100: Fine Art -- Ft. Solitude

This afternoon as I often do, I headed out to an out of the way place where I often watch trains. While one of the trains was passing I saw a piece of classic railroad art by Travis “CONRAIL TWITTY” Conner (1978? – 2008). He was part of a group of three railroad artist that noted their work with D.I.F. (Dixie Iron First(some say FIST)). It has always amazed me how great art always seems to fit the occasion.

Ft. Solitude

It is my understanding that the members of the D.I.F. group are homeless individuals that use the railroad to move from place to place. Each of the three has a unique art work and only the date and inscription changes. I have also been told that the inscriptions are used to send messages to the others in the group.

note: I was not prepared to capture an image when I saw this this afternoon. This is a old image from my railfan library.

99: Saved by Grace

Due to weather no photos taken today, so I decided to share one of my old shots:

Saved By Grace

To understand the image one needs a little background. This is the same area two days before.

Sometimes one needs a little background information to understand the subject. The head of wheat shown in the first image is located just to the right of the fence post in this last image. As you can see the wheat survived the harvest and the raging fire that followed, in spite of growing up among the tares. Reminds me of myself, how about you?

98: Adversity

When I got up this morning the photo possibilities seemed limited, as it looked like rain. As I headed to a church, I passed by the local park where another local church was to have a community wide service and it was starting to sprinkle. I thought to myself; I hope this service does not get rained out. But the rains did come. As I started home from church, this image and thought came to mind.

ADVERSITY

God never promised us we would not have adversities. We need to remember; Our adversities can be God's way of sending others a message.

97: Food Photography -- The $2.98 Lunch

As one gets older their diet become very important. One needs healthy, nutritious and, for most, economical meals. Every time I visit my friend Marty, I stop on the way home for just such a meal and sit outside on the tailgate of my truck and enjoy.

Lunch on The Tailgate

The two for a dollar hot dogs force me into some undesired accountability. They are so messy, signs remain on me and my clothes, bringing the need for accountability to my daughter, as well as a shower. Later, on my quarterly doctors visits, blood test make me accountable to the doctor. This bring to mind what things are we going to be held accountable for at The Final Judgment.

96: Dawg Gone

DAWG GONE

Homeless People and Homeless Pets Need Love too.

95: Street Photography -- Music on Main

Alone In A Crowd with Only a Cellphone for Company

94: Street Photography -- Alone

A good Street photographer, which I am not, sees a story and is able to tell the story in a single photograph. This image was taken last Saturday and right behind me was a crowd of thousands at the fall festival.

Alone

93: Photojournalism -- Hot Pants

Overload -- Too many Hot Pants?

Someone commented, A couple of the images are basically just to have a image for the day. Today is another one of them days.

92: Street Photography -- Cheerleader and Quarterback.

Cheerleader waits for Quarterback

Correction

AW Shucks is on PLYLER MILL Rd not Rocky River Rd.

Sorry.

91: Signs -- A Trip to the Store

Having overdone it yesterday, I sort of played lazy today to let my bum ankle recuperate. Late this afternoon I thought a little hot tea might be a welcome change to coffee. I heard a nearby old country store had reopened yesterday, so I thought that might be a change of pace. So I headed out. When I got there I noticed the sign on the door.



Feeling right at home I went in and found me some tea bags.



My only issue was I was afraid they might be a little stale. Well they offered me a glass of iced tea (for a small price) and it was great, not stale at all. The down side is the iced tea filled my tea urge and I came home and made me another pot of coffee.

So now, you have just encountered another one of Uncle Elmo's Wild tales, but is serves a purpose. One of which is, should that sign be on all church house doors, and mean it.

In closing the images were taken at AW SHUCKS located on Plyler Mill Road just south of the intersection with Griffith Rd. The place is AWESOME. Lots of stuff to remind one of the way it was and a great environment for the kids to have a great time. Where else can you and the young ones enjoy an old fashion hay ride? And when you need some time alone, send the youngsters to the corn maze. Simply just a great place and the workers are fantastic. I'll be back!!

90-A: Critics

After my slam at Froggy; he suggested I could have done better. He suggest this is much better:

ZZTop

And for once he might be right.

90: Street Photography ++ Self Portrait

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday was a bad day photographically, including a visit by the local police, again. But Today, WOW. I headed over to a small community for their annual fall festival to shoot some “street”; Lots of folks and lots of harsh mid day lighting. In 4 hours I made nearly 200 captures, about half of them the lighting was too harsh. Out of the remaining images about 25 were not all that bad. And I got 5 or 6 that are really good, at least for this old man. In short I felt sort of like this:

Big Horse Laugh

OK, OK my “friends” are saying “Wrong end of the horse,” but that is not the self portrait. Here is the self portrait and it should prove to all my friends that I am not a horse’s pa-toot.

Me in a 50’s Style Hot Rod

So there y'all, have a nice day.

THE Elmo

************
Note to Froggy: It is a large, bright orange, squarish, irregularly shaped object in the upper left not a small, round, bright orange object in the lower right. This makes for a much better composition plus it has a spectacularly fabulous point of interest in the lower left sweet spot.

89: Decorations

This house does a fantastic job of seasonal decorating. This is the fall scheme, just wait till you see Halloween.

88: Signs -- Free Kittens.

Free Kittens

'nuf said.

87: The Table at the Back of the Room

I have chased enough rabbits for now so back to the original story. After I moved to the coast I found a local photo supply store with a twist. Way in the back of the store was a table with all the necessary items for critiquing photographs. Starting around 10 on Saturday mornings many of the local photographers started stopping in for supplies and picking up slides. They all seemed to migrate back to the table where the group was willing and able to critique the images.

Around this “table in the back of the room” I did learn a little to help with my technique, but what I learned most was how to have a socially acceptable image. The key was the social acceptability and then the technique as long as the technique remained within the social guidelines.

It took me many years to overcome the social aspects and revert to what is true, and I now enjoy photography more that I ever have since I found the table in the back of the room.

The Table in the Back of the Room

I know some will get up in arms about my image selection of a religious Icon to illustrate a secular idea, but is that idea completely secular or might it have some relation to modern religion? Besides all that, is not our religion to go hand in hand with our everyday life?

86: Fruits and Boots

First I am hppy to report the power of this blog. Them @%@# boots from yesterday's post have been removed from the window. I can only hope that there was not someone stupid enough to buy them, but in this day and time one never knows. And so it is "documenting the human condition."

After yesterday something a little less annoying was in order for today. So a quick stop at the roadside fruit stand for a moment of natural refreshment.

Pineapple and Apples

85: The Street After Dark -- Sacred Things

No one can ever say I am opinionated, Yea Right. But there are some things just plain wrong. To a Texician western (cowboy) boots are a sacred institution. Do you think "The DUKE" would ever wear something like this?



But I guess nothing is sacred any more! "Documenting The Human Condition."

84: Remembrances -- Old Cemetery

In yesterdays post I neglected a lot of folks affected on 911. This was because of our natural attraction to recognize with those we share likenesses with. So today my intent was to honor those forgotten by the masses.

Several years ago while working on my ongoing cemetery location project, I located an old overgrown slave cemetery with only one marker I could find. So I grabbed a couple of red roses from the courthouse and headed out to photograph this lonely field stone marker in this long forgotten cemetery.

When I arrived I was shocked, someone over the past couple of years has carefully been clearing the old cemetery and uncovered many stones in process. There are nearly a hundred stones now visible, most unmarked. So I guess I am not the only one who felt the need to honor those forgotten my most.

Old But Not Forgotten

83: Remembrance 911

I normally post later buy this needs to be up put up earlier. The image is distorted, dark and gloomy and represents my feelings. I must admit this is the first time since that actual day that I really felt a strong urge toward a strong massive retaliation. My feeling are not right but this has been a tough day for me having served in both the fire service and law enforcement.

82: Street Photography -- Men's Toys

This was car show night downtown tonight. Street Photography time, "Documenting the Human Condition." It seems to me all men seem to have some type of "toy" that causes us to turn our backs on the important things of life.

Men and their Toys

81: Still Life -- GrandPa's Peanuts

While talking with my friend Marty this morning he reminded me of an old tale about my Grandfather. As a result I went to the store and got some peanuts, carefully parched (roasted in the shell) them, took them to the table to enjoy and reminisce.

Parched Peanut Snack

This result was a vivid reminder of my Grandfather. He managed a wholesale warehouse that supplied fresh fruits and veggies to most of the stores and restaurants in Central East Texas, and he loved parched peanuts. Every day, a man, carrying a cardboard box slung off his shoulder by a piece of rope, came by the warehouse. The box was full of small bags of parched peanuts and my grandfather bought a couple of bags to enjoy throughout his work day.


Well the story goes like this. The first question my grandfather always asked when he interviewed someone for a job was, “Do you Like Peanuts?” Think about it; he and his desk were covered with peanut shells and husk, what would you say? If you said yes, you did not get the job.

His reasoning was not selfishness but that there was always stuff for one to eat around the warehouse and you were welcome to eat it, but everything in the warehouse except peanuts one could eat with one hand and work with the other. It takes two hands to eat peanuts.

I know this tale is true and it brings to mind a question. Are we, as Christians, eating with one hand and working with the other, or are we just eating?

80: Intimate Landscapes -- Roads

Wednesday, mid-week service day, seemed like a good day to check out a local church.

The Church House Road

79: The Street at Night -- Doors

Today was sort of a down day for me and I had a difficult time getting out on my photo search. But the warmth of this church house door made me feel much better.

A Warm Church House Door.

78: Plant Life

About thirty years ago one of these caught my eye as a possible subject of a photo. I finally took one this evening.

FUZZY

I did not intend this to be another sunset, but the days are getting shorter. I guess that might be the reason the time got away from me yesterday.

77: Street Photography -- The Homeless at Sunset

Chatting while Enjoying the Sunset

Today is another snapshot day. I went out looking for an image this evening and found Danny, Bob and John setting out enjoying the sunset. I stopped and chatted with these homeless guys for a little while. Then I realized the light was gone, but making picture of ones friends is not that bad either

76B: The Street at Night -- The Third Night

They say the third time is the charm, may be so. At least in this case it fits. For those of you who do not know, I do not do "set up" shots (only one so far in this series and this is not it). Last evening I saw the image I posted earlier but made another capture that I failed to review.

Calvary In Junk Shop Window

Here was Calvary on Saturday night in Waxhaw. The three crosses: the large white one for Jesus, A small white cross for the convict who repented, The small dark cross for the one who did not repent, All against the dark sky (reflection in the window).

Some times the truth is right before our eyes and we fail to see it.

76A: Street Photography -- The Book

The Book

A book in hand is better than Star Wars in person, and there is one book that is better than all the others. Have you read The Book lately.

75: The Street at Night -- The Next Night

The Receptionist Desk as Seen from the Street

Two night in a row and no police. But, tonight the intoxicated ones were very curious. But it is Friday night and this is right next to a bar were they can bring out their drinks while they catch a breath of "Fresh Air".

74: The Street at Night

It came time to make my post and no image for the day. I went out for one last try and there it was. Patience, Patience.

The Junk Shop Window

73: Sun Burst Remembered

Several years ago there was a spectacular sun burst. In an effort to get the perfect foreground, I missed most of it. As fate would have it that image now means more to me than any other image have captured. This is to commemorate that image.

Sun Set -- Sun Burst