Amazing!

New Year's Day I went rock climbing with a few friends. It's been a tradition to either ski or climb into the new year, just as a good omen for the rest of the year. The circle of friends has changed, but the tradition is still alive. I digress...

After finishing one route, a friend proudly exclaimed: "That was the most amazing thing I have done all year!". The year was barely a few hours old, but it was already enough time for a "most amazing" moment. We got a good chuckle out of it.

However, there may be a lesson: "Do something amazing every day!"

Good bye 2008, hello 2009!

Yeah, it's been that kind of year! Some days the world seems to be spinning out of control, other days we are in (or above) the clouds, next day free fall...

Well, all joking aside, it's been a year since I left my corporate job. A year of contrasts, a comfortable winter in Latin America, a freezing cold March in Germany, and never-ending summer in California. Made a few new friends, mostly in the low-income bracket...

Autumn has been good!

Warm weather has made for great climbing and exploring on the Sierra Nevada East Side. I am writing from a comfy trailer with satellite internet in the Alabama Hills. No fear, I am not a trailer owner, yet! Many trees still have their fall foliage and there is a hint of snow in the mountains, but in the valley it's comfortable day and night.

Brad and I are ticking the 5 star climbs in the Hills. We found one of the elusive arches, visited Darwin, a "vibrant" mining town, and some Death Valley attractions off the beaten path.

More

Is there such a thing as a publishing artist? Well, we managed to get some photos published in More, Canada's Magazine Celebrating Women Over 40! Patricia Robertson asked us to shoot her, while participating in one of Susana Trilling's cooking classes in Oaxaca, Mexico. Quite a story how we got that gig.
Oaxaca is not high on everybody's travel plans, as it has been on the advisory list, too much friction between the locals and the federales. Nevertheless, the place is full of highlights from Mixtec, Zapotec and Spanish cultures. A few hardy souls make every year the long trek from Canada to spend the winter in warmer climates. For some, a campground above the city of Oaxaca serves as the final destination, for others it is an oasis and save haven on their journey further South. It was here, the San Felipe campground, were we met Patricia and Grant, two writers from Saskatchewan. One day we were all invited to visit a Mezcal distillery. We shot some pictures, they liked them and we parted ways. Some weeks later we get an email from them about the possibility of a paid shoot at a cooking class. Long story short, a few months later we fly into Oaxaca, spend 3 productive days in the city, and come November 08, we have 12 of our photos published. My lifestyle!

I had a dream!

It's Friday night, I come home from work, turn on the TV and it's all over the news: "Gas prices have dropped to a 20 year low of 31.3 cents per gallon because of low demand by consumers. Not only alternative technologies, but mostly the widely accepted use of public transportation in recent years has led to the demise of the single-occupancy car."



In other news the anchor woman announced that the last of the reality shows had been cancelled due to falling ratings. "Don't go away!"

Yawn! Time to get the mail. No bill, no junk? Wait there is a letter from Porsche, offering a free upgrade to the street-legal hydrogen-powered H2s. Hmm, that would come in handy for new high-speed freeways reserved for NoCo cars.

Back to the TV. Just in time to see the Dalai Lama congratulating by phone from his home in Lhasa the pope to the Noble Prize in Peace and Economics. The committee had awarded this years prize to pope Maria Magdalena III for her role in promoting contraception in third world countries.

"Next, Monday Night Football!" That's when it hit me! This was all a bad dream! It was Friday night after all!

I woke up in a cold sweat.

National Geographic?

This was exciting! The flower girl was featured by National Geographic in the Daily Dozen section during the month of June, but in the end some fly-eating birds were selected as being cuter.

The picture was taken at the artisan market in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. The market is spectacular. Most women and some men wear traditional, colorful clothing, and on Sundays the whole spectacle is enhanced by the religious ceremonies held next ot the market. Great to watch, but difficult to shoot, as the locals are not really into cameras.

Nevertheless, Marie was determined to use her charms and wits to get one these camera shy-girls in front of her lens. She invested into a flower arrangement and offered it to several "models". Most of them declined, none of them wanted to keep the flowers!

At least one girl, the one in the picture, agreed and we got a couple of nice shots of her, even smiling, which was not a given.

Finale - a great journey comes to an end.

In the last 6 months we have observed a world bobbing and bending in many directions around us, few things appear stable, just like us, just like this meadow near Paris, Texas.

It was the journey that was important, not the destination.