Many people are uncertain about my infrared photos, confused, some think the shots were taken in winter because the back ground and the trees are shown with a glow. I call it the life glow, and I am getting used to the infrared shots, although I realize I need a full frame IR camera to take the shots I want, and that will cost $4,000.
I am drawn to the life glow of IR, of the reflection of the light, the glow, that exists in matter and living things. I am liking the portraits I take, and the true reflection of light, as many animals would see it. I love the way the camera captures the drama of the sky.
My new friend Hugh is a celtic spiritualist and he says IR photograph captures two different realities, I think this is so. I will keep experimenting.
Zelda is semi-retiring, she is getting older and her wool is no longer long enough to send to the mill for yearn. This year, the Gang Of Four will supply most of the wool, we had the others shorn for the Spring Open House and it may not be long enough to shear this October.
The four Romney’s will bring a lot of wool for yarn, and we may just let the others grow their wool through the winter. Zelda still watches over the other sheep, she is still independent and alert, but she’s getting up there, she will have an easy and undemanding life for the rest of her time.
I fondly remember when she ran over Red and knocked me down and led a breakout through the first fence and up the highway for a half mile or so, Red in hot pursuit. I never thought any of us would survive that. She has mellowed quite a bit.
I took Maria out to the Bog tonight to celebrate her purchase of airline tickets to Calcutta (Kolkata), she will get to spend six hours laying over at the Dubai Airport, which is supposed to resemble a vast mall. We got a good rate on the plane – booking early helps, and a chance to reserve window seats both ways.
I decided not to take my camera, I took photos of Kelly yesterday at the portrait show reception, I thought she might need a break.
It was quiet at the Bog, Kelly was there, her daughter Riley came by to say goodnight and get a hug. Of course, I regretted not bringing my camera, I usually take close-ups of Kelly, I thought it would be nice to set the shot back a bit from the bar.
Maria laughed, I got up and took out my Iphone and shot Kelly there, she laughed and so did the people at the bar, who are used to me know. “We won’t be able to come here,” said one of Kelly’s customers, “she is getting too famous.”
What is this compulsion, I wonder, this relationship of a photographer to a subject. I’ve read about it many times, it is common, I feel connected to Kelly in some important and very positive way. She inspired me, the portrait series began with her, and I am empowered to try and capture the souls and spirits of people.
It’s like fuel in a way, it’s important to me, and if I don’t put a photo of Kelly up weekly, I hear about it online. Kelly inspires other people as well, I don’t think she knows why or thinks much about it, and I don’t know why. Maria said she thought it was great that I had to get up and take a photo of Kelly. I think so too.
I’m not sure why my graddaughter is wearing a Steven Seagal onesie, but it looks fine. I might have to find some other onesies to send. I’m going to New York this Friday to meet with my editor and also to spend a few hours with Robin and Emma, Maria is coming with me.
My cold is lightening up, I feel a bit weak but clear-headed, I’ll be safe by the time Friday comes along. Maria booked her airline tickets to India today, the reality of it all is hitting her. The director of the program in Kolkata for the victims of sex trafficking messaged her to say how glad she is that Maria is coming, and how much the girls will appreciate learning how to make potholders and do some other kinds of art.
Clicking the “confirm” button on the airline tickets brought home the reality of the trip – it is only five months away, and she had to go out to walk in the woods to clear her head and settle down. This is such an exciting thing for her, and for me too. A lot is happening with us, our lives are rich, full and moving rapidly.
“Now that all your worry has proved such an Unlucrative Business, why not get a better job?” – Hafiz.
Lao Tzu wrote that being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. It takes courage to apologize, or admit a mistake. It takes courage to blame yourself, and not others.
I think it is true that love is our destiny and that love requires so much more courage than hatred and fear.
Courage is on my mind this morning, as I follow the New York City bombing story and find myself filled with admiration for the people of New York City, who were attacked once more Sunday night and who responded once again with courage and resilience, not with hatred or fear.
I am weary of seeing white people in Wisconsin and Iowa and Texas pee all over themselves at Trump rallies over the prospect of immigrants and refugees coming to live in their states, the tough-talking, gun-toting people of Texas are absolutely terrified at the prospect of Syrian refugee children coming to live anywhere near them, they are spending hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, to block them and reject them.
This morning, as the city and federal police did a remarkable, rapid and effective job of tracking down the alleged bomber, Donald Trump went on TV to promise us that things “are only going to get worse.” Politics aside, I have to say that he is not speaking to me, he is not speaking for me.
Hatred and doom and bragging are not my idea of courage, it is my very literal idea of cowardice. I think Jane Goodall is onto something when she points out that Trump behaves much like a male chimpanzee performing their dominance rituals.
When you live in fear. When you run from love. When you can’t apologize. Or make a mistake. Or blame others for your mistakes. Can someone be responsible for us if they cannot take any responsibility for themselves?
For me, courage is about continuing. Churchill said that success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. J.K. Rowling wrote that it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.
I thought of this this morning when I got an e-mail from a friend in Chicago which said “Oh, my God, did you hear about the bombing, this means the election is over. Trump will win.” She was, she said, terrified. I was sorry to read it, I felt no such emotion.
I had no answer for her, but what I thought was that she had lost both her faith and her courage. To me, the bombing spoke of the many good reasons that Donald Trump will not win, not the reasons he might.
People can and should vote for who they wish, but I have great faith in the American spirit, the faith I saw revealed in New York City this morning, as millions of commuters came to work as usual, and people squeezed past police ropes to get to work, and I didn’t hear a single word of fear or hatred coming from a single commuter, resident, police officer or politician.
it was for me, a stirring evocation of the true American spirit, the country of immigrants, the resilient and determined people.
In the Emerald City, people simply continued, they did not surrender their values or way of life to people who would stuff ball bearings into bombs and slaughter innocents without mercy, and in the name of God.
Things are already better, I thought.
What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and you either see the world in that way or you don’t.That is the dividing line in our country, the boundary, the struggle.
So Donald Trump is a coward to me, as well as someone who lies as naturally as he breathes. He hates rather than loves. He sees the worst in us, not the best. He runs from his mistakes and blames others. He promotes hatred and fear. Too many checks on my scoreboard to rationalize standing alongside him. He gives me the gift of understanding what it is I love about my country, not what it is I hate.
I wrote some months ago that Donald Trump will not become the next President of the United States, and I believe it even more so now than before. I don’t really care how close it gets, or what the squiggly polls show, or how many times Hillary Clinton steps on her rigid and prideful toes.
I will stay strong in my beliefs in what it means to be an American, and Donald Trump represents nothing about what I believe being an American is all about. I don’t write this to tell you who to vote for or what to believe, only to be open about what I believe. That, too, is what being an American is all about.
It is not about living in fear, it is the opposite of that.
I will not live in fear of Donald Trump, or of his victory, and should he win the election and prove me wrong, I will admit my mistake and remember that failure is not fatal and success is not final. I will continue on.
