26 September 2011

Sunday, Day Three

My leisurely start (thanks to a downpour) made for a late night. I had planned an ambitious day on purpose: I'm hoping to arrive at the ranch in the afternoon on Monday with time to scout the next phase of our commercial shoot to take place in November. So far, the trip has been remarkably uneventful. If I have the opportunity to drive out west again, I think I'd prefer to take longer, avoid the Interstates, and really see the places I'm passing by.

Heading into Nebraska around sunset, I drove through a large area which appeared to have been inundated with flood waters. in fact, part of the Interstate was closed, necessitating a detour.

(This is my complaint with NAV systems. Sometimes I miss the dependable, oversized Rand McNally. There's a lot to be said for pulling out the dog-eared tome and seeing with a cursory glance just where you are and what is the obvious route to take in the event of said detour).

That being said, the scenery was hauntingly beautiful: the sun dipping below the horizon, reflecting sentinel trees wading in the watery landscape. Quite an appropriate backdrop to the book I'm listening to (When the Rivers Run Dry). A particular section dealt with the fact that dams rarely perform as promised, often unleashing greater destruction on the communities below than engineers ever imagine.




And without a Rand McNally, I was left to wonder if I were looking at the remnants of an overflowing river, excess rainfall, or the havoc wreaked by yet another dam.

Saturday, Day 2

Didnt make the dunes. A few setbacks early on and hard rain toward the end slowed me down. Pulled into Merrillville around 9pm. Woke up Sunday to more heavy skies. No Dunes this trip, I'm afraid.

I decided to try to find a Starbucks for my breakfast of Oatmeal. This is where trusty Yelp took me:





Lesson learned. When the GPS tells you that location is really 4 hours east, believe it. By that time I really needed fuel. Since I was out on the boonies, I turned to the GPS to get me to the closest gas station. This is where the GPS took me:


It is about the journey, and I find whether you're flying or driving, you just always have to go with the flow. Be patient, flexible, and enjoy the ride. Much less stress that way!

I began listening to one of the audio books I downloaded on the current water crisis. Elixir was, well, somewhat pedantic. Written by an anthropologist, it's a history of humankind and it's relation to water. by the fourth story of tribal relations, restrictions, and customs about water --which were identical to the first three stories --- I admittedly lost interest and turned to the next book, When The Rivers Run Dry. This is written by a journalist and is nicely paced and fascinating. I'm feeling quite disappointed in the overall greed and lack of forward thinking in our species, but that just might mean the guy is getting his point across.

My ambitious goal for Sunday is to drive 12 hours to North Platte, Nebraska. Why stay in Omaha when you can stay in North Platte? Along the way I need to find a light magenta cartridge for my Epson 2400 ....

24 September 2011

The Journey's the Thing ...

Last night I packed up my '99 Land Rover and headed West. I'm on my way to Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga Wyoming, just outside Medicine Bow National Forest for part 1 of an Artist in Residence program. My goal is to get the foundation started on a book of my photo series, "Change is the Constant: Reflections on a Malleable Society." Although, if all goes well, the title may likely change (ha! how appropriate!) to reflect a new direction the work seems to be taking.

I'm also looking forward to doing some early morning / late afternoon shooting around the ranch. The topography there is so rich and varied: wide vistas, quiet streams, graceful stands of aspens, rocky outcroppings.

I made it to Hagerstown, MD, last night despite a dense fog at the very end of the leg — a good 4-hour start on my journey. My goal today is to get to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Park. Fingers crossed!