diptych # 163 / civilized ku # 2976-77 ~ 50 years ago, football humor and the Obama Special

my picture at 50 year high school reunion ~ Rochester, NY • click to embiggen
sign / Half Pint Pub ~ Rochester, NY • click to embiggen
Obama Special / Obama visits Magnolia Cafe ~ Magnolia Cafe / Rochester, NY • click to embiggen

It was about 50 years ago this month that I posed for my high school yearbook picture. It was this past weekend that I and 50 of my classmates got together for a reunion.

Some of the guys (no girls - private all boys prep school) were immediately recognizable, some not so much. It took a special talent to read a name tag unnoticed while simultaneously saying, "Hey (insert name here), long time no see." I successfully pulled it off a few times.

Of course, no one had a problem identifying me (he wrote, tongue in cheek wise). That was attributable to my former status as the class-leading instigator of various shenanigans, my athletic success (football Hall of Fame inductee / captain of the wrestling team) and the fact that, over the school years, my artistic talent was much sought after for making one-off illustrations for paper book covers, school posters and the like.

That written, there was one guy, name tag or not, who no one (at least in my clique) could remember. That's no small feat considering he spent 4 years in a class which had only 180 graduates. Perhaps he should consider writing a book about blending in with the wallpaper.

Then there was the guy (freshman home room classmate) whom every one remembered, if not by face then by his legendary status. This despite the fact that he was kicked out the school (nevertheless, he regularly shows up at class events) about 1/2 way through our freshman year - one day he created such a disruption in math class that the teacher picked up his desk with him in it and threw it into the hallway. Such is the stuff of legends.

The only downside to the weekend was my frustration caused by my lack of success in acquiring a T-shirt which was worn by nearly every student at the Friday night homecoming football game. The shirt was yellow-gold with black type (school colors) and it read, Women desire us. Men envy us, on the front with a big bold M (school name - McQuaid Jesuit HS) on the back. This from a school with a student body athletic cheer (at least during my era) - employed on those rare occasions when we were losing a sporting event - That's all right. It's OK. You'll be working for us one day.

In any event, a good time was had by all. Even the wife had a good time.

ku # 1323 ~ evening show

the last evening at Rist Camp ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

Last Thursday evening was our last evening at Rist Camp. Mother Nature was kind and gave us a very nice sendoff even though the fall foliage is way behind "normal" for this time of year.

ku # 1322 / kitchen sink # 29 ~ all good things must come to and end

lifting morning fog ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
morning dishes ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

Woke up this morning to lifting fog, dirty dishes, no dog, no cat and no wife.

The dog and cat are back at home and the wife is arriving this afternoon for our last day and night at Rist Camp. We are leaving early tomorrow morning (a day early) to drive to Rochester for my 50 year High School Class Reunion.

One thing which stood out at Rist Camp this year was a validation of the adage, Time flies when you're having fun. It seems like only yesterday that we arrived for our 5 week stay.

Today's Artspeak Gobbledygook - I use semiotic constructions and visual quotes of canonized art historical moments to remix photographic imagery into new content. ~ found on the internet

ku # 1321 ~ morning show

Tuesday AM ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

Fortunately for me, Edison-Ron (the cat) dragged me out of bed early this AM. He wanted out for his morning stroll about / hunt. Or, quite possibly, he wanted me to picture the early morning mist and light. Either way, he did the right thing.

tourist picture / civilized ku # 2975 / ku(ish) # 1321 ~ a nap and some choices

Rist Camp cat nap ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Rist Camp buffet top ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
choices ~ Hudson River / Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

When paddling onto the Hudson River (above Newcomb) from Lake Harris, one encounters a sign indicating 2 choices. Turn right to reach New York City or left to Mt. Marcy.

One can not actually reach Mt. Marcy but you can get very close, get out of the canoe and hike to the top of Marcy - the highest peak (5,343 ft.) in the Adirondacks. The highest water source of the Hudson River is Lake Tear of the Clouds which is located about 1,000 ft below the summit of Marcy.

On the other hand, you can actually reach the river terminus at Battery Park in lower Manhattan. It would be a long paddle - 315 miles - requiring more time than I have on my hands at this particular moment.

ku # 1320 / civilized ku # 2974 / kitchen sink # 28 ~ watching the world drift by

head of a dead dragon ~ along the Hudson River / Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Summer butt-bumping jumping fun ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Rist Camp sink ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

I have been quite negligent in posting entries. I chalk it up to being away from it all, just relaxing and letting it all go.

ku # 1316 / diptych # 162 / triptych # 22 (ku # 1317-19) ~ the unbearable lightness of light

stand of trees ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
libations / tree fungus w pine cones ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
it's never quite the same ~ Newcomb, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

I suspect that people who, in their daily routine, normally would not pay too much attention to light would find it nearly impossible to ignore "the light" at a place like Rist Camp.

I have often written that, in my picture making, I rarely "chase the light". That more often than not, I only make pictures which feature "the light" when it chases me. Which does not mean that I don't appreciate "the light" when I see it. However, I will not always make a picture featuring "the light" when I see it. To the contrary, I often deliberately avoid making a picture of "the light" because I have absolutely no interest in making yet another cliché picture of it.

Re: "the light", George Eastman, the man who put a camera in the hand of any everyday person who wanted one and made picture making easy (you push the button, we do the rest) said:

Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.

With that statement, it could be reasonably postulated that Eastman was advocating "chasing the light". On the other hand, no one knew more about the "mechanics" of light striking a light-sensitive surface than Eastman and his legion of research and development cadre. For him and them, knowing about light was their key to photography.

In any event, at Rist Camp "the light" is chasing me minute to minute, or so it seems.

FYI, George Eastman also said:

The world is moving, and a company that contents itself with present accomplishments soon falls behind.

George must be spinning like a top high-speed drill press in his grave.

civilized ku # 2972-3 / ku # 1316 ~ a night on the town

barVino / bar • bartender ~ North Creek, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Hudson River cairnine ~ North Creek, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
heading back to Rist Camp ~ North Creek, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

Yesterday evening, after a day of lounging about, the wife and I decided that neither of us wanted to make dinner. So, by unanimous consent, we drove off to North Creek for a meal at barVino. That's always a sumptuous treat.

With the meal I had 2 glasses of Ommagang Rare Vos (see tap in bar/ bartender picture). An absolutely delightful Belgian-style (brewed in NY State) Amber Ale.

On the drive out of North Creek, we stopped so I could picture the Hudson River. Much to our surprise, there, in the river, was another of those previously discovered local cairnines - visible on a rock in the lower right quadrant of the picture. They're turning up everywhere.

Heading back to the car, I made a picture of the road, albeit just because I could.