Revising the Bucket List

I've just been watching one of the episodes of Ken Burns' latest effort, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. And I'm speechless and a little emotional. If you haven't seen this work please please tune in to your local PBS channel and have a peek. It's well worth your while.

Besides the amazing cinematography and terrific music there is a good history lesson. But that's not what's got me going. In the final 2 hour installment there are some interviews where people talk about how when they were kids their parents dragged them to the National Parks and how the experience changed them and their lives. Those interviews got me to thinking about the National Parks and National Monuments I've visited. The list reads something like this: In no particular order

Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Glacier, Mount Ranier, Olympic, North Cascades, Sequoia, Yosemite, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Wind Cave, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Glacier Bay, Kenai Fjiords, White Sands, Great Sand Dunes, Badlands, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and I'm sure there are some that I've missed. There's also Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Wells Gray in Canada.

But as I remember it, Yellowstone was my first and still my favorite. Listening to the people tell of their first National Park visits I was transported back to the first trip to Yellowstone with my parents. It was 1964 and both my sisters were gone from home with families of their own so this trip was just me and Mom and Dad. We set out from Wichita in Dad's 1964 Dodge pickup with a small camper shell on the back to sleep in and headed west to Colorado before turning north towards Wyoming. We drove hard and managed to make it to Rock River, Wyoming where we rented a sleezy motel room the first night. It was my first experience in Wyoming and I remember being amazed at the number of antelope alongside the roads. We must have seen thousands of them. The next day we made the rest of the drive to Yellowstone and camped near Old Faithful that night.

We'd talked about bears and driving through the south part of Yellowstone we saw quite a few before we got to the campground. Supper that night was cooked on our campstove and it was a bit chilly so we ate inside the camper. After we finished eating we were talking about bears and getting nervous about leaving our skillet on the picnic table where the grease might attract the critters. Dad and I were daring each other to go out in the dark and get the skillet and I was so spooked there was no way I was going to do it. Finally Dad said he would....he opened the door of the camper and stepped out then stopped, spun around, and dove back in the camper. I was sitting by the door and convinced that a bear was about to eat his feet, I grabbed the chain on the top of the door and slammed it shut, nearly taking Dad's feet off in the process. When I came back to my senses and my heart rate slowed I saw him laying in the floor laughing so hard he was crying. It was all a trick! Gee, who would have figured him for a lowdown trick like that. I guess that's why his childhood nickname was Lowdown. At least that's what Grandma Suzie always called him. During that trip we spent 3 or 4 days inside the park itself, I can't remember exactly how long we were there but it was long enough to spend time seeing just about every area of the park.

Later, we drove south through Grand Teton National Park, through Jackson Hole, and south through the Starr Valley where I was dared into getting my first taste of fresh cheddar cheese at a dairy south of Afton and became a lifelong devotee of cheese. On through northern Utah where we got stuck on a 1 lane road during construction and had to go in reverse about 1/2 mile down a moutain road to let the construction trucks through. What an adventure.

I guess because it was my first National Park Yellowstone holds a special place in my mind and heart. I don't get there nearly often enough but each time I do it's a combination of new and old memories. Like the time I was there in 1991 for a few days this time on a serious photographic mission and experienced the best fishing of my life....and came across a place where there was a grizzly track over the top of my boot track on a creek bank where I'd walked only about 10 minutes earlier. And again when I was there in 2007 and saw my first grizzly and heard my first wolf call. Amazing.

Heather has been talking about visiting Yellowstone to see the wolves and as I write this I'm 99% convinced that sometime in May, probably the week before Memorial Day, you'll be able to find us in the Lamar Valley near Cooke City. And hopefully I can pass on to her some of the feelings and memories I have from my first extended visit to Yellowstone. It's been added to the bucket list.

So take the time to seek out the Ken Burns series on the National Parks. Better yet, get out and visit a National Park or National Monument. And if you need a co-pilot, call me. I'm always up for a road trip.

I Just Can't See It

I'm puzzled....baffled....stunned! I don't know what the problem is or rather, I know what the problem is but just don't know how to fix it. My daughter, Erin, and her family moved to Arizona about 6 years ago and since then I've visited several times. Every time I've taken some time to shoot some photos of the landscape near where they live. One time I made a special point to visit Saguaro National Park near Tucson on a shooting expedition. But there's a problem.

After all those trips and all the images I've shot I still don't have anything I am proud of. Maybe it's the light. Light has different qualities in different lattitudes and maybe I just haven't adapted to shooting that far south. Maybe it's the colors, or lack thereof in the southern deserts. Maybe it's something as simple as a mental block. I just don't know. All I know is that most of the time I feel like I'm having a good day but when I get the images downloaded to the computer my reaction is "...Good grief! Who shot this crap?"

I've been through creative dry spells before as have we all. Sometimes I get to a location and just don't see anything that excites me and makes me want to photograph the landscape. That's sort of what happened on the above mentioned trip to Saguaro. But those times are few and far between. And this is different in that sometimes when I do shoot something, the execution is faulty. Like not noticing when I take my camera out of the bag that it's inadvertently been switched from Aperture priority to Program on the settings dial. Or shooting something that requires a lot of depth of field with the lens at or near wide open.

Whatever the case, I just can't seem to create a great image in the desert of southern Arizona. And it's beginning to bother me..to the point that I'm starting to strategize my next trip. Maybe I should try shooting sunset instead of sunrise. Maybe I should try and avoid looking for specific shots and just shoot what comes my way. Perhaps I should spend more time concentrating on technique instead of just freewheeling like I usually do. Whatever the case, I'm already looking forward to the next trip. I'll get some winning images if it kills me.

S.A.D. What an appropriate acronym

Every fall, for almost as long as I've been a photographer, I've been heading up the hill to the mountains in Colorado. Late September is when 2 of my favorite events in life come together. The elk have begun to gather in the meadows at dawn and dusk and the rut is in full swing. If you've never heard the bugling of bull elk during the mating season you've missed an amazing spectacle. It's one of the sounds in nature that sends chills up and down my back, much like a wolf howl.

Mostly, though, I make the trip to photograph the changing colors of the aspen trees. Sometimes I go north to Rocky Mountain National Park but mostly I've been heading to the Kebler Pass area west of the town of Crested Butte. It's a magical time and the colors from year to year are never the same yet always amazing. And Kebler Pass sits in the middle of the largest Aspen forest on the planet.

This year, however, things have started to change. I noticed it when I came back from a shooting trip to Utah in mid September. I planned my trip to coincide with being in the Kebler Pass area around the 12th of September. A bit early I guess..in most years anyway. I didn't expect to see a tremendous amount of color but thought I might see a little bit. I was totally unprepared for what I found. Entire hillsides and groves of aspens had already dropped their leaves. Many others had leaves that went from green to brown and were ready to fall. No more grand landscapes....later there may have been some more intimate shots but the classic Kebler Pass view of an entire hillside explosion of color ranging from green to yellow to red to orange is no more.

A little research when I got home turned up the reason. S.A.D. Sudden Aspen Decline syndrome. I don't know the reasons behind it but the aspen forests of Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states are dying. There's a part of me that hopes this was just a 1 or 2 year problem but all I've read says otherwise. We may have seen the last of the great color shows in the Rockies. At least for my lifetime. And it's a sad departure for me. What the heck am I going to do next September? I've got lots of elk photos though I suppose I could always use more. But something tells me you may not see me in the Rockies in September.

There is hope, though! One of my childhood friends who lives near Table Rock lake in Missouri posted some shots of the changing colors there. I'm not sure when the color change begins but what I saw whetted my appetite to photograph some hardwood forests for a change. Lots more reds and oranges than the aspens and who knows...maybe it's a different time frame so I'll still be able to shoot the elk AND the changing colors in the Ozarks. Something to look forward to. And besides....Crested Butte is still the wildflower capital of Colorado. I'll be back there in July.

So there it is. S.A.D. has definitely made me sad. But there's always hope.

What's in the Bucket?

The first big storm of the year has come and gone. October is a bit early for heavy snow but not unprecedented. And sitting inside looking out at the drifts makes one think of many things.

A few days ago a photographer posted a topic on a photo bulletin board I watch about "what's in your photo bucket list?" Needless to say, I've had plenty of time to think about it while waiting out the storm. There are a lot of directions it could take....exotic locales, guided safaris, fantastic equipment....and all of them ran through my mind at one time or another. But in the end, the list is pretty simple and basic. They are in no particular order of preference but rather, randomly as they pop into my mind. So sit back and fantasize with me for a while and imagine my photo bucket list top 10....

1. Back to Yellowstone. I was there 2 years ago for a few days of photography and got some marvelous images. My files lack a couple of images from Yellowstone that I need to get: I don't have a good image of the wolves. Granted, I heard my first live wolf howl and saw plenty of the critters in the 3 days I was there but with one exception they were a loooooooong ways off and on my photos they appear as dots in the distance.

I also don't have a good image of a large bull moose and as near as I can tell Yellowstone or Grand Teton is the best place to find them this side of Alaska.

Heather has asked to go to Yellowstone so perhaps we'll make a trip up there in 2010.

2. Four Corners region of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. I've just come back (well, a month ago) from a trip to Southeast Utah including Arches, Canyonlands, and Monument Valley. I could go back to Moab 100 times and not get every photo I want. But there are other areas that I've barely scratched the surface of and many I've not yet seen. Bisti Badlands in New Mexico...Canyon de Chelly in Arizona....Cedar Mesa in Utah...Mesa Verde in Colorado...I could go on forever. I'll get back to this area every chance I get.

3. Fall colors in New England. With the unbelievable die-off of aspens in the Rocky Mountain west those of us that have made the annual pilgrimage to Crested Butte and Kebler Pass every September are going to have to change our plans. I'm hoping this was just a seasonal thing but in my heart I don't quite believe it. I think we've seen the demise of the Colorado aspen forests for decades to come. The alternative? New England. Something about the variety of color makes it an attractive alternative to the aspens.

4. Washington State. I've made a few trips there in April of various years to photograph the tulips of the Skagit Valley but there are many areas I've never been to when in posession of a camera. The Palouse region of Eastern Washington...The Olympic Penninsula...the sea stacks on the coast...the Cascades around Darrington where I worked a couple of summers during college. So many things to see that I haven't.

5. Southeast Alaska, specifically the Inside Passage. I went through there on a cruise in 2005 but for the most part the ship went through areas I'd like to see during the evenings. I wouldn't mind another cruise but what I'd really like is to take the Alaska ferry from Bellingham, WA to parts north. That way I could take as much time as needed in areas I'd like to see. Killer whales at Robson Bight...grizzly bears at Knight Inlet. And the marvelous scenery...nuff said.

6. Glacier National Park. I've been to Glacier a few times but mostly just driving through. Never for an extended photo trip. Perhaps I could combine it with a road trip through Banff and Jasper parks in Canada. Hmmmm....talk about an epic road trip. Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, Wells Gray, Vancouver, Mount Ranier....then home. Problem is, it would take a whole summer to do that trip and feel like I gave every location it's properly alloted time for photographs. Maybe when I retire...

7. The Great Lighthouse tour. Two possibilities here...One is the coasts of Washington and Oregon, continuing north through British Columbia along the Inside Passage. Lots of amazing lighthouses to see. The other possibility would be one of the Great Lakes, maybe Lake Michigan or Superior where there are amazing lighthouses. Something about the water keeps drawing me to the coast.

8. Polar Bears of Churchill, Manitoba. I've been seeing images from here for years and always had a longing to go. Perhaps someday I'll head up there in November for my birthday.

9. Speaking of bears, that's the other part of Alaska. Maybe Lake Clark, maybe Brooks Falls. Who knows? So much more Alaska that I haven't seen. Up to Fairbanks and Denali. More time on the Kenai Penninsula.

10. The Ultimate...The Alaska Highway. If I could plan one amazing, all encompasing trip, this would be it. From Denver, through Yellowstone and Glacier, into Canada through Banff and Jasper. On to Wells Gray Park, Williams Lake, and head up the Alaska Highway. Ultimately taking the ferry from Anchorage back to Seattle and making my way home. I suspect a trip like this would take many months so it will have to wait.

So there you have the top 10 on my photo bucket list. With the exception of the New England colors it's all in the west. I guess in the end I'm just a western kind of guy. But I'm open to suggestions about things in the East so who knows. What the heck, it's always open to adaptation. Maybe I'll see you out there.

A Learning Experience

So I've been lusting for an Adirondack Chair for my deck or patio. I sat in one somewhere, can't remember where, but it seemed to be one of the most comfortable chairs I've sat in for quite a while. Right then I decided I neede one or two for my deck and the search began. Untold hours searching the web....days on craigslist....haunting log furniture places. And what I found was that the things are bloody expensive! Want 2 Adirondacks and a matching loveseat for patio furniture? No problem...send me your check for $1500 and I can have the manufacturer ship them anywhere in the country. Well, that's a bit rich for my blood so I started thinking of alternatives. Back to Craigslist. Finally I found one for $25 with a footstool! The pics looked pretty good so I went and got it. Well, as always there's a reason it was $25 when new ones are nearly $200...it was weathered pretty badly. No problem says I, there's a garage full of power tools at home and I can replace the really bad parts.

First were the arms. I measured them up and made a trip to Lowes for a piece of lumber to cut the new arms out of. Using the old arm for a pattern it was easy to cut out new arms and install them. Then I decided to replace the seat slats so back to Lowes for some lumber. Got the slats replaced and looked at the chair. Looks great but maybe I should sand the back slats. Pulled them off and started sanding when all of a sudden the little guy in my head started getting me in deeper. "Hey dummy, if you just sand these down, when it comes time to build another chair you'll have to take them off again. Just get some lumber and make new ones." So I did...then it was the legs...then the back braces. Finally, I gave in and just replaced everything, using the old chair parts for templates. I learned a lot in the process...here's the list.

1. Between 7th grade wood shop and watching DIY network and HGTV, I'm pretty good at this stuff and it appears to be at least a little theraputic.

2. I built this one out of mostly redwood which, in retrospect, might not be the best. Redwood is durable and weathers well but it also splits easily when driving screws near the end of a piece of wood. I had to replace a few pieces and got into some pretty extensive pre-drilling.

3. I have all the tools I need to produce chairs like this except one: I need to find a way to effectively taper the back slats. I can cut the tapers with a jig saw but it's pretty crude and not at all attractive. Back to the drawing board!

4. This is still the most comfortable deck chair I've found and a perfect project for a weekend.

Next up: Make a lumber list, one trip to Lowes, and find out truly how expensive it is to build one of these. I think I've got about $50 in materials but I made several trips to Lowes and bought non-chair related stuff on a couple of the trips so I don't really have a perfectly clear idea how much it cost me. Maybe one of these weekends when Judy is traveling........

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I haven't yet quite perfected my technique to the point of making them for other people, but who knows...after the next one, I may be soliciting orders.

Tranquility

Okay so I stole the idea from my neighbor across the street. And combined it with my tendency to obsess about an area I've just visited for a photo trip. All summer long I've been listening to the fountain my neighbor has on her porch. Tranquil sounds....running water...very soothing. And somewhere I decided it would be cool to have one of my own. After looking at fountains at the garden stores and the home improvement stores and seeing how bloody expensive they are, I decided "Hey, I'm a pretty handy guy...I can probably build one myself and save some bucks."

So off I went to the web to find inspiration and instructions on building garden fountains. Wow..is there a lot of useless information! But I found a site that gave me the basics and started accumulating stuff to build it.

First was the pots. After an expeditionary trip to shop for pots I guess I'm not so surprised that the things cost so bloody much. WOWZA ..how can a freakin clay pot cost so much? Maybe I should look into making clay pots when I retire. Oh well, now the search begins and after a couple of weeks I find a pot on sale that will work for the bottom of the fountain. And it's got Kokopelli on it. Must be karma since I'm headed to Moab for a shooting trip in a couple weeks. Just need to find 2 more pots that are a little smaller and a pump.

No more luck finding pots before leaving for the desert but when I pulled off the road in Utah to look at Castle Valley I get an inspiration....I need some river rock for the fountain, why not gather some rocks from the Colorado River to use? Cheaper than buying them in Denver. So I spent one afternoon picking up rocks on the river bank. I spent a lot of the trip looking for Native American pots to complete the fountain and found some really nice ones but I can't really afford $100+ for a pot that's going to live outside.

Back to Denver after the trip and trips once a week to Lowes seeing if they put their pots on sale Sure enough, one day I find 2 pots that will work and they're both on sale! Whoooooo hooooooooo. Pick up the pots and a pump for the fountain and I got all the stuff I need.

After a couple times of putting the thing together then tearing it apart to adjust the pump, it's perfect! I got my own fountain and it's very soothing and tranquil. And soooooooooooo easy to build. If you're interested, e-mail me at wcb@wcbeanphoto.com and I'll send you directions...for a small fee of course.

Back in the Saddle Again

Well, it's been a while since my last blog entry. Partly due to Yahoo decimating 360 which was where the blog was housed. It's moved to my yahoo profile but I think this is going to be a much better venue. I suppose time will tell.

For now, just a quick note to say:

I'm Back!