The Form of Sound

My New Boots

Jim — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:56:33 +0000

Today I acquired one of the items from my wish list: Insulated boots! I know it sounds a little tawdry for a wish list item, but my feet have been getting a little cold in my Docs and they needed a break besides. The docs have been pretty much my only real shoes since I got them over a year ago. So while we were getting our groceries at Walmart I made a swift and purposeful scan of all the boots and grabbed myself a pair of size 9 Brahma Warriors; priced at $42 off the shelf. I didn’t even try them on. I was a man on a mission with no time to waste. When I got them home I let them mellow on the floor for a half an hour to get accustomed to their surroundings. When the time came, I pulled off the Docs, slapped on a fresh pair of socks and sunk my feet into that solid, insulated womb of my new boots. In writing about it now I feel like I ought to name them. Hmmm…. it will come to me. Needless to say, I am very pleased with my purchase. They fit great, they breath, and they kept my feet nice and comfortable walking to the grocery store this afternoon through the snow and ice. I also have a snowsuit on my wish list, but I think I might be able to put that one off now that my feet are so well insulated. I don’t have a picture of the Brahmas yet so here’s one I took a few days ago out in Jaroso, CO.:

International truck, Jaroso, CO.

Jim — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:07:05 +0000

There’s nothing like an old International.

It’s good to be home.

Jim — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:00:58 +0000

Well, we have been home since Monday and I am still feeling relieved and happy about it. I enjoy traveling a great deal, and our photog trips are always enjoyable. Perhaps it is because we were forced to wait a week in Arizona for a break in the weather before we felt it would be advisable to make the journey home. Whatever the reason, we are all very happy to be home and are also eagerly looking forward to our next step: Taos. Our progression from Jerome has seemed roundabout at times, but in retrospect it seems to have been a natural progression. Once we arrived in San Luis things really began taking shape and moving forward. Laura is now a member of the Soho Photo Gallery in New York, her prints have been selling, I now have a computer(see post:”I got a Mac!”), I am working on my first poetry anthology, the days are getting longer, the holidays are over and I am feeling very in love with Laura and my little family. Yesterday we went on a drive to do a little shooting. I tried to get Lauras old D-1 to come back to life but it doesn’t feel like it yet, so I am continuing to use the Polaroid 3070. I had a bit of an epiphany about it today while editing Eagle(shown below): I was trying, once again, to get rid of the rampant noise without degrading the image and not acheiving the desired results. I asked for Lauras advice several times and she recommended, as she has done several times already with other images made with the 3070, that I leave it alone. I knew she was right. Now I will get to the epiphany which, being of the nature that it was, I cannot really do justice to in words. It was a small epiphany, and insignificant perhaps in the greater sceme of things, but very meaningful and illuminating at the time. I think Laura summed it up best by saying “It is what it is.” Somewhere along the line I accepted this reality and the noise immediately stopped bothering me.

Eagle, Fort Garland, CO.

This is one of two cast metal eagles guarding the entryway to the Fort Garland historical site, which is currently under restoration.

Porthole, Viejo San Acacio church, CO.

This is one of the porthole windows in the adobe church in old San Acacio. The shadow reminds me of a crescent moon.

Side Door, Viejo San Acacio church, CO.

This is the side door of the adobe church in old San Acacio. The peeling paint and the light and shadow were irresistable.

Shoe Tree, Amboy, CA.

Jim — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:54:21 +0000

On our way back from California Laura and I stopped at the shoe tree on the west end of Amboy, California. It was in full bloom. There are some really nice shoes in the tree and even a pair of ice skates. I was tempted for a moment to pick a pair of size 9 boots, but I felt that it would be sacrilegious somehow of me to do so. Here are a few shots from the Polaroid PDC 3070. A few of the images in the slideshow, “Laura my dear…,” embedded in the post below were also taken at the shoe tree. The tree is partially visible in some of the frames. As of the writing of this post we are still in Arizona waiting for the next window between storms. It looks like we’ll likely be able to go home this weekend. It will be nice to get home. I have grown very fond of The San Luis valley and Taos areas in recent months and am looking forward to returning.

Laura my dear

Jim — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:54:10 +0000

When Laura and I go out on shoots I often find myself taking more pictures of her than anything else. She is often the most beautiful and interesting thing around so it’s no wonder. Here is a small selection of photos of Laura to give you an example of what I mean…

I Got a Mac!

Jim — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:21:03 +0000

Laura and I decided to go for a drive to Sedona today. When we got there we remembered that we really don’t care for Sedona much. One thing that Sedona does have though is The Mac Clinic….So I bought a Mac. I have been researching all the various assorted brands and models of laptops flooding the market and was beginning to lean towards a $600 Sony Vaio or one of those HP dvs or something. When I arrived at The Mac Clinic and started looking around I realized that I was at a crossroads. If I walked out of that store without a Mac in my hands I would end up getting the Vaio, HP, Lonovo, Dell, etc. I spoke with Laura and the guys at The Clinic. I consulted the computer gods and my inner geek. I looked at all the models and prices that were available on the floor. I almost sold myself short with a refurbished system. I almost went for the new 13 inch macbook. In the end I bowed to fate. I got the 15 inch MacBook Pro. It was $200 off. I knew I would never get that kind of deal from Apple. I saw their Black Friday Sale:50 bucks off a complete system. Whoopee. With a single sentence spoken from my soul my decision was made: “I’ll take it.” I can still hear myself saying that simple sentence. It sounded so definite. It was done. I immediately began to feel light headed, realizing what was happening. Laura and the guys at The Clinic assured me that I had made the right decision. I got Laura a tablet for her system and a memory foam protection case for mine, swiped my debit card and walked out the door in a daze. I realized when I got home that I had forgotten to buy some extra RAM. I guess that gives me a good excuse to go back to The Clinic and see what else I might need….Hmm…

A Window into Eternity

Jim — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:58:43 +0000

A window into eternity
opens up before me
stepping through
I find myself amongst the stars
the warp and weft of creation all around me
it reminds me of the time before I was born into this body I know inhabit
I like the body I chose
it suits my character
compact and functional
the vision in the eyes is a little fuzzy and lopsided
but perhaps this is what enables me to perceive and step through the window
and to walk between the worlds

The sagebrush goes on forever

Jim — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:04:42 +0000

The sagebrush goes on forever.

interspersed with pockets of concrete and steel.

a gentle toxic haze over all.

brown and red

the color of shit and blood.

Ahhh… Arizona

I Have One Thing Left to Say

Jim — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:22:11 +0000

I have one thing left to say
my words fly off my pages
to the rhythm of my heart
beating into eternity
in time with my breath
my voice wavers
imperceptibly
with each opening and closing
of the valves that move my blood
held together
I stand before you
my body
by dream and thought created and maintained
the four elements, combined in the crucible of life
charged with that which cannot be
I pulse and radiate
heat, sound, light. electro-magnetics
I eat
and I am eaten
a part of that which cannot die
animated by love and magic
I live

9 times 11

Jim — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:19:18 +0000

9 times 11

45 the ages of man written in the annals of time

the somnambulist spills his cup on the streets of the apocalypse

the hero runs rampant amongst the stones of the philosophers

the fool falls madly off the precipice of reality

unknowing of the rainbow

bringing winds of change to the cities of man

striking fear in the heart of the diplomat

with the freedom of a soul unfettered by the chains of conformity

inspiring the vagabond to set his sights

upon the horizon of the unknown