Finale ...

I leave for Washington tomorrow morning, so this is the grand finale for the grand endeavor Trash Collection Series in Grand Junction, Colorado!

First, I have to mention another series that I play around with, Bondo. There is a white truck just a couple of houses down that has some incredible marks and distressing. I finally found the owner at home to ask if I could take a gadzillion photos of his truck. He humored me and agreed. I walked over, turned on the camera. Wait! The camera didn't turn on! Oh woe! My battery ran out of juice!!! I felt a wee bit foolish after the wonderful build up I gave the truck owner.  I'll go back before I head out tomorrow.

July 5, 2011


Western Colorado Landscape (Colorized Watercolor Filter)




Clifton, CO Sunset, 2011




Trash Collection Series, XIV (Watercolor Filter)




Trash Collection Series, Burnt Out, Finale (Watercolor Filter)



Fourth of July 2011 ... Independence!!!!



4th of July, Colorado Style



Project 365 for today ...

July 4, 2011

 



A Fence Is





Trash Collection Series VII
Do Not Pass Go Do Not Collect $200



Out in the wild, wild west ...

Today Owen, Meggan, Joshua and I took a little road trip up to Vega Reservoir State Park, up around 8,000 feet. It was a so much more pleasant temperature than down in Grand Junction. The reservoir was a popular spot today, but I was blown away by the variety of wildflowers! I'm only showing three of them here, but there were scores of different types. Gorgeous!

Today's Trash Collection Series selection is a trio of shots on the same image. The trash that troubles me the most is the broken glass. I keep thinking of kids tumbling in the grass at the park, and landing on sharp glass shards.

July 3, 2011



Trash Collection Series XIII, Glass Shards 1




Trash Collection Series XIII, Glass Shards 2




Trash Collection XIII, Glass Shards 3



Project 365 and kids will be kids ...

Quickly rolling around to Independence Day. The kids are already starting the celebration after dark in the park.  I have a couple of Trash Collection Series, and I can't remember what photograph I decided to use for Day 183.

Without further ado ... let us see, shall we?

July 2, 2011



Dandelion in B&W, iPhoto




Such a Lovely Weed, iPhoto




Concentric Shadows, iPhoto




I Rather Have Butter w/My Crab, If You Please



July 1, 2011 ... Day 182

I love driving through Palisade. I can't quite put my finger on "why," but it is wild and less civilized. Perhaps less developed is a better term. There's room to breathe. Everyone who has even a little acreage has wine grapevines somewhere on their property.

Since I only have about 6 days before I leave to go back to WA, I drove around again this afternoon.

I met a young woman who just started working at the off-the-beaten-path shop for Aloha Organic Fruit. I bought a jar of Peach jam. Contents: organic peaches, organic evaporated cane juice and pectin. The young woman wore a lei, and I caught the Hawaiian shirt clad owner outside unloading the truck. Yup! In Colorado. As I left the shop, I almost wished I had been able to say, "See ya later!" Aloha!

(Steve and Pat Sherer at alohaorganicfruit.com )

While out in Palisade moseying about, I came across a decrepit old barn; made my day!!!!

Here are today's photographs:

July 1, 2011



Aloha Organic Fruit, Palisade CO




Hmmm ... chardonnay? riesling?




Trespassers BEWARE!




Trash Collection IX - Green Composition Shingles




Grand Canal in Palisade, CO



Hooray! Day 181

Readers responded to my dowsing article yesterday with some photographic directions ... Thank you, Terry! Thank you, Karen!

June 30, 2011



Letters ROCK!




Trash Collection Series, VII Debris Stilllife



Trashy Day 180 full of surprises ...

I had an interesting experience today. I've been reading a new book on dowsing. Today I decided I would try out the dowsing on the question of what to do to make money.  I wrote 4 things on individual scraps of paper and then folded them up so I couldn't see what I was dowsing. I didn't want my own preferences or ego to interfere with the dowsing. Then over each folded paper I asked: Is this my best and highest means to make money? The pendulum indicated a strong negative on three of the choices, and didn't respond at all to the 4th. I opened the pieces of paper: "Other" was the choice on which the pendulum didn't move at all, so then I wrote: "Photography" and the pendulum started strongly moving in an affirmative direction! It's interesting to note that photography was not even one of the original three, isn't it?

I have to admit I was totally surprised at this unanticipated answer. I thought without a doubt that one of the original three choices would clearly result in a "yes" swing of the pendulum! Photography has always been just something fun to do. There are so many more incredibly talented and skilled photographers. I just never thought I had anything unique to offer. Interesting ...

I asked. Collective Universe answered. Now what? I guess I have to start opening doors to photography ... hmmm ...

Life is sooooooooo intriguing!

June 29, 2011



Headlamp




Red, Black, Grey, Lines




Trash Collection VII



What? More trash? Ya gotta be kidding ...

It's there! It's offensive! I can't just close my eyes to it! I can't stop walking the dog! So, succumb to the deed, I do.  As my sister Sandy remarked, all that bending and reaching is good exercise. Yea verily! It's not as bad as some addictions, right?

So, here are today's Trash Collection iPhoto and Day 179 ...

June 28, 2011


Trash Collection VI ... Boom!




White Horse or Zebra?



Trash Collection Series and Project 365

When I went out to the park this morning, much to my delight I saw a couple picking up trash! Hooray! But, moments later, they also replenished the doggie bag dispenser. So, they weren't neighborhood folks; parks maintenance folks.

I'm bored with collecting trash and photographing it. So, today's photograph will be the last of the Trash Collection Series. I did have an odd thing happen, though. I was walking in the park and I came across another torn corner of a dollar bill! I threw away the other one I found several days ago. Perhaps I should just keep hunting to find the entire dollar bill. No, I don't think so.

June 27, 2011



Manhole Cover





Rambling Rose in Palisade

 



Trash Collection V, Finale

 

Project 365 and Trash Collection IV ...

Sweet and simple ..

June 25, 2011


iPhoto Art Center Chairs



Trash Collection IV ... edited this one



Trash, Trash and more ...

I had collected trash yesterday, but didn't have time to make "something" of the debris. I luckily caught Meggan before she tossed the bag into the dumpster. Whew, just in time!

Suki and I wandered the park this morning, dodging the riding mowers. It IS nice that the city takes responsibility for watering and mowing the park; too bad the folks who benefit from it don't clean up after themselves.

But, the purpose of this blog isn't a social commentary, it's about photography. I suppose if I'm deliberately picking up trash and making something out of it, I am, in fact, making some kind of comment; maybe just advocating recycling of an odd sort. I mean, after I make the "thing," I proceed to throw away the debris, except the pennies and dime I found. I also found a cool computer chip thingy, which I'll see if I can incorporate into a piece of jewelry or something. See! I AM recycling!

Here are Trash Collection II and III:



Cig Butts, Glass Shards, Wicker Mat Remains




Broken Glass Shards, Cig Butts, Wicker Mat




Trashy Components



And Project 365 Photographs:

Whew! It's HOT here in Colorado ...

I have gotten into the habit of walking my dog through the neighborhood park twice a day. B-o-r-i-n-g! So, I came up with a plan for whilst I walked the park. I am going to take an extra bag and start collecting trash. Yup! I'm going to collect trash for two reasons:

1) It drives me nuts that children play in the park, ride their bikes, toss balls, run around and climb all over the playground equipment. But there's trash and broken glass all over the place. It's not safe and it's unsightly. Poor neglected park!

2) I'm going to randomly collect what's ever in front of Suki and I as we walk about, put it in my bag and at the end of the walk, I'll photograph whatever I happen to pick up.  Series: Trash Collection!

So, today I have a Trash Collection photograph and another Project 365 photograph.

June 22, 2011



Trash Collection I




Colorado Still Life



Skipped 1, Uploading 3

While the mutt and I meandered around the park, I came across a ripped corner of a dollar bill. It was so unexpected to find something like that. I decided to use the ripped dollar in some constructs ... above is what I came across on short order:

June 21, 2011

Father's Day, something to say, photo of the day ...

Enjoying Father's Day at my younger son's home this year. It has been a heart-warming change from my last 7 years of solitary living: a lot of love and hugs from his youngsters, colorful drawings and handprints, specially prepared waffle breakfast for Dad. He and I shared family memories about his growing up and things my ex-husband did lovingly for our sons. Good times.

Ruth, a friend of mine posted a Father's Day poem on Facebook, a sad poem about a brusque, taciturn father who did so many things for his family that went unappreciated; the point of it being all those responsibilities we undertake for the well-being of our children. It got to me, since my Dad died unexpectedly when I was 18. I never had the opportunity to interact with him as an adult, didn't have the wisdom then to understand what he had sacrificed on my behalf or that of my siblings. I still have regrets tucked away, unspoken. I'll have to meet up with him in after life and speak my piece.

Enough. This blog is becoming maudlin.

The other thing I wanted to share today was an Etsy tip by Amy Schreoder. I haven't been doing anything with Etsy for the last several weeks because of my trip and other life distractions.

But, I logged on yesterday to get caught up and came across Amy's post. She's a young thing, but has enjoyed incredible success already in her young life. I found her post simple and to the point. She touched on 3 things:

1. DO WHAT YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE DOING. I love taking, editing and uploading photographs, but I do NOT like to follow through on marketing my photographs. I always put off finding what venues or resources I could be approaching with my photographs.

I put together a whole box of photo cards, at least 50 sets, and never placed them where they could sell.

I must work out a plan replete with deadlines. It's no wonder nothing is happening with my photographs. I'm not getting the ball rolling and keeping it rolling. If something is to happen, I have to initiate it. It's not enough to just do what I love to do.

So, I need to:
Network,
Learn about my photo market,
Draw up a biz plan,
Plan to do something every day and do it!

2. BLOG AND NETWORK. I need to put myself out there! There are so many online resources and how-to sites.

3. TEACH OTHERS. People love to learn, and I could earn a few bucks by teaching others what I love to do.

Hooray! I did something! I blogged! OK, I won't let it go to my head.

Now, here's today's photographs. I went to Crystal Books, a metaphysical bookstore in Grand Junction, and while wandering around, looked up. Just what I wanted to do with Project 365. There was some sort of mirror or reflective panels in the ceiling. I loved how they abstracted the bookcases below. Both are iPhotos.

June 19, 2011

Another hot, hot in Colorado and Day 169

I haven't gone anywhere today, simply staying swamp cooler cool in the apartment. All of the children are with their various "other" parents, so it is blissfully quiet. I should get out and do some more exploring while I'm in this area of the country, but 'tis a lazy day Kay that I am.

So, my photos du jour are also then rather close by. One is of the top end of a park post, those posts that keep vehicles from driving onto the park. I love wood and woodgrain, and was delirious with the plethora of woody choices in the Pacific Northwest. I can't stay away from trees and wood, there's some sort of energy field that draws me in under their dappled sunlight shade, the sound of the leaves chattering among themselves. This particular park post has a double heart. Enchanting!

I also include a photograph today of some game the neighborhood kids had marked out on the apartment driveway with chalk. I deliberated about sweeping away the cigarette butt, but it seemed to impart a cautionary point to the photograph, AND I like to capture unaltered images. This photo was a collaborative effort between the neighborhood boys, who drew; Sierra, who squiggled; and Owen, who provided the cautionary element.

Both of these images are iPhotos.

June 18, 2011



Double Heart




Art n Ashes



Project 365, Offerings to the Goddess

Today a murder of sweaty little boys flew through the apartment, flitting in and out, forgetting to close the slider, asking for glasses of water or snacks, wanting to play Wii, off to ride their bikes, pulling off shoes and socks because of the heat. Life as usual in the West/McCrea household.

The sweet side of this tale is that they all at one point or another brought in little weed flower offerings to the goddess of the realm. Meggan accepted all graciously. Some went into a little glass of water, some on the window shelf; all delicate little flowers expired within 30 minutes.

There is something about being elevated from a common weed to a gift of love that appealed to me.

June 17, 2011