Mr. and Mrs. Daisy driving home on a cold Thanksgiving Day

Today's image is a film photo I snapped one summer morning when I was in high school. It reminds me of the sunset I saw this evening. At the moment, I hear the rattling of rearranging dishes in the kitchen as MJ fits the remaining containers into the dishwasher while I catch up on my email. As always, and for many years now, he cooked the turkey, the mashers, and pies, while I clean up and organize what little is left to do (and sneakily read a bit of Sontag's On Photography. Earlier, I helped my parents reconnoiter out my neighborhood so they could make their way to I-10 and on east towards home. I turned, after seeing them enter I-10, and saw a brilliant scarlet sun sit on a purple flat mesa. The brilliance sat on the horizon for what seemed 10 minutes, though I know it was for just a couple. Incredible colors.
Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my little Nikon L11 with me.

Earlier, after dad got lost trying to find my house, I quickly located them. Too bad they didn't just turn around when he made the first mistake after he got off the freeway. But, no matter; they have a cell phone and called. I found them, a bit ruffled and when I got them to my house they were settled for a visit, and then we ate, talked, and now, they are safe at home again.

As for Curtie and Shannon, they are "segway through the boeuf bourguignonne" or some such at Florent, while the Judge, stayed in her dorm to work time and a half. Tomorrow she'll treat herself to a meal away from campus. This morning she awoke to find it snowed overnight. Here, we got a lot of wind that dropped the temperature.

A strange Thanksgiving, but able to give thanks for each other.

Vacant now lost

As a student of rhetoric, specifically visual, I always look for examples of interesting and spontaneous street or urban art. Urban is a misnomer here as I've captured examples such as stenciled scissors, footballers, and graffiti in such major metropolitan areas as Santa Fe, New Mexico; East Lansing, Michigan; and Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

But all snottiness aside, I think a town without occasion to vent while creating and disturbing the status quo leads to a pretty boring place. But then again, that's just MHO. And no, I'm not being jealous of another's ability to create, or vent. I do that quite well already.

But I digress. Sometime last weekend, this example was erased (painted over) by either the owner/franchisee of a gluttony palace (cafeteria) or by the city and its minions. In any event, I'm sorry to see it go, as it exhibited the kind of fun and spontaneity that many admire in street art--and, it was not tagged by gangs and it didn't seem to announce a specific venue or date of any "party." It just said Party with Vacant eyed women. It just was.

But now, it's not, and that's how it goes. Because all along it was ephemeral and not sanctioned. If it had been sanctioned then it would have lost its subversive attitude. And we all know we need all the subversives we can get.

SpAG Opening

SpAG Opening
Originally uploaded by chacal la chaise.

Well, after too long a haitus, I can grab a quick couple of minutes to post an image from our SpAG gallery opening. With the help of wonderful new El Paso Flickr group friends, we were able to survive and mount a show featuring 18 Flckr photographers. We had a wonderful time and Too Tall George had a presale of one of his photographs before the opening.

Current Conditions: Fort Bliss National Cemetery

Current Conditions: Fort Bliss National Cemetery
Originally uploaded by chacal la chaise.

While I will always try to enter photos for this blog that show the area in a positive, or at least interesting light, there are times when that is not possible.

Over the past few years, the Fort Bliss National Cemetery has been slated for a xeriscape project, which was begun about 18 months ago. However, the project has now literally sunk to new levels. Rains have sunk and damaged at least 400 graves and the entire 66 acres are nothing but a brown sludgy mess. If headstones are not slipping down (along with the entire grave), then they are splattered with a dirty brown coat of mud. Unless corrective action (fire the director and replant the grass) occurs soon, damage will continue until either the grass is returned, or it stops raining.

Officials with the cemetery maintain that the cemetery sits upon ground that, when combined with the rains, turned the ground into a slurry that allowed the graves and headstones to sink. In the meantime, representatives and senators are investigating this mess and I hope we will see a "regime change" soon.

Transmountain after the rains

somehow this picture reminds me of Magritte. it must be the ratio of the rock to the clouds and the background valley landscape.

Charging rhino :: Mesa and Schuster Streets

A while back, a local sculptor named Julio Sanchez de Alba, created a life-sized charging rhinoceros. Now, I don't know if his target client was the local hockey team whose mascot is a charging rhino, but they purchased it and it is now installed at the El Paso Colosseum, the team's home rink.

As this Holga photo is over 2 years old, the sculpture is gone, as is the gallery. But the house remains with a new occupant, a plastic surgeon.

I miss the rhino, though.

Rachel's View

It's funny how so many people are attached to this rock. Rachel and I used to feed squirrels that sat on the big rocks while we ate our lunch. At the time, we worked on Market Center Street, which is just down Transmountain Road from the park.

Squirrels appreciate lettuces and tomato from a Taco Bell taco. They are such beggars. Many times when I go up there now, they run to the picnic tables and beg for food.

Patriot Freeway Guadalupe

A testament to one man's faith and belief in creating a thing of beauty. Along side this shrine is a placque that reads: "...humbly we entreat you to intercede...for the families in el paso and juarez with their daily troubles."

City Details: ATT Building on Texas Avenue

One of the things interesting about El Paso architecture, especially downtown, is the top details. This is especially so, even if a building was re-tasked or remaindered in its continual and surprising original use. For all the misuse and disarray on the first floor, many remain untouched. That is of course, unless they are destroyed from within by careless and ruthless new owners, as can be seen in the dilapidated Caples Building.

County Building Part II

While on the subject, here is a photo of the old county building during its demolition. Photo taken from the 9th floor of the then El Paso Natural Gas building.

County Building Lone Star

Here in El Paso, old skool luddites take great joy to decry our county building. At the same time,

many others see the beauty and functionality of this, the newest iteration of El Paso County's signature structure. Built on the site of the previous building, the structure sports a blue mirror facade that captures a reflection of the Franklin Mountains. Within the mirrored surface, a semi-circular vault holds a stained glass county seal. Inside this area, is a beautiful mural that depicts the area's multi-cultural heritage. It's too bad those resistant to change cannot see how progress can sometimes be beautiful, too.