Friday, April 13, 2007

The Great Big Vegetable Challenge

Many many thanks to my buddy Chris for sending me the link to this blog. It is fantastic!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut has died. It's hard to imagine. The first thing that pops into my mind is a ratty paperback copy of "Breakfast of Champions."

His first novel was published in 1952 ("Player Piano") and his last in 1972 ("Timequake"). The only one I remember reading was "Breakfast" (1973). Just about anyone born between 1940 and now has undoubtably read at least one of his books.

The write-up in today's paper mentions "Dog-eared paperback copies of his books could be found in the back pockets of blue jeans and in dorm rooms on campuses throughout the United States."

How true.

"New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become."
Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

A Poem by Taylor

A book is a human
It can say anything
A book is a game
But you can never fail

A book is a friend
You can have a lot
A book is a feeling
It can make you feel different

A book is life
Anything can happen
A book is a human
It can say anything

Monday, April 09, 2007

Churchin' Around

Yesterday morning I hit the road at 6:30 to go to a sunrise service at the local state park.

It was 23-freakin'-degrees out, by the way. Cold even by my standards.

The service was in an ampitheatre in the woods at the park, so there was obviously not going to be any opportunity to get any actual sunrise shots. I stayed just a few minutes, shooting the pastor on stage with his microphone, all decked out in his "tobaggan" (stocking cap) and mittens, his wife wrapped in a huge coat, playing the keyboard.

I decided to run back up the road to my own church's sunrise service, held at our sister church. (the Dodge Gr. Caravan really cruises along smoothly at 85 mph)

The sissies had all wimped out and taken their service inside. Moreover, cars were parked in front of the lawn cross, so there was no chance of getting a decent photo of that with the sun coming up behind it.

So I decided to go further up the road to my favorite Lutheran church.

But on the way, I glanced over to the little Baptist Church and lo! There were a dozen hardy souls out in the backyard having a little service. Whipped in there and joined them, shooting away.

Their service ended around 7:15 so, declining their offer of a donut and coffee, I jumped back into Big Greenie and beat it up the highway to the Lutherans.

They were inside as well. By this time I was thoroughly chilled and feeling more charitable about sissies. I stopped in there and shot a few photos of the children doing a project.

Then went to our church in time for the dual-church breakfast. Shot some photos of that crowd and thawed out while rubbing elbows. And teasing the two preachers about being inside while the pentecostals and Baptists were gutting out the cold.

I was home by 8:15. It was a good morning. I got some decent shots I think, which I sent in to the paper. I hope they use some of them. But this is one time when I hardly care. I had a lot of fun, so it was well worth the effort.