Tree in parking lot

Old bike, new trail

Microphone

Illuminating the ordinary

This is part of a night photography "study" if you will. "Study" being...occasionally I will take the camera out at night and see if I can find something interesting to photograph. I find it calming to photograph ordinary businesses and buildings and signs and lights at night. I like to turn night photos to monochrome whereby the photograph becomes all about texture and contrast of an otherwise ordinary and possibly uninteresting subject. There is a lot to be learned about how lights shine on what they are supposed to illuminate after dark.

Like You Said

This is a cover of a song by a Swedish band called Tiger Lou. All credit goes to them.

Urban connection

Holding hands at Mill Ruins Park, Minneapolis, MN

Ruins

Umore Park, Rosemount, MN

Monochrome sunset

Leading lines

St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rosemount, MN

Seating

Abandoned chair, Minneapolis, MN

Questioning Again

Song from a while ago. Sorry for the shoddy fingerpicking! Protected by copyright.

I’m questioning again / Seems to come every now and then / I’ve paid up for answers / Invested my crosses / Come to the altar in search of it all / I’m listening again / Only comes every now and then / I’ve opened my heart and / I’ve opened my ears and / Never an audible noise or a sound / I'm doubting them again / Those miracles of him / What seems so romantic / That storybook ending / Could be explaining what just wasn't known / All the gods may lay me out to shame / Will my ending on earth be the same / Or could it be that goodness takes the fall for me / Whatever form this he or she may be / I’m questioning again / Seems to come every now and then / I’ve paid up for answers / Invested my crosses / Come to the altar in search of it all

Church in winter, by night

All Saints Catholic Church, Lakeville, MN

Lyrics

Paradoxically, this is a song about the difficulty of song-writing. Protected by copyright.

These words don’t write themselves anymore / These words are mute, my mind is cold / These days short, the time has come / These days are long, the time has gone / I wake my eyes and hold my tongue / I try for words but they don't come / The clock hangs heavy and pulls on my eyes / Ticking away and ticking on and on / Oh, wordless night / Don’t you come around again / Life pulls me hard and it passes time / All I can show are few words, half a line / Here’s to hopin’ for a chance, a big break / To see bright lights and have some kinda name / Oh, wordless night / Don’t hold me so tight / Let those words fall / On the page from my mind / Oh, wordless night / Don’t come around again /

Another Call

Lo-fi recording of a song I wrote a few years ago and recorded in GarageBand. Remixed in Presonus Studio One. Protected by copyright.

Another few months, another call / But I get no answer on the line / Just a familiar voice / From a familiar time / Every message a little shorter / And things are changing here / But I’m not the only one / They must be changing there / Hey I’d like to say, “It’s been too long” / But I don’t think you have the time / Should I wait a little longer, and wonder if you’re stronger? / Hope you know that I know where you've been / Hope that I see you before it ends / Another place, another time / Do people really change? / Or do we learn just what they teach / And turn around and teach the same? / Young, immortal once, we were / When time was standing still / Now it moves us in our waking / In deepest of our dreams / Hey I’d like to say, “It’s been too long” / But I don’t think you have the time / Should I wait a little longer, and wonder if you’re stronger / Hope you know that I know where you've been / Hope that I see you before it ends / Should I wait a little longer, and wonder if you're stronger? / Another day, another dollar / But every dollar’s not enough / To fill the void / To replace the one you loved / Hey I’d like to say, “It’s been too long” / But I don’t think you have the time / Should I wait a little longer, and wonder if you’re stronger / Hope you know that I know where you've been / Hope that I see you before it ends

Final showing

We've had gorgeous, almost spring-like weather in Minnesota, and the rain has urged our flora to show off one last time before winter sets in. I've had the opportunity to use a high quality macro lens for the past week or so, and it has been a good exercise in steady photography. Nature's wind and one's own heartbeat and breathing are amplified greatly when using a long lens. I could have stopped a few of these down a bit more...I overestimated my depth of field and didn't get as much of the key areas of the flowers in focus as I would have liked.

Love note in crayon

Perfect summer day

Goodness! Yesterday was the perfect late summer day. One of the neighbor girls came over to play for a few hours. She is two and four years older than our kids, but they all played well together the entire time. We had a great supper and spent the remainder of the evening, well past the sun's setting, by our fire pit, enjoying the warmth and light.

Told ya

This could have ended worse than it actually did.

Leaps and boundaries

We attended a retirement celebration for my uncle at the local Moose Lodge. While the bar didn't have much to offer the younger guests, the attached reception hall saw some use.

A story to get by

After having her Nuk taken away by the evil Mom and Dad and after a good 40 minutes of crying, Margo has a visitor--her brother--come to ease her mind with a book.

Sibling harmony

One of the most rewarding aspects of parenting is witnessing a moment of harmony and cooperation between kids...however brief that moment is. Our two kids have their share of power struggles, but when they connect it's priceless. Here's to a harmonious Friday!

Suess on the loose

Catch

Playing catch is very much like skipping stones. Both take a certain level of coordination, but when learned, can be done with relatively little conscious thought. This leaves one's mind free to connect with something else. In the case of skipping stones, one can connect with one's self. (I'm picturing myself, a boy, standing on the bank of the Cannon River, throwing rocks at the leaves and logs floating down the river). In the case of playing catch, one can connect with his partner. And only his partner. I would think it rather difficult to carry on a round of catch while deeply connecting with someone else on the side. Playing catch requires the attentiveness of both persons toward each other. There is an automatic leveling of skill to accommodate the other. A verbal conversation may be enjoyed...or the pair could play for a long stretch without saying a word, leaving only non-verbal cues and body language to communicate.

This is very much unlike the activity of tapping away on a mobile device--where one tries, but is less successful in, connecting with multiple people at once. One might contact many others, but how strong is the connection? I fully respect that not all connections need to be that strong, and, as I've mentioned before, I've personally embraced many aspects of mobile communication and social media. But I hope things like playing catch--where real human contact and connections are made--never go out of style. So much is learned non-verbally, that we mustn't forget to allow time for those eye to eye contact. Throwing a ball. Catching and releasing the experience of companionship again and again and again.

Big hot sun

Are we really sneaking-up on mid-August? Oh, it's been a hot, sticky, wonderful summer. The recent visit from out-of-state family was a great highlight and chance to reconnect on life events that have happened since our last time together. Our son mastered riding a bike without training wheels. Our daughter can ramble on a conversation with us, no problem. And Em and I finally got around to hanging a pot rack (of sorts) in the kitchen. The last few days have been refreshingly cool and comfortable, but have reminded me that autumn is approaching and that, quick on its heels, will be winter.

But I also need to remember my own words on the passage of time. No sense thinking about a shorter, colder day tomorrow...there is plenty of sun to soak up today.

Routine