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I was supposed to leave on Saturday, this would have given me time to wander back north along US 41 but asked the Deep of the deep south if I could stay another night in the studio.

Reluctantly he took the valises back inside.

I needed to wander a bit and photograph and needed to do so without having to be someplace. I was finally calming down and while my work was wanting some sort of book of wander to come from the time here.

I realised that being in a place where there is work all over that I didn’t want to look like a non producing slug. Up north it is easy to seem to be productive – an image a year will do it if your vocal chords are up to snuff. I also know that every morning I would head out and photograph objects along the property but that felt more like an exercise. I needed time for a walk and a think.

It would be a wander out a road that I hadn’t been on making large circles back to the house to see when deep and the nance would awaken.

Took Ubirajara and a lightmeter as I wanted to lose objects in a shallow space rather than have the deep space that I usually work with. I also thought that in homage to Sewanee aesthetics, if a book of wander did come from the time here it would be a mélange of styles.

Was up at seven, thought that they were up also as the dog had been let out. He was awaiting me at the invisible fence jumping and turning 360 degrees in the air many times as I headed toward the boundary. He would also be my assistant when trying to photograph on the property – cleaning the lens with his tongue, adjusting the objects that I was photographing.

Again a nice winter day overcast bright, warm – even though people down there were worrying about frostbite – no deep shadows and dark enough exposure wise to leave the lens wide open.

Wasn’t thinking too much about what I was photographing, I was lookinig for things that I could isolate, and trying to balance objects that reek of farm life and southern loss but wanted rural southern iconography. I seem to remember a lot of toppled bird houses. The allotments, the rears of horses, the prepubescent scarecrow, and time at the Sewanee Tigers ballpark where the formal came into play.

Tried to remember things from the time here in 1998 when I walked to Lake Cheston and again found myself there.

Made the first circle and was heading back to the house when I saw a potential snap. Reached in my back pocket to get the lightmeter and…

Checked my bag it wasn’t there, checked again. Emptied my bag to make sure. It had fallen out someplace along the way and now I would have to retrace my steps.

Instead I did the circle again much to the chagrin of the dog who thought I was coming back, and found it near the beginning of the walk on the shore of Lake Cheston in some leaves about a foot from the lake.

This deserved a trip to Stirling’s for a coffee and bagel – finding a student who seems to be constantly working ( what is wrong with these people!!!!) . A chat before heading back to see what was planned for the day.