Another Walk and a Baby
Cris and I took the Olive up into the woods late this afternoon. Thanks to Sarah, Leonard, and SCJ (all readers of this blog) I think I can safely say that this is a ghost plant (aka Indian Pipe, monotropa uniflora, or monotropa hypopithys).
And there is no doubt this is a dirty yellow labrador retriever . It hasn’t rained much lately so the woods (is?) are full of lots of mud holes and very little running water. What is most amazing to me is that within an hour she is completely clean again.
And my lovely niece Heather just had another girl. On Sunday, we got to meet her while she was chillin’ with her big sister.
I am off to the UK on Thursday for some work and some fun. My great friend John Wilson just sent me this link to a wonderful article on lists. It is a great story. He’ll pick me up at Heathrow Friday morning and I can’t wait to see him.
Football and Frog
If you read this site regularly, you might think that most of my photography has to do with the suitcases project or random things that go on in my life. But I still shoot stuff in an attempt to make a living. Once in a while I help out my friend Thom Kendall, who has the contract to shoot UMASS sports. Today was the first game to take place in Amherst in several years, as the team has been playing home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro (yeah, it’s complicated). Upon review, this play was ruled a touchdown, and I was happy to get this shot.
With all the TV timeouts, I didn’t get home until about 7.45. We had some nice mozzarella and one of the last good tomatoes of the season, and Cris wondered if any of the basil that we grow in pots on the deck was still edible. It was dark out so she brought in the pot and started trimming leaves. Quite quickly she noticed that this froggie had come in with the plant. We caught it, and after I took this photograph, put him (her?) back outside. Love those sticky feet.
My Father / Colorado
My father died in August of 2007 and my brother, sister, and I have been trying to figure out when we could all meet in Colorado to spread his ashes.
Robert LeRoy Crispin (he hated the LeRoy part) was born in Central City, Colorado on 19 August 1917. He was a man completely formed by his difficult early life. At the age of 6 his father died (probably from black lung due to his working in the mines), and as his mother was often poorly, he was largely raised by grandparents.
My family; Bob, Karen, I at Richard Crispin’s grave in the Knights of Pythias cemetery.
Dad’s other side of the family were buried nearby in the IOOF (Odd Fellows) Cemetery. Both sides of the family were Cornish, whose men worked in the lead mines there and came to Colorado to work the silver mines.
We spread some of dad’s ashes near his Wilkinson grandparents. This watch belonged to his grandfather. I usually keep it on my desk at home, but really wanted to bring it along for the trip.
The house he was born in on The Casey (now Casey Street) has been torn down, but this is the entry to his grandparent’s house next door. Dad would have walked through this door countless times.
And seen this view across the valley every day.
And often would have walked up this path at the end of the street.
I have been meaning to do a long post about my father for a very long time, and I know I will get to it some day. We had a somewhat complicated relationship, but he was an amazing guy whose life was remarkably full and interesting.
The Columbia Center for Archaeology
I took the train into New York City (125th Street Station) yesterday to speak to faculty and students at The Columbia Center for Archaeology. One of the (newly tenured!) faculty, Zoe Crossland, had been an early supporter of the suitcases, and through her I was introduced to Brian Boyd, who directs the center. I spoke there two years ago and really enjoyed interacting with the whole group. When I present to organizations like this, I get so much positive feedback that it really fuels me to keep going. Yesterday, it was mostly grad students and faculty and I was thrilled to interact with folks who are so involved in their own projects. As the shooting begins to wind down, I hope to be able to spend a lot of time at colleges and universities talking about the collection. So thanks to Zoe and Brian. It was a great experience.
Recent
I haven’t been posting lately, and I suspect one of the reasons is above. I am remembering that it takes a ton of work to have a puppy in the house.
The good news is that I am spending a ton of time in the woods with her. Any help on what this lot is?
Cris and I flew out of Boston early yesterday on our way to Denver. Hard to believe the above shot was taken in the airport. Looks like something out of someone’s private home in South Boston. / On our way up to the mountains we stopped in Arvada to see the house where my aunt Leora and uncle Herald lived, a place I have been visiting since a young child.
We are in Colorado for the wedding of one of Cristine’s grad students. Laura was a favorite of ours, and the nuptials are in Beaver Creek. It is beautiful here. The aspens are so lovely at this time of the year.
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
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