Peter Crispin
As I mentioned in an earlier post today, Peter is now 25 years old. It seems amazing to me. All of you who know him are aware of what a remarkable person he is, and to those of you who have never met him, this photograph just about says it all. Cris and I are so proud.
Tilghman Island / New Orleans
I am going to break a few of my self-imposed rules in this post. I have always assumed that the reason people come to this site was to see interesting aspects of the world that they might not otherwise notice. I have never wanted it to be about me. But this post is mostly personal.
Peter Carroll and I have been working on a project on Tilghman Island for the past several years. In conjunction with the Tilghman Island Waterman’s Museum, we have been documenting the life of the watermen for two films that Peter has been shooting. The second of those films had its premier on Saturday evening at the elementary school. The auditorium was full and everyone loved it.
Then on Sunday Cristine and I flew to New Orleans where she was to receive an award from the Commission on Adult Basic Education. We walked around the city most of the day yesterday and it was as amazing to me as everyone said it would be.
Cris got the Kenneth J. Mattran Award for “Promoting Literacy Nationally and Internationally”. I was so proud and it was great to see people come up to her and thank her for being so inspirational.
After the luncheon we bugged out and walked back to the French Quarter. I would love to have seen this neon sign lit up, but The Pearl was closed today. Next stop was Cafe´du Monde for beignets and coffee. Later as we were walking down an almost totally deserted RiverWalk, we saw a video crew doing a stand up shot of a guy with the river in the background. It turned out to be Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel.
So here’s where I really break my self-imposed rule (don’t ever have a picture of me in this blog). My great friend Tania Werbizky has at various times in her life been totally obsessed with the Weather Channel. After Jim was done with his work, I approached him and asked if I could take a photograph. He was so nice and immediately suggested that he and I be in the shot. So Tania, I mentioned you to Jim effing Cantore. How’s about that?
Our hotel is just next to the Superdome and this is the view from the 17th floor hallway. / It is impossible to walk around this city and not think of hurricane Katrina and the devastation it caused. And looking at this building that housed so many people in such great need is more than a bit unsettling. This is an amazing part of America and I feel fortunate to have finally made it down here.
South Carolina Beach
Cris and I celebrated our 25th anniversary yesterday with a very long walk on the beach. It was a beautiful day and the light was perfect for me. And as you can see, it was mostly deserted.
When we walk, I am constantly stopping to take photos. She usually just keeps moving but I eventually catch up.
Some of these guys are really tiny. The shell on top with the red bit was no more than an inch across. The guy above was probably 3 inches.
I have only occasionally seen the above type of shell. Reminds me of an exotic African cat.
This shell was very small, but so beautiful.
There is usually quite a bit of plant matter laying about. We saw what was left of a huge palm tree at the high tide line. I am not sure if the plant above is a water or land based plant.
Sand dollars are somewhat rarer this year. We didn’t see any until yesterday.
I say it to people all the time when I am complimented about my photographs, because it is important for me to give credit where it is due. I absolutely could not do what I do without the constant support and encouragement from Cristine. Not just emotionally, but in practical terms as well. She works very hard at a demanding job to provide us with all the things that a photographer with a spotty income could never provide. For that and the last 25 years I am more grateful than I can say.
Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus)
Hey Cris! The paperwhites are blooming. They smell great and are awaiting your return.
JFK Terminal 4
I drove Cris and a colleague to JFK last night. They will be teaching at Al Azhar University in Gaza for the next two weeks. I am a bit anxious about the whole thing, but it should be very interesting work for her. She arrived safely in Tel Aviv this morning and we’ll see if she can make it through the crossing into the strip. / I love airports, especially in the early evening.
Walk
Cris and the Pearl and I went up into the woods today. My sister Karen once told me what this ↑ little guy is called , but it didn’t stick with me. Any help, anyone? They are very delicate and tiny. / And due to all the recent rain, the fungi are everywhere.
I can’t remember seeing one like this ↑ before. It is very white.
Dragonfly
Cris and I went for a walk with the Pearl this afternoon. This dragonfly landed on her hat and was kind enough to hang around while I took some shots.
We Won! (fourth place)
Last Saturday at the Amherst Farmer’s Market Cris bought a raffle ticket for the 4th Annual Fort River Celebration Day Rubber Ducky Derby. It was in support of the Hitchcock Center and the Rushing Rivers Institute. Hey, $5.00; goes to a good cause. On our way to the event today she couldn’t find the stub from the form, but she thought our number was 426. When we got to Goff park, we checked the list and we were actually #258 which is a favorite number of ours. I was kind of impatient for the off, and as usual making rude comments to Cris. The organizers were telling all the kids to make lots of noise during the race so once the ducks hit the water, I started yelling 258 258 258 258…….Cris got as far away from me as she could.
We hadn’t seen our entry before the race and from a distance they all looked the same anyway. Once the winners were collected and brought to the shore, the organizers (with great fanfare) announced the winners. #251 came in first, then second and third were announced. The prizes were things we didn’t care much about, but 4th prize was a free canoe or kayak rental from Adventure Outfitters. Then they read the number and it was……258! We yelled like we had just won the lottery and as we were the only winners present, got a huge round of cheers.
So here’s the winner. They gave it to us to bring home. Some of the paint has worn off, so I am guessing this isn’t its first race. I like the Islands motif. We went to the ABC after and each had a Guinness to celebrate.
Smokey Bear
Cris and I used to joke about this. I have always argued that his real name was Smokey Bear, and she insisted that it was Smokey the Bear. I still think I am right, and this billboard could prove it. / It is very cool and windy today; much different than the wild weather of yesterday.
Waffle House
Cris, the Pearl and I left Pelham yesterday at about 4 pm and arrived at Kiawah at about 9 this morning. Driving through the night on I-95 is really the way to go. Very little traffic and it is really nice to be in the car at night with Cris. She slept on and off, Pearl was really chilled and I was jacked up with a combination of milky tea, Starbucks Frappucinos, and Sudafed. I have had this flu since the week before Christmas and am really tired of it. Just before 6 we stopped for gas and needed some breakfast. Waffle House can be a sketchy experience, but this one was decent. Lots of grease for the potatoes and eggs, and they must have thought we came from another planet, but all in all, fast and filling.
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