31 January

Snow dog. Lenore is ready

by Jon Katz
Lenore is ready

Lenore is ready for the two-day snow and ice storm roaring in from the Midwest. We are told to prepare for 20 inches. Ah, am I still thinking Spring? Will run out in the morning to get a heated water bucket and stick the donkeys in the barn for two days. I might join them.

Well, the roads ought to be cleared by February 10 when the exciting art experiment “Gallery 99” kicks off in Glens Falls. A whole bunch of artists, including Maria and I, will be selling our work for less than $99. I will be giving a talk on “creativity and change,” and offering framed photos, 8 x 10’s and notecards, and Maria will be selling potholders and quilts.

A score of other artists will be selling paintings and prints and other art, all for less than $99. The first Gallery 99 show will be held at the Empire State Theatre on South Street in Glens Falls.  After that, the gallery will move to different locations around Glens Falls. More information on the Gallery 99 website and Facebook page. Creative people getting creative in challenging times. And the future, I suspect.

31 January

Hansen’s Fuel: Last light, revisited

by Jon Katz
Meditation

This photo touched a chord in people, so I am putting it up again. It’s the beauty of winter, and stormy weather. Something you would never think of photographing, becomes beautiful and evocative in its own right.

Am getting more serious about meditation, which has helped me in so many ways, as so many people have found. I see my mind. I quiet my mind. I am edging towards a spiritual center, expanding it, thinking about it, a warm quiet place inside the center of my soul, something that has eluded me for much of my life. Getting disciplined about it. Meditating early in the morning, then late in the afternoon. Not fitting it in, but fitting in other things around it.

31 January

Home Again. Storm Center

by Jon Katz
Storm Center

Storm Center is in overdrive this winter, and this week, there are promises of a monster storm roaring out of the Midwest. We’ll catch it here for a couple of days. But I’m in a Spring mode, I have to say, seeing the photographer’s light. early and strong. The dogs don’t listen to Storm Center, but the donkeys will go into the barn soon.

The blog has been running but not feeding onto Facebook. I think it’s working but there were a lot of posts over the weekend that didn’t make it into the Social Media world. For those FB people who wish to catch up on the last days of the library tour, you can go to www.bedlamfarm.com and head for the Farm Journal. Looks like we’ll be snowed in for two days and like everyone else, lots of snow everywhere. It is very beautiful and stirring, although I am thinking of escaping to a warm place. I can’t remember when the temperature went above freezing her. The Vineyard seemed balmy Sunday. We will do our own Storm Center from the farm, starting tomorrow morning, if the satellite dish holds up. You can barely see the top.

31 January

The end of the Library Tour. Moving on

by Jon Katz
End of the library book tour

Cobleskill Community Library, Cobleskill, (see Chistine?, I spelled it right!), N.Y.

The Library  Book Tour is over. I don’t know if I accomplished anything, but I had a great time, one of the most meaningful of my writing life. More than 1,000 people came to see me. Maria sketched most of the libraries, and her work will become fiberart, potholders perhaps. It is time to move on with my life. The children’s books I am working on. The Frieda book. My life. My friends. The farm.  More work to do on me, always. More photos to take. I have Spring in my head and I’m not much interested in the storms anymore.

I just loved this tour. The people, the librarians, the ideas, the conversations, the moving from place to place, seeing new things, sharing it with Maria, taking photos, finding new and wonderful restaurants to see and the very different character of libraries. Libraries reflect their communities I see, mirror them, are tied to them. Libraries are the best of us, and I am happy to have raised my voice a bit to call some attention to that. It felt very worthwhile.

Thanks to the libraries and the librarians for their great and sensitive hospitality. And to the many people who came and the kindnesses they showed. Sorry to Richboro, Pa., which could use a visit I know. I will get back there in more settled weather. It was great fun dashing to Providence ahead of the storm and then exploring my hometown city. I want to go back to all of these places. They all, like the country itself, had different issues, sensibilities, feelings. How lucky for me that I could get to go. Thanks.

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