It's been a while....

I guess I've been lazy, for the lack of a better word, but I have been really tied up with spring planting and keeping rhe garden watered in an extremely dry Summer. It has been way took hot to venture out to photograph so the camera has been napping in my camera case. The tomatoes have been doing well and the Sego Palm that I thought I had lost due to the winter sprung back to life which is really good news as I have had it for over 40 years. I'll protect it better this coming winter. I hate to lose old connections.

I was in Carthage several months ago for a very good friends funeral that I grew up with, and went by my old build  at 340 Lyon and got in a cross between heart broken and mad as hell. The man that bought the building after the woman who bought it from me and lost it to the bank, has allowed the building to fall from being a really great office and studio into a pigeon roost with windowpanes gone and wooden window structures close to rotting away. The building has stood since 1883 and to have it neglected like it has been should be a crime. The value on Zillow has gone from over $ 120,000. to less that $ 60,000. It's not really the money lost in value as much as it is in my mind the loss of History. The building was originally the home of the Carthage press and was built in 1883.

In the basement there is writing on the walls telling the boys that picked up papers to sell on their routes not to spit, cheat, and take other boys papers. After I left Carthage in 2005 some boys, and I know who they are, broke into the basement and spray painted obscenities on the walls. No brainers !! I know who did it but they have no money and would be tried as juveniles at the time and really wasn't worth the time to pursue. The deed will come back to haunt them as Karma does appear.

The potential for the building is so spectacular that someone with a creative mind and some cash could turn  it into a showplace condo and live comfortably. Karen and I were planning to do so until she landed her dream job here in Tulsa and we moved down here. 

When I bought the build in in 1975, 2 years after launching my business, I painted it black, the windows white, after sealing the windows, added the Morgan Logo in stained glass above the doors, refinished the doors and floors taking them beck to their natural hardwood, built a wall between the office and studio area, rented the upstairs to my Dad for his business after remodeling it to his needs and and owned it for 30 years. To make it habitable again would take a lot of work, and appreciation for Carthage history. If I ever came back to Carthage I would probably try to buy it........but it would have to be at a fair price...I don't think it will ever happen. 

Carthage could be a goldmine of opportunity and flourish but it will take a huge investment of vision, work, and pride, to make the vision come true. The Carthage Hardware owners have done a great job of restoration on their building and business and my hat goes off to them. I'm sure there are some others in town and they deserve an applause also. Enough ranting for now enjoyed Carthage and have many friends there ,but I've become an Okie and am here presently........who knows what the future holds...

 

Starting to act like Fall..........

 The weather is changing and it looks like another Fall is starting. The tomatoes get pulled today and the gardens fertilized to settle through the winter months. I've decided to limit my garden to tomatoes this year and only the cherry variety. The larger ones seem to be less productive and I always seem to want more.

Spent the weekend in Eureka Springs Arkansas and it was a complete washout. Rain didn't stop till we got back to Tulsa. Next Year !!! We were looking forward to the Monster walk down Main Street but it was too wet for us. We played rummy cube most of the weekend. The one night we ate out the restaurant was full of Zombies so it was kind of fun. Some really good makeup on the people in the eatery. The food was great !!!

My bonsai maples from Carthage are starting to change color and that is always a pleasant reminder of where I grew up. I guess that's about all for now...still tired from the weekend..going back to bed and will pull tomatoes this afternoon. I feel extremely lucky to be alive at 73 and still enjoying life..it's had some challenges but overall its been a hoot ! I'll try to get more out later....thanks for reading my ramblings.

New post coming soon -!!!

Cattail….happening!

 Looking at one of my pots on the deck I noticed a Cattail forming several days ago.Since then I’ve noticed sheathing around it that is starting to dissipate. I had never noticed this before. I need to start looking more closely I guess.

Disney idea….

 Looking on the patio I had a Disney moment..,, 

The talking soles…..

Planting done and the first tomtaoes picked...

 I guess I got started early this year as I have harvested my first tomatoes last week. I have never had any before June or July. Nothing like Home Grown Tomatoes. Went out this morning and staked them up as they are really growing.I must have gotten about 12 off yesterday and there are at least that many more coming on. Gonna be a great year !!! Not the tomatoes that conquered the world but still delicious.

We were in Texas several years ago and bought aTexas Star Hibiscus and it has thrived. The blossoms are amazing and fragrant.

As long as I am writing I must say something about our Lilly. I love it.

Pretty neat !!!

Starts at last !!!

 Spring fever took over and I guess I planted my seeds too soon. Feeling like a chicken waiting for eggs to hatch I waited and waited for something to see coming out of the dirt....yesterday it happened. The first sign of life. A couple of brave peppers sprouted and I guess the rest will follow. Time will tell. I have decided to not start my tomatoes from seed as I have in the past as I waited too long to plant them indoors so I'll be out in the next few days buying plants to put in the garden. Probably Romas and Cherry tomatoes will be my selections. I like the cherry  size for my salads and th Romas for burgers, spaghetti, and eating with salt and pepper.

The peppers will get smoked in my Traeger smoker and added to various recipes I cook. Really great additions to the meal. Last year I waterproofed and stained the east two decks and today I will prepare the west deck for the same  treatment. The wood looks better and will last longer due to the lack of water damage. Probably break out the lawnmower and start mowing for the first time this year. Probably trim back the hedge also......

The start of the Summer season. More new images coming soon-be on the lookout !!!!

Started the seeds

 I've planted my pepper seeds and birdhouse gourds for the spring and will set the tomatoes later next week. I'm looking forward to a summer of gardening and raising  butterflies again. We are also looking forward to some travel and photographing again. aMy back is better though not totally good. I'll make it though maybe with additional activity it will improve. I'm going to build as raised bed on legs for onions cilantro and cumin. That way I won't have to bend down to harve3st them and  the rabbits won't have access.

I'm really tired of doing nothing but working my three days a week and am ready to get into the dirt.

I'll keep you posted and look forward to new images next week.

Garden plans...

 Cold wet and slight rain...figuring out garden plans. Over the last several years I have planted different varieties of tomatoes in my garden with pretty good success. This year however I'm changing my direction. On our three decks I have always planed elephant ears in the pots and tomatoes in the garden. This year I'm planting the tomatoes in the pots and the ears in the garden. This will allow the tomatoes to get more sun and be easier for me to watch and harvest. The elephant ears will go in the garden to keep the bulbs alive for next season in case I don't like this years trial. Always have a backup plan. This should work well as tomatoes really don't have a very large root base4 so they should be fine in the pots. Aldo gong to drop some fertilizer in the pots tomorrow so it will settle ofe3r the next few months and be ready for spring.  

Really lousy day out-cold drizzling and just not pleasant. Should I expect moree in January ???? DUH !

I'm scanning some shots Fromm my stay in Nicaragua and will try to post them tomorrow. Check them out....

Time for decisions..

The first three months of the business area always spotty as companies are slow to get moving in this economy over they last year or two, So today is probably the only day I'll have for a while to get the beds ready for planting this spring. I'm going to HD and get three or four bags of manure to fortify the beds and pots with. It always seems to lend to a better crop of tomatoes. This year I"m not bedding them but growing them I free standing pots. For another reason is to give them more light and open bed space for other crops that are as yet to be selected. This should be an interesting experiment as tomatoes don't have extensive root systems so the pots should be fine. And they should be easier to tale care of..

I'll keep you posted 

Mike

Log time gone again.................Merry Christmas !!!

 As many of you may know I was 16 years old three years ago and I unloaded and placed around two tons of river rock in the backyard which almost overnight has turned me into a 72 year old back pain patient. I've had two operations to calm the pain and it looks like one more is in my future. I'll keep you posted.

I only mention this as it has affected my workload and ability to produce imagery for clients. Hopefully it will get better ! I'll know more after the first of the year.

 I really want to get it over with and be back to working photographically. As I mentioned in my lsa post I did a series of shots for an ice cream company. It was fun. The company is owned and run by two brothers from Nigeria that came to America to seek the dream of success-and it's working! Really nice guys in love with the opportunity America has given them.

The people I've met on the job from all over the world, whether in their country or here in the states.

has added an unexpected value to my life. In the Christmas season I think of all the people I've known or met that make me wonder where they are. I know several have passed on but still wonder about the rest. Several of my friends wonder why I keep friends so long....and I have no ex[lanation...I just do.

I hope all of my readers have a great holiday and touch base with old friends and family.life is too short and friends make it all worthwhile. Merry Christmas.....

Colder with some plants pulled...and a new assignment shooting food

 Yesterday was somewhat productive with plants being pulled from their pots and put in the trash. I'll put some fertilizer in the pots for a winter settling so they will be ready for the spring planting season. I've booked another food shot and will get the notification on which day I'll be shooting. I love these shoots as each one is different and last 2 to 4 hours. The pay is very good and I'm finding new place3s to eat....Such a deal....! Pictures soon to follow...

Chilly Fall day

 Rain the rest of the weekend and boy do we need it. I'll probably pull up all of the bulbs on the deck today and store them for the winter. I've never left them out over winter as I'm afraid that they will die and it has saved me a bunch of money by harvesting them into the dog litter for their hibernation. 

I've been fairly busy the last several weeks and the holiday lull is about to start. There has historically been a break in the commercial side of things until January so it is not unexpected. I will be promoting a plan I have in mind for one account that I hope comes to fruition. It will take a year to produce and I produced the virtually same product for them in the 80's it just needs an update. The last production won awards so hopefully I can produce it again. I'll keep you posted. I better split as I have a bunch of plants to pull up. Take care. Have a great Thanksgiving !!!!

The Big BOOOOO !!

 Many memories of trick or treating as a kid....we always dressed as bums, Mark, Hoop, Chuck and I or Hoop and Chuck would be soldiers, primarily so we could be big kids and have cigars in our mouths..

It always led to disaster as after trick or treating which lasted about 30 minutes one of our dads would take us to A&W Root Beer for a root beer and before we got home someone would blow lunch in the back seat of the car. Cigars and root beer don't mix well. You would think that the Dads would have figured it out....

When we lived in Joplin we were in a 2 block long neighborhood that was a great time for Halloween, One neighbor wrapped himself up in white Christmas lights and walked across the roof of their house. Kids didn't know what to think. I had a really horrible green mask that covered my whole head and would lay by the sidewalk to the house lying very still allowing several kids to get by. However about every 10th kid got his ankle grabbed or see me move and jumped out of their skin ! On our first house on Byers I sat on the porch in the same outfit and didn't move. One Kid slowly approached and wouldn't take his eyes off of me. He held his sack out, Karen put some candy in with his eyes still studying me. He left the porch looking over his shoulder and went to the neighbors house. Watching him I saw him look over at me and I jumped up. I don't know who jumped higher-me or him. It seemed as though he made one olympic move exiting the porch and landing 10 feet farther away from where he started.  I love Halloween.......

Lost ?? ME ???

 I must say it has been a while since Ive been on but it is for a great reason. I've been so busy that I've not had time to turn around. I have been given at least one assignment a day from a client to photograph food for their clients that I've been really having fun. After 50 years in the business it's still good to have new challenges to confront and problems to solve every day. This is so much fun. Not only am I meeting really good people that own their own businesses but also get to see restaurants that I would never have found. Of course there is a rumor that Mikey eats everything.......but now he has a much greater selection !!!

After the shoot today and the download I guess it's time to gather the plants up and start the winterization of them. I have a plastic container that I filled with wood chips that I nestle the in covering them with the chips for the winter, put it in the garage and seal it with duct tape. This has saved me hundreds in saving the bulbs from year to year. I'm soooo tight....

I need to pack up and get to todays assignment...........I'll post the results later....YUM. YUM !

They're BACK !!!!

 It's been a summer of wondering hotness. Last year we had a bunch of caterpillars that we raised to evolve into Monarch butterflies. It was great fun. Search for the cats on our milkweed which we planted for the purpose of attracting the bugs and upon finding them we would place them into "birthing chambers protected from wasps and birds so they could grow, spin their cacoons, and become Monarchs. We assume because of the heat we didn't see any cats until last week. We now have about 6 in the chambers and that will become butterflies in about 15 days. We let them dry their wings for a day and release them. Such great fun. If you refer to last years pages you will see the progress and successes. great fun !!!

Fabulous Honor !!!!!

This past week has been a fire drill ! Karen was notified earlier in the year that she would be one of the Graduate School honorees from Oklahoma State University, her Alma Mater, as well as the school her children attended. Friday we attended a reception for the Honorees and earlier a gathering of several of her professors and classmates from within the Geography department. I met the people I had heard of from the many great stories she has told me and felt the excitement she had as being part of that group. Upon graduation with her Masters Degree in Statistical Mapping she joined National Geographic in Washington D.C. and produced three maps in three of the magazines, one being a full spread. Wanting to return to her roots and family she returned to Tulsa to do research concerning the drug problem in Tulsa. with the Drug Task Force, discovering the hot spots within the community and helping resolve the problem. At the suggestion of one of her relatives she applied for, and received, the position of C.E.O. of the Girl Scouts of the Ozarks. 

The council was a challenge as the entire structure of management and maintenance needed to be updated in areas of membership, objectives, updating facilities, and leadership. After an extremely successful run Karen applied to become the C.E.O of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, a very demanding job with similar problems as the ones she solved in Joplin. She oversaw a merger of Councils, updated camp facilities, and purchased land for the construction of a much needed modern and larger facility for the organization, staff, and scout troops. After ten years she retired, and we are enjoying each other, kids and grandkids,  

I am so lucky to be married to such a sweet, caring, talented, smart and great looking gal ! Below are some other images from the event.

Tomatoes pulled fertilizer soon to follow

Last summer was not a tomato year. I was more than unhappy to report that I had very few tomatoes but after talking with other tomatoeheads I found I was not alone. Everyone had a disappointing year. I guess that's the way the tomatoes falls. I pulled the plants yesterday and stored the trellises and will put some new fertilizer in the beds. I am amazed at how small the root ball is on the plants. The plants were about 6 feet tall and had a root ball the size of my fist,,,I don't know if this is normal and if it affects the number of tomatoes on the plants. Time to ask questions I guess.

The lawn needs one more cutting for the year and I'll cut it short. Presently the blades are three inches long as the root length is determined by the blade length of the grass, I cut it to about an inch in the fall to let the grass rest during the winter. Glad to have that almost out of the way.

I've started physical therapy for my right hip and I have several more appointments. It may do some good loosening up things time will tell. I will probably go out and shoot for myself as I haven't been out because of my back and hips. I really need to reacquaint myself with the workings of my Nikon. I really feel rusty. The plants on th deck are starting to signal that fall is on the way as I don't need to water as much and they appear OK. The heat that was their nemesis is gone so water is not quite as important in the volumes it was. Nikon is calling ....I'll check back soon hopefully with pictures....

Finally back to work....

Well I guess I am a lucky guy...My right hip is functioning well and the pain, which has been remarkable, has gone away. It's time to get back to work. I've been more or less incapacitated since February with my hips going south and now that they have both been replaced I'm off and running....with a slight wobble. I'm going to see my doctor today for the last time as a final check up in my progress and open again to accept assignments this Friday. I anticipate my having to reacquaint myself with my commercial clients as I have been somewhat invisible for almost 9 months. It will be great to be back to work!  

In my last post I spoke of "Color field " Imagery and promised some examples. Here they are...The top image is 80 Inches by 60inches. Wall decor is the main use for these images but there are many other uses in the print industry.

These images lend themselves to any view, vertical OR horizonal.

This second image is still looking for a commercial home but I'm sure a final sale is soon to come.

these images may be sold as any size and used in wall decor in offices or home.

I have many images that run along this line and although it is somewhat of an "exclusive" audience....If ya don't got 'em ya can't sell them.

Getting around

 It’s hard to believe but it has been 12 months since I started having to start recovery from two hip surgeries after a back surgery. It’s been a really long road that I have never traveled before. To quote the Fab Four it’s been a long and winding road. I have graduated to a cane and hopefully soon will get along without that. It is fairly obvious to all that have been following me over the years that my postings have lacked any significant new commercial work over this time. To put it bluntly - there hasn’t been any. Hopefully that will change in the next few months. I am in physical therapy for a couple of more sessions and after I give up the cane and can lift the camera case I’ll be on a roll again.

I loved my work as each assignment was a new challenge as no two were alike. To be back in the arena will be exciting for me and I have really missed it. As I have mentioned before my work is not so much physical as it is mental. The act of “seeing” is primary to each assignment complemented with the perceived outcome and implicit message of each image. Being away from the camera for a year has surprised me to some extent-I need to get familiar with it again. The process of the technical is the rusty part it seems. Looks like I need to be out shooting some “Color Field” stuff to get used to it again. 

“Color Field” imagery is simply the recognition of color and how it relates to it’s surroundings. The subject matter can be just the colors relating to each other or colored “objects” and their interaction. I enjoy this as I really can’t create color as I primarily worked with greys, browns, and blacks when I was in printmaking at the start of  my studies at SMS as a printmaking major. When I’m shooting Color Field I look for the color and the composition to solidify the image. Junk yards are a great place to look for the imagery. Old buildings, pavement, walls, signage, the list is endless as to where to find the stuff. Stay tuned as finial some images are on the way.

The 4th.....

As a kid this day was to be looked forward to. Days before we wanted to go to the fireworks stands and buy fireworks, mainly Cherry bombs, M80's, and Black Kats....preferably 500 in a string. The rest of the day would be spent on Spring River or Center Creek blowing up anything that didn't move. Generally hearing was stymied for a couple of days afterward. Generally a couple or at least one mishap would occur with a firecracker blowing a gash in someones finger or a sparkler burn from the hot metal. We all however survived.

My Mom hated the day. Noise, potential harm to kids, neighborhood Dads drinking too much beer, and general other things Moms worry about. Our dog Inky was terrified of the noise and wasn't seen without her back legs shivering. Good thing it only came about once a year. Depending on the day if the 4th was on a Friday or Saturday we could go out to the golf course and find ruminants of the fireworks casing littering the fairway-true treasure !

Now at 72 I'm glad I had the experiences and wonder of a kids view but it's another day. Some of our family will get together which is fun and I'll probably eat too much which I try not to  do - sometimes works - sometimes not.  On these days I miss my parents...it was a special day for our family groups, all of the moms got together and all of the dads did also. All of the kids were blowing things up. Everyone had a great time. I really miss those times. I guess as I slide down the razor blade of life I can look back and recount the good times which far out weigh the bad. Have a safe day, be with friends and family.

  

Rome wasn't built in a day....

The tomatoes are really slow to produce.... granted I did try the experiment of fewer plants to get more sunlight but the result has been fewer tomatoes....DRATTTT ! I'm very close to pulling them and planting lettuce and cabbage. Defeat is hard to take.... I'll wait a few days as rash decisions are often wrong. Karen and I spent last week in Branson with a friend of mine and his wife form college and it was fun. Larry brought down his new corvette and it was amazing. 

I've had 2 and I really wish I had kept them. One was a white 78 and the other was a blue 79. I sold each for about 10.000 more than I paid for them so I thought I made a great deal each time. But look at he price they get now and I wish I still had them. Fun cars to drive and great for road trips. Larry took me for a ride and got on it once. The seats are form fitting and I was planted in mine as the car jumped from 30 to 90 in a flash... ZOOOM ZZZOOOOOMMMMM....

Hipster....again...

 Many of you may remember when I was in Carthage in the 70's and 80's I could be seen running on Grand and Main streets after work. I did this for several reasons....one was to stay at a lower wieght and still be able to drink beer, the other was to cycle through the day in my head to get everything into perspective, and the other was because I enjoyed the running effort. I only ran once with other people and that was in 1980 in the Cossville to Carthage run which covered 15 miles. I photographed the Sarcoxie prom that night and Sunday when I went to get out of bed....my legs said, "PARTIES OVER DUFFUS".....and that was the last day I ran.  I finished in the middle of the pack....

However, being a glutton for punishment I started playing racquetball and continued to do so through 2002, until we moved down here to Tulsa. While in Joplin/Carthage had both knees scoped to remove meniscus that I had rearranged while running and playing raquetball, had a short stint with cracked ribs from hitting the wall with my right shoulder, and generally started to notice my knees were headed south. Cutting the whining story short I have had both knees replaced totally with steel and plastic and I followed that with a total right hip replacement several years ago. The recovery on the knees took a good 30 days and was a struggle as I was on a machine 6 hours a day bending  my legs up and down. 

I hated mowing our backyard which was a ski slope until we pit in the two decks and koi pond, getting rid of the grass and replacing it with raised gardens, planting areas, stone walls, and two patio areas. Knowing I could do it myself, and being too cheap to pay to have it done, I put down 4000 pounds of river rock, built 4 raised beds and filled them with good dirt, put in one walled garden area, and laid down two walkways to the "Hidden Garden" and the East Side Sanctuary. Activity that was followed by left hip replacement several years ago. I'm only 16......

The first of the year I had several vertebra's fused at the base of the spine due to a bit of pain and I have now begun to experience a very bad pain in my right hip and have developed a limp that necessitates  my using an Old Man Walker. It's pretty good looking as it is a candy green with metal flakes........but it is a pain to use. This has led me to curtail all photographic efforts and has gotten me concerned that I may be this way the rest of my life....concerning to say the least....

I had an appointment with a new Doctor Tuesday and he is soon to be my Hero. An extremely nice guy with a great patient/Doctor attitude and he is going to schedule me in for a hip replacement. Looking at the X-Ray you can see there is nothing but bone on bone on my right side hip and as a result my right leg is 1/2 inch shorter than my left. I suddenly can relate to the Leaning Tower of Pizza. 

All of this is because of my skipping over several chapters in the book of Getting Old. I'll keep you posted. By the way.....tomatoes are producing !!!

New possibilities in the future....

I'm not ready to let the cat out of the bag but there may be some pretty exciting news in the near future.

I'll keep you posted. It looks like we are in for some pretty soaking rain this week. Oklahoma always needs water but this is perhaps a bit much. The squirrels and birds, Robins, Cardinals, Sparrows, and Blue Jays now all are sporting web feet......Bob Dylan once said a A big change is coming'.....I guess this is it.

Next week is going to be a real kick as I have a personal assignment to complete so watch for some new imagery soon. I have more or less learned a lesson...opportunity only knocks once go for it as it appears....there is nothing to lose. Looking over the past 5 decades I have very few regrets. A few, but not an over riding amount.... When I started the business in 1972 I was 22 years old and over educated in the eyes of over 400 companies I applied to all over the country. I was waiting for a positive response from any of them and was living with my parents not working, basically puttering around. Graduate School was paid for by  an assistantship. and I had a few bucks left from that.  I was reading National Geographic and my Dad came into the room and said the words I'll never forget....Get a job, you're out of the house in two weeks...I could tell by his tone he was serious. 

While in undergrad school I had worked for Don Sothern and Ozark Camera Center. Shooting weddings for Don and selling cameras and darkroom supplies for Ozark. I had decided then that the last thing I wanted to do was own a studio. With Dads words there seemed to be no other option. As I was pursuing my studies I had always felt there would be a college job in my future. The draft had ended and college enrollment tanked....there were staff cuts and photography was a non essential class in schools. There were three other studios in Carthage one that had been there since the 1880's. All of them had the standard studio layout three lights painted backgrounds and old furniture. 

I went to the bank and talked to the President and told him that I was going to start a photography business and he said that they had money to loan. I researched Cameras and wanted a Mamiya RB 67 primarily due to the fact that it delivered images in a negative that was the "ideal format" one that cropped in camera to a 4x5 / 8x10 format. leaving no cropping up to the lab. It came with a 127 mm lens and a 120 back delivering 10 negs per roll. I bought a heavier tripod as the camera was very heavy. The beauty of the lens on the camera was that although it was a through the lens viewing situation you could trip the mirror up in the camera exposing the flim but not until you snapped the shutter which was within the lens. This gave you incredibly sharp images.

Although I was used to using a built in metering system in my Nikons the RB did not have that available so I bought a Luna Pro hand held meter which I still use today and love it as it gives precise ambient light reading for exposures.

I found my first studio to rent a the corner of Third and Lyon and luckily enough it had an apartment above it and I was able to rent both for $ 200.00 a month. It however had no studio space...so I did the obvious...started shooting outside-later to be tagged as shooting environmentally. I later heard that people thought I was creative for coming up with the idea....it was necessity not creativity.

I had my logo designed by Rita Swanson from Joplin Printing and am still using it today. Joplin Printing gave me my first really great break with an assignment to shoot a Teledyne Neosho mailer showing Jet engine capabilities in overhaul. BUT...........it had to be shot as 4 x 5 transparencies. Paul Mignard, a commercial photographer in Springfield had 2 Linholf Kardin D 4 x 5 cameras and I purchased one from him. I then had to get a lens board and lens to fit it for the job.

I was more than concerned as this was a really big job and I wanted to succeed. I had NO experience with a 4 x 5 camera and in fact had never loaded film into the holders that held the film. Time to turn on the go for it mode......I practiced loading the film which had to be done in total darkness with the only way of knowing the emulsion side which has the light sensitive coating and the base side is the location of the digits in the film. I had 10 film holders so that would take care of 20 exposures. Bracketing the shots one exposure on the mark, one exposure one f stop over the mark, and one exposure one f stop under the mark should cover all bases exposure wise. Of course that's if the film went into the holders properly. Yes I was nervous......I could only produce 7 different location shots per day. However I had purchased a 4 x 5 Polaroid film holder for the camera which allowed me to shoot and immediately see the image in a 4 x 5 inch Polaroid print. 

The shoot took a week and I tried too let the work station I would be shooting next know so they could get their area ready for the shoot. At that time Teledyne was having some talks with the Union representing the workers and neither side was a happy camper. One of the stations wasn't ready for me....the area needed to be swept, tools placed in different areas and white coats placed on the techs. None had been done. The plant manager came around while the station was getting ready and he asked me why I was drinking coffee...I told him I couldn't shoot til the site was prepared and it was slowly getting in shape. I had swept the area and a tech was getting the right tools in position. The Manager went ballistic.....that was the LAST time an area wasn't ready. The job was completed on time and won an outstanding image award from the Professional Photographer of America of a jet engine in afterburner stage in a test chamber at the facility. It was a very fun time that really launched my commercial photography career. I still love my job......!!!

An amazing talk concerning luck and how to accept it's way of working

I just listened to an amazing talk by Tina Seelig on Ted Talk. It will benefit you greatly if you listen to it. She and I know about the possibilities of luck and how to make it work. Without this knowledge you will miss a multitude of opportunities unknowingly. I have followed this method of opportunity throughout my career and it has landed me opportunities I never would have had otherwise. My meeting Byron Morgan lead me to helping get Hostages out of Bagdad and afterward meeting my life partner Karen due to the multi-image slide show I created. By meeting Paul Ness I was able to be included in a month long trip to China seeing the country before modernization took hold. By meeting Bob Scroogs I was able to be in Nicaragua for a month filming waterwell drilling for the poorest people in Central America. Luck can be very well cultured and used to your advantage. Listen to the talk and prosper....

Tomatoes are planted and mulched

Tomatoes are planted and mulched. I didn't have any luck growing from a seed this year for unknown reasons. That has never happened before and I'm not sure why I had no luck. I guess you can't always win.....damn it. It is good to have it done. I fertilized them with some Tomatoes Magic which is some type of organic brew I get off the internet and it really makes the plants produce. I didn't plant as many plants this year as last as I want to see if wider spacing makes a difference as to the yield of each plant. I had 10 plants per raised bed last year and only 5 in each bed this year. Time will tell. 

The weather is changing into the typical Oklahoma Spring....cold warm.....brisk.....nice.....rainy....nice ....stormy......hot. Never a dull moment. Starting back to work next week as my back is OK but my right hip is starting to talk to me like my left did before I replaced it. You would think that they would trade war stories to help each other  but that hasn't happened. I'm feeling that a right hip replacement is in my future.  I got all of the leaves racked up from our trees and the neighbors in the back yard and will bag them tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn't rain. 

I'm taking physical therapy for my right hip...I guess that is a requirement for Medicare to do to try to avoid paying for a hip replacement but it sure hurts like hell. It's done in a swimming pool and involves different exercises designed by the Marque De Sade to get the hip in shape. No wonder I limp afterwards......Never was really fond of self abuse.....but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Once again a chapter in the book of getting old that I didn't read. 

Looking forward to getting back to photographing and pursuing the passion I've had for the majority of my life. I did see that one of the major influences on my imagery brought to me by Alan Brown when I was at SMS has passed. Jerry Ulesmann taught at the University of Florida in Gainesville and Alan I believe was one of his first MFA candidates. Alan brought Jerry's wealth of photographic technical information to us in Springfield and it opened a new way of seeing and creating imagery for me. I will be forever grateful to each of them for opening my eyes and mind which has led me into a great career of opportunity and creativity. 

I will keep you posted on upcoming assignments and adventures so be ready....the new photographic season approaches

The BAD news and the GOOD news....

 A couple of years ago...when I was 16, I decided to lay down about 4000 pounds of river rock in our backyard eliminating the need to mow a ski slope and make a more appealing environment for us. In the process I did feel a twinge in my lower back. The thing has since become a screaming hellion that has affected my ability to walk, bend, twist, and lead the formally normal life I had without pain. One surgery to widen the canal for my spinal cord failed and the second basicly gave relief for a day and left a scar which totaled my speedo modeling career, ( nightmare thought ). Sooooo,  next week I'm going under the knife to fix the problem hopefully. The intention is to fuse several vertebra with stainless steel rods and stabalize the situation. Hospital for three or four days and home recuperation for 5-6 weeks. 

From what I understand from the people I have talked to is that recovery will take a LOT of walking. With any luck it will work and the pain will be gone.Today and tomorrow ill be office organization so I can safely traverse the floor without having to dodge different hazards that presently exist. I won't be driving for a few weeks which could make me a little stir crazy I guess we will see. Hopefully I won't drive Karen to desperation wondering why she signed on with me...I can get grouchy...........

Very slow recovery

Never known for my patience the recovery road from the back surgery is slow and kind of stressful to say the least. I am walking through the kitchen to the living room to the hall then the kitchen again, I have been extending the time by two minutes a day and the total so far is 24 minutes twice a day. As I walk I consider banking the floor to turn the course into a NASCAR track but I don’t think that would fly with my wife. The pain is slowly leaving my system and in about 4 months I hopefully will be back to “normal”.

Still not driving and will have to rely on someone else for transportation....it’s like being 15 1/2 again as my license is sort of within my reach. Spring is around the corner and time to plant seeds for the butterflies - Milkweed !!! I had so much fun last summer raising the butterflies that I really am looking forward to raising many many more this summer. Compulsive I guess. I did get one cacoon for a black monarch that has yet to “hatch”. I don’t know why they take longer to “hatch” but they do. 

I have collected clear plastic containers with tops that will allow me to “harvest” the caterpillars and place them in the containers with the milkweeds to protect them from wasps that will kill them for their blood, juices, whatever they have the wasps want. 

If you look at previous recent posts you will see the journey of transition the caterpillars may to gain their wings. It’s going to be a spring of recovery and butterfly transitions !!! 

Some Back ground......

 As a few of you know I went in for back surgery a week ago last Tuesday. It seems as though the 4000 pounds of river rock I moved - one bag at a time, may work for someone who is younger than 68. It has taken some time to catch up with me but “The Eagle has landed “............on vertebra three, four, and five.

To sort it out I’ve had one failed attempt to clean out the vertebra, another exploratory slice by another Doctor, so he would have a great feel for what’s gone south on the Boy Wonders back, which led him to the conclusion that I need fusion of the vertebra to get them where they were not the problem. That was accomplished in the latest surgery sooooooo......a minimum of 6 weeks off of work, Pills to take, and rest, but when up I MUST wear a back brace and not lift anything for over thirteen pounds for 6 weeks.

Part of the recovery process demands that I walk solidly beginning set with of 8 minutes, add 2 the next day and continue the drill for for the rest of recovery. Getting up to around a thirty minute total time. I have no idea how many of you have seen the wagon tracks out of Missouri going to the west coast in covered wagons, Our living room will soon have the Morgan Trail...........thanks to my walker.  Head ‘em out...... move em on...

I was lucky enough to get in quickly -overnight in the clinic- then return to Watershipdown Down to recovery and the creation of the Morgan Trail. As the song says...It’s gonna be alright Mama !!! An unfortunate thing about the matter is that I can no longer look forward to Climbing Mt. Everest, Ski patrol membership is down the tubes and my Speedo modeling career is over.........Long vertical scar like looking at the Grand Canyon from overhead.....

I would have pasted some pictures but when I first took the bandages off my back it looked as though it had been the wall in the Saturday Night bar brawl/knife fight. Not pretty. It feels as though I have a brick located low in my back and it is just sitting there. Walking is a challenge as my right leg is weak and my left thigh muscle is sore. However.......IT SHORE FEELS GREAT TO LAY FLAT ON THE BED !!

The trouble with feeding th birds....

 The annual bird feeding fiasco has started again....We have a very good assortment of different varieties of birds that reside in our backyard...Finches, Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Titmice, Cardinals, and Robins, forgive me if I have forgotten one of the species. And of course, the unwanted, RATS !!!!! or perhaps I should say... rat. Not having names it could be more than one. They all look alike.... 

It becomes a life and death matter...I hate RATS.....they love birdseed........and we tango all winter long. The most I have caught  in one trap, at one time, was three...they all got the dinner bell followed by the snap at once. Chow down at Morgans' gobble...snap. We have seen one fairly consistently for the last week but if you see one there's got to be several under the deck. I put the trap out this morning and the hunt is on......I will Win...........!!!! 

Tulsa has been living a charmed winter, no measurable snow. That will probably change in February or March......perhaps an April surprise...I'll keep you posted. 

Leaves..........

 Obviously it's the changing season to Fall. Brisk in the morning and chilly at dusk. I fired up my "chiminea" yesterday and burned some old sticks and trimmings from the last clean up. I need to go out and get some pinion wood this afternoon for toasty times on the deck in the evening. Several years ago I found an exterior area heater on sale and gabbed it. with it going and the "chiminia" roaring it should make for an evening to remember.

End of the line

 I've decided that regardless of my wishes-that Summer/Fall would last forever...today marks the seasonal end of the line for most of the plants on the deck. I have to power wash the rugs on the patio and deck to "de-mldew " them preparing them to be rolled up and put in storage till spring. Remarkably by doing this we have been able to use these for years instead of replacing the every 2 years or so. It's amazing how tight you can get as you age. Tomorrow I will wax Pearl our white Crosstour and Wednesday wax Margaret-my Moms' car that I got when she quit driving.

I'm going to try to get out and photograph for myself today as I haven't done that in a while. It keeps my eye in tune with what's around me and gives me a sense of purpose. The way the professional market has changed and my being very selective on my client base has really made a difference in the way my business runs. I now have more time for not only myself but also my clients. Life is really fun !

The final harvest....

 I cleaned out the beds the other day and in process picked the last of the tomatoes and peppers.

Not a bad haul this late in the year. The tomatoes will ripen as days past so I'll have fresh red tomatoes for couple of days. The peppers are really hot so I will probably dry them and use them in stews and Mexican dips and dishes.

A passing thought as to the origin of the sculpture....maaaaaayyybbbbeeeee

 I had just published the last entry into my blog and a thought crossed my mind. Subliminal thoughts have a tendency to surface in strange ways. I was looking at t4he photograph and remembers that the DOORS song "Break On Through To The Other Side" was on the radio around that time.....

Maybe the sculpture is about breaking on through......

Only The Shadow knows for sure......

Sculpture......Casting................only one time........

 In the early days of my college career I really didn't know where I was explicitly going....just see what was out there in th art world. I had thought that I would be a drawing major with no thoughts on what to do with the degree. I had really talented teachers, not all in the art departments, but some real scholars that taught very well and challenged us throughout their courses. 

I started at Missouri Southern and took what I could in the freshman level courses.My most talented instructor of all was John Fowler. He was the man of all talents-exceptionsl illustrator, technically and artistically top drawer within the sculpture field. John taught me the casting capabilities in fiberglass, from making the original to making a cast, and then proceeding to layer the inside of the cast with polyester and fiberglass mat. I was there for my first year and transferred  to SMS where I continued in th art department. I was in line to be a printmaker then teacher in the college level-then I took my first photography course. Haven't recovered from it as yet.

 It was a life changing event, I had a direction and a trade I could really develop in my own way. During my time at SMS I regrettably never took a course in sculpture from John Walker. He was a total craftsman elegantly producing convincing pieces of Pies and cakes oozing cherries or strawberries in different kinds of wood and steel. I was able to watch several castings of bronze pieces and picked up on the process.

I don't remember how I started the sculpture below but I left SMS with it as only a base out of wax-thinking "I can cast it at Grad school". That didn't happen. 

I graduated with my Masters in Art/Photography and was unemployable-over-educated-so I opened the studio in 1972-October in fact. Several years later Robert Allen set up his Jewelry making operation a block away from me and we started to hang out on occasion. I had watched him cast some jewelry in his centrifical casting machine made expressly for jewelry. He started soon after creating pieces that were too large for his centrifuge so we build in his garage a "casting forge." We used old bricks, fire bricks, KAO wool insulation and a glass line to heat it up. I had borrowed some wax from him and completed my wax piece from SMS, we packed it in the Plaster mold and we were off and rolling.

Talk about a road less traveled. I had never cast anything personally in bronze. I just knew the steps. On a Saturday Robert and I got together and I added vent straws to the original wax piece. These are lengths of casting wax that are attached to the original that will allow vapors from the original wax piece to pass out of the mold creating a space that will be replaced by the molten bronze. Once this is done the wax piece is slowly covered with casting plaster and given several days to dry. We set the date of the casting and I arrived with a bit of intrepidation as there is always a chance of one of the vents not being open and not allowing the molten bronze to fill the space within the mold. The casting became an all day process.

Of course we had to place our molds within the fire chamber to vaporize the wax to make room for thebronze. This process also eliminates any residue water within the plaster and brings the plaster up to temperature so that it doesn't explode with induction of the bronze. After a couple of hours since we put the pieces in the chamber we started to heat up the bronze. Robert had all of the equipment to complete this task and it wasn't terribly long before we had a crucible full of molten bronze. We slid the top off of the casting  chamber and poured in the liquid bronze. Several popping sounds of agravated plaster but nothing out of the unusual. We waited several hours and liberated the pieces. After a cleaning process to remove residue from the piece we then heated it to add liver of sulfur liquid to tarnish the bronze and tone down the gold look. I was delighted with the "look" but then thought of how ro display it.

I stopped at a local cemetery monument company and told them I needed a piece of granite to use for a display if one of my sculptures. I selected one, took it to my studio, outlined the shape of the piece giving it about a 1/2 margin on the edges and about a 1/2 inch depth to place the sculpture in. Long live epoxy glue.

This sculpture is the only bronze I have ever cast, however I still have a bunch of casting wax left. I may start another just to get something going.....

 

Spring cleaning....

 Went to the garden yesterday and started the teardown/clean-out of the last garden block yesterday. I finished up bagging the vines into clear bags for the collectors Thursday. Of course now the hard part comes again. After this years "tear out" of the ruminates of Summer I have to decide on next years crops.

I planted the tomatoes too close, 6 per two beds and 3 in one small bed., and it should be half that. That means a total of 9 plants planted in three beds.That should give them more even sunlight to all of the plants as they won't be shading each other for the most of the day. You know these last two paragraphs need to be on the entrance exams.......... the SAT. If Mike had one tomato plant in his right hand, and one tomato plant in his left hand how many tomatoes is Mike holding ?

Mike doesn't even know....

Then comes the selection process for the type then there is who to get them from. Last year I had great service from TomatoFest at www.tomatofest.com. Great Service and a great selection of tomatoes. They were nonGMO and were really great tasting. They were Amish Red and Argentina I thought they were really good but didn't produce baskets full due to the lack of sunlight and over crowding. It WILL be better. It's going to rain more tonight then supposed to clear up till next week-to be on the 70's for a couple of days then the cold front hits...!!!!

Gotta go....

Headshots...

 I was in my bank a couple of weeks ago and the Vice-President mentioned that she was needing "Head Shots" of some of her staff., and asked me if I did them. Of course I answered to the affirmative and she asked If I could set up a studio in the bank and once again,,,,sure !! We were initially speaking of doing them next week and she would call me for the date and time of set up. I didn't get the call and I called the bank and I got  a new employee. She doesn't work here...came the reply. As it turns out she covers two bank locations and. was at the other bank when I called. We spoke today and it is set up for next month.

I gave her several options one included retouching which I highly recommend because it gives the portrait a more professional look. She agreed so I was elated. There is nothing more unprofessional than having an employees' portrait on display without retouching.  I really looking forward to this assignment as there are several branches here of that bank so this project could grow.

Last week I approached two companies that are new businesses here about their photographic needs but have heard nothing yet....it generally takes three try's to succeed. I'll keep you posted !!!

100,143 views have been made of my blog....

I was wondering if I would ever cross the 100,000 views for my blog, and amazingly enough it happened yesterday. I originally started the blog to cover the everyday workings of my studio and speak to some extent of what it takes to be a professional in a business that has become saturated with people that really want to be "professional" but lack the vision, training and expertise to be a true professional in the arena.

With the development of the digital capabilities that Kodak developed in 1983 the profession got slammed. Many established professional photographers ignored the need to adapt to the digital age and soon were having doors closed to them. Manipulation of images was now possible and from the outside of the profession looking in, the consumer market soon felt that they didn't need a "professional" because they had a digital camera. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Developing an "eye" that can see light in the way that defines space, color and shape is essential to be successful in this business. The realization that there needs to be enough profit in the billing to cover the essentials of business, the rent, processing, advertising, equipment, creative time, education, mileage, and most important of all a livable salary was really never considered by many people entering the market and  this muddied the water for a couple of years.  Over a period of about 3 years the water started to become clear again. The public started to realize that because you have a digital camera there is no guarantee a professional image will be produced. A professional photographer also needs the flexibility to change with the consumer taste in imagery. Photography is an ever changing fluid profession and the photographer must be on the leading edge or there is nothing special that he has to offers his clients. 

As I have stated many times in my blog I am perhaps the luckiest person on the face of he earth. When I opened the studio in 1972 it was something I said I would never do. I wanted to be as college professor teaching design, photography, and film. However to my surprise, I found that by having a Bachelor of Fine Art, and Master of Art degrees were a hindrance as all of the commercial contacts I spoke with said I was "overqualified". 

49 years ago, the first of this month, I opened Morgan Studio and Frame shop, at that time, an act of desperation. Of course I had only one business course in college thinking I would never need it but had to fill my schedule with something and it was available. My timing left me in the last quarter of the business year but also encompassed Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I had missed the Senior Portrait season with the exception of Will Grey. He was my first Senior portrait photographed at Morrow Mill. My first really big job came up with the production of a brochure for Teledyne Neosho. 

Jack Manning called me from his business, Joplin Printing, and ask to meet with me as he had a project that he needed a photographer for. Rita Swanson was the designer there and she had created my logo so we were somewhat familiar with each other. Rita and I discussed the project and toured the plant with their liaison on the project. I started work on it two weeks later shooting everything with my Linholf View Camera which used 4 inch by 5 inch  sheet film. The project took a week and was the winner of several awards on Statewide and National levels. The ball started rolling....

Followers of my Blog have read about the unbelievable opportunities I have had from traveling the world on assignment, meeting political leaders, presidents of countries, seeing unbelievable damage done by Dictators, while trying to document the alleviation of water issues for forgotten barrios. I've seen beauty in all parts of the United States, Canada, and Central America, Europe, and even the Middle East. I have tried to deliver to my clients nothing but the best imagery available at a reasonable and fair price. I hope that my Blog has helped illuminate some of the assignments I have and has even helped explain why I love my job so much. 

I can't thank my viewers enough or explain how much I appreciate your reading my babbling on my blog. It has been a real joy writing it had has been an adventure I really didn't expect. Stay tuned for more to come......I'm still producing imagery and will continue to share it with you. 

THANKS AGAIN !!!

A close look .......

 We have one more that should appear today. Although this is the third of the last four we have left to "hatch" I imagine that you are tired of my butterfly journal.....however I am looking forward to next year. By being able to see the wings before it emerges tells me that the "birthing" is soon to come.

This whole project has been fun.

Sooner than I thought and a visual of the lifespan of a Monarch

 I went outside about 11:30 and nothing had transpired. I again went out around 12:30 and Shazammmmmmm the butterfly had hatched ! 

This last image illustrates the process from a worm to a Chrysalis, and 

then to a butterfly. How cool is that !!!!

A clear chrysalis-hatching soon !!!!!

As you can see the Chrysalis is transparent which means "launch time" is coming soon.

Yesterday we let 2 out of the netting and they flew away with no problem. It is suggested that we wait for their wing to dry after fully expanding which takes several hours. This has been great fun.....

 

It's Happening !!!!!

 This morning much to our surprise the Monarchs started to climb out of their birth home. It takes actually quite a long time as they are folded in such way that the wings and body need to "unfold", quite a process to watch. The score now is two out, nine to go.....

Just getting out into the real world.....

Wings still wet and needing to dry to get stiff enough to fly.

I wonder if any one of our "children" will be the ones to fly to South America to

get together with other Monarchs to breed and fly back to lay their eggs in the States.

I'm looking forward to another summer of excitement next year watching the Monarchs 

as we will have a near forest of milkweed for them to graze on. This has been more

fun that I can tell you. Plant some milkweed on your patios and wait...you will attract 

Monarchs and perhaps see the process yourself of the worms becoming butterflies. 

Remember Don't kill the worms  that's the first evolutionary step for them.

                                                            Wings unfolded and drying....

Our family has exploded !!!!

 Several weeks ago we found our first Chrysalis and pretty well thought that was the end of the story. Little did we realize the number of chapters that were really available to us. We have found 11 so far and upon reading about their history and dangers posed to them primarily by wasps, we bought a "habitat" for them to keep them safe until their day of "showtime" !! 

We have started to call these "Cats" which is short for Caterpillar, professional

lingo you know..... We started to find them on top of leaves of milkweed plants

under the leaves, on the stems....everywhere.The eggs are white and almost invisible

 and we first notice the cats when they are about a quarter of an inch long. Surprisingly

they grow so fast that within a week they are about an inch long and by the next week 

they are fully grown about three inches long, and still devouring every leaf they can find.

The next step in their process of transformation into a butterfly is to attach themselves to 

a leaf, side of the habitat anything that stay stationary and bend into a "J" form to begin the process of making their cocoon.  

We haven't been able to see the weaving of the cocoon but we have a bunch in our habitat. 

We have had to reattach several of our cocoons that were made outside

of the habitat due to the possibly of death due to a hungry wasp.

What is really remarkable about the Monarch butterflies is the distance

they travel. One in five of them will make a journey of thousands of miles 

south to Mexico and even further to mate, fly back, and lay eggs next summer and die.

Stay tuned for the launching of the Monarchs within a week or so. Pretty

exciting to say the least and I'm already looking forward to next year. Last

Friday I made a special bed on our top patio expressly for milkweed plants

which are the food of preference of Monarchs. I'll keep you posted. 

I guess we're new parents..................

 If you've been following along the saga of the butterfly cocoon, Karen went out yesterday and came in letting me know that the butterfly had opened the cocoon and was spreading it's wings. It had opened up when we weren't' around and was trying to get out of the protective net she had placed over the bush so no wasps would bother it. When Karen, reached in, the butterfly flew to her  hand and she gently pulled her hand out of the net and with a strong sweep of its' wings, our butterfly took to the air. Needless to say we were pretty excited to have watched the whole process ! This morning we looked at the bush and there are about 20 small Monarch butterfly caterpillars crawling on the leaves of the bush. The range in size from 1/4 inch up to a half of an inch and they are chowing down on the leaves of the bush.

.

It looks like we are on the way to becoming a sanctuary for the Monarch butterflies. Pretty exciting !!!!!

The process has started for the Monarch

Karen was out looking at the Butterfly plant and found out how our caterpillar has disappeared or rather transformed. The change has started in the journey to become a butterfly. In a couple of weeks we should have a new butterfly to name. Reading up on them we discovered that every 5th generation of these butterflies, there will be one that will travel over the Andes to mate, then fly back, and lay her eggs and die. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Monarchs are coming

Sitting on the deck the other afternoon I noticed a caterpillar chowing down on a leaf on our Butterfly plant. Putting two and two together I figured out that this "bug " is actually the start of a Monarch butterfly. I looked it up on the net and I was right The the article also stated that their worst enemy is a wasp. I remembered that last year I saw a wasp attack this type of caterpillar and suck all the juices out of it. All that was left was the skin drooped over the stem of the plant it was on. After our backyard visitor visitor finished eating a massive amount of leaves it will develop its cocoon and start the transformation into the end product of becoming a Monarch.  

I read further that it takes 5 generations of this butterfly to then develop into a remarkable specimen that will end up traveling south and eventually crossing over the Andes mountains in South America before eating once again. It will then have a date or two with other butterflies, then travel back to lay eggs before dying here in America.

Some time in the 80's I saw hundreds of thousands of them hanging off of pine trees on Highland in Carthage. Somewhere I have a photograph of them. The trees were completely covered with the pulsating wings of the butterflies with no green exposed....just a mass of orange and black. 

Plant butterfly bushes and perhaps you will be lucky enough to see a traveler in your yard.
 

Tomatoes are taking over....

 I guess in the ever continuing saga of "the tomatoes" an update is due. They are now taller than I, I'm only 5'9" so we aren't talking Paul Bunyan tall but that may be another story. They are producing slowly but the toms taste really good.

They are giving me about 3 to ten a day of varying size but it's been worth it as they taste great !

I'm looking at this as an experimental year of sorts as I planted about 18 plants in all-6 to a bed. I was wondering if spacing made any difference as to production of the plants. I must admit that I am a bit disappointed in the output but they are just now starting to produce multiples. Time will tell .....

I did notice that one of my beds is leaning to the south due to the weight of the plants. This afternoon I will have to attach a line anchoring the whole structure. I had the same problem last year. It's tough for a city boy to be a farmer.......