Blog Archives
mayhem
One thing I know is to cut a wide berth around a guy wearing a shirt that says “mayhem” on it. Another thing I know is that the shirt and his aggressively gold watch needed to be photographed. And the last thing I know (in this context, I mean) is that it was a good thing I was shooting with a zoom lens.
Santa Rosa, New Mexico
photographed 7.31.2022
tatters
At some point, that billboard presented crucial information to travelers. That point, however, was not the day I was there…
San Jon, New Mexico
photographed 7.30.2022
when we thought the rain would stop
What we thought would be an enjoyable evening watching the Amarillo Sod Poodles* playing baseball didn’t really pan out all that well. There was a one-hour rain delay before the game even started and then, in a show of unfounded optimism, the crew pulled away the tarp and the game started. By the third inning we were as drenched as we wanted to be and left; the rain never let up and the game was called in the sixth inning.
But it was good while it lasted.
Hodgetown Stadium
Amarillo, Texas
photographed 7.29.2022
*Yes. That is the actual name. It’s a slang term for prairie dogs.
…and the walls came down, 3
I spent the hour I had to fill up walking around the collapsed church wall, taking photos and getting a little bit teary thinking of how one of the things I’d come to count on seeing in Santa Rosa was just…gone.
I presume that the thunderstorm’s winds the afternoon before had pushed those walls down, so that meant they were only standing for an hour or so after I saw them leaning away from the rest of the building.
The thing is that people drove by while I was there and no one stopped or slowed down or even (as far as I could tell) glanced over to see what had happened. It hurt my feelings, which is sort of ridiculous and also made perfect sense.
Now I am worried that by the time I get back over there, the other three walls will be down, too.
Saint Rose of Lima Cemetery
Santa Rosa, New Mexico
photographed 7.31.2022
…and the walls came down, 2
I’ve been here many times, so many times that I nearly didn’t go on this particular day. I had an hour or so to wander and without making a conscious decision to go back, I found myself making the turn from Lake Drive to South 3rd Street.
I was a half-block away when I saw the devastation. It quite literally took my breath away. And it illustrates why going back to a familiar location is not a bad idea: even if you think you know what’s there, you may be surprised.
Saint Rose of Lima Cemetery
Santa Rosa, New Mexico
photographed 7.31.2022
One Day | One Image 