk and workout after the game was over.
Anyhow, just a typical day, even though a day off. I hope your day was good. I had a nice walk under the full moon. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I hope your Friday the 13th is going well. With full moon tonight, too, a good combination I say! For all things mysterious, at any rate. I haven't been doing much today. It was hot out, so I stayed in and watched a Criterion movie I found at the library, "Hands Over The City" (http://www.criterion.com/films/799-hands-over-the-city), a riveting example of the neo-realist style of filmmaking that was popular in Italy after the war. The most famous example of neo-realism is perhaps "The Bicycle Thief", which is now called "Bicycle Thieves" for some reason. In neo-realism, very often non-professional actors were used, in real-life settings, and it Italy at that time things were pretty grim.
My Dad saw Naples during the war, and he used to talk about the poverty there, and in "Hands Over The City" you can really see it. The movie is about corrupt real estate developers in collusion with corrupt politicians and how they cover up a building collapse. Another famous neo-realistic film was called "Open City", about post-war Rome. Most neo-realism came out of Italy, and if you like art films or Criterion stuff in general, it is a genre worth checking out.
Anyway, I'm just hangin' out. It's good for me to relax and recharge on my days off (unless a Disneyland trip was planned, which unfortunately wasn't the case). Maybe on my walk tonight I will take the cam along and look for some night photo opportunities.
I'll be back later at the usual time. Keep ruling! I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight : I am posting later than usual because I got caught up in the hockey game, which (though, sports..) was one of the greatest sporting events I have ever seen. I am only an intermittent hockey fan, but these two teams played their hearts out tonight and it was really something to see. It turns out that it was the longest Kings game in their history. Consequently I had to do my entire walk and workout after the game was over.
Anyhow, just a typical day, even though a day off. I hope your day was good. I had a nice walk under the full moon. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Late Afternoon Love (a good day)
Hey, my Darling,
I just now saw your post from Humans Of New York, and of course I couldn't agree more! :) One thing I know for sure, you are gonna be glad that you are following your dreams, and one of the main reasons you will be glad is because there is no end to your journey. There is always something more to look forward to, to be excited about, to find mystery in.
One other thing I forgot to mention last night, cause I know I tend to get a little serious about the subject, is to always make sure to have fun! And I know you always do that. :)
It took me a little while to get going today. I was really tired by last night, so I slept in til about 9:30 this morn, which is not too bad I suppose. Then I had some coffee, did a little more housecleaning, some reading (began yet another Joe Farrell called "Transhumanism", my goodness.....). Then a little while ago I watched a movie: "Rush", which was really good. As far as big Hollywood movies go, you can't beat Ron Howard in the storytelling department. I had seen the ads for the movie when it came out, and I knew who Nikki Lauda was, having been somewhat of a racing fan, but I thought, "hmmmm, not sure you can get a movie's worth out of that story". But they really did. Good stuff.
So, now I am up and running. I will hang out here for another hour or so, then walk down to the store for some avocados and maybe some chips and salsa. That will count for part of my walk. Today was mainly a day for rest and recuperation and I feel good now. I hope you are having a great day, and a nice evening.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight: Not a lot to add, except again that I hope you enjoyed your day. It was a lovely evening here, low 80s, and I had a nice walk. People were having fun watching an outdoor movie on the Oviatt lawn. When I got home, I saw that the Spurs had won, and now lead Miami 3-1. I had been sweating the outcome, but it turned out good.
Are guys dumb, or what? Guys and sports. Why would a guy sweat out the outcome of a ballgame?
I don't know the answer to that one, but if you do, please tell me, lol.
All in all, a good day by any standard.
I Love You and wish you Sweet Dreams. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I just now saw your post from Humans Of New York, and of course I couldn't agree more! :) One thing I know for sure, you are gonna be glad that you are following your dreams, and one of the main reasons you will be glad is because there is no end to your journey. There is always something more to look forward to, to be excited about, to find mystery in.
One other thing I forgot to mention last night, cause I know I tend to get a little serious about the subject, is to always make sure to have fun! And I know you always do that. :)
It took me a little while to get going today. I was really tired by last night, so I slept in til about 9:30 this morn, which is not too bad I suppose. Then I had some coffee, did a little more housecleaning, some reading (began yet another Joe Farrell called "Transhumanism", my goodness.....). Then a little while ago I watched a movie: "Rush", which was really good. As far as big Hollywood movies go, you can't beat Ron Howard in the storytelling department. I had seen the ads for the movie when it came out, and I knew who Nikki Lauda was, having been somewhat of a racing fan, but I thought, "hmmmm, not sure you can get a movie's worth out of that story". But they really did. Good stuff.
So, now I am up and running. I will hang out here for another hour or so, then walk down to the store for some avocados and maybe some chips and salsa. That will count for part of my walk. Today was mainly a day for rest and recuperation and I feel good now. I hope you are having a great day, and a nice evening.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight: Not a lot to add, except again that I hope you enjoyed your day. It was a lovely evening here, low 80s, and I had a nice walk. People were having fun watching an outdoor movie on the Oviatt lawn. When I got home, I saw that the Spurs had won, and now lead Miami 3-1. I had been sweating the outcome, but it turned out good.
Are guys dumb, or what? Guys and sports. Why would a guy sweat out the outcome of a ballgame?
I don't know the answer to that one, but if you do, please tell me, lol.
All in all, a good day by any standard.
I Love You and wish you Sweet Dreams. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Devil Canyon (art)
Good Evening, my Darling,
Well, I'm home and I'm off. Just kinda getting squared away here. I did go to Devil Canyon this morn, only I really wasn't on the "canyon" (i.e. shady) part of the trail. To access that part of the trail, you have to go up to the top of a different boulevard (Topanga Canyon, famous from back in the Hippie days). And when you get to the top, where Topanga ends at the Santa Susana mountains, the road becomes private and it is lined with townhouses. To get to the trail, from what I read online, you have to walk through a complex of townhouses and to the backside, where you will find the trailhead. I did drive up that street with the townhouses, but I had no idea which complex was the one with the trailhead in back, and I didn't wanna get out and start lurking around, what with it being a "private" road and all.
So, I drove back a half-mile to another major boulevard called Canoga Avenue, and went to the top where it meets the mountains. I'd read of another trailhead up there, and it was easily accessible, right off the road. To get to the true "canyon" part of Devil Canyon trail, I'd have had to hike farther than I did. I would guess I went about a mile in. The entire trail is 5 miles. It's in the same general area as Stoney Point park, and also the same general area as some of the other Chatsworth trails I've visited. Anytime you see those big sandstone rocks, you know I'm in Chatsworth, a ten minute drive from Northridge. Anyhow, I will do some Googling and see if I can find the right townhouse complex to walk through to get to the shady part of the trail, where there is supposed to be a small creek. That might make for some good pictures.
I like all your recent posts, and boy, I could write a book about your friend Sarah Smiley's comments about art vs. commerce and being true to your art. Wow, that takes me back to when I was still writing from the Oviatt, and talking about Emily Dickinson, who wrote firstly for herself. I know I expounded on the subject, and I may do so again, or at least add another thought or two, a little later this eve. But, you know how anti-pressure I am, and it's not because I'm a wuss or because I don't believe in striving for something.
It's because I believe that pressure, whether you put it on yourself or whether you allow it to be put on you by someone else, is a false or artificial condition. Unnatural, in other words. It is the antithesis of what the artistic spirit is all about. Well, maybe I will add more later on the subject, but I will be back later.
I will mostly do the usual tonight, on the usual schedule, but I may add a movie if I can find one. Gotta do a little straightening, too. The Pad gets messy when I am go-go-going all the time.
And that reminds me : Go Kings Go! (yeah, sports, I know........)
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight : I think the thought I'd like to add has to do with the Latin saying of "Ars Longa, Vita Brevis". I first heard that saying back in the early 70s because it was the title of a piece by The Nice, which was Keith Emerson's band before he was in ELP. But I was thinking of that phrase this morning, interestingly enough, and probably because of your Sarah Smiley post.
The thing is that art has nothing to do with society. Nothing.
It has everything to do with The Individual Artist (and remember that artists are the ultimate non-grouped individuals), and it has everything to do with that particular Artist's inner world.
Girl, you know what I mean by Inner World.
And you know that all you owe to art (and it's really not a debt anyway, cause art won't care) is to express, in the most holistic and creative way, what you are thinking and feeling.
And you can even express it inside yourself! You do this all the time, every day. And in this way, you were born to be an Artist (and I like the title on your new FB page).
An Artist is not a commercial entity. Now by the same token, an Artist can be and should be noticed (for the right reasons of course, not just for being a loud, aggressive "squeaky wheel" ala current pop culture). An Artist should never dismiss the monetary aspect of art, but I think that is different than the commercial aspect, which, as your friend Sarah has discovered, tends to make the Artist feel pressure that she "owes" someone (a client, or peers, or family) something. A status, perhaps.
Status seeking is for people who live on the surface, and God Bless them, but that is not for the Artist.
Money will come, one way or another, and remember, it's all only about getting your bills paid. Everything else is gravy. But it's The Creative Impulse that is the lifeblood.
Your art is between you and yourself. You can include God and The World, too, cause they are your subject matter. But art is never about pressure or commerce. Money is always there, trust me.
David Lynch, a great Artist, made as his major filmmaking debut the movie "Eraserhead". It is so uncommercial and so devoid of thought for "outside world conventions", that he could only have made it in the way I am speaking, inside himself, with no care whatsoever for pressure or commerce.
And the money was there for him to complete it, because it always is. The people with money look for Artists who go all the way and stick to their guns and express what is inside themselves, no matter what that expression is.
Of course, it helps to have technical talent, and an eye (or ear) for things. But you have that.
The biggest point of all is that your Art is bigger, and will last longer, than any outside concept of it. Remember Emily Dickinson's poems sitting in a drawer for many years.
Were they any less powerful?
Her's is an extreme scenario, but I mention and return to it again and again because I believe she knew something. She knew she had done good work, and knew it's power, and she knew that was all that mattered because those poems were going to live on. And they have, and she knew that.
So, I think in the modern age you can strike a happy medium, and not only create your art (of all different kinds) but most importantly, live at all times intellectually as an Artist, inside yourself.
I use the term "intellectually" in the non-pretentious sense, because I can't stand the idea of a person considering themselves an intellectual. That again speaks of trying to be part of a "select group". I use the term in the literal sense of paying attention to your flow of thoughts and emotions, and making your "inner self" your best friend.
In this way you will discover, as you go along, just how enormous your life is, and I do not say that lightly. You will see what I mean.
There is a reason you think the way you do, and you must never let go of that. It is the most valuable thing in your artistic life. Your art, your thoughts, that stream, is You.
Don't worry about the rest.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Well, I'm home and I'm off. Just kinda getting squared away here. I did go to Devil Canyon this morn, only I really wasn't on the "canyon" (i.e. shady) part of the trail. To access that part of the trail, you have to go up to the top of a different boulevard (Topanga Canyon, famous from back in the Hippie days). And when you get to the top, where Topanga ends at the Santa Susana mountains, the road becomes private and it is lined with townhouses. To get to the trail, from what I read online, you have to walk through a complex of townhouses and to the backside, where you will find the trailhead. I did drive up that street with the townhouses, but I had no idea which complex was the one with the trailhead in back, and I didn't wanna get out and start lurking around, what with it being a "private" road and all.
So, I drove back a half-mile to another major boulevard called Canoga Avenue, and went to the top where it meets the mountains. I'd read of another trailhead up there, and it was easily accessible, right off the road. To get to the true "canyon" part of Devil Canyon trail, I'd have had to hike farther than I did. I would guess I went about a mile in. The entire trail is 5 miles. It's in the same general area as Stoney Point park, and also the same general area as some of the other Chatsworth trails I've visited. Anytime you see those big sandstone rocks, you know I'm in Chatsworth, a ten minute drive from Northridge. Anyhow, I will do some Googling and see if I can find the right townhouse complex to walk through to get to the shady part of the trail, where there is supposed to be a small creek. That might make for some good pictures.
I like all your recent posts, and boy, I could write a book about your friend Sarah Smiley's comments about art vs. commerce and being true to your art. Wow, that takes me back to when I was still writing from the Oviatt, and talking about Emily Dickinson, who wrote firstly for herself. I know I expounded on the subject, and I may do so again, or at least add another thought or two, a little later this eve. But, you know how anti-pressure I am, and it's not because I'm a wuss or because I don't believe in striving for something.
It's because I believe that pressure, whether you put it on yourself or whether you allow it to be put on you by someone else, is a false or artificial condition. Unnatural, in other words. It is the antithesis of what the artistic spirit is all about. Well, maybe I will add more later on the subject, but I will be back later.
I will mostly do the usual tonight, on the usual schedule, but I may add a movie if I can find one. Gotta do a little straightening, too. The Pad gets messy when I am go-go-going all the time.
And that reminds me : Go Kings Go! (yeah, sports, I know........)
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight : I think the thought I'd like to add has to do with the Latin saying of "Ars Longa, Vita Brevis". I first heard that saying back in the early 70s because it was the title of a piece by The Nice, which was Keith Emerson's band before he was in ELP. But I was thinking of that phrase this morning, interestingly enough, and probably because of your Sarah Smiley post.
The thing is that art has nothing to do with society. Nothing.
It has everything to do with The Individual Artist (and remember that artists are the ultimate non-grouped individuals), and it has everything to do with that particular Artist's inner world.
Girl, you know what I mean by Inner World.
And you know that all you owe to art (and it's really not a debt anyway, cause art won't care) is to express, in the most holistic and creative way, what you are thinking and feeling.
And you can even express it inside yourself! You do this all the time, every day. And in this way, you were born to be an Artist (and I like the title on your new FB page).
An Artist is not a commercial entity. Now by the same token, an Artist can be and should be noticed (for the right reasons of course, not just for being a loud, aggressive "squeaky wheel" ala current pop culture). An Artist should never dismiss the monetary aspect of art, but I think that is different than the commercial aspect, which, as your friend Sarah has discovered, tends to make the Artist feel pressure that she "owes" someone (a client, or peers, or family) something. A status, perhaps.
Status seeking is for people who live on the surface, and God Bless them, but that is not for the Artist.
Money will come, one way or another, and remember, it's all only about getting your bills paid. Everything else is gravy. But it's The Creative Impulse that is the lifeblood.
Your art is between you and yourself. You can include God and The World, too, cause they are your subject matter. But art is never about pressure or commerce. Money is always there, trust me.
David Lynch, a great Artist, made as his major filmmaking debut the movie "Eraserhead". It is so uncommercial and so devoid of thought for "outside world conventions", that he could only have made it in the way I am speaking, inside himself, with no care whatsoever for pressure or commerce.
And the money was there for him to complete it, because it always is. The people with money look for Artists who go all the way and stick to their guns and express what is inside themselves, no matter what that expression is.
Of course, it helps to have technical talent, and an eye (or ear) for things. But you have that.
The biggest point of all is that your Art is bigger, and will last longer, than any outside concept of it. Remember Emily Dickinson's poems sitting in a drawer for many years.
Were they any less powerful?
Her's is an extreme scenario, but I mention and return to it again and again because I believe she knew something. She knew she had done good work, and knew it's power, and she knew that was all that mattered because those poems were going to live on. And they have, and she knew that.
So, I think in the modern age you can strike a happy medium, and not only create your art (of all different kinds) but most importantly, live at all times intellectually as an Artist, inside yourself.
I use the term "intellectually" in the non-pretentious sense, because I can't stand the idea of a person considering themselves an intellectual. That again speaks of trying to be part of a "select group". I use the term in the literal sense of paying attention to your flow of thoughts and emotions, and making your "inner self" your best friend.
In this way you will discover, as you go along, just how enormous your life is, and I do not say that lightly. You will see what I mean.
There is a reason you think the way you do, and you must never let go of that. It is the most valuable thing in your artistic life. Your art, your thoughts, that stream, is You.
Don't worry about the rest.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Great Idea! (Bird House Photo) (tired but Goofy)
Good Morning, my Darling,
I just wanted to say "great idea" about starting your own photo page. You have plenty of exceptional work to show, and also your various styles are now presenting themselves as you can see for yourself. And, I just now saw your Prairie Burns documentary at your Vimeo. Excellent work, very professional. You tell the story succinctly, shot by shot. I am guessing at the end, with the purple flowers that have grown back, you made a return trip to the site.
So yes, great work all the way around, both still and motion picture. You are on your way! :)
Well, I am gonna do a little shopping before I have to pick Pearl up at 2pm, but I wanted to let you know that I like what I see.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back in a bit)
7:30pm : I am home. One of my recent photo favorites of yours, semi-recent anyway, is the white-on-grey picture of the bird houses against the overcast sky. That one, to me, is all about the shapes, tones and textures in the composition, and the entrance of the bird houses into the frame, from the right, rather than a more conventional center framed shot. In this way, the houses jut into the picture, as if presenting themselves, or perhaps the birds have done it. They are the picture's finishing touch, the living entities amidst the soft white and grey shapes of the clouds and houses.
It's neat to think about why you like a certain picture, so there is one example. :)
I am hoping to take some photos myself tomorrow morn. I discovered another new trail in Chatsworth called Devil Canyon Trail. I don't know how arduous it is (steep, rocky, full of bees, etc.), but it's supposed to be fairly shady according to some reviews I read, so I will check it out tomorrow after dropping Pearl off at The Big Banquet Meeting of Reseda Women's Club. Gotta take some more Reseda pictures, too, and I've got a couple spots in mind that are Very Reseda-y! :) Oh boy!
I will pick Pearl up tomorrow at 2pm and then I will be off until Sunday at 1pm. Let's see, what can we do?
A quick trip to Puma Punku, maybe? :):)
My walk at usual time. I know LeBron James is probably winning right now and I don't even care. Over it!
Back at usual time. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:40pm : Super tired, but the sleep-ins await. And, the Spurs won (but it's a trap). And who would think that Los Angeles would be known for it's hockey team? It's all mixed up, I tell ya.
If I were a Disney character, I'd be Goofy. :)
Well, my Baby, I think today was an excellent day. Your photo page is off to a great start, and because I am viewing from the sidelines, and can now see your student video work as well, I can see all the progress you have made. Here's a question : were you into photography prior to two years ago? I know you directed the Autre Temps video with your Dad, and I have seen - way back when - some pics that looked like modeling type shots from when you were probably in high school (which indicates at least a participation in photography), but did you do any extensive picture taking before 2012?
I ask because you have done some great work, and have a natural talent.
So, viewing from my perspective, I can see that all you've gotta do is keep doing it. And I like the sub-heading on your page, too, below your name : Artist.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I just wanted to say "great idea" about starting your own photo page. You have plenty of exceptional work to show, and also your various styles are now presenting themselves as you can see for yourself. And, I just now saw your Prairie Burns documentary at your Vimeo. Excellent work, very professional. You tell the story succinctly, shot by shot. I am guessing at the end, with the purple flowers that have grown back, you made a return trip to the site.
So yes, great work all the way around, both still and motion picture. You are on your way! :)
Well, I am gonna do a little shopping before I have to pick Pearl up at 2pm, but I wanted to let you know that I like what I see.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back in a bit)
7:30pm : I am home. One of my recent photo favorites of yours, semi-recent anyway, is the white-on-grey picture of the bird houses against the overcast sky. That one, to me, is all about the shapes, tones and textures in the composition, and the entrance of the bird houses into the frame, from the right, rather than a more conventional center framed shot. In this way, the houses jut into the picture, as if presenting themselves, or perhaps the birds have done it. They are the picture's finishing touch, the living entities amidst the soft white and grey shapes of the clouds and houses.
It's neat to think about why you like a certain picture, so there is one example. :)
I am hoping to take some photos myself tomorrow morn. I discovered another new trail in Chatsworth called Devil Canyon Trail. I don't know how arduous it is (steep, rocky, full of bees, etc.), but it's supposed to be fairly shady according to some reviews I read, so I will check it out tomorrow after dropping Pearl off at The Big Banquet Meeting of Reseda Women's Club. Gotta take some more Reseda pictures, too, and I've got a couple spots in mind that are Very Reseda-y! :) Oh boy!
I will pick Pearl up tomorrow at 2pm and then I will be off until Sunday at 1pm. Let's see, what can we do?
A quick trip to Puma Punku, maybe? :):)
My walk at usual time. I know LeBron James is probably winning right now and I don't even care. Over it!
Back at usual time. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:40pm : Super tired, but the sleep-ins await. And, the Spurs won (but it's a trap). And who would think that Los Angeles would be known for it's hockey team? It's all mixed up, I tell ya.
If I were a Disney character, I'd be Goofy. :)
Well, my Baby, I think today was an excellent day. Your photo page is off to a great start, and because I am viewing from the sidelines, and can now see your student video work as well, I can see all the progress you have made. Here's a question : were you into photography prior to two years ago? I know you directed the Autre Temps video with your Dad, and I have seen - way back when - some pics that looked like modeling type shots from when you were probably in high school (which indicates at least a participation in photography), but did you do any extensive picture taking before 2012?
I ask because you have done some great work, and have a natural talent.
So, viewing from my perspective, I can see that all you've gotta do is keep doing it. And I like the sub-heading on your page, too, below your name : Artist.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Monday, June 9, 2014
Monday Evening Love (decades)
Good Evening, Sweet Baby,
Another hot day today, but I did manage to get in two Kobedoggie excursions. This morning after breakfast, Pearl and I took him to The Shady Park (the little park just down the street), and then at 11, Pearl had an appointment with the foot doctor, so that always means an L.A. River walk for the Kobester. Of course, the L.A. River is nothing but a giant concrete channel, and so it was extra hot down there and we didn't go as far. But we still had fun.
I hope your day was good. I enjoyed the kitty video this morning. :) Super cute! I now have the Black Kitty following me everywhere I go whenever I go outside at Pearl's. She now lets me brush her, and has almost entirely stopped swatting at me. I have tamed a feral cat. But she sees us go in the house, and lately she has been laying on a table on Pearl's front patio, which is close to the front door. I don't know if she would actually come inside, with Kobi being in there, but you never know. He's a small guy anyway and I don't think the kitty would be too afraid of him. But, if it happens, it happens. I will just let it progress on it's own as I have done so far. The Black Kitty has come a long way and now she is a friendly sweetheart.
I am gonna check the Redbox real quick for anything watchable. On the miniscule chance that there is, I will walk across to 7/11 and rent it, but otherwise I will be here till Walk Time at 8:30. I hope you are enjoying your evening, and I Love You!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : It has cooled off considerably this eve, and I had a very nice walk. Now I am enjoying the Schumann. I did not find anything at Redbox. I am posting so many films from the 40s through the 60s (and many of them foreign) because in that era the story was what was important. And because humanity is complex, and because those complexities are brought out in myriad ways by the times in which we live, the possibility for nuance in human stories in cinema was at a peak during that time, and especially in Europe. If you like movies, take a chance and explore an older film from the post-war era. There are many great ones.
I think we are too locked into a cycle now, a 24/7 cycle, where things tend to go by the clock, and news events, and I think it is very important to shut that out (as much as possible) and tune in to the far greater power of The Earth, and The Greater Spirit of Humanity, which you will find in older works of art (and film, poetry, etc). Before the sped-up era began.
In those decades you will find much inspiration, in all forms of art.
I Love You, and I wish you Sweet Dreams, and I will see you in the morning.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Another hot day today, but I did manage to get in two Kobedoggie excursions. This morning after breakfast, Pearl and I took him to The Shady Park (the little park just down the street), and then at 11, Pearl had an appointment with the foot doctor, so that always means an L.A. River walk for the Kobester. Of course, the L.A. River is nothing but a giant concrete channel, and so it was extra hot down there and we didn't go as far. But we still had fun.
I hope your day was good. I enjoyed the kitty video this morning. :) Super cute! I now have the Black Kitty following me everywhere I go whenever I go outside at Pearl's. She now lets me brush her, and has almost entirely stopped swatting at me. I have tamed a feral cat. But she sees us go in the house, and lately she has been laying on a table on Pearl's front patio, which is close to the front door. I don't know if she would actually come inside, with Kobi being in there, but you never know. He's a small guy anyway and I don't think the kitty would be too afraid of him. But, if it happens, it happens. I will just let it progress on it's own as I have done so far. The Black Kitty has come a long way and now she is a friendly sweetheart.
I am gonna check the Redbox real quick for anything watchable. On the miniscule chance that there is, I will walk across to 7/11 and rent it, but otherwise I will be here till Walk Time at 8:30. I hope you are enjoying your evening, and I Love You!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : It has cooled off considerably this eve, and I had a very nice walk. Now I am enjoying the Schumann. I did not find anything at Redbox. I am posting so many films from the 40s through the 60s (and many of them foreign) because in that era the story was what was important. And because humanity is complex, and because those complexities are brought out in myriad ways by the times in which we live, the possibility for nuance in human stories in cinema was at a peak during that time, and especially in Europe. If you like movies, take a chance and explore an older film from the post-war era. There are many great ones.
I think we are too locked into a cycle now, a 24/7 cycle, where things tend to go by the clock, and news events, and I think it is very important to shut that out (as much as possible) and tune in to the far greater power of The Earth, and The Greater Spirit of Humanity, which you will find in older works of art (and film, poetry, etc). Before the sped-up era began.
In those decades you will find much inspiration, in all forms of art.
I Love You, and I wish you Sweet Dreams, and I will see you in the morning.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Sweet Baby! (we've gotta go!)
Sweet Baby! Good Evening, and I hope you had a nice day. I stayed in this afternoon cause it was hot, so I just did some reading, cleaning and guitar playing. I can still play, even with my goofy bent finger, though some chords are a little tougher to hold down. But that just means more lead playing, haha.
Did you go to Megatone? I saw your post, and I know those guys hang out and jam, so I thought you might be there too, or even doing some recording. As long as you're still playing, that's the important thing. :) As your friend Paul said, "It's a musical life".
Pearl was tired this morn, so she did not go to church and I was not able to take Kobi to CSUN. I say I was not able because he wouldn't go. He is so loyal to Pearl that because she went back to bed and was asleep, he stayed right there on the bed with her. I kept saying, "Kobi, let's go to CSUN! CSUN, Kobe"! But nothing doing, he wouldn't budge. So I gave up and came home, then it got hot.
So, I will do my entire walk in a little while, complete with dreaded 15 minute workout. I don't know if the Heat are winning or losing because I can't bring myself to check the score. I have already resigned myself to their Threepeat, and by doing so relieved a lot of stress, so I don't wanna check the score, find out it's a close game, and get my hopes up. Yeah.......sports, I know. My friends and family used to laugh at me when the Lakers played for championships back in the 80s, cause I couldn't watch. It made me too nervous, so I'd go out to the garage and listen to music on a ghetto blaster out there, turned up loud so I wouldn't hear any cheering from the house. Then after a while I'd come back in and see who won.
Yeah, sports, I know. I can only enjoy sports if it's two teams I don't care about, or if the game is a blowout from the get-go and my team is winning. Or if it's a blowout and LeBron is losing, which I hope is the case right now........but I'm not getting my hopes up. :)
Alright, enough sports already. I will go for my walk in an hour, then come back at the usual time no matter who wins the game.
I Love You, my Baby! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : Just to wish you sweet dreams and a great start to the week when you wake up tomorrow morning. I have three more wake-ups to go until I get four sleep-ins, hooray! I wish I had somebody to go to Disneyland with me when I get four days off like this. Vickie don't wanna go no more.
Will you go with me? :):)
It doesn't have to be during these particular days off............unless....
Well, if you happen to knock on my door on Thursday morn, and it's gotta be early cause we've gotta spend all day there, then we will go, no questions asked. It can be Friday, too. Or Saturday.
Sunday I'll be back at work. But we can always go after that, maybe later in the Summer or at Halloweentime.
I can even pick you up, if need be, and drop you off on the way home. :):)
We'll go, it'll be fun.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Did you go to Megatone? I saw your post, and I know those guys hang out and jam, so I thought you might be there too, or even doing some recording. As long as you're still playing, that's the important thing. :) As your friend Paul said, "It's a musical life".
Pearl was tired this morn, so she did not go to church and I was not able to take Kobi to CSUN. I say I was not able because he wouldn't go. He is so loyal to Pearl that because she went back to bed and was asleep, he stayed right there on the bed with her. I kept saying, "Kobi, let's go to CSUN! CSUN, Kobe"! But nothing doing, he wouldn't budge. So I gave up and came home, then it got hot.
So, I will do my entire walk in a little while, complete with dreaded 15 minute workout. I don't know if the Heat are winning or losing because I can't bring myself to check the score. I have already resigned myself to their Threepeat, and by doing so relieved a lot of stress, so I don't wanna check the score, find out it's a close game, and get my hopes up. Yeah.......sports, I know. My friends and family used to laugh at me when the Lakers played for championships back in the 80s, cause I couldn't watch. It made me too nervous, so I'd go out to the garage and listen to music on a ghetto blaster out there, turned up loud so I wouldn't hear any cheering from the house. Then after a while I'd come back in and see who won.
Yeah, sports, I know. I can only enjoy sports if it's two teams I don't care about, or if the game is a blowout from the get-go and my team is winning. Or if it's a blowout and LeBron is losing, which I hope is the case right now........but I'm not getting my hopes up. :)
Alright, enough sports already. I will go for my walk in an hour, then come back at the usual time no matter who wins the game.
I Love You, my Baby! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : Just to wish you sweet dreams and a great start to the week when you wake up tomorrow morning. I have three more wake-ups to go until I get four sleep-ins, hooray! I wish I had somebody to go to Disneyland with me when I get four days off like this. Vickie don't wanna go no more.
Will you go with me? :):)
It doesn't have to be during these particular days off............unless....
Well, if you happen to knock on my door on Thursday morn, and it's gotta be early cause we've gotta spend all day there, then we will go, no questions asked. It can be Friday, too. Or Saturday.
Sunday I'll be back at work. But we can always go after that, maybe later in the Summer or at Halloweentime.
I can even pick you up, if need be, and drop you off on the way home. :):)
We'll go, it'll be fun.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Happy On Saturday Night (Red)
Good Evening, my Darling,
I am home, and I am happy. First, because I saw that Bill Watterson is back! I know he was and is your favorite, and I liked Calvin & Hobbes too (who didn't?), so that makes me happy, but the second thing that makes me happy is that he is also Eric Whitacre's favorite, and that is awesome, a heart-melter in fact.
You know I love you, and I am always right here and always thinking about you.
It might feel a little weird now that you are in your first Summer where you won't be going back to full-time school, but you'll still be going to Italy to complete your photo studies, and you're going there because you made the great decision to follow your bliss. So everything in your life is gonna work out fine, I guarantee it.
There are no worries ahead, just a fun Summer, and remember, even the little things can be fun, and sometimes they are the most fun. "Adventure Is Everywhere"; truer words were never spoken!
I am gonna hang out as per usual and decide whether or not I wanna spend the money to see King Crimson........stay tuned (even though you know I'll probably do it, lol).
I'll be back later at the usual time.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight: I did wind up buying a King Crimson ticket. I figured I hadn't seen 'em since 1981 (33 years!), and they almost never tour or make records anymore, and who knows if they'll ever tour again, and finally, their concerts are mindblowers. So, I spent the 80 bucks.
If you wanna hear an awesome song, check out "Red" by King Crimson from the album of the same name. They have played in different styles over their career, but that song in 1974 set the stage for progressive metal to come.
I am on an obscure piano kick lately. The Webern piece I posted is one of those modern pieces where a casual listener might say "that sounds like my three year old banging away". But of course it's not. Even the most atonal music takes skill to compose. And for some crazy reason, I go through periods when it hits the spot for me. Some nights, it's just right......
I finished my latest Dr. Joe book too, "Roswell And The Reich". This country has kept a lot of secrets, and one day they will all come out.
I Love You and hope your day was good. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I am home, and I am happy. First, because I saw that Bill Watterson is back! I know he was and is your favorite, and I liked Calvin & Hobbes too (who didn't?), so that makes me happy, but the second thing that makes me happy is that he is also Eric Whitacre's favorite, and that is awesome, a heart-melter in fact.
You know I love you, and I am always right here and always thinking about you.
It might feel a little weird now that you are in your first Summer where you won't be going back to full-time school, but you'll still be going to Italy to complete your photo studies, and you're going there because you made the great decision to follow your bliss. So everything in your life is gonna work out fine, I guarantee it.
There are no worries ahead, just a fun Summer, and remember, even the little things can be fun, and sometimes they are the most fun. "Adventure Is Everywhere"; truer words were never spoken!
I am gonna hang out as per usual and decide whether or not I wanna spend the money to see King Crimson........stay tuned (even though you know I'll probably do it, lol).
I'll be back later at the usual time.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Midnight: I did wind up buying a King Crimson ticket. I figured I hadn't seen 'em since 1981 (33 years!), and they almost never tour or make records anymore, and who knows if they'll ever tour again, and finally, their concerts are mindblowers. So, I spent the 80 bucks.
If you wanna hear an awesome song, check out "Red" by King Crimson from the album of the same name. They have played in different styles over their career, but that song in 1974 set the stage for progressive metal to come.
I am on an obscure piano kick lately. The Webern piece I posted is one of those modern pieces where a casual listener might say "that sounds like my three year old banging away". But of course it's not. Even the most atonal music takes skill to compose. And for some crazy reason, I go through periods when it hits the spot for me. Some nights, it's just right......
I finished my latest Dr. Joe book too, "Roswell And The Reich". This country has kept a lot of secrets, and one day they will all come out.
I Love You and hope your day was good. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Friday, June 6, 2014
An Average Day
Hi, my Baby,
Sorry I'm so late in posting, but it was just an average day. Not much to report. After next Wednesday I will have four days off, so I can recharge then. Right now I am listening to a somewhat wacky Charles Ives sonata. I knew it would be weird when I Youtubed Ives (because I am always in search of new piano music), but I didn't know it would be this experimental. But, I keep my ears open to almost anything in the pianistic realm.
Hope you had a nice day. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Sorry I'm so late in posting, but it was just an average day. Not much to report. After next Wednesday I will have four days off, so I can recharge then. Right now I am listening to a somewhat wacky Charles Ives sonata. I knew it would be weird when I Youtubed Ives (because I am always in search of new piano music), but I didn't know it would be this experimental. But, I keep my ears open to almost anything in the pianistic realm.
Hope you had a nice day. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Reseda (notice them)
Good Evening, Awesome Lady,
I just got back from my walk. Did my little mini-workout, too, the first in a couple weeks. I love walking but working out I most decidedly do not love. It's good for me to do it, though, so even though it would be real easy to just keep skipping it, I can't. Gotta stay in shape, or a reasonable facsimilie thereof.
A basic day today, though I was out looking for Classic Reseda photo ops while Pearl was at the hairdresser. I kind of "lol" to myself when I post 'em, because I know some folks, maybe most, will go : "A coin-op laundry, what's up with that? Why take a photo of that"? And the answer is "just because of the Reseda-ness".
Reseda was always the quintessential Valley suburb in the early post-war period of the 1950s through the 70s. It was flat middle class, not upper or lower, and the shops, homes and citizens were so representative of those times.
But even more than Northridge, Reseda never changes. You'll see the same lawn-mower repair shop that's been on a certain corner since probably the 30s or 40s, and I mean : how does a lawn-mower repair shop stay in business for 70 years? Or an ancient upholstery shop with the same original hand painted sign?
So that's Reseda, where I lived from birth until 1967, and where Pearl has lived since 1953, in the same house. Reseda is just south of Northridge, which is actually an older community, but we've had more changes because of CSUN and the local shopping mall.
But Reseda is classic. It's old, and yet it's not slummy. It's been in a Tom Petty song, and Frank Zappa mentioned it on his "Live At The Roxy" album. It's the kind of place where you drive by a run-down coin-op laundry, and you just go, "now that's classic Reseda". And then you take a picture! :)
I hope you had a good day. I am gonna have something to eat and relax for a few, and I will write a little more at the usual time. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:45pm : The song you posted earlier today reminded me of Amesoeurs. Man, that was a great band, kinda off the wall with the Audrey yelling and the jazzy inflections. Well, my girl, just remember that you can photograph (or play, as in music) anything that is You.
Start to notice the Things Sensed that belong to You, that mean something inside. It's the coin-op laundry thing, though for me that is a minor example, one I might not notice if I did not drive by it every day.
However, I do drive by it, and I did notice it. Why does it catch my eye?
That is what you want to figure out, in your own cache of Things That Belong To You.
Take notice of these things, and observe their details.
Because you are an Artist (and I have said that from the beginning), you have These Things. Many creative people (most in fact) do not. Most have "styles" or belong to genres, and that is fine, too, but it is not as personal. You have individuality, which means that you express the things that matter to you - and it could be anything including an - *ahem* - old coin op laundry or a shadow on a sidewalk.
These Things will present themselves over time to you, so there's no big rush. But it's still good to start noticing them now. What do you notice, in small, seemingly unimportant ways? What do you see, in the repetitons of daily life?
Let them bubble up to the surface.........then add them to the ingredients of your Artistry. And remember, they belong to You, because You noticed them.
:):)
I just got back from my walk. Did my little mini-workout, too, the first in a couple weeks. I love walking but working out I most decidedly do not love. It's good for me to do it, though, so even though it would be real easy to just keep skipping it, I can't. Gotta stay in shape, or a reasonable facsimilie thereof.
A basic day today, though I was out looking for Classic Reseda photo ops while Pearl was at the hairdresser. I kind of "lol" to myself when I post 'em, because I know some folks, maybe most, will go : "A coin-op laundry, what's up with that? Why take a photo of that"? And the answer is "just because of the Reseda-ness".
Reseda was always the quintessential Valley suburb in the early post-war period of the 1950s through the 70s. It was flat middle class, not upper or lower, and the shops, homes and citizens were so representative of those times.
But even more than Northridge, Reseda never changes. You'll see the same lawn-mower repair shop that's been on a certain corner since probably the 30s or 40s, and I mean : how does a lawn-mower repair shop stay in business for 70 years? Or an ancient upholstery shop with the same original hand painted sign?
So that's Reseda, where I lived from birth until 1967, and where Pearl has lived since 1953, in the same house. Reseda is just south of Northridge, which is actually an older community, but we've had more changes because of CSUN and the local shopping mall.
But Reseda is classic. It's old, and yet it's not slummy. It's been in a Tom Petty song, and Frank Zappa mentioned it on his "Live At The Roxy" album. It's the kind of place where you drive by a run-down coin-op laundry, and you just go, "now that's classic Reseda". And then you take a picture! :)
I hope you had a good day. I am gonna have something to eat and relax for a few, and I will write a little more at the usual time. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:45pm : The song you posted earlier today reminded me of Amesoeurs. Man, that was a great band, kinda off the wall with the Audrey yelling and the jazzy inflections. Well, my girl, just remember that you can photograph (or play, as in music) anything that is You.
Start to notice the Things Sensed that belong to You, that mean something inside. It's the coin-op laundry thing, though for me that is a minor example, one I might not notice if I did not drive by it every day.
However, I do drive by it, and I did notice it. Why does it catch my eye?
That is what you want to figure out, in your own cache of Things That Belong To You.
Take notice of these things, and observe their details.
Because you are an Artist (and I have said that from the beginning), you have These Things. Many creative people (most in fact) do not. Most have "styles" or belong to genres, and that is fine, too, but it is not as personal. You have individuality, which means that you express the things that matter to you - and it could be anything including an - *ahem* - old coin op laundry or a shadow on a sidewalk.
These Things will present themselves over time to you, so there's no big rush. But it's still good to start noticing them now. What do you notice, in small, seemingly unimportant ways? What do you see, in the repetitons of daily life?
Let them bubble up to the surface.........then add them to the ingredients of your Artistry. And remember, they belong to You, because You noticed them.
:):)
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Enchantments (about you)
Good Evening, my Darling,
I hope you are having a nice evening. I really enjoyed discovering Aliso Canyon today. It's so close to my apartment, a six minute drive, and it blows me away that I've been living near it all this time without knowing it. I know my pictures have a "samey" quality, but for one thing, that's the local terrain for you. Every park and trail I go to is within 20 miles of each other, so the terrain is pretty similar, and Placerita can resemble Aliso Canyon, etc. The Chatsworth area five miles to the west is different because of the rocks, but in general the canyons and groves of trees have a similar look. Still, I photograph them all. As I said, each has a different feel, and I look for patterns of light and shade to define that feel. My camera, being a point and shoot, has it's limitations. The black-and-white setting is automatic only, so I can't adjust anything, and it tends to overexpose in brightly lit areas of the frame. In sunshine it also tends to get a "pixellated" look. I can't get that smooth, blended ultra-rich grey scale you got in you lightning photo.
Still, for a 200 dollar cam, it's pretty versatile, and for the time being I will keep using it.
I love shooting the patterns of light, but what I wanna do now - and I may need to go at a different time of day to do it - is to get inside those patterns.
I'm always looking for ghosts to photograph, and you can find 'em inside the shadows.
I don't mean human ghosts necessarily, just enchantments of any kind. You know them when you see them, and in these wooded places you can always feel them, as you yourself know. So I want to get inside the types of pictures I've been taking, to try and photograph the enchantments, and to do that I'll have to look for really weird and different angles, and I'll have to go to the location with serious intent to photograph them. That's part of the process, as we've discussed. And lastly, I may have to go later in the afternoon, which is tricky because of my schedule. But we'll see, and it'll all work out. I'm just glad I found the place, because it's one of the most awesome trails yet in my Trail Collection, and it's also the closest! Oh Boy!
I liked the Alison Scarpulla photo. She sure knows about the enchantments, and is an excellent photographer. I hope you have had, or will soon have, a chance to take some pics as well. But enjoying your Summer any way you want to enjoy it is the main thing. The weather looks nice up there and I hope your recent days have been fun.
I did probably half my walk on the trail, so I only have half left. I may wait until later to do it, so I will be around till 9pm at least, and then back at the usual time. I Love You.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:35pm : Just to wish you sweet dreams. I hope all is well. I am here, and I am thinking about you.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I hope you are having a nice evening. I really enjoyed discovering Aliso Canyon today. It's so close to my apartment, a six minute drive, and it blows me away that I've been living near it all this time without knowing it. I know my pictures have a "samey" quality, but for one thing, that's the local terrain for you. Every park and trail I go to is within 20 miles of each other, so the terrain is pretty similar, and Placerita can resemble Aliso Canyon, etc. The Chatsworth area five miles to the west is different because of the rocks, but in general the canyons and groves of trees have a similar look. Still, I photograph them all. As I said, each has a different feel, and I look for patterns of light and shade to define that feel. My camera, being a point and shoot, has it's limitations. The black-and-white setting is automatic only, so I can't adjust anything, and it tends to overexpose in brightly lit areas of the frame. In sunshine it also tends to get a "pixellated" look. I can't get that smooth, blended ultra-rich grey scale you got in you lightning photo.
Still, for a 200 dollar cam, it's pretty versatile, and for the time being I will keep using it.
I love shooting the patterns of light, but what I wanna do now - and I may need to go at a different time of day to do it - is to get inside those patterns.
I'm always looking for ghosts to photograph, and you can find 'em inside the shadows.
I don't mean human ghosts necessarily, just enchantments of any kind. You know them when you see them, and in these wooded places you can always feel them, as you yourself know. So I want to get inside the types of pictures I've been taking, to try and photograph the enchantments, and to do that I'll have to look for really weird and different angles, and I'll have to go to the location with serious intent to photograph them. That's part of the process, as we've discussed. And lastly, I may have to go later in the afternoon, which is tricky because of my schedule. But we'll see, and it'll all work out. I'm just glad I found the place, because it's one of the most awesome trails yet in my Trail Collection, and it's also the closest! Oh Boy!
I liked the Alison Scarpulla photo. She sure knows about the enchantments, and is an excellent photographer. I hope you have had, or will soon have, a chance to take some pics as well. But enjoying your Summer any way you want to enjoy it is the main thing. The weather looks nice up there and I hope your recent days have been fun.
I did probably half my walk on the trail, so I only have half left. I may wait until later to do it, so I will be around till 9pm at least, and then back at the usual time. I Love You.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:35pm : Just to wish you sweet dreams. I hope all is well. I am here, and I am thinking about you.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Coexist (evening)
Good Evening my Baby,
Yeah, you are right: "Coexist". Whether it's Palestinians and Israelis or Old Time Northridgers and Mayor Garcetti and Developers. I understand they want to beautify the 'hood (and other 'hoods in the area) in order to attract shoppers and foot traffic. It's just that there is already a lot of commerce in our town. It doesn't take place so much on Reseda Boulevard anymore, as it did in the 60s and 70s, but Northridge is full of successful shopping areas and businesses. It's just that the area in question is our Old Town, with buildings erected in the 1930s and even earlier. I even took a picture from that location that I put on my Flickr last year. It is a photo of the sidewalk, at night, in front of the Lum Ka Naad restaurant. That restaurant is new, and it is very successful, but it is installed in an Old Town building from the 1930s, where another very successful restaurant called Morigi's used to be, and it was there for 50 years. So it's not the change in businesses that bothers me; that happens, and over time we lose favorite old restaurants, or hangouts, or what have you. What bothers me is the need (and there IS no need) to tear down the old structures, just to put up modern, bland, same-as-every-town-in-America, boring stucco buildings. My friend Ono is right: they do it so that corporate chain stores can move in, and move out all the old Mom & Pop stores.
That's what bothers me, and that's why I dislike the tactics of the developers. Per se, I would have nothing against them if they knew when to quit, but they don't, and unless you have a really strong neighborhood preservation group, like the one I mentioned just north of us in Granada Hills, then the developers win every time.
Ahh, it's funny because I mentioned voting earlier. I've gotta take a break here and go vote right now! Today is our California primary election. The polls close at 8pm. Lucky for me I vote right next door at the Methodist Church. Don't worry - I'm gonna vote for Jerry Brown. He's the best Governor we've ever had. I don't know that I'd vote for Mayor Garcetti again, though. But I'll shut up now and go vote, and I'll do part of my walk when I'm done. Then I'll be back.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:40pm : A very nice photo by Besler. I have seen his pictures before, I think in the same valley area, of the night sky and stars. You may have posted them in fact. I know he has taken some time exposures that are very impressive. One was of the Milky Way, I believe.
I am listening to Janacek's piano music. I only know him because ELP did a song called "Knife Edge" that was based on one of his compositions. But this piano music is very meditative, I like it.
Well, I voted and went on my walk. I love the campus. No one was up there tonight. Northridge is supposed to be boring and quiet. It's part of the psychic vibe.
I hope you had a nice evening. I Love You.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Yeah, you are right: "Coexist". Whether it's Palestinians and Israelis or Old Time Northridgers and Mayor Garcetti and Developers. I understand they want to beautify the 'hood (and other 'hoods in the area) in order to attract shoppers and foot traffic. It's just that there is already a lot of commerce in our town. It doesn't take place so much on Reseda Boulevard anymore, as it did in the 60s and 70s, but Northridge is full of successful shopping areas and businesses. It's just that the area in question is our Old Town, with buildings erected in the 1930s and even earlier. I even took a picture from that location that I put on my Flickr last year. It is a photo of the sidewalk, at night, in front of the Lum Ka Naad restaurant. That restaurant is new, and it is very successful, but it is installed in an Old Town building from the 1930s, where another very successful restaurant called Morigi's used to be, and it was there for 50 years. So it's not the change in businesses that bothers me; that happens, and over time we lose favorite old restaurants, or hangouts, or what have you. What bothers me is the need (and there IS no need) to tear down the old structures, just to put up modern, bland, same-as-every-town-in-America, boring stucco buildings. My friend Ono is right: they do it so that corporate chain stores can move in, and move out all the old Mom & Pop stores.
That's what bothers me, and that's why I dislike the tactics of the developers. Per se, I would have nothing against them if they knew when to quit, but they don't, and unless you have a really strong neighborhood preservation group, like the one I mentioned just north of us in Granada Hills, then the developers win every time.
Ahh, it's funny because I mentioned voting earlier. I've gotta take a break here and go vote right now! Today is our California primary election. The polls close at 8pm. Lucky for me I vote right next door at the Methodist Church. Don't worry - I'm gonna vote for Jerry Brown. He's the best Governor we've ever had. I don't know that I'd vote for Mayor Garcetti again, though. But I'll shut up now and go vote, and I'll do part of my walk when I'm done. Then I'll be back.
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:40pm : A very nice photo by Besler. I have seen his pictures before, I think in the same valley area, of the night sky and stars. You may have posted them in fact. I know he has taken some time exposures that are very impressive. One was of the Milky Way, I believe.
I am listening to Janacek's piano music. I only know him because ELP did a song called "Knife Edge" that was based on one of his compositions. But this piano music is very meditative, I like it.
Well, I voted and went on my walk. I love the campus. No one was up there tonight. Northridge is supposed to be boring and quiet. It's part of the psychic vibe.
I hope you had a nice evening. I Love You.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Monday, June 2, 2014
Cryptography & Beating The Heat (Bartok)
Good Evening my Baby,
I like your post, and I hope your friend Brian is feeling better. He looks like he is. :) You know, you responded to a Brian post the other night. It was something about girls wearing a certain kind of shorts, but anyway, he had asked for your response, and your first words were something like "Sorry, I can't comment". Now, that was the beginning of your answer to his question, but it also took me back to the earliest days of our symbolic communication, when I was just getting used to the symbolism and I was looking at everything as a potential clue.
Your words the other night took me back because I had just recently blogged about the subject. It was sometime in the last four or five days (since I resumed posting) that I wrote about "whatever you went through in October 2012 must have been pretty severe" to cause direct communication to stop and symbolic communication to begin a few months later, in January 2013. So anyway, not to belabor the point, but because I had just mentioned that aspect in my recent blog, when I saw the first words of your response to Brian - "Sorry, can't comment" - I sort of went back to the old days of seeing a clue in everything, and I halfway took those words to be a response to me as well: "Sorry I can't comment" directly (i.e. to my blogs and FB posts).
Now, chances are you probably didn't intend any double meaning, and just meant it as a straightforward response to Brian. But, on the off chance that you did mean it also as a hidden message, then I wanted to give credit where it was due and say, "good job". :)
See, I told ya, that's the way my kooky brain works!
We could have been cryptographers for the Bletchley Park Circle in England, haha.
Anyway...........:):)
I hope you had a great day. We went to the basketball park again this morn. My shot is getting a little better. If it gets good enough I will offer my services to San Antonio to prevent LeBron from getting his Threepeat. Not too many athletes get under my skin, but he is one that definitely does, and I know I am not alone in my assessment. Him and Serena Williams bug me. She already lost at the French Open (yay!), and hopefully the Spurs will turn up the heat on the Heat and knock them out of the finals.
Yeah, sports, I know. If it was anybody but LeBron........
I've gotta get back to taking some pictures! ;)
This week for sure.
Well, my Baby, I will do the usual this eve, and be back at the usual time. I Love You!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : The Bartok "Mikrokosmos" is very simple (or seems simple to me, a non-pianist) but it is also very captivating I think. The key to a lot of this piano music is just to let it elapse, and as it does, it weaves it's spell on you.
I will see you in the morn. Sweet Dreams. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I like your post, and I hope your friend Brian is feeling better. He looks like he is. :) You know, you responded to a Brian post the other night. It was something about girls wearing a certain kind of shorts, but anyway, he had asked for your response, and your first words were something like "Sorry, I can't comment". Now, that was the beginning of your answer to his question, but it also took me back to the earliest days of our symbolic communication, when I was just getting used to the symbolism and I was looking at everything as a potential clue.
Your words the other night took me back because I had just recently blogged about the subject. It was sometime in the last four or five days (since I resumed posting) that I wrote about "whatever you went through in October 2012 must have been pretty severe" to cause direct communication to stop and symbolic communication to begin a few months later, in January 2013. So anyway, not to belabor the point, but because I had just mentioned that aspect in my recent blog, when I saw the first words of your response to Brian - "Sorry, can't comment" - I sort of went back to the old days of seeing a clue in everything, and I halfway took those words to be a response to me as well: "Sorry I can't comment" directly (i.e. to my blogs and FB posts).
Now, chances are you probably didn't intend any double meaning, and just meant it as a straightforward response to Brian. But, on the off chance that you did mean it also as a hidden message, then I wanted to give credit where it was due and say, "good job". :)
See, I told ya, that's the way my kooky brain works!
We could have been cryptographers for the Bletchley Park Circle in England, haha.
Anyway...........:):)
I hope you had a great day. We went to the basketball park again this morn. My shot is getting a little better. If it gets good enough I will offer my services to San Antonio to prevent LeBron from getting his Threepeat. Not too many athletes get under my skin, but he is one that definitely does, and I know I am not alone in my assessment. Him and Serena Williams bug me. She already lost at the French Open (yay!), and hopefully the Spurs will turn up the heat on the Heat and knock them out of the finals.
Yeah, sports, I know. If it was anybody but LeBron........
I've gotta get back to taking some pictures! ;)
This week for sure.
Well, my Baby, I will do the usual this eve, and be back at the usual time. I Love You!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
11:30pm : The Bartok "Mikrokosmos" is very simple (or seems simple to me, a non-pianist) but it is also very captivating I think. The key to a lot of this piano music is just to let it elapse, and as it does, it weaves it's spell on you.
I will see you in the morn. Sweet Dreams. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Black Kitty, Black Metal, Pulu Si Bagumba (You Have Earned It)
Hi my Darling,
I am home. Boy, I have really tamed the Black Kitty at Pearl's. Now she'll let be brush her, and she even comes down off the roof of the shed to follow me around. Maybe she can eventually be a house cat, though Kobi probably wouldn't go along with that idea. But, we've come a long way from when she was purely feral and would run at the sight of me bringing her food. Makes me happy! :)
Typical Sunday: Kobi to CSUN, etc. Took a nap this afternoon, feel good now. I like the picture of Fenriz. For a while I was listening to a lot of second wave Black Metal, including Darkthrone and Carpathian Forest and Marduk and Immortal and all that stuff. I don't listen to a ton of it anymore, but two bands did stick with me : Emperor and Dissection (Jon, the leader of Dissection, was a psycho, but that doesn't take away the power or quality of the music). Both of those bands were early second wave, late 80s/early 90s, on the heels of Celtic Frost and Venom.
I hope your day was good. My friend Ryan (aka The Prime Minister from the photos) is gonna come over to accompany me on my walk, which will be at the usual time. Back at the usual time, too. The "Pulu Si Bagumba" shirt is from a line in an episode of "Gilligan's Island". It's a classic line, and I Googled it for some ridiculous unknown reason, and the shirt came back! So I had to post it.......
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back in a bit)
11:40pm : Well, it is late once again, and so I will say goodnight and wish you sweet dreams. I can imagine you are feeling a little different as we head into Summer. All done with school (or mostly), yet likely with a lot of projects planned. It can be unsettling to be suddenly out of a schedule. But right now, after all the work you have put in over the years, you owe it to yourself to enjoy. Have a blast in the coming days.
Are you working this Summer? Regardless, the verdict is the same. Have a blast, and keep doing what you have been, creatively. That's my advice.
:):)
I am home. Boy, I have really tamed the Black Kitty at Pearl's. Now she'll let be brush her, and she even comes down off the roof of the shed to follow me around. Maybe she can eventually be a house cat, though Kobi probably wouldn't go along with that idea. But, we've come a long way from when she was purely feral and would run at the sight of me bringing her food. Makes me happy! :)
Typical Sunday: Kobi to CSUN, etc. Took a nap this afternoon, feel good now. I like the picture of Fenriz. For a while I was listening to a lot of second wave Black Metal, including Darkthrone and Carpathian Forest and Marduk and Immortal and all that stuff. I don't listen to a ton of it anymore, but two bands did stick with me : Emperor and Dissection (Jon, the leader of Dissection, was a psycho, but that doesn't take away the power or quality of the music). Both of those bands were early second wave, late 80s/early 90s, on the heels of Celtic Frost and Venom.
I hope your day was good. My friend Ryan (aka The Prime Minister from the photos) is gonna come over to accompany me on my walk, which will be at the usual time. Back at the usual time, too. The "Pulu Si Bagumba" shirt is from a line in an episode of "Gilligan's Island". It's a classic line, and I Googled it for some ridiculous unknown reason, and the shirt came back! So I had to post it.......
I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
(back in a bit)
11:40pm : Well, it is late once again, and so I will say goodnight and wish you sweet dreams. I can imagine you are feeling a little different as we head into Summer. All done with school (or mostly), yet likely with a lot of projects planned. It can be unsettling to be suddenly out of a schedule. But right now, after all the work you have put in over the years, you owe it to yourself to enjoy. Have a blast in the coming days.
Are you working this Summer? Regardless, the verdict is the same. Have a blast, and keep doing what you have been, creatively. That's my advice.
:):)
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