My last blog entry, especially the part about my return to the booth, got me the same basic question over and over again: "So, is that all you do at work -- sit back and relax?" The answer is no, it's not; at 9:00 in the morning, it just works out that way sometimes. Just so you'll know (see how clever that was?), here's what it looks like a lot of the time, especially during this busy Christmas season. [This photo was taken on my co-worker Cindy's workday, not mine. Just so you'll know.]
And for those who inquired about what my view looks like while not thusly engaged, here's the same shot (roughly) taken without all the vehicles. Not too shabby, huh?
Okay, enough said on that little matter. Let's move on and catch you all up on what's been going on around here the past month. One of the most exciting things was my friend Alexa Walker's debut appearance at Alpine's Artwalk/Gallery Night last month. She was invited to show her spectacular photographs at the historic and beautiful Holland Hotel.
As you can see, the venue left a little to be desired from an actual space standpoint, but it just got you all the more involved with the work, as if you were actually there. I'll tell you, I've always been a big fan of her work -- having viewed it on her website on more than one occasion (http://3heartsranch.com/) -- but it is truly remarkable stuff when you get to view it first-hand. Here's a shot of her standing next to one of her finest creations, The Guardian, in its handmade cedar frame she had commissioned just for it.
I was so excited about seeing her work, some of which I was personally responsible for, I just had to go back to the Hallie Stillwell Hall of Fame here at Stillwell's RV Park and re-shoot a stand of old boots they have there. They did some cleaning on the window used to light this shot, so it wasn't that nice diffused light as before, but you just can't beat the character of these boots. Are these fun, or what?
Another exciting event of the past month was to go to Terlingua and have Thanksgiving dinner with my friends Jennifer and Romaldo, and to meet their new dog, Chewy, a rather energetic red blue heeler. This little guy's a true nut and very personable, as you can well imagine from this shot here, taken during a game of fetch. It almost looks like a studio shot, doesn't it? He's a hoot, if ever there was one.
In my last post, we played the "Who Can See It?" game with the Sleeping Indian Prince, which most of you did well on. In that regard, here's another object that can be found on the way back from Alpine, and one I always look forward to seeing -- Dead Dino Rock.
It just looks like a dead Brontosaurus (or Apatosaurus, as they call it now) lying up on top of that hill, doesn't it? Sure it does! Hmm. Okay, how about this one -- The Electric Chicken -- which I see every workday on my walk from the Visitor Center to the booth at Persimmon Gap, so named because it looks like a chicken who stuck its beak in an electrical socket.
Okay, maybe that one was a stretch, but you've got to give me the dinosaur, okay? Yeah, let's move on, shall we? Now, for all you folks in the northeast (especially any of you from Virginia), this next shot may not seem like much, but for those of us out here in the desert, it's a true miracle. We actually got snow! It wasn't much, mind you (maybe a 1/2 inch), and it didn't last long at all (it was gone by noon), but just the event itself transformed our day and set the tone for the holidays, culminating in a crock pot full of homemade beef stew. This shot was taken as I sat on the doorstep of my trailer.
Another thing that set the tone for the holidays -- at least for mine, anyway -- was the arrival of a red cellophane wreath from my sister, Lyn, the same as the one my grandparents used to put in the living room window and we would look for from across the pasture on our way into town. I put mine in my own living room window so I can see it as I drive in from work each day. For us grandkids of Beanie and Stella Moore, there's nothing that says home for the holidays like this sight. Here's what it looks like from the entrance.
And so, with that I will wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. May all your wishes come true, and may all your Christmases be white. (You folks in Virginia won't have a problem with that last one.) Happy Holidays!!!
