Here Comes the Sun!

Yeah, I want to live there too

Also, many of you have asked how I take my pictures - I hope this helps explain what I mean by

"Shooting Slugs With a Shotgun"

and yes, I really need a new phrase,
any and all ideas are welcome

Lots of shots, some photo editing, some cropping, about 10 shots for every shot I edit, and then about three edited shots for every final shot I post.

Don't Stare at the Sun

Grassy Knoll Predawn

Grassy Knoll Dawn

Grassy Knoll Predawn 2

Grassy Knoll Dawn 2

Waning Cresent

More and More and More Photos! Seattle and Pullman

Space Needle and EMP

Okay - as promised the tales from my weekend, lightly sprinkled with selected ramblings and the occasional misuse of the word too. I could regale you dear reader with the epic story of my battle with my parent's lawn, or my encounter with a pressure washer and the siding of my folk's house, or painting my old bedroom, or any number of domestic chores that I slogged thru over the weekend, but as I was mind numbingly bored, so bored that I longed to be back in rural Pullman, I will spare you all the gory details - suffice it to say that I spent Saturday and Sunday helping my very appreciative parents.

But Monday, Monday I was free, free to roam around Seattle. Roam around with my camera and play the local artist. I donned my best granola man-orange shirt grabbed my backpack, complete with Chaco's lashed to the back and started walking around downtown. I arrived while every one was asleep, and was able to wander freely, in area's that are know for rather "aggressive" panhandling. I've only been in Pullman for two years, yet in that time I had forgotten how cities change people, the body language is all different, the ways city people hide in plain sight, the masks we wear when surrounded by faceless masses are different then we where around people who know us. Seeing the hurt plainly on peoples face's was something I had forgotten, either forgotten or was never aware of, or never chose to see. And not in the only in the eyes of vagrants, but in the people next to me, people arranging flowers, parking cars, drinking coffee, waiting for the light to change, waiting for their lives to change.

What bothered me about this hurt I saw, was that with it was a look of resignation, of acceptance. These were not fresh wounds that I saw. These were the old hurts, hurts that had become parts of these people, their constant companions, hurts that they tried to stifle and starve by burring them d eep, in dark and forgotten places.And in doing so, planted them closest to their hearts. Where they festered forgotten, growing slowly, and over time they consuming "Mocking the meat they fed upon".

Only the light of day kills hurts like that, bury them and they grow, hide them and they grow, ignore them and they grows. Let go of them and they starve, cut them out and they wither, acknowledge them and they crack and splinter.

Sorry - that was a massive tangent! Back to my Monday's adventures. Where was I??? Oh yeah urban-camera-guy, Pike Place was fun, lots of people, lots and lots of sea food and flowers. I bought some artistry goods, talked with people, and then headed to the waterfront. It was there that I learned a good deal about how to handle the screaming, swearing, slightly drunk huge (6'2" 280lbs) angry man. He thought I was taking pictures of him, and was "displeased". He was all talk but on the verge of being more.

I'm a big guy, a bigger guy in fact,6'5" 300 lbs and I kind of live in a bubble of blissful unawareness to the physical "presence" of others. And I found it a novel and unique experience to have a screaming large man that could really mess me up, letting me know that he would mess me up. I had never had this conversation and truth be told, there was a small part of me that was getting a kick out of it. It was very small, but it was alive and well.

Will he punch me?

What should I do??

Ankle Pick and drive him down the stairs.

Can I take a punch???

Does he have a shiv?

A shiv? Really Neil you watch to much TV.

I found myself telling him that I understood - no pictures of him, but that I was not going to leave till I had taken my pictures. He walked down the steps still cursing and gesticulating, while I took my photos, trying to look as nonplussed as possible.

My mind being elsewhere the photos did not really turn out (it was fountain, and I've found the best fountain shots are taken from the inside looking out, and this did not seem like the time nor the place), but I did linger around for a good solid ten minuets, before sauntering off down the board walk. Later I met up with some friends and we went to Folklife, where my batteries died-Arghhh four rechargeables do not last me the weekend anymore. Soon, we dropped Joe off with his gal, and headed back to Pullman.

All in all a good weekend.

My first shot of the day

The Bread of Life Mission in Downtown
I think this is where my Grandfather ended up after riding the rails out from Minnesota.


Parking Garage across from Pioneer square
I first saw this years ago, I was in my teens, and I remember thinking that it would a great picture. I did not know where it was in Seattle, just that somewhere there was this weird parking garage, that looked like the bow of some concrete ship sailing through downtown. It just sat there in the back of my head all these years, I had forgotten all about it till I saw it Monday morning. It really, really made my day.


Fire Alarm on Side of Parking Garage
Wandering around the garage, trying to find a good angle, I found this, it's been there for some time, the concrete was all stained, and it was flaking very badly, but I think that it still might work.


Suspicious Character
It was while I was taking these shots that the bike cop kind of hovered till I looked enough like a photographer, and less like a hoodlum.


Pike Place Market
It was here that I found myself becoming the shot that a few real photographers were trying to get. Kind of fun, seeing them trying not to be seen, taking shots of me taking shots.


A Gum Wall Deep in the Bowels of Pike Place


Flowers are everywhere @ Pike Place
I found it very interesting that as soon as I started taking pictures, a crowd formed and business picked up real fast.


Water Front 1
These were post angry bum.


Water Front 2


Water Front 3

Folklife Parking
Nonexistent


Kristina and Joe @ EMP

Kristina @ EMP

Posted by Special Request
I'm not sure where I shot this in Seattle, but the car was in motion at the time (the speed is still being disputed) and I had very little time to frame the shot, my f-stop and exposer time were all ready set for the lighting conditions so that helped, but still I only had one shot, and it worked!

Wheat Fields

Pullman Sunset

Moscow Sunset

Summer Flowers

Schools out for the Summer!!!!

It feels like an eternity since I've posted - so much has happened in the interim. It's all still spinning round my head, all good things, just so much. All at once life comes into focus, and the direction that you have prayed for becomes clear. The more I trust in the Lord the more I find myself resting in the peace He provides. There is a danger present when one rests. Resting is required when I am weary, it is temporary, and it exists so that I can do something else besides rest. It is not and ends unto itself. I know that God wants me to experience His Peace, to rest in Him when I am weary. The part I struggle with is getting up out of that rest, for while I'm resting in Christ, I often feel that it is the only place where I can enjoy His Peace, much like being in a warm bed in a cold room, I don't want to leave, and while I'm under the covers I cannot imagine anywhere else I'd rather be. It's that fear of the cold floor that keeps me bed long past my rest is completed. But we can't live in bed; we rest so that we can live outside the bed. And life outside the bed is full of wonders and glories that we could never guess from the safety of the covers. Life in Christ is like this, God's Peace is to be had outside of His rest, and the life outside of His rest is unlike that we can imagine while we are resting in Him, we have to get up and leave that rest to enjoy the greater Peace He has to offer.

This last weekend I traveled over to the west side, and was able to drive thru downtown Seattle, I was meeting my ride back to Pullman and so did not get to take any real pictures, all of these were shot from the car - it was madding being in such beautiful places and not being able to hop out and take pictures. Maybe someday. . . .

Taken while stuck in traffic, if I lived in Seattle I could probably take a whole series of these. . .

Don't try to drive thru Pike Place on Mothers Day

Let me know about these Photoshoped ones I'm feeling kinda of iffy about them

Spring is making up for lost time out here, now that all of the students are gone, everything has just erupted, colour is everywhere. Giving me lots to do on my lunch hours.

I'm not a huge fan of Tulips - they leave me cold - so this is the only shot they get

I'm thinking that these are some sort of Daisy, I found waiting to be planted on my way to the bus

Not a tomb - just an old plaque

Spring is coming!!!

Some sort of flowering shrub near City Hall

Forget-me-not's near City Hall (again let me know about the photoshopping)


Weathered Tool Shed

Ok I'm really starting to run out of shoe shots

Riding to Lunch

Riding to Work

Working

Ok I've got explain this one, last week we got a panicked phone call from a concerned citizen about a crevasse which had opened up at the corner of Main and Arbor. She said "CREVASSE" I was sent to take pictures, possibly set out cones, and come back with an approximate size of the gapping chasm. . . . only in Pullman

Riding to the West Side

Monday's Lunch Break

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms in the same Cedar

Elevator Ride

Waiting for a bus that never came