Blog Archives

Just to make sure (Marfa)

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Sometimes, in Texas, we like to label our buildings. Just to remind us.

along Highland Street
Marfa, Texas

photographed 1.18.2013

Marathon gargoyles can’t be explained. Even the building agrees.

If you go to Marathon, and decide to take the only road out of town heading south, you’ll first cross the railroad tracks. Then another block or so down, on the left, you’ll see the Marathon Gargoyles. Or whatever these things are. (See the half-moon hanging in the sky between them?)

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Check out this shadow! It doesn’t help understand what in the world is going on with this little building, but it IS amusing.

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I guess the sign on the door sums it up best:

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WTF, indeed.

Marathon, Texas

photographed 1.19.2013

Two chairs, one story

In November 2011, my writing group (her name is Jenifer) and I went to Marathon, Texas, for a few days. We went to write – we ARE a writing group! – and maybe drink some wine. One day, we took a break from that rigorous schedule and headed over to Alpine for the afternoon. Naturally, while we were in Alpine, we found a bar. A really nice one, called the Saddle Club. We sat outside on their patio, and (between margaritas) I took a picture of a couple of chairs that had been made into a bench:

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And then, just last week, my friend (her name is Martha) came out from Washington DC and we spent a few days in Alpine. The first morning we were there, I took my camera and walked down the alley taking pictures, which probably doesn’t surprise any of you. I wasn’t that familiar with the alleys in Alpine, and was never sure what businesses I was walking behind. And then this happened: I saw those exact chairs from the other trip, only this time they were broken, abandoned in the alley:

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My pal Ehpem, in relation to something else on this latest trip to West Texas, said, “Melinda owns synchronicity.” (See this for further support of Ehpem’s claim; I am beginning to agree.)

Alpine, Texas

photographed 11.12.11 and 1.18.13

Behind the Dollar General store (Marfa)

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Even artists have to buy toothpaste and detergent and gum. And, when they do, I assume they head straightaway to the Dollar General store, on the east side of town.

But unless they happened to be walking around back, they missed the composition of lines from the metal building and the carts which were reflected in a puddle.

Marfa, Texas

photographed 1.18.2013

An alley? Yes, please!

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I can’t think why it took me until about five months ago to figure out how fascinating alleys are. But I did finally get it, and so here’s another one.

It goes with ones in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Lubbock, Austin and – well, you get the idea.

Alpine, Texas

photographed 1.18.2013