if the heavens ever did speak

The National Ranching Heritage Center is only about 15 minutes from my house, but I almost never think about going there.

I went the other day because Belgian photographer Harry van Voorden was visiting Texas Tech and led a community photo walk; I often lament the lack of such events, so of course I joined up for the afternoon. Although the collection of ranch buildings is very interesting, I decided to specifically look at smaller details. I did a similar scale of looking/photographing in December at White Sands National Park, and it helps my brain calm itself the hell down if I am looking for the smaller details of things. (That’s a good realization, and it’s taken me a very long time to figure it out.)

Anyway, here’s a detail I found inside the Trinity Mission, a frontier church that was originally located in Spur, Texas, where it served as an Episcopal church.

National Ranching Heritage Center
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.8.2026

a specific danger

And while the whole building may look dangerous, I guess it’s just that one corner of the garage door that we need to worry about. (Which is very helpful information, right?)

Lamesa, Texas
photographed 3.5.2026

aren’t all gifts “to go”?

Maybe you were here a few days ago when I talked about how much fun I have with language…

Technically, aren’t ALL gifts “to go”? (As an example of the things that crack me up a little bit more than they should.)

O’Donnell, Texas
photographed 3.5.2026

braille-ish

This place has five mailboxes which makes me think it is some kind of downtown apartment. But I can’t read the Braille* on the sign so I can’t really tell for sure.
Also, usually a pile of leaves in a doorway would indicate the building is abandoned, but it’s spring in West Texas, so all that probably means here is that the wind had been blowing. (Because OF COURSE the wind had been blowing. it is Thing That Happens on the regular.)
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.4.2026
*Because it was too far up to reach. And also, because I can’t read Braille anyway.

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.4.2026

his dead eyes saw everything

There’s a lot going on here. For example, the way that red reflected light looks like a corsage. Or his cold dead eyes. Or the way his eyebrows look like he’s had feathers tattooed on where his brows used to be. Or the way that one false eyelash is hanging half way off. Or the haughty angle of his head

Thank you for attending my seminar “Why I Photograph Mannequins.” (Upcoming seminars, including “Really? You Think is a Photo?,” “I Meant For It To Look That Way,” and “This Photo Wanted To Be In Color,” will be scheduled soon.)

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.4.2026