JUST THINKING ABOUT THE YEAR....OR YEARS

Boston, MA 2011

I last posted in November, and expressed by feelings of guilt for somewhat giving up on my blog.  Like I said, it was not that I had run out of things to say, but more that I had run out of time to say them on the blog. I was sitting here this morning looking at the thermometer outside my kitchen window -- it read -5F -- and knew that I would not venture out of the house today.  It's snowing lightly and we are supposed to add another 2-5 inches to the 8 inches that fell Saturday night and Sunday morning.  No only do I not want to go outside, but the dog is rather hesitant for outdoor business, also.

I'm now in my 78th year and have been photographing for more than 50 years.  This past year has been the most busy year yet in my career.  It all started last spring when I participated in the faculty show at Clark University where I teach two courses each semester.  Barely got my grades in before FlashForward Boston and the exhibition "[photo]Gogues, New England", an exhibition of portfolios by New England photo teachers, followed by the New England Portfolio Reviews where I was a reviewer. 

Time out from the photo world to accompany my wife, Ellen, on a cruise down the eastern coast to visit Civil War battlefields, museums, and forts.  AAS was one of the sponsors of the trip which meant that Ellen had to go, and if she had to go, so did I.

A house project or two -- like cleaning out our garage and re-organizing everything out there.  Who knew how much we had accumulated in the 19 years we've own this house.  It's all very pretty now and even have room to put the snow blower behind my truck rather than parking it between our two vehicles at the opening of the garage creating a hassle getting in/out our cars.  I was so proud of the job we did, I posted images on Facebook.

All of June and part of July is gone now, and I have to prepare for a show for the Higgins School for the Humanities at Clark.  Printing and reprinting 11 big prints, and then matting and framing.  And during this time making an application for a major fellowship that required not only a fair amount of writing, but also a 20 print portfolio. Mid-August and classes are starting in another week at Clark.  I have agreed to conduct a 4-day workshop during the second weekend of September on Star Island, New Hampshire -- one of the Isles of Shoals out in the Atlantic from Portsmouth, NH.  Got to admit that I met a lot of nice people from the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artist who was the sponsor of the workshop.  

When classes are underway I have little time for much else, but managed to have a portfolio of eight prints for the "On First Contact" exhibition at the Panopticon Gallery in Boston.  September is gone and I now trying to find some rest in October.  But I must be wicked for I find no time for rest.  I have to start printing on "tree" portfolio that's been requested by a Boston collector.  Thanksgiving and family is coming.

 It has been my practice to go to school every day the week before the finals for photo classes to help people with their final projects.  Last day of classes was December 9, and here it is the 17th.  I have not turned in my grades which I hope to do sometime this week.  I hate grading, it just seems so unfair on so many levels.  I have yet to even think of Christmas shopping.  All my time this week has been spent preparing images that people have purchased for Christmas giving, and I have to get them in the mail by tomorrow.

Like I said, it's been a very busy time for this old man. Oh how I would love to jump in my truck and drive to the Southwest and spend longs days photographing.  I realize that winter days are not all that long, but they are a damn sight longer down there than here.  Only gets light enough to photograph around 7 a.m. and is completely dark by 4:30 p.m.  And as I said at the beginning of this post, the temperature was -5F and it's snowing.....again.  I'm staying inside today.