Photography

A high point of Audrey’s birthday celebration weekend was a family trip to the Kamala Harris rally in Madison, Wisconsin. We were in the 4th row, behind the podium. It was loud, colorful and exciting. Getting in required a very long walk around the stadium perimeter to get to the security screening area. Secret service dogs were sniffing people as they entered. We had to show id to check in, and then passed through an airport screening machine. No bags were allowed. Jacob arrived late and they had closed the doors and wouldn’t let anyone else in. ...

A beautiful one-hour drive west of Madison leads to Taliesin, Frank LLoyd Wright’s home, studio, and architecture school. Audrey and I loved the extensive four-hour walking tour, which visits many buildings on the property. We saw the studio, dining hall, and auditorium; the eclectic windmill; his sister’s house; the “barn;” and Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and personal studio. Our guide was great. with lots of information and stories. His home and property were a constant experiment, and one of the subthemes of the tour was all the preservation work now necessary because much was not built to last. Or as the tour guide said, “it was build to Wright’s code, not modern code.” He was particularly uninterested in gutters, as they ruined the lines–but would protect the foundation. They experimented with lots of plywood, because it was inexpensive and readily available. ...

Black and white photos bring out the character of Madison’s east side. From our apartment in the “The Medallion,” we hear at least one freighter blast its horn each day. It’s usually a train bearing grain or other commodities, crawling along the lakeshore. Across the street, Madison Gas & Electric rises with impressive smokestacks and a mix of historic brick and modern steel buildings. Its a very clean power plant. We never see smoke and the grass is well-tended. It apparently doesn’t take many people to run a power plant these days, as the parking lots are all empty. In the shadows of the power plant, a soup kitchen serves the homeless and a whiskey distillery serves the hip. ...

Our wonderful backpacking trip to the Desolation Wilderness revealed a stunning volume and variety of flowers. Here are some of the blooms I captured. Click any photo to browse larger images

Hitting the trail Our quest for the perfect lake in California’s Sierra Nevada continued this year with backpacking in the Desolation Wilderness. This year Micah Jacob and I were joined by a special guest: nephew Jack. We planned a four day trip: From the Wright Lake trailhead to Maude Lake Then over the Rockbound Pass at nearly 9000 feet, to Lake Schmidell A day hike, return to camp at Lake Schmidell Return 9 miles to Wright Lake ...