Not to be defined by the medium

I was reading today a little piece from a peachpit"Beyond the Medium" by Curt Cloninger, June 17. on how it is important for an artist not to be defined by his media. People that design web pages seem to think only in that media when there is so much art that can influence and should be simultaneously engaged.

One of the artists cited is Vito Acconci. He started out with street projects and now has moved his art into architectural projects like the bridge on the river Mur in Austria.

I hope you follow the links above and catch some pretty interesting images! And some food for thought.

We really shouldn't let the medium define us.

: ) Pat

Peach Trees Have a smell

It starts early in the season.. around February

The skinny knobs swell and bulge

Deep within its silent bark these knobs turn shiny cranberry red

Almost at cue the tiny knobs burst into light pink starlike blossoms

The air is redolent with a feint smell of almond. Its the peach blossom seaon

Each branch competes with all others to see which will have the most on it

Green leaves soon take over and hide the miracle of blossom

If the weather has been warm and the bees have made their visit, tiny beginnings of new fruit will be formed deep within the blossoms

The fragrance is gone.. well not really, The smell of new leaves becomes dominant

This new leaf smell is distictive, its not like grass or any other, Peach trees smell differently and they seem proud of their distinction

The watchful farmer knows that the tree in its anxiousness to compete for most blossoms per branch cannot keep the entire grist of its labor.

Only three or four peaches may be kept along each branch as it makes its way to the sky.

So the farmer has to make some decisions. Which tender wish will be fufilled and which will not. A human hand reaches up and makes an almost unconscious decision.

A careful thinning will allow those left to reach maturity. A mistake here will leave the poor tree without a crop.

Its too bad they all cannot be saved.

Such wonderful works of art.

They are still green and the size of steelie marbles when the choice is made

The choice will be made and made again as new clusters of peaches first missed are discovered

The wise man even in good years will use a human fist to measure the minimum space between these beuties, But what can be done when both peaches grow to fill the space between?

Ideally the winds will come and knock off those extras that the tree cannot maintain.

Sometimes a mistake is made and even the sticks that are made to hold the tree up with its added burden is not enough. There will be one less limb to worry about next year,

When the peaches are ripe, there is no other smell like it, A delicate aroma that fills the air and makes the nights of the central valley memorable.

It hot during peach harvest season. The low temperature at night is not less than 70. During the day it can be in the 100's. The smell of peaches that have fallen to the ground also emit a smell.

Its a little like peach brandy. Its heady and somewhat alcoholic.

When a peach orchard sits without its crop and with only the hope of next year on its mind, its nice to be around peach trees as they emit their collective sigh.

Signs of Recovery

How can you tell whether the stimulus is working?

I think that the real barometer of regaining strength in the economy is found in the least expected places. The fast food restaurants.

Spending money in the fast food places right now are the craftsmen of the building industry. When money is tight and there are few jobs, the cheapest fast food places are the hangout for the tile men and the carpenters. As money gets more secure, these folks are often out of towners and they start frequenting the more upscale places. This process is just starting to take place. Taco Bell is gradually giving away to more upscale tacquerias. The average tab at one of these places is about 7 dollars and change. The average tab at Taco Bell is just over 5. Out of towners in the construction trades are starting to eat their lunches at Panda Express. Its an 8 dollar plus tab.

Unlike most of the wealthy cities in California, Merced has no labor pool waiting to do jobs in groups. The day laborers are contacted by word of mouth. "Do you know someone that can help me with some dry wall?" There are usually three or four people that you can contact through this word of mouth connection.

So while the prices on housing dropped in half over the last couple of years, there are some people that are building equity in their homes through renovation.

Have a great day!

Pat

The Music Man is Streamed!

Oh such family history.

Coming off their fantastic sold out performances of Bye Bye Birdie, the El Camino drama department/music department decided to put on Meridith Wilson's Music Man. It was a huge production in 1965. It took 9 weeks of rehearsal including weekendss. I was in it! The cast was 60 students and the band had at least 20 members. What a sound. It just doesn't happen like that now.

I tried out for the lead. Can you imagine a 14 year old professor Harold Hill? What a laugh! I got a chorus part. I had a line in the Wells Fargo wagon scene. Raisins from Freson (how ironic considering that we live about 60 miles from Fresno). I was great to be in the musical and have such a great cast. We had some people that were really good. I taught my little sister, Kelly all of the lines. She has such a wonderful memory, that she can still spout them today. I had a lovely costume that fit right into the times. They were all rented from a costume agency that costumed the cast from many of the original movie or Broadway originals.

My daughters.. so sweet, just bought me 3 months of Netflix for father's day. I figured out how to download the movie viewer and discovered that the movie version of the Music Man is one of those steamed.. for free movies that Netfix has to offer. Wow. Its great. There has been some serious upgrades in movie technology since that era.. but the colors and cinematography is really wonderful. One reviewer in the Netflix group mentioned that the Music Man ousted West Side Story that year for the best musical on broadway. Can you imagine such wealth of options?

Love it Love it : ) Pat

New In Town

I just watched a really cool video. You can get in Netflix.. so order up. I downloaded it on Itunes and watched it in the dentist office while Sue had a temporary cap made for her tooth.

Here is the run down with teh Netflix description:

The weather isn't the only drastic change for high-paid consultant Lucy Hill (Renée Zellweger) when she's sent from her home base in South Beach, Fla., to a small Minnesota town to improve the productivity of a local manufacturing plant. The town's residents also take some getting used to, especially the ruggedly handsome union boss (Harry Connick Jr.) who's doing his darnedest to make sure that Lucy doesn't cut any jobs.

I have heard that the Minnesota folks are not real happy about the movie and the accents. And frankly with the key ear you can tell when they are off.. which means they are probably on during those times the actors are not trying to exagerate the sound.

Its got a little romantic piece in it.. but mostly its a inter country conflict of values movie. Yes its a little outdated in its concept. In realy life the people would loose their jobs without recourse.. but its kind of fun. Renee Zellweger plays a perfect part.. upscale yuppie business to hometown CEO in the most inhabbitable climate. I could relate considering my Gunnison experience with cold. You are cold inside when you know its really comfortable. They just wear more clothes in the winter.

Its a good one.

: ) Pat

Some Quick Movie Reviews

Just of Review of a Few of the Movies we have seen this summer season... so far

Fast and Furious.. Sue had to see it twice to pick up all the cool stunts. Don't miss the opening..OMG the hurdling gas truck has to be seen. I ended up buying Fast and Furious the original and 2 fast and furious on DVD through Ebay. This has to be the action movie of the Summer.. plot is less than fabulous.. but then there is Vin Diesel.. incredible.

Angels and Demons The Ronnie Howard..Tom Hanks project. If you read the book and remember it.. written by the same author as the Di Vinci Code, its different. This movie is a thriller and is pretty intense. Sue re read the book and now wants to see the movie again. I not sure that I am up for it.

Pelan 123 This s another tense compelling video. It will leave you squarely on the edge of your seat throughout the movie. Denzel Washington plays an "ordinary guy doing his job" as a controller on the NY subway when the economic terrorist, John Travolta holds a car at hostage under the streets. There are plenty of "backstories for this one." While very good, its not complicated enough to see again. Still its a good one if you like compelling video.

Up! We say the latest Pixar phenom animation today. We paid the extra $2.50 to put on the glasses and see it in 3D. I thought the extra was worth it, Sue didn't get the 3 D part. We both liked the story. Its got the old guy and the house on balloons. Bob will really like the animation. The story line is pretty cool although it drags in the middle when you least expect it. We had some tweeners sitting above us that thought the movie was pretty "cute" and there were plenty of "ah" moments in it. The dog part is pretty cool. Sue thought that mom and dad would really like this movie. I am thinking that Kelly and her interest in big dogs would really enjoy parts of this movie too.

So whats the tote? We haven't seen a movie that we didn't like this summer. Since the matinees are now 15 and the night shows are 20.. its a good thing.

: ) Pat

Tom is Touring the Gunnison to Durango Route

I thought that there might be some interest in Tom Olson's email to me regarding the touring around Gunnison Colorado. Tom is a guidence counselor at the high school that I have lunch at every day. He is a major participant in the TOTs (That other Table). Generally he is off shooting lighthouses in North America. He is a phtographer and a major photographic contributor to the now defunct San Joaquin Valley Sporting News that we founded on the web.

June 12, 7th day


I stayed at the Comfort Suites in Gunnison last night. After packing the car I headed for Western State College where Pat & Sue Brown graduated. It is not a big campus, but it is not small either. They are building some new buildings, one of which is a student union building.

After touring the grounds of the college I decided to drive 28 miles north to Crested Butte. It was a pleasant drive through ranch land and when I got closer to my destination I could see a lot of mountains surrounding this mountain community at 8,924 feet above sea level. So that gives me an idea of the height of the surrounding mountains if I was already at almost 9,000 feet.

I stopped at the Visitor’s Center and talked to two people. After looking at the historical section of the town I headed up a dirt road toward Kebler Pass. I stopped several times to take photos of the surrounding mountains and when I got to the Pass I asked someone to take my photograph next to the Kebler Pass elevation sign which read 9,980 feet above sea level. Then I drove up a few yards and crossed over to Ohio Pass (10,033) and worked my way down toward the highway that would lead me back to Gunnison. Again I stopped several times and took photos of the distant mountains and Aspens. The road over Ohio Pass offers some excellent views of the Castles, the appropriately named formations in the West Elk Wilderness. This upper stretch of the Ohio Pass has massive aspen forest, providing limitless photo opportunities for photographers. This road was a little rougher than the one up to Kebler Pass but very passable. But I did have to drive more carefully.

When I got to the highway I did not recognize the road. I did not know at the time I was on a different road than the one I drove up from Gunnison. I drove into a ranch and saw someone working around a house. I asked him if the road out at the entrance of the ranch would take me into Gunnison. I said I just came over Ohio Pass and I was not familiar with the road to Gunnison. He said, “You went over Ohio Pass in that car! I just came over Ohio Pass this morning and it almost scared me to death.” It wasn’t long before the road connected to the one I took in the morning and I was soon back in Gunnison.

I was hungry and decided to eat lunch in Gunnison because I thought it might be a long time before I would find a place to eat on my way to Durango. I ate a pork dinner at the Pallesades Restaurant. I had planned to take Highway 50 out of Gunnison to Cimarron. Just before Cimarron I was going to take Owl Creek Pass Road southeast over Owl Creek Pass (11,120 ft) and then meet up with Highway 550 to Ridgeway. However, it was late afternoon (after 3 p.m. and the skies were getting dark and it looked like rain). Beside Owl Creek Road was dirt and I knew it would be several hours longer to take this road than if I drove into Montrose (23 miles) and then take Highway 550 to Ridgeway. From Montrose (5,806 ft) I drove south on Highway 550 passing beautiful vistas of snow capped mountains, roaring streams, and interesting communities. I drove through towns with interesting sounding names such as Uncompahgre, Colona, Ridgeway, Ouray, and then I went over Red Mountain Pass (11,075 ft) before dropping down into Silverton where the Durango-Silverton Railroad runs. I am going to take that train tomorrow if weather permits.

The Animas River begins its race to the sea just south of Silverton and flows pass Durango and on into New Mexico. South of Silverton I went over Coal Bank Pass (10,640 feet) and drove pass Electra Lake and through the towns of Hermosa and Trimble before driving into Durango.

The motel I will be staying in is located on Highway 550. I am scheduled to stay in the Econo Lodge motel. Durango, appears to be a “party town” with many fine restaurants, saloons, and the narrow gauge railroad. The price one has to pay for lodging is quite excessive for what you get. I am paying $92.65 for a very small motel room with no heat because the woman told me they are on a central heating-system. She said it takes a long time to convert from heating to air conditioning and they have just converted to air conditioning so heat is not available right now. I think they converted too soon because it is cold at night. Also the bathroom needs lots of work (the faucets are old and do not work easily and other irritations. But this was the most reasonable considering most hotels were wanting $150 and up. I have stayed in worst, but the Internet is free and fast. Most of the so called “uppity” hotels always seem to charge me for internet.

After dumping my stuff in my room I headed for the train station to see what I needed to do the next morning. I was able to pick up my ticket at the ticket booth, the lady told me where to park and what time to be at the station in the morning. I walked out on the train platform and watch the last train return from Silverton. I took a few photos then walked up the street to see what businesses were operating. I passed an old hotel and went inside to see what it looked like. I heard piano music coming out of the bar, tavern, or saloon (LOL) and peek inside. A man was playing one of those old pianos and tunes from the 1800s. He was good. I decided to have a non-alcoholic beverage and listen to him play. The place was crowded and the waitresses were all dressed up in 1800s outfits (I will leave the description of their outfits to your imaginations). Another piano player relieved the first gentleman and he was equally good. I finished my beer and left. I remember I need a bottle of water to take with me on the train and the waitress told me there was a place across the street that sold bottled water. I purchased my water and went back to the hotel. I was not hungry because I had eaten a big dinner in the late afternoon in Gunnison. I was tired from my 12-hour day and went to bed. They wanted me at the train station by 7:45 a.m. I am looking forward to the trip tomorrow.

Take care.. Pat