Doggone 2009

Monsoon Come

2010-11-02T09:18:00.001-07:00

Trip Through Sedona ~ Springtime in the Desert

2010-05-22T08:04:00.001-07:00

Friday Night Let the Weekend Begin...

2010-01-29T17:30:00.000-08:00

GOOD MORNING ARIZONA!!!

2010-01-20T09:54:00.001-08:00

Freak Weather

2010-01-11T17:52:00.000-08:00

All Aboard!

2009-11-29T08:30:00.001-08:00

A Very Special Tear-Jerking Moment

2009-11-16T17:06:00.001-08:00

I was invited to photograph an event, the presentation of the banner and other gifts to a young lady just about to deploy to boot camp, fresh Army meat. The moment touched me more deeply than I imagined:

With her father standing beside her, and father Bruce's glasses fogging up on the right, they honored her with little speeches, gifts and advice from the old military guys. We all cried, but if that didn't do it to you, meet her mother:

There was a lot of love gathered there that night to support this young woman as she embarked on the journey of a lifetime. She had recently gotten married.

Second Look at Jerome

2009-08-22T14:34:00.001-07:00

Classic Jerome Arizona

2009-07-05T10:30:00.001-07:00

A series of nine photos I picked out of many I took on our field trip to Jerome. I have more of the women I went with, but I'd have to ask all their permissions before I post those....

Bucky's Casino ~ Prescott, Az

2009-05-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Springtime for Sisters in Paradise

2009-05-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

See Jim Go

2009-05-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

This is Jim. He's pedaling from Chula Vista, Ca. to the steps of the White House to protest the bailouts. I sent this photo of him to his wife, go Jim, GO!!!

(get ON the bike, Jim...)

Unusually Radical Photos from Seligman

2009-05-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Founders Day Parade!

2009-05-04T07:21:00.001-07:00

The Deb. She was really looking forward to wearing the white gloves and carrying the flag in the parade. She did a good job AND she got the BEST flag!

***

"hey, does this flag make my butt look big?"

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

2009-04-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Holiday on the Ranch

2009-04-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Our hostess, Marilyn, is actually a bunny angel in disguise... she lives in her dream house on acres where she takes care of her "critters", most of them rescued. And she rescued us on Easter Sunday. Put out quite the spread, too, everything from bloody marys to jelly beans. Thanks, Marilyn!

Chicken with a DO
(or: do the funky chicken)
These birds are as handsome as any we have seen at the county fair - there are ducks and geese, too, all living in harmony...

The baby BULL... Marilyn may be a woman of extremes.... she has a tiny dachsund named Honey and then she has really big bulls. We forget the baby's name, but will find out and correct the omission.

She has horses and dogs and cats, too... her place is better than any "petting zoo" we have ever been to - and so full of love - just an amazing woman, an amazing place.

Easter SaNOOO

2009-04-11T08:21:00.001-07:00

We woke up to a bit of a surprise this morning. SNOW!!! The dogs ran out the door as usual and then skidded to a halt when they saw this:

How funny! We laughed for at least 20 minutes watching Gigabyte, the California dog trying to figure out what THIS was. Sweetie the chow dog was OK with it as long as she could stay on the porch...

Still in Ash Fork...

2009-04-03T10:03:00.001-07:00

There are hearts all over the land around the cabin...
they start out as clumps of green grass. When the
grass dries out, a heart shape remains - like a big
hug from Mother Earth.

Prescott, Arizona

2009-03-17T13:29:00.001-07:00

Downtown Ash Fork

2009-03-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

there are lots of closed up buildings and
run-down funky spots... back in ole CA,
these would be called "fixer-uppers" and
sell in the "low" millions.....

we love this portion of historic route 66...
we can feel the spirit of good times here,
as in "get your kicks ... on route 66"

this is one of my favorites, that old de soto
is a beauty, and there is someone actually
behind the wheel up there ... we think it's ELVIS

Ash Fork Grand Canyon Arizona

2009-03-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

Isn't this the cutest little cabin you ever saw in your whole life? It's got a porch swing, a little fire pit in front of those rocks and the most amazing sunsets.

Lake Mead, Government Wash

2009-03-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the kibbles, Mr. Al, I am forever dedicated to you.

Deb's Hearth

Lake Mead, it's a BUTTE! Water levels are way down...

At night, the coyotes sing a sad song off in the distance, they sing to each other, a bone-chilling sound that reminds you where you are.

Pahrump pum pum pum

2009-03-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

Maddie & Hattie, daughter and mother, visited us every morning for chit chat and rollies...

Sunset glows on a distant mountain...

Our camp hosts at the 7 Palms RV campground, Larry, Pam (our angels) & almost-due Stephanie.

Tecopa Hot Springs

2009-02-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

fire makes campsite better...

the noble gigabyte, he loves camping

walk out onto the spongey desert, up onto hills made of tailings, and put a rock on the formation...

landscape, skyscape

gig, please do not pee on that stack of rocks...

panoshot

snow in the distance, yes it got cold at night...

Over the HUMP

2009-02-16T02:13:00.000-08:00

Tehachapi Pass:

Colonel Allensworth Historic Stuff

2009-02-16T01:54:00.000-08:00

Naval Air Station - Lemoore Ca

2009-02-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

This is my son Leo. We went to the Lemoore Naval Air Station to spend a week with him and his little family. The photos of the children will not be published for security reasons, however, Leo's not afraid of anything.
***
hey, that's my favorite nephew, Leo. Patriarch of the clan, now.
my gosh, he has a look of my dad about him...

He took me up to the tower, this is the side of the tower where all the squadrons post their logos.
***
i can't believe they let sis take photos...

This is a shot from inside the top of the tower... notice the full moon out there in the sky.
***
full moon, schmull moon... what sis does not mention is
the extra heavy chemtrailing happening over the Central Valley
on the day we got back on the road... we landed at
Allensworth State Park and stayed two days/nights... pics soon!

The Pine Flat Series...

2009-02-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

Our camp hosts... they are SO cute.
***
our trip has been blessed with people like this... they were
so kind and supportive...

The view from my tent...
***
sis has deluxe accommodations... i inherited her single-person tent.
it's cozy, not quite water-proof, but it's better than what i had
before, so i am grateful...

Mushroom detail
***
no, we did not "try" any of the mushrooms.
we both expressed regret at the lack of knowledge
between us regarding botany. cool drops, though,
artwork totally by mother nature.

The incredible mushroom.
***
Hope you are happy where you are, Terence McKenna...

Our campfire.
***
the whole fire thing is so ingrained symbolically...
camp is always so much better with the fire, however
campers are expected to bring own wood in most places
we have been, and that's kinda tough when our auto is
packed full of stuff...

The woodpecker had all his nuts pointy side in this pole.
***
excuse ME?

The chow dog.
***
she's been a fine little camper...

The Gig.
***
he adds a little bit of dignity to our group...

On the water.
***
that's not us, by the way

Yellow flower detail.
***
here's to the idea of more sunshine and wildflowers...
(cold, numb fingers crossed)

The Blue Oaks.
***
huggable trees... and i did

The amazing non-rolling boulder.
***
just give it a nudge...

Moss on the rocks.
***
some lichen, too

Morning light.
***
light is good

Oh BOY!!!
***
yeah, gig, this is cool...

While at Pine Flat

2009-02-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

we are still sitting out the weather at Leo's house, it
looks like we will be continuing on in a day or two...
meanwhile, thinking back on the days at Pine Flat:
***
i was making coffee at sunrise at Pine Flat...
sis went for water and to find some more wood
to add to the fire, she was gone for some time
***
then i spotted her coming up the hill. she had a
big oak branch, a jug of water and in her hat,
some fresh picked greens
***
she called it miner's lettuce - it grows low to the
ground in shady damp spots, it has a bright green
round leaf with a hint of a flower where the stem
meets the leaf - she had picked handfuls
***

***
she rinsed them and put them in our bowls, drizzled
some seasoned rice vinegar and olive oil on them
and added a pinch of sea salt
***
at that moment, i had never tasted anything better
in my life! the rush i got from the chlorophyll was
amazing and our tongues turned bright green!
***
i want to find out the botanical name....
***
ok, it's "Montia perfoliata"

Pass the Crescents

2009-02-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you try to zoom and shoot a photo at night without a tripod:

Reflecting on Fairfax

2009-02-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

Before we left Redwood country, we stopped in Fairfax Ca. to visit with our good friend Kimmy. She's been in the family for over 20 years and we love her dearly. She and her honeypie Jonathan have a leathercraft shop there and they make the most original and beautiful leather THINGS! http://jonathansleathercraft.com

Camp Pussy

2009-02-01T11:56:00.001-08:00

2.1.2009

Welcome to Camp Pussy

Sunrise around 7am, sis been in her car with heat on
and off since 4:30... and she thought she was the tough
one!

We are at the Merced River, long ago a flood plain for
the Central Valley, inhabited by tribes in the summer
after waters receded and alive with birds, wildlife.

We stayed two nights because one night per spot is a little
much, what with tent set up, fire building, etc

So we packed up and headed to the closest Starbuck's
wifi to research our next stop... we find it is necessary
to cross-reference our books and maps with internet
because not every source material is accurate. Once
we find a place ahead that sounds good, we check it on
google earth to make sure we can see roads and trees
and, preferably, water.

We are looking for a place that will shelter us from now
until Wednesday, when it looks like there may be rain...
we have positioned ourselves so that when it clouds up,
we can be in Lemoore at Leo's to wait out any inclement
weather... a few days there will give us time to figure out
where to go next... probably towards the desert.

So, who was that, got up at 4:30am and started their car at the campground? Camp Pussy did, you d'camp pussy? When your bones are so cold that you can't even sit still and you can't build a fire in the dark, you go warm up the car... Start d'car! Warm that sucker up and you can finally thaw out and relax, dang, frozen fucking fog? I be d'camp pussy, in d'car. When the leaves crunch when you walk on them and your tears of laughter are making ice cubes on your eyelashes, you'd be d'camp pussy too. Burn some petrol and warm up or else you be d'ignorant camp pussy and I'd much rather be a warm pussy than clenched up frozen pussy. The sun is coming up and warming everything on this magnificent day, but not soon enough for my pussy dog and me. We're somewhere near the Merced River with all the ducks and geese. Not many campers out this weekend, pussies.

4 Thousand words about our latest Campground...

2009-01-30T14:44:00.001-08:00

peaceful sunsets, the camera didn't quite catch the crescent moon and its companion star - or is it a planet (venus?) i am not sure...

mist on the river... sis got this great shot a la ansel adams

where these two rivers meet, the Stanislaus and the San Joaquin, one of them flows north, the only one in the state to do so...

two tents, two sisters, two dogs, two convertibles, two espresso cups (see the italian espresso maker on the table?)

Tit Nippley

2009-01-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

I said Deb, you shouldn't leave that bowl of dog kibbles on your car, the racoons will get it, or the wildcats, or the BEARS!!! and she said pshaw, that won't happen. So all night long we listened to the racoons raid our campsite, eat the kibble and rummage in my car (no back window). Finally, when we'd had enough, we sent Gigabyte out of the tent to "get 'em! Gig!" and he sure enough did, ran those racoons right up a tree. I never knew that racoons could climb trees.

departure day is here

2009-01-27T06:46:00.000-08:00

well, the house has been empty for two weeks now....
sis and i and the dogs have been staying here at
the invitation of an angel, one of the first on our journey,
our landlord - seriously, the world could do better with
more people like him in it
***
it is still dark outside - sis and i are having coffee and
waiting for daylight to pack up the cars...
***
i have butterflies in my stomach and i still need to
figure out how to replace a headlight bulb, but other
than that, it's time to move...
***
the weather forecast looks like 5 days of clear skies - it will
be cold at night, but nothing like other areas of the country.
thank goodness i have a fluffy dog to keep my toes
warm when sleeping...
***
we have already experienced little miracles and
manifestations while this departure day approached...
certain people stopped by at certain times with the
perfect solutions and bearing appropriate tokens of love,
like a thermal tarp and a flashlight that is powered
by a charge built up with hand cranking (no batteries)
and an air mattress; not only that, but during our
cleaning out phase, as we set things on the porch,
the perfect person would come by who wanted it -
we did not have to pay to dispose of anything or arrange
for trucks or pay for ads - people just came by.
special encounters almost brought me to tears, like the
neighbor who got my angel candleholder for his wife
who was home sick, to make her feel better and the
little girl to whom i gave a little tea party set and the
young woman whose eyes lit up when she saw my
selection of colored glass for making windows and
the mommy who was taking some crystals and rocks
home to her little boy who has started to collect and the
old grampa man who wanted a wooden wine box as
a coffin for his old cat who was about to die... - the
list goes on and on - how many people have a garage
sale and end up hugging every other person that stops by?
***
the point is this, for me anyway: get aligned with your
purpose, make decisions based on love, do the right
thing at any given moment and it is amazing how the
road opens up in front of you, coincidences happen,
synchronicity happens, there are signals to be noticed
and a quiet inner strength develops
***
and let's not forget to mention the FUN!

Soscol

2009-01-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

Early one morning they were called out by an insatiable desire for food, later, as they drove home satisfied and confident in their plans, the road whispered to them...

good morning...

"time is money"? no, "time is art"!

2009-01-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

From the Planet Art Network:

"We are the planet - we, each and every one of us, are the Earth. We all know that "business as usual" can only accelerate the global crisis.

What we need is a radical change, a radically new way of life. A way of life dedicated to, first of all, the salvation of the Planet: Universal Peace by 2012. Then we can begin the endless journey and real adventure of re-creating the Planet as a true work of ever-evolving galactic art!

Consider for a moment, the difference between the belief system of "time is money" and the way of life called "time is art". That is a radical and instant paradigm shift!

This paradigm shift manifests as a whole new social vision, a society whose interests are the interests of the Planet itself, a unified global community, the mind and mouthpiece of Planet Earth ..."

not a care in the world

2009-01-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

the dogs plan their journey...

Remembering Old Friends

2009-01-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

So, what does one do to prepare to plunge into the abyss? First thing I did was to go through everything I own and get rid of everything that won't fit in the car. This takes drastic prioritizing. And so we did. Down to the bone, even still might have to give up something in order to see out my back window. So, what do I miss most? That was a question in my mind, would I miss those things terribly? NO! What I miss most is Mr. Kitty. The cat went to live in San Francisco with Debra's son, Sam. And my bathrobe, yes, my bathrobe. It made me look like I lived in an asylum, Debra said, so in the interest of keeping up our campground appearance, I gave up the old bathrobe. Damnit! It's gone where old bathrobes go to die. Now I miss my old friend the tattered robe and have replaced it with a fringy wool blanket that I wrap around me. Makes me look like I live in an asylum without a bathrobe...

Trash or Treasure?

2009-01-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

...she was at a random porch sale in downtown Napa when she discovered her frog prince, she just had to have it she thought, and with that she wisked him away to come live with her...

winter road trip

2009-01-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

day 9, re-searching ideas for inspiration, it feels so close to departure time, I am getting antsy and keep bringing myself back to this gorgeous day, grateful to be in this wonderful place, for now - anyway, back to the info, from others who have gone before (well, not EXACTLY, but sort of): winter road trip

Trust Manifest

2009-01-09T05:21:00.000-08:00

The Mustang has TAGS! Another sign that things are going my way. I'm collecting emails for our up to the minute ecard from the road mailing list. Send your email address to: artspot@gmail.com and become a follower of this blog and you will always know what we're doing. Seems we're leaving just in time for construction to begin on Fourth St. There's another sign. Signs all over the place, YEILD TO ONCOMING PHOTONS lol - fucking legal now, yay!

Porch Sale!

2009-01-04T14:03:00.001-08:00

day 4, 2009: word of the day: progress

2009-01-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

ok, so this no expectations attitude is working just fine so far... folks are coming by to discover some treasures, take some of our special things and give them new energy. The day is gorgeous, the coffee is excellent, and a hot bubblebath in that clawfoot tub is only hours away. What could make this day better? Not a whole heckuva lot.
***
Words Sis said to me days ago, weeks ago, I don't know how long ago: "delay is not disaster" - and so it goes, we purge and clean and organize and visualize and somehow I am convinced we are manifesting a bright future right NOW.
***
As we posted the craigslist this morning, the words to type in to get past the submission process were a sign for us, we both felt it. "trust & manifest" Well, ok then, it doesn't get much clearer than that. We are still looking for signs, however, and we'll take them wherever we find them.
***
I feel a bit impatient to get going and yet ultra appreciative of my last days here... to be cont'd

New Year's Day 2009

2009-01-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone.
***
I am almost done with the last of my sorting and packing.
What remains to be given away or donated isn't much...
how fortunate we have been to have the "right" people
show up at the "right" time. Some of our most valued
possessions, the things infused with lots of our attention
and happiness, are something special now to the special
people in our lives - a whole new sense of appreciation
is created. Cool.
***
Mr Kitty is already in his new home - he is now Mr. City Kitty.
We had a long conversation. He understood that he would
be more comfortable with my son, who raised him from a kitten.
I already miss him. He made me laugh every day...
***
I have a list of last minute errands to do tomorrow. But right
now, this very minute, it could not be much better. I am
so excited about this journey, I can't wait to see what happens.
When people ask where we are going, they are always
so surprised to hear that we don't know. I do know that
Big Sur is calling, I feel the place needs some healing energy
to come back after the recent fire... we'll see which way the
current is flowing.
***
1st lesson learned: throw schedules, plans and expectations out the window.

2009-01-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

It all started with a really good cup of coffee. The two women woke up in their little house in downtown Napa and realized, this would be one of the last days they would spend there. The two dogs waited patiently by the kibble bag for their instructions. The last items they would not be taking with them were lined up like soldiers on the porch for the inspection by Craigslist enthusiasts who would come over the next few days to pick through the boxes of stuff, things they had collected over the last fifty years. Things they had decided that they no longer needed to cling to.

It was a cold, misty, grey morning in wine country that day. Spirits were high and the two women listened to Elvis Costello on the stereo as they stepped lightly through the maze of now unwanted possessions. That's it! They decided to shed everything that couldn't fit in their cars and mobilize. 2009 would present itself to them now with a new path, like one of them said to the other, 'I'm turning my canoe around and going downstream, I'm tired of fighting the current'.

The advice they got from concerned family and friends was to get rid of the dogs and they would have more opportunities if they would just continue to work as slaves of the system, however these sage women decided that THEY could see more opportunity in getting rid of everything else, keeping the dogs and accepting whatever future came with them. They were happier with that choice, and so was Gigabyte and Sweetie. Four very lucky dogs now on an EPIC adventure.

It all started when the women one day decided to plant four crystals in a diamond shape on the map around them for protection and clarity. They had fun with it, choosing the locations on the map starting at the north with the Soda Springs castle ruins. This would only be a problem because one of them an issue with tresspassing. For some reason, they did it anyway. The other one got photos:

They got busted by the caretaker of the land. He had left a note in the car that the cops were coming right away and we better take notice! But when the women talked to the men, they softened up and left them with a smile. Mission accomplished. Now, on to the second spot:

The Napa Airport the south point, ho hum... Then they drove out to point three, a grapefarm west of Napa:

Napa really is a beautiful place, the crystal was planted in the shoulder knot of an old oak tree. Next, they headed east to a point on the map that landed on a crossroads in a rural part of Napa:

And so it was done. The grid had been activated and something was set into motion that they would not fully realize until the next year...