365 Photos in 2010

The end.

2011-01-01T19:52:00.001-06:00

Thanks to all my loyal followers this year.

You can see my new website here. It's got links to the blogs that I am currently working on, including the 2011 photography project. Or, if you'd rather, you can head straight to the photo-a-day project.

And, for those of you who were really big fans of the 2010 project, there's a book version with some of my favorite images available for sale.

December 31

2010-12-31T14:46:00.000-06:00

Hello, and welcome to the last Nostalgia Day for this year here at the blog.

This is my mom feeding me (judging from the date penciled onto the back of the snapshot).

It's five years today that my mom died. We called her Sugar, the most appropriate name for anyone, ever. She was a tiny woman, but she's left a huge hole in our lives.

December 30

2010-12-30T21:11:00.000-06:00

Dust storm
FM 1585, Hockley County

December 29

2010-12-29T22:06:00.000-06:00

Cantebury Cathedral, the Mother Church of the Anglican Communion

Canterbury, United Kingdom

photographed 10.17.2007

December 28

2010-12-28T19:48:00.000-06:00

At the National Ranching Heritage Center

Lubbock, Texas

photographed 7.3.2009

December 27

2010-12-27T20:01:00.000-06:00

Warehouse, near the airport.

Lubbock, Texas

photographed 12.26.2010

December 26

2010-12-26T21:06:00.000-06:00

It was Sunday morning, and Mrs. Hudson's parking spot was empty.

near the Preston Smith Lubbock International Airport
Lubbock, Texas

December 25

2010-12-25T21:22:00.001-06:00

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law got me this game for Christmas. It's called Rory's Story Cubes, and the box says it's a "pocket-sized creative story generator" - you are supposed to roll the cubes and make up a story based on the pictures.

So, let's see....

It was just after the terrible tee-pee accident - I was still using a cane, actually, as my knee wasn't 100% yet - when I went to the drama festival downtown. The play I was going to see was going to be presented in the new skyscraper that was only one story taller than the next-tallest building in town. Anyway, I had chosen to see an avant garde production called "Magic Eyeball." There were only a few people in the audience; most of the festival goers were sheep-like in their decision to see "Les Miserables" (some of them for the fourth or fifth time). I was, as a result, the only person sitting on my row; because I'd bought the ticket early, I was on Row C, right in the center. Luckily, the seats on either side were empty, and I was able to put my cane on the seat next to me.

The play was terrible. In fact, it was one of the worst things I've ever seen. By three minutes in, I knew I wanted to leave. Just before intermission, it hit me; it was almost as though a lightbulb went off: no one was making me come back after intermission.

I often wonder if anyone stayed to see the end of the play.

December 24

2010-12-24T16:59:00.000-06:00

Another downtown Lubbock scene, this one of a pile of mattresses that might be discarded from the jail.

At any rate, I saw Bob Barker's mattress in the pile:

Lovely downtown Lubbock

phototgraphed 12.23.2010

December 23

2010-12-23T19:36:00.000-06:00

Another example of the vibrant scene happening in downtown Lubbock.

Lubbock, Texas

December 22

2010-12-22T20:02:00.000-06:00

We've had record high temperatures this week, which makes it a lot different from last winter.

Me? While snow is fine in theory, I like a nice, warm winter.

Lubbock, Texas

photographed 12.24.2009

December 21

2010-12-21T21:02:00.000-06:00

A building at the (now defunct) White River Retreat.

White River Lake, Texas

photographed 11.22.2009

December 20

2010-12-20T18:23:00.000-06:00

Tonight's sunset, on the shortest day of the year, near the Lubbock-Hockley County line.

FM 1585
Lubbock County, Texas

December 19

2010-12-19T20:09:00.000-06:00

Patrick and Company Stationers
560 Market Street
San Francisco, California

photographed 7.17.2005

December 18

2010-12-18T11:39:00.000-06:00

Ceramic, stone, and wood

My dining room, again
Lubbock, Texas

December 17

2010-12-18T11:31:00.000-06:00

Rocks in a bowl.

Some people* may think it's an odd thing to keep rocks in a bowl as part of my decor, but that just shows how much THEY know.

My dining room
Lubbock, Texas

* "some people" may or may not refer to my mother-in-law

December 16

2010-12-16T21:59:00.000-06:00

Texas Travel Information Center
Interstate 40
east of Amarillo

photographed 3.21.2010

December 15

2010-12-15T20:02:00.000-06:00

Other than pecans, these are some of the ingredients that it takes to mix up some spiced pecans.

NOTE: They are quite fragrant, in a "Who made curry?" kind of way. I should maybe have opened the window.

Lubbock, Texas

December 14

2010-12-14T19:28:00.001-06:00

My camera was in the bottom of a very large black suede bag - the kind of bag that ought to have been sold with a powerful flashlight, as that's about the only way to find anything inside.

And the traffic signal was about to turn green and I was headed to a freeway so all chances to shoot this sky would soon be gone.

Cell phone camera (kind of) to the rescue.

Spur 327 and Milwaukee Avenue
Lubbock, Texas

December 13

2010-12-13T21:08:00.000-06:00

Next year's business cards!

Big changes in store for the blogs...stay tuned for more.

December 12

2010-12-12T15:56:00.000-06:00

I was going to make this another "What the hell is it?" day here at the blog, but somehow that didn't seem quite right: it's Christmas, after all.

So, here it is: a cardboard-snowflake wreath.

It's also item 2 of 2 in my lavish Christmas decorations. Here's item 1 of 2. I should probably try to set aside as much as four minutes to take this stuff down after Christmas, don't you think?

My living room
Lubbock, Texas

December 11

2010-12-11T20:26:00.001-06:00

The back of an abandoned gas station
Greenville, Texas

photographed 3.15.2008, on a Photography Weekend

December 10

2010-12-10T21:26:00.000-06:00

I know you didn't think I could do it - but look! Here's a photograph with sky in it that's not ABOUT the sky.

(I am just as surprised as anyone by this turn of events!)

Alamo Plaza Hotel Courts
Dallas, Texas

photographed 10.18.2008

December 9

2010-12-09T20:33:00.000-06:00

Just a couple of examples of the randomness that is my office.

Lubbock, Texas

December 8

2010-12-09T20:30:00.000-06:00

American Legion Post 191 and clouds
Breckenridge, Texas

photographed 8.15.2010

December 7

2010-12-07T22:13:00.000-06:00

Asleep at the Wheel played tonight at the Cactus Theater

Lubbock, Texas

December 6

2010-12-06T17:52:00.000-06:00

It's possible that I could be wrong, but I don't think there's a rule that Christmas wrapping has to be red or green.

Under my Christmas tree*
Lubbock, Texas

*it's not so much a tree as a, well... never mind. I don't have a tree.

December 5

2010-12-05T19:18:00.000-06:00

At my house, a jar of colorful LED lights IS Christmas decor.

Lubbock, Texas

December 4

2010-12-04T23:21:00.000-06:00

I know, I know: it's another sky photograph. Maybe I ought to start a new blog dedicated just to pictures of the sky.

This one was taken along US Highway 84, maybe in Scurry County.

photographed 4.4.10

December 3

2010-12-03T22:01:00.001-06:00

Tonight I took my dad on the First Friday Art Trail. He's a retired engineer, so art isn't really his thing usually.

But we had a great time. He talked a lot about things he remembered from downtown Lubbock in the 1940s, when he was a Tech student. He talked about how good it was to see people downtown at night. He talked about the weather. He talked a lot.

We had wine at McPherson Cellars, and made a plan for the next First Friday when the weather's good. Without divulging too many details, I can tell you that the plan involves (1) a spaghetti pack from Orlando's; (2) wine; and (3) the outdoor courtyard at McPherson.

It was quite a pleasant evening.

Courtyard, McPherson Cellars (and site of our future spaghetti-dinner-with-wine-during-an-art-event.)

December 2

2010-12-02T19:49:00.000-06:00

Late afternoon
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

photographed 5.1.10

December 1

2010-12-01T21:34:00.000-06:00

One wonders - is fish REALLY the hot weather food?

Hatahoe Restaurant
Anson, Texas

photographed 8.15.2010

November 30

2010-11-30T20:52:00.000-06:00

Back of a church pew
Church of the Nazarene
Buffalo Gap Historic Village, Texas

photographed 4.2.2010

November 29

2010-11-29T21:21:00.001-06:00

Leaf lit by late afternoon sun
Skyline Drive
Davis Mountains State Park, Texas

photographed 11.10.2010

November 28

2010-11-28T21:38:00.001-06:00

Wall and light switches
Contemporary Arts Center
Las Vegas, Nevada

photographed 5.29.2009

November 27

2010-11-28T21:30:00.000-06:00

More cactus, this time on the road between Las Vegas and Laughlin

photographed 5.30.2009

November 26

2010-11-27T09:05:00.000-06:00

from Skyline Drive
Davis Mountains State Park, Texas

photographed 11.10.2010

November 25

2010-11-25T20:22:00.000-06:00

Mockingbird Station
Dallas, Texas

photographed 11.19.2010

November 24

2010-11-24T19:50:00.000-06:00

Of all the nights to leave the house without a camera, THIS was the one I chose. Good call, don't you think?

But at least I can take pictures with my phone. I don't think the phone camera will be taking the place of my "real" cameras anytime soon, though.

Lubbock, Texas

PS - Yes. I know. More skies. I can't help it. Sorry.

2010-11-23T20:32:00.000-06:00

Side Street
Fort Davis, Texas

photographed 11.13.2010

November 22

2010-11-22T19:43:00.000-06:00

Sunset, Yellowhouse Canyon

(Also: what are the odds that I would post a photograph of the sky?)

Yellowhouse Canyon, Texas

November 20

2010-11-21T15:24:00.000-06:00

on the outskirts of Jacksboro, Texas

November 19

2010-11-21T15:23:00.000-06:00

Say you are in Dallas, staying on maybe the 29th floor of the Sheraton. And say you can't sleep. And say there's nothing to watch on TV and you don't feel like reading. And say you don't want to go to the bar downstairs.

Here's something fun you might enjoy: using the window ledge and then, later, the top of the lampshade, as rudimentary tripods, try some night photographs of downtown Dallas.

Dallas, Texas

November 18

2010-11-21T15:17:00.000-06:00

In the Park Lane development
Dallas, Texas

November 17

2010-11-21T15:14:00.000-06:00

Reunion Tower, and an airplane
Dallas, Texas

November 16

2010-11-21T15:11:00.001-06:00

View from my hotel room
Dallas, Texas

November 15

2010-11-15T15:14:00.000-06:00

Well, here's something completely unexpected: a photograph that has SKY in it!

Fort Davis, Texas

photographed 11.13.2010

November 14

2010-11-14T15:47:00.001-06:00

Forgive me for two* sky photos in a row, but out here there's just SO MUCH of it.....

Highway 17
Jeff Davis County, Texas

*Actually, three

November 13

2010-11-14T15:44:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Mathematics Day here at the blog. Above you will see the solution to the following equation:

Me + a camera + a tripod + the night sky

Skyline Drive

Davis Mountains State Park, Texas

November 12

2010-11-14T15:40:00.000-06:00

I am not certain what these ruins are, but because they are across the street from the Chinati Foundation, where everything is an "installation" I will decree that these walls, too, are Installations.

Marfa, Texas

November 11

2010-11-14T15:36:00.000-06:00

Fall is coming...and the flowers are fading.

Davis Mountains State Park, Texas

November 10

2010-11-14T15:34:00.000-06:00

Railing beside the pool, Balmorhea State Park.

Toyahvale, Texas

November 9

2010-11-09T20:28:00.002-06:00

Indian Lodge
Davis Mountains State Park

One of my favorite places.

photographed 9.2004

November 8

2010-11-08T19:51:00.000-06:00

Taken at the National Ranching Heritage Center

Lubbock, Texas

photographed 7.3.2009

November 7

2010-11-07T19:45:00.000-06:00

I guess I am not too sure about the theological implications of having a basketball court just next to the graveyard, but it is a nice touch. I think.

behind Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church
Frankenstein, Missouri

photographed 6.19.2006

November 6

2010-11-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

The remains of a building
Red Oak, Texas

photographed 7.26.2008
Photography Weekend

November 5

2010-11-05T20:50:00.000-05:00

Detail, cabinet by Doug Ricketts. Through the end of the month, you can see the piece at Art on Texas Gallery, 1506 Texas Avenue, Lubbock.

Lubbock, Texas

November 4

2010-11-04T22:02:00.000-05:00

South of McCamey, Texas

photographed 8.27.2009

November 3

2010-11-03T17:46:00.000-05:00

Warehouse District
New Orleans

photographed 4.10.2010

November 2

2010-11-02T19:50:00.000-05:00

Here are some things I don't know:
1. Where this newspaper clipping came from
2. How long I have had it
3. Why I kept it in the first place
4. What a "pocket king" could possibly refer to

and, mainly,

5. Why that headline makes me laugh

My office bulletin board
Lubbock, Texas

November 1

2010-11-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

Day One of National Novel Writing Month.

My novel is based upon an event that happened in April 2010 in Brownfield, Texas, and that I have not been able to get out of my mind since.

The goal is to have a 50,000 word novel completed by midnight, November 30.

You know where I'll be this month.

Lubbock, Texas

October 31

2010-10-31T21:37:00.000-05:00

Would it have been wrong for me to pick out the candy that I liked best before the trick or treaters arrived?

Lubbock, Texas

October 30

2010-10-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

Late afternoon
St. Pete Beach, Florida

photographed 10.24.2010

October 29

2010-10-30T14:23:00.000-05:00

Uh, sorry. This is the result of a Dali hangover from yesterday.

The Holiday Motel
St. Petersburg, Florida

October 28

2010-10-30T14:20:00.000-05:00

You didn't REALLY think I could post a photo taken from the front of the Salvador Dali Museum and not do some crazy things to it, did you?

St. Petersburg, Florida

October 27

2010-10-30T14:09:00.001-05:00

The Chihuly chandelier

Renaissance Vinoy Hotel
St. Petersburg, Florida

October 26

2010-10-30T14:06:00.000-05:00

A confection of a building

downtown St. Petersburg, Florida

October 25

2010-10-30T14:05:00.000-05:00

A hole in the clouds above Tampa Bay

along the St. Petersburg Pier

St. Petersburg, Florida

October 24

2010-10-30T13:59:00.000-05:00

The beach and the Don CeSar Hotel

St. Pete Beach, Florida

October 23

2010-10-30T13:56:00.000-05:00

A Chihuly installation and the tower at the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel

St. Petersburg, Florida

Where have I been?

2010-10-29T13:01:00.000-05:00

I have been gone since Saturday, at a conference.

But don't worry - I took photographs while I was gone and will be posting them upon my return.

Aren't you SO excited at this news?

October 22

2010-10-22T15:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, you see something that is unbelievable, and you just can't stop thinking about it. You wish that you'd stopped to take a picture, mostly to prove to yourself, later, that you really DID see what you thought you saw.

I saw this yard full of vacuum cleaners in Denver. Didn't take a picture. Ate lunch. Drove around. Thought about the yard full of vacuum cleaners. Went back. Took a picture.

But I still can't explain why they are there - there wasn't a garage sale sign, and no one seemed to be monitoring the appliances.

I think my favorite part is that two of them are elevated, perched on plastic boxes. I want to think they are the best vacuums (however one might judge that) and earned the right to spend the day two feet higher than the rest.

Somewhere in Denver, Colorado

photographed 6.20.2008

October 21

2010-10-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

If you are lucky enough to see the full moon this month, remember that some Native Americans refer to it as the Dying Grass Moon.

Notes in my writing studio
Lubbock, Texas

October 20

2010-10-20T20:41:00.000-05:00

[INSERT YOUR OWN JOKE HERE]

at the grocery store

Little Cayman Island

photographed 7.10.10

October 19

2010-10-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome to One Year Ago day here at the blog.

One year ago, I was at Windbreak House on a writing retreat.

While on a break from writing, I found this very tall, mostly dead cottonwood tree.

Windbreak House

near Hermosa, South Dakota

photographed 10.19.2009

October 18

2010-10-18T20:44:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, the scenery is behind you.

Somewhere along the road between Levelland and Crosbyton (but closer to Crosbyton)

PS - That's cotton, not snow.

October 17

2010-10-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

Camels!
Buffalo!!
A giant red gun!!!

They've got it all.

South Slide Road
Lubbock County, Texas

October 16

2010-10-16T16:12:00.000-05:00

I was doing some research today*, in Brownfield**, and saw this at the intersection of FM 168 and US 380, in Terry County.

My favorite part: the way the dead tree, the old shack, and the live tree are all leaning to the north, having spent their lives pushed that way by the wind.

Terry County, Texas

*Really.
**Where would YOU go for research?

October 15

2010-10-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

This is shocking news: I cooked dinner tonight.

(I'll wait while you regain your breath......)

OK, to continue:

I made a mélange of chicken sausage, onions, tomatoes, spaghetti squash, garlic, and these fabulous fat green olives.

Yum.

My kitchen
Lubbock, Texas

October 14

2010-10-14T21:42:00.000-05:00

NM 28
Chamberino, New Mexico

photographed 5.2.2010

October 13

2010-10-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

Ralls, Texas

photographed 4.22.2010

October 12

2010-10-12T21:04:00.000-05:00

A random, roofless building
Puerto de Luna, New Mexico

photographed 4.10.2009

October 11

2010-10-11T18:52:00.000-05:00

Did you ever wonder why some of the cotton was shaped like loaves and some of it was round? Here's an explanation, by guest blogger Melinda Williams Chapman, who lives on a cotton farm near Lorenzo, Texas:

The loaf shaped ones are what most everyone is making. They are built in the module builders. The round bales are something that is new in the past couple of years. There is a cotton picker that John Deere makes that actually makes these inside the picker as you are pulling the cotton. When the round bale is made it is wrapped in a plastic wrap and then dumped in the field where ever you happen to be. Case also makes a cotton picker that does the same thing, but the modules are square and look kinda like half of a regular module. These are very expensive and there aren't many out there yet, especially in this part of the country where we run cotton STRIPPERS instead of cotton PICKERS. It does save on equipment and labor costs though. Stripping cotton to make the big modules requires a stripper, a tractor to run the boll buggies (which is what the stripper dumps the cotton into) and a tractor to run each module builders (which is what the boll buggy dumps into) and someone to run the stripper, the tractor for the boll buggy and the module builder. With the new cotton pickers you could conceivably strip cotton alone. Steven has talked about buying one of the new module building pickers, but is waiting to see if John Deere will make a cotton stripper that will do it instead of the cotton picker. Cotton pickers are generally used where the cotton grows tall. The row units are tall and have little fingers that turn on a vertical shaft that actually "pick" the cotton out of the burr. Stripper row units are short and made to harvest shorter. Those row units have brushes that "strip" everything off of the plant and then they have what is called a burr extractor that separates the burrs from the cotton before it is blown back into the basket. Gins are having to modify how they move the round modules to get them into the ginning process. Our gin at Lorenzo has 1 farmer out here who has one of the pickers that makes the round modules and they had to figure out last year how to move the modules without spending a ton of money on equipment to handle just one farmer's cotton.

And so now, thanks to that fine explanation, you know!

Arnett Gin

Hockely County, Texas

October 10

2010-10-10T15:55:00.000-05:00

Water, and the sky

Yellowhouse Canyon, Texas

October 9

2010-10-09T17:19:00.001-05:00

Rocks, wood, and two leaves.

My backyard
Lubbock, Texas

October 8

2010-10-08T21:42:00.001-05:00

It was somewhere in Nevada, north of Interstate 80 and east of Elko.

photographed 1.28.2009

PS - "It was somewhere in Nevada" is from the John Hiatt song, "Tennessee Plates." In case it sounded familiar.

October 7

2010-10-07T20:56:00.000-05:00

If you need something to do, here's a suggestion. Start in Lubbock, and take highway 114 west. Just past the county line, on the north side of the road there's a junk store. (It's in the community of Hurlwood, if you want to spot it on a map or Google Earth or something.)

Anyway, the junk store has all kinds of junk - in fact, it may have the very best selection of junk in all of Hockley County. Stop and take a look around. You'll be amazed. There are old signs (like the one in the photograph) and poles and posts and more miscellaneous crap than you could ever hope to see in one place.

Route guidance (correct as of earlier this afternoon): there is a 1975 New Holland combine out in front. It'll be the only 1975 New Holland combine along this particular stretch of road. That's how you know you are at the right place. Unless someone bought the combine; the price seemed pretty reasonable to me ($2500), but what do I know about combines?*

photographed 5.22.2010

* Very little. The sign that said "1975 New Holland combine, $2500" was actually quite educational.

October 6

2010-10-06T20:34:00.000-05:00

To be fair, the bagels were pretty good. But that sign didn't inspire too much confidence.

somewhere in Houston

photographed 2.13.2010

October 5

2010-10-05T21:57:00.000-05:00

A couple of years after my mom passed away, my dad wanted to make one more visit to England to check out their favorite places. He planned the trip, and we saw things like Canterbury and Winchester cathedrals, stone circles, ancient National Trust properties, the national auto museum, and so on.

But really, the best part of the trip was the few days we spent in the Cotswolds, which were hilly and green and lovely. I would like to go back - and I can see why my dad was so set on his own return visit.

a tiny road, somewhere in the Costwolds
near Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire
England

photographed 10.22.2007

October 4

2010-10-04T20:42:00.000-05:00

They also sell books at the bookstore, just not very close to the front door.

Lubbock, Texas

October 3

2010-10-03T14:09:00.000-05:00

Lots of old buildings in downtown Abilene have been gutted and are now used as covered parking. At least they are being used for something.

Abilene, Texas

photographed 4.3.2010

October 2

2010-10-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

Yellowhouse Canyon, Texas

October 1

2010-10-01T22:51:00.001-05:00

Detail, architectural rendering (color added)
Texas Tech University College of Architecture
Graduate Studio

First Friday Art Trail
Lubbock, Texas

September 30

2010-09-30T19:55:00.000-05:00

From the ferris wheel.

Panhandle South Plains Fair
Lubbock, Texas

photographed 9.29.2010

September 29

2010-09-29T21:28:00.000-05:00

Look! It's a twenty-five cent princess wand that only cost TWO DOLLARS!

BARGAIN!

Panhandle South Plains Fair
Lubbock, Texas

September 28

2010-09-28T19:32:00.000-05:00

Look!

I found Jo's Barb R Sho!

Idalou, Texas

photographed 4.25.2010

September 27

2010-09-27T19:41:00.000-05:00

We always thought this was the Law of the Universe: every home plumbing repair will require three trips to Home Depot.

Turns out, I guess, that it is actually more of a suggestion. Five trips and the toilet still leaks.

Lubbock, Texas

September 26

2010-09-26T19:19:00.000-05:00

Maybe people who think that there isn't anything to see in the desert need to look a little harder.

Near Fort Davis, Texas

photographed 7.3.2005

September 25

2010-09-25T17:23:00.001-05:00

"Look at that sad bit of hopefulness."

-my cousin Cameron, commenting on the 38 year gap since the last time Hobbs was the state champion

(He also said, "Right now, 'ambivalence' is my favorite word, but I don't know if that's a good idea." Evidently some of this silliness is genetic.)

Hobbs, New Mexico

September 24

2010-09-24T16:45:00.004-05:00

This is Round Two of my mad horticulture skills.

(Round One)

This plant is a member of the, uh, well, I believe it is a member of the plant family. The spiky thing is spiky. It grows well in the sun. I think.

That is all.