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....... 

Blooms

 I've got to admit that I have been a bit nervous about the tomatoes.....I've spent a bunch of time exploring the different varieties, building the hot house, planting the seeds, watering them, preparing the soil last fall with the fertalizer, fencing them in with chicken wire to prevent them from becoming our backyard rabbits gourmet meal, transplanting them from the seedling containers to the raised beds.......I haven't seen any blooms.........till yesterday ! It looks like they called a square-dance, a party, a global get to gather.....I have blooms. It's going to be a good year. YaHOOOOOOOO !!! More to be written soon with explanatory images !

Back to the tomatoes...

They are growing like weeds. I staked them up day before yesterday with bamboo that I got at Lowes. It's cheap and I have used the same pieces for several years now. One change that I did make this year was to use zip ties to hold them together. In the past I used florist tape which really wasn't too satisfactory due to deterioration in the sun through the summer. I also have chicken wire around the beds to keep our rabbits at bay.

We should have tomatoes to last all summer and maybe start to can some.

                        We have all the jars and stuff from Karens moms former canning days so 

it may be a very interesting and new learning experience fall for me.

A friends sculpture work from the 70's....

 I was recently in contact with a classmate of mine from SMS  in Springfield who is now living in Russia but traveling in Texas to keep his citizenship intact. I had no money above living expenses while a student but was working for Don Sothern and told him he should go to the Art Auction the art department was holding. He went and bought sculpture piece from Frank Williams that I really wished I could have. I have always felt that it was a piece that marked times in attitude and style. Don put it in his studio. About ten years later I dropped in the studio to see Don and saw the sculpture and commented on how much I liked it. "Wanna buy it ", he said. I knew how much he paid for it so I offered him about a hundred less. He then exclaimed that he paid 100 dollars more  than I was offering so I added a hundred and he took it. That was about 1970 and I've had it ever sense. While in Springfield Frank had a leather shop a couple of blocks fro9m Dons studio. I dropped in and bought a bottle bound in leather with part of the previous nights meal and named it dinner bottle. As seen below..........Long live the 70's....

 

Toooo mate o or big red fruit.....

 Ok a great source for a very large selection of tomatos that you have never heard of or seen. They give a touch of weirdness to a mundane garden and taste great. The source is Tomatofest and they are on the net at www.tomatofest.com. Great catalog to read in spare moments....

Plant away !!!!!!! I planted Argentina, African Queen, Ace 55 and Amish Red. Going to have a bunch to eat around July and last year my vines produced into November.

Checking in...

 Well to fill you in, my hothouse for the tomatoes seeds has been built and I have plants growing. It will be a couple of more weeks before I set them out as I really need to do a bit more work on my raised beds. I put out four different varieties ranging in. color from deep red to black and have a couple of striped ones included. Why grow normal tomatoes. I bought these from a new supplier and of course they are heirloom seeds. 

Scheduled to rain today and stay mild and next week I'll start "hardening" them by exposing them to more straight daylight so they will survive the sun. If I transplanted them without doings they would burn up in the hard light. Being pretty cheap I planted all the seeds in the packs so I don't think I'll be suffering from a tomato shortage. 

I have booked a new client that is an expert tile layer and you should look forward too some shots of tiled floors and walls soon. This guy is a true pro in the business. Must just go now I'll try to check in tomorrow....

Finally Spring..

 It seemed to be a long winter as all I did was work. Several weeks ago I built a hot house out of PVC to start my tomatoe seeds in and amazingly enough they are thriving. Next week I'll fire up my cultivator and get them in the ground. I have four different varieties that range in color from red to purple to black. It should be an interesting summer !

I have a commercial job coming up that I'm looking forward to involving exterior shots of a commercial establishment. It will be fun and I have a new concept for an additional image that I will share with you after I produce it. I also have picked up several commercial assignments from a tile layer that will cover bathrooms and kitchens and perhaps a few entryways and patios. I'll keep you posted.

It is always a question concerning my Bonsia trees that I have been growing for years. My oldest, about forty years old, may have given up the ghost this winter. But I do keep the faith as I have seen plants-trees bloom out with leaves after being seemingly dead. Our wisteria always is slow to bloom but it is doing well this spring.The moss I have growing in the Bonsia pots are finally taking over the rocks.

As soon as the trees leaf out some more I'll include them in a post.

Snow again...

 More snow.....a total of around 8/9 inches are on the ground.... I did however have a spark of "genius" by using my leaf blower to remove it. Faster than shoveling and much easier on the back. It is now safe to go out of the house and get in the car. Works really well on the cars however I wish it would wash them at the same time....may have to work on that. 

I have several commercial accounts lined up for shoots as soon as the snow leaves and life can get back to normal.....what ever that is. Karen and I are getting our second covid shots soon so that will make us feel a bit better when the process is completed. I have a bit f concern for the Koi pond as it is iced over....can't really check on the fish. This time of year they hibernate laying low on the bottom and not moving. I did take out one of the goldfish that had expired a week or so ago....must have been old age as the bubblers were working.  I'll keep you posted.....stay safe !!

The weather won...................

 Great thoughts of getting out and grabbing some shots with the light and snow...........thoughts were just thoughts ! I have never been in such cold as what is gripping Oklahoma now. If you are talking the words fall frozen out of your mouth and become a trip hazard. We had some snow, about 6 to 8 inches, depending on where you live but it was light and I was able to clean off the walkway and around the car with a leaf blower. Which is a glimmer of genius if I may say so. I have had to shovel the words though as I was in a heavy conversation with myself...No lifting of shovels of snow just the heavy conversation !  Turn on the blower and direct the snow where you want it to go and shovel up the frozen scraps of ideas and you're done in no time. 

We always feed the birds in the winter and this year is vitally important. Over the past several years we have had a pair of doves roost and nest on top of one of out tool sheds on the patio and have their kids. It's been great fun as they sort of get used to us and don't fly off when we come out in the spring. This year I have seen bluebirds in the feeder and I am surprised as I didn't think they were around in the winter. We have also had a multitude of robins this year. I walked out on the deck several days ago and a squadron of Robins appeared over our neighbors to the south, flying in formation directly toward me. There must haver been 30 of them. I dashed for the house.....you never know what a Robin is thinking's....

The pond and waterfall have frozen over and I have investigated the water under the ice and it is flowing. The main concern with that is that the falls and two bubblers are the only supply to the fish for air. No air...no fish....Being basically homebound all I have been able to photograph is the bird feeder and the Aviary Grill. Here are a couple of shots....

 

 They look as cold as I feel.....................

Driving around before the impending Blizzard......

 According to almost all weathermen in the area we are about to get 10 to 15 inches of snow dropped on our heads in the next couple of days. I was out earlier this morning and figure that after going to the market I need to take some images of the outdoors as I will probably be snowed in till next  Wednesday.

I have a couple of ideas in mind as to what I'll start shooting but that is subject change as I wade through the process. Stay posted and we'll see what happens........it might be exciting.....

Over 100,000 as of tomorrow !!! Sooooooooooo Close !!!! Factors out to 10,000 views a year......

amazing !!!!!!!!  

Orchids as Promised...

Sorry it's taken so long to get these on the blog but I have been very busy with different assignments. We have had this orchid for a number of years and this is the block buster blooming year so far. I hope to get some really close ups onion the next couple of days as time alots. 

Stay tuned...New images are on the way....

 I took delivery on some new equipment that I ordered last week and it should make the creating of images mush easier. I won't say as yet what it is but it will end the frustration that I have had photographing one particular type of imagery. What took a lot of time in the past due to the difficulty of focus I was having should be cleared up. Stay tuned....more images coming soon !!!!

A Startling new discovery !!!!!!!

 I was just writing to an old, or should I say former, High School Classmate, Dan Koch, who dropped me and several other classmates a Merry Christmas note and I scanned back over the almost 500 entries to my blog. I was amazed that I've been posting on the blog for over 10 years ! I had no idea I've been at it for so long.

I started the blog mainly as a vehicle to display my work and speak of a career that I love. I have had so many unexpected opportunities to travel, photograph, meet heads of state, go into areas of great danger and survive, see manufacturing processes that are unbelievable from start of finish within the processes.....what a kick in the pants, I'm a very lucky guy. Within this journey I met the love of my life, my wife Karen, who has stood by me through thick and thin, believing in me and also giving me the reason to try to be the best guy I can be. She is absolutely fabulous......

Many of my accounts have stretched over the decades, some in the medical areas, some in manufacturing, some in advertising, and some in personal image creation. Much of my business has come from my point to point advertising, and other parts from reputation, and some from just blind luck by asking the right questions to the right people at the right time. 

Photography is really a puzzle game. Questions to be asked are basically 1. What do you want to say, and 2. How do I get there. It is not a matter of buying a $ 5000. dollar camera and proclaiming "Now I am one", it actually takes a great amount of study, experience and most importantly understanding the relationship between Light, Shutter speed, F stops and how that all interact with the mechanics of a camera and film or a digital file, to achieve an intended result. It's not Jr. High....

With the new Year will come new challenges and I am fortunate to start it off with an assignment from one of my commercial clients in the first week of 2021. I really feel as though we will continue to prosper creating images for my past and new clients and it will be a great year for everyone.

I'll never forget Charlie....

In the mid eighties I answered an ad in a photographic journal I subscribed to from Techno Balcar looking for a rep for their line of photographic equipment. They were based out of Chicago and wanted a rep for Missouri and Arkansas. They flew me to Chicago for training and my immediate supervisor was Charlie Moore. Charlie was about my age and looked to be Italian. We hit it off and I completed the training. Balcar made very sophisticated equipment meant for the true Professional Photographer. Very pricy equipment but it was worth the money. While them I was flown back to Chicago to help them cover Chi-Caribe a celebration for the media producers in Chicago. Models, suppliers, photographers, ad agencies, designers, anyone of notation within the Chicago area was there. It was a grand time and Tecno was photographing attendees and giving them 8 x 10 Polaroid prints. Charlie and I got one together.

Techno was sold to another supplier and my tenure with them was ended. It was a real shame as I had to return $ 100,000 worth of equipment they gave me to use and demonstrate to clients with. Part of the job was to demo the products at different shows. One was in Kansas City and I was responsible for my own accommodations. I took Motel Six close to the Missouri River as the Show was across the river and M6 was much cheaper that the hotel that housed the convention. Charlie had all of the ingredients for the hospitality room Techno was hosting and I had a six pack in my room. I had a car so I picked Charlie up as we were going to dinner at one of the KC steak Houses on the Plaza We decided to have a beer before we ate so we stopped by by room to get one. I pulled in about the same time a mud strewn Cadillac pulled in and three guys hopped out in Bib overalls. Reaching for the door handle in the car I started to get out. Charlie grabbed me and said STOP !! I looked at him and he had a look of terror in his face. I said "what's going on ??? Morgan you have to change hotels !! he replied. With a look of confusion I said "WTF Charlie...?? He asked if I had seen the guys get out of the car. I said "Yes"...He replied..."Didn't you see the overalls ??? I said" Yes"........."They're Rednecks Morgan......They may start something....MOVE OUT !!! " I was astounded....I explained to him that people in rural America have all at one time or another have owned one or more pairs of Bibs to work in.....don't be concerned. We got out of the car went into the room had a beer and went to eat. 

Techno closed and Charlie then started an apartment rehab business and was doing well and then had a cardiac surprise at almost killed him. He called after he got out of the hospital and gave me an update. The heart attack ended his rehab career but he then became a guide at night for the Observatory on the lakeshore and loved it. 

I got an assignment from the National Funeral Directors to create a multi-image slide show introducing Chicago to their attendees. I called Charlie explaining that I needed to show all parts of the city and some cemeteries to be included. I asked him to guide me through the city. I used Carl Sandburg writings as a basis for giving the city a personality of an old man. The show started with the morning light and ended with dusk into night. My nephew Tim Putnam created a terrific music background for the narration. Charlie and I covered the city in a day and decided to hit some Jazz clubs after dinner. We got back to his apartment about three in the morning and were pretty wound up after the day of shooting. 

I noticed a large photo album on his living room table and started to thumb through it. There were pictures of different black families, Charlie as a kid, his brothers and sisters, and as I was looking the asked me if I knew he was black. I said no, but so what ! He then started to tell me a little family history. He was what his family called high yellow....evidently meaning light skinned. I frankly told him that I thought he might have been Italian. In the conversation we had he told me one thing I had never considered.... the difference between being in the Minority and Majority. Charlie decided several years before that he needed to trace his family history which led him to take a trip to Africa. He said he found a tribe that he thought his ancestors came from and was pleased. He did say that for the first time in his life he was in the racial majority and he had NEVER been there before. 

Be low are two photographs Charlie and I at the Chi Caribe in an 8 x 10 polaroid and Charlie in one of the cemetery shots. Looking back...how much it says about the future. I got a call from one of the former employees of Techno telling me that Charlie had passed.....

He had a heart attack in the observatory and died. The Chicago Tribune ran an article on him with the Byline....Master of the Universe has passed......

Charlie was just a great guy and good friend.

Great Catalog for amazing seeds...

Check out amazing seeds.com for the best selection of non-GMO altered seeds available. This company has the catalog that is a true visual joy to see and just thumbing through it makes me want to start planting seeds right now for spring planting. However I will wait till February to do so. 

Order the catalog and become a true Gardner......I'm not responsible for your whole yard becoming a huge and great garden....but enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Almost done with Fall....and a fabulous bit of family news

 I've taken down the banana trees and probably going to eliminate them as they are spreading like poison ivy. Karen is afraid of my creating a new Banana Republic. I think the only way to contain them is obviously in a pot or whisky barrel. The garden beds are done and the mushroom soil mixed in with the Oklahoma sandy loom. It will be a great spring planting time. In February I will start my seeds in the north window of the house and by April they will be ready t plant.The cycle starts again.....

I did move my 40 year old Sego Palm outside this last spring and it flourished. I built a small greenhouse to protect it from what might be a very hard winter. I would hate to lose it as it's been around so long and through moves to New Orleans, Dallas, Joplin, and finally landing here in Tulsa. By this time I guess I should give it a family name.

Which reminds me,,,,My grandson Adam Cain has just told us that he tried out for the Marine Band with an audition. A man was flown in from the band to hear him play and he was accepted !!!! He will report to basic and them take his place in the band. What a GREAT choice he has made which I hope leads him around the world and helps cement his future into music history. What an excellent choice he has made. Way to go Adam !!!!!

Yes I have bananas.........

 We cut down the banana trees yesterday but saved the one with the bananas, The flower is edible and we may try that today for a twist in  the usual menu. In the picture with the cut trunks my leg and foot are in the lower left to give you an idea of the size of the trees. They were actually taller than the roofline. I think they will soon take over the neighborhood.....wife IS concerned...

The upper deck is ready for the fall however the plants are soon to be history as we dig out the bulbs to put in wood chips and seal for the winter. We have saved about $ 300. to $ 400. a year by doing so. The bulbs are stored in the garage and in the spring we replant them and all is well. Have a great Fall and stay safe....we are NOT out of the woods.

An oldie from the 70's...............

 I think this was my first award in "73" from the Missouri Professional Photographers Association. This was when I had hair and no knee, hip, or back replacements....the start of a fun career. Had I known then what I know now, I would have never believed it would be possible. I've traveled the world on assignments, including Canada, Central America, and the Middle East, as well as all over the U.S. It goes to show I think that if you pay attention to who you meet, find out a bit about them, be interested in them and be open about your abilities, anything can follow. I could NEVER believe this could happen to a small town guy. SHAZZZZAAAAAAAMMMMMMM !!!

FlapJack

One more plant note....

 Just a quick note on one more favorite plant....the FlapJack....Had this for years and have propagated several from it. It just hangs out and grows but in the Fall the leaves get the red trim. That becomes the really BIG DEAL for this plant....

Tomorrow I'm going to work on the gardens putting new mushroom soil in them to replenish them from this season. I'm heavily tempted to try straw bail gardening for a new crop of potatoes but haven't decided yet if I will. Starting in the fall you take one bail of straw and wet it down and cover it with commercially purchased manure and let its over the winter. In the spring plant the potato eyes deeply into the straw and water it as you would a regular garden. The potato plants will grow and by late summer the potatoes will be available harvest by digging through the straw. In the Fall the straw composts into the garden improving the soil. 

Fall has arrived...

 For the first time one of my Bonsai trees has turned with the weather. This Red Maple is about 6 years oldand has finally realized that it is to change colors in the Fall. I have several others that may change next year.....

I guess that makes it a red letter day....

My favorite time to photograph........almost..

 Fall is in the air and I'm getting in the mood to do some work for myself. Kind of a strange thought - photographing for myself-but I like the mystery of setting out to capture what is usually missed through everyday seeing. It's kind of like William Last Heat-Moons book "Blue Highways." In it he just started out to "discover" the America he lived in. The journey took him on a path that was determined by what seemed to be the "right" direction amnd ended by completing a circle through the United States.  

A touch of fall/The Moonlight is done

 I bought the "Moonlight" as a nonfunctioning searchlight at a flea market several years ago and I have finally taken the time to mount it so that it is working properly. I'll photograph it tonight to give you a clue as to what is casting that spotlight over Tulsa tonight. Eat your heart out Batman !!!

Hard rain gonna fall.....for days

So many songs, great songs in fact, have been written about the rain. The first that comes to mind is Bob Dylans " A Hard Rains Gonna Fall, "followed up by Jose Feliciano's,"  Listen to the Falling Rain", and then tremendous thunder storms that I loved as a child. Middle of the night booms followed by brilliant flashes of light. I was always amazed. My Grandfather Speer told me that the thunder was the sound of Trolls throwing bowling balls down the alleys and the lightning announced the strikes. As a kid I wondered what it would be like living on top of a cloud and what the bowling alleys looked like. Always a concern as I looked up, and wondering what it would be like to see earth from above, was the question of how thick the cloud must be before you would fall through. I also surmised that although I thought of space as black, the world was covered by white clouds that turned the black into blue. I really felt sorry, although I did admire jet pilots, ( Buck Rogers ), watching the jet trails across one horizon to the other, eventually crashing as I had never seen one land.

The thoughts of a kids' reality in the 50's. Surprised that I made it through childhood.

Talking of clouds and flying, Superman on TV was a big deal. It's a bird !!! It's a plane !!! It's SUPERMAN. I remember one afternoon I figured if he could fly so could I. It had to be the suit he wore. I found a pair of longjohns and put them on. Then a pair of Jockey shorts so I had a super suit almost like his, and safety penned a towel to the shoulders on the top of the longjohns, I was Euclids Superboy. I tried to jump a couple of times and nothing happened. Our 56 Ford was parked in front of the house and I just figured I needed a head start to get into the skyway like SUPERMAN. Climbing on top of the fender on the passenger side I took the leaf of faith !!! I flew for less than the time it takes to realize I couldn't fly, and knocked all the wind out of me. I knew I was going to die......then I got my wind back, looked around, and slowly walked back to get in regular clothes before anyone saw me as an earthbound superboy. I never tried to fly again....

Tomatoes/walkway

Just a couple of images from the backyard. We added some river pebbles to the west walkway to prevent the soil from eroding. As I mentioned in a couple of past entries my tomatoes luck is fantastic. These are the Cosmic tomatoes I have mentioned before. They are cherry size and varied in color from black to yellow, orange blue and black. The really taste great and can be eaten like popcorn-by the hand full. A truly great find 1!!!!

Dog days...

It's hot here in Tulsa on everything is slowing to a crawl. Our governor Kevin Stitt, who has been somewhat of a skeptic to the Covid situation, and refused to close down anything state wide has come down with the Covid problem. It will be interesting to see if he changes his tune. Masking is vital to staying free form the disease however being at home is the best.

Please stay safe and watch what you do......life as usual is too short.....preserve your health.

MURDER !!!!

This morning I went out on the  deck to water and was shocked as I happened upon what was an untouched crime scene. White, one of our caged birds, had been attacked sometime in the darkness of night.

I immediately noticed that she was missing from the cage and then saw her feet and a tail feather

    which had been discarded due to obviously no interest.

Further investigation led to the discovery of her remains.....

It is obvious that the culprit, the fiend, had a good part of her anatomy for a late snack.

All I can say is that I hope it has a great time trying to digest her styrofoam body.

Rest In peace White, and sing on for eternity......

Cosmic tomatoes...

I was a bit surprised at the size of the tomatoes I chose to plant....at least one variety, The Cosmic set....

I expected large tomatoes like I had was a kid but these came out like cherry tomatoes.....disappointed
till I tasted them. They are fantastic ! We've been taking them off the vine in multitudes as they grow on one stem with a general count of 6 per stem. yum....yummmm..


I have several different types taking off and I'll follow up with a review when I get them in my hands....click on the picture to make it bigger...

Potatoes...

Tomatoes-potatoes..the grand experiment...

One of the pots of potatoes had dying plants which is generally an indication of what should be an impending harvest. I took the hint and got my crop out of the dirt. I have another pot that is still vibrant and I'll wait on it. I initially questioned the sense, or lack of, in plantings the seed potatoes. Potatoes are cheap at the store and it had been decades since I planted them and never in a pot. The grand experiment took place with two large pots on the deck and patio.

In the spring I planted the seed potatoes in good soil, watered them faithfully and watched them grow. Homegrown tomatoes have a great taste and I was wondering if the taste would be different with homegrown potatoes. The jury is still out....we'll have them for dinner tonight....so I'll have to keep you posted. Only the Shadow knows for sure...

However.....it was fun watching them through the growing process......it doesn't take much to keep me entertained...

Tomatoes

As mentioned before and shown in previous stories I planted tomatoes in my raised beds in the garden. They have taken off and we are enjoying the taste I haven't had since I was a kid. Home grown tomatoes. What a kick in the pants !!!  These are a cherry tomato-smalll but fabulous in taste. I have about 30 more plants of a variety called Cosmic Tomatoes that are just now starting to bloom.

These come in clusters of about 6 and they are striped with green and black with a touch of red and orange. Small but really tasty. I'm going to trim the stalks tomorrow-never done it but it is to make the plant produce more fruit.....will let you know....