Belgium, Denmark, Luxemburg and Beyond

I had planned to leave at 7:30 it was 8:30 but I wasn’t going to let that bother me. I was not in a rush. I had plenty of time. I wasn’t going to leave things out.

T.B was holding court at Alterra as I was picking up my coffee for the week. I nodded.

-Hey…you.

Was back on the road before I was forced to exchange pleasantries or enter his little fiefdom. Traffic was fine, I knew that I had to get out of the boring parts – problem with heading north out of Milwaukee – it is only I-43 tended to try to ignore everything until Sheboygan when I needed a coffee but wasn’t going to the Starbucks.

I can make it to Manitowoc.

Pressing my luck with the great outing to Silver Lake and actually photographing things that I had planned. I thought I would combine two outings by photographing in the towns we speed through trying to make it to Door County for breakfast at the sister Bay café.
I would actually stop in Algoma, I would pull off the road when the fancy hit. I brought along Joãozão – it will be a loss when that camera finally gives up.

I also wanted to see work of some students at UWGB and since I was heading that way I could sneak something into Stephen Perkins’s box in De Pere. Since I was heading up via Manitowoc I could also sneak by and drop off something at John and Julie’s. I’d make it a day of dump and runs.

Weather was so good that I hated being in the machine. Windows open and seemed to be doing well time wise.

Stopped at the Culture Café for a large dark roast and chatted with the owner and some locals for a bit. Seemed like he wanted to sell the place and move somewhere where there wasn’t a Wal-Mart. Talked about homogenisation of the country – without looking at the city limits sign you could be anywhere. Both picked remote locations we would like to see and hang out.

I was somewhat surprised at my lucidity and my lack of wanting to make time, usually I must get away from these chats – even though I like them - as I have a long way to go. It could have been the lady in Silver Lake but I was not in a hurry at all and like hanging about to chat. This was mirroring the outings of Gros Morne residency. Headed out to the machine to get Joãozão to make a snap of him and was on my way.

The dump and run in De Pere was a slam-dunk, as I knew he wasn’t at home and I had done it enough that I had it down pat. Year of this sort of activity with the big O in Beloit trained me well.

The show at UWGB was a mixed bag, smaller than I thought work all over the place, varying quality, but knew three people in it. Would have a look then head on to make snaps, walking slowly by Perkins’s office when I leave for while I know what he looks like he has no idea of what I look like.

I liked it like this. My anonymity meant that I could possibly be seen dropping things off but not be caught. It meant that while the correspondence started out with him having the upper hand, I now had it as I would/could drive up drop off and leave. I simply at times want to test fate but knowing that if I become known the whole exercise would change.

There was a mistake in the show – an image was mislabelled. My plan changed, I would go to his office – the door was open – knock and state that there was a mis-labelled print in the gallery.

Went to the bog to gather courage but when I came out his assistant was in the office and spending forever with some problem she was having.

Now I was getting antsy, I saw time passing my day out and about shortening, me panicking and racing back. I gave myself fifteen minutes waiting time.

Well 20

Well 25

I was going to leave when I heard that they both were going to leave to check on something together.

An even better plan sprung to mind.

As they left the office…
-Excuse me I have to get back to Peasants Pissoir – I said shaking his hand – but there is a print mislabelled in the show, it says Polaroid Pinhole when it uses conventional film.
-Oh, oh thank you as he walks on and I walk in the opposite direction.

I reach the end of the hall when
-Excuse me
I slow and turn around
-What is your name?
-You don’t want to know. I round corner and disappear.

Out in the car park relishing the time it took to realise who I was, I headed east toward Luxemburg, passing Denmark on my way to Algoma.

Still quite pleased with myself but this time for noticing things along the road and actually stopping and at times making a u turn and heading back. Bright early afternoon sun, remarked to my self when the temp gets to about 10-15C I really start to work.

Parked at the lake but was more interested in the village, went for the usual suspects, areas between houses, the football/baseball stadium like the horseshoe pitch complex, taverns, motels.

Again what a difference being above the tension line meant, the one cop and me crossed paths many time but he didn’t bother to get out. Made a strange pattern walking the town and spent more time that I thought I would meaning that I wouldn’t be able to take in Kewanee – nice temperature but shorter light hours. The trip south was via the back roads that I usually don’t take when we are racing to and from D.C. this was mainly for the drive as it was too dark to make any snaps. It was reconnaissance for the next time.
Wanted a decent place to eat found a Cousin Submarine in a pathetic mall attached to the K-Mart. Stopped once again at the Culture Café

-Hey you’re back also.
Ordered a lattè we made fun of someone who wanted decaf skim mocha. He mentioned that I wasn’t making photographs this. Took him up on his dare and got out Joãozão this time photographing the other person in the place. I was shown pictures of a cat his dog had mauled – it was sitting quietly outside the shop. Saw that he had sandwiches and vegetarian fare but he was closing soon had to be somewhere else.

He asked what I thought of Governor Doyle. He isn’t Mark Green was the only good thing I could say, a discussion of Wisconsin politics and a mention that he asked as the Doyle campaign was wanting to use his café for a stop in Manitowoc. He was on the verge of okaying it.

-But if it were Green? Hell no, I’d tell him to fuck off

Misjudged the remaining gasoline and the distance remaining meaning that I had to buy outrageously expensive gasoline in Whitefolks Bay.

An outing of old 380 miles and I wasn’t even winded.