Friday 27 June 2008

77

Just as I was heading out for another great bus journey around charm city, there was an article about the Baltimores – that of the Wire and of Ann Tyler. This time there were quite a articles about what Baltimore was or is. Another about the good folk of Locust Point fighting becoming swallowed up as condo land moves south of the harbour. Articles on the city either are concerned with crime – Wire v Ann Tyler – it seems that someone was killed in Federal Hill – Tyler-land as well as on the route that I walked between my grandparents home last time. The score was Wire-land 2 Tyler-land 1.

I was going to neither, I was headed outside the beltway as I wanted to take the 77 a bus that bypasses the city all together as it goes from the Patapsco station to the Old Court Road station. The route seemed typical of a suburban route more concerned with reaching as many people as possible than getting from point to point.

The type of ride that I like – well except for the i-podded person in front of me who danced I her seat and at times shout with the music – as the route seemed to be one long diversion.

This was definitely a part of the county that wasn’t gridded. I was lost and even when we were in an area that I recognised. Tried to use the Beltway as a point of reference but to no avail.

While the names were familiar – they were termini of old bus routes – Landsdowne the old 11, Halethorpe the former 3, I wasn’t all that familiar with the actual places, was surprised when the bus passed through Arbutus a walk of mine in the winter of 2006. We also passed the famous fox statue of Fox Chevrolet, where I finally thought that I had a hold on the where I was and where I was heading but no once again confounded.

This was not a bus to take when in a hurry. There was almost a riot outside Security Mall when the bus stopped and waited as it was five minutes early. The remnants of a kiddie birthday party boarded, parents dispersed over the bus talking to each other on their Nextel two-ways. Saw downtown Catonsville, played tag with Rolling Road.

A downpour in Liberty Road meant a double rainbow along Old Court Road not that the i-pod girl and the Nextellers noticed.

Tuesday 24 June 2008

- I am a photographer for the Armed Forces and was curious to see what camera people use. Buddy says as he starts toward me at the Rest Stop just north of the Mason Dixon Line.

Already I am planning the excuses for what I am carrying I knew that I would have whenever one saw the camera.

- It is a piece of junk but bought it because…

He sees SONY and recoils in nearly the same horror as buddy did in Portugal Cove South after offering me Moose Stew and finding out that I was a vegetarian that doesn’t even eat fish.

Even though I have been singing the praises for the Nikon D40 size mainly – I don’t follow my own advice. Been debating this for an eternity, and what has kept me back is all the things one gives up for the convenience of instant gratification. The cameras were large, they all seem to have lenses on them that are compensating for some lack in the males that carry them. To me they are the photographic equivalents of Hummers, I am always aware of something running out – the power, the card filling etc. I notice outlets more now than I ever did, and there is something plugged into one.

It seems that expectations have been lowered. The leiquinhas have lenses that open to f:2,8 even Joãozão has an aperture of f:4,5 which I thought was slow but with these cameras that seems to be one of the norms. I am supposed to be estatic when I can get 500 images from a charge when I can go years with Ubaldo and the twins and Joãozão doesn’t need a battery.

I hate the fact that a decent wide angle lens – the equal to 20-24mm in 35mm – is hard to come by at any decent price and/or aperture.

However I have been using my point and shoot more, mainly for colour, mainly for annotating for entries at first but more and more books of wander were being made with it.

The tipping point came with Clarke’s Beach the book as there were about four images in it that I wish were done with a better camera – why I don’t know as I want to go back to making postcards – real ones – no sleeves, 150x100mm. I also found that when photographing people at time turing the camera around was a great way to engage.

While I hated the palpable delay between the button being pressed and the image being made, I bought the Nikon 5400 – and it took as long, it had been superceded by two models when I finally bought it – because of the articulating screen, meaning I could photograph things on the ground without having to lower myself to their level.


It also worked with photographing people as I wasn’t hiding behind the camera and from a lower angle people are a bit ennobled.

.

So finally digital did something correctly.
Problem is all those trendy camera companies, the ones the non photographers at the WGAS use – Canon, Nikon – non had the articulating screen.

Finally cameras following the amateurs – put in live view but all that did was prepare the world for legions of far sighted photographers.

Only three camera had live view and an articulating screen – the Sony 300/350, the Olympus E-1 and some Panasonic with a Leica lens.

I thought long and hard about the Olympus but since this was to replace a point and shoot I didn’t want a camera that weighed more than all the others combined. The Panasonic has a great lens but was overpriced – another thing I hate about digital is their brief life span – cannot see spending the price of used Leica M7 for a camera that will last a year or two.

So despite the horrible viewfinder, the clunky plastic feel, the fact that the lens makes it hard to pack any place, I bought the Sony again only for the fact that I can have a digital waist level finder. It will be the bloggin camera and I’ll see if it supplants one of the real cameras with people I meet along the way as I wonder if pulling out a camera will “spoil” the moment.

I buy colour 35mm film for $3.50/roll, I have it developed – not cut not printed – at Woodman’s here and any Dominion –well except the one at the old memorial stadium when I am rock bound which costs $2.00. on the rock I have a CD made – another $6.00, in 70 rolls the camera will have paid for itself .
It has ended, I have printed the last of the Clarke’s Beach postcards for this year. It has also ended as in the last weeks with time on my hands – in the darkroom there is time to think – I roughly calculated how it had cost to send out the three post cards a week to 30 people for the past 10 months.

I had also come to realise how much time was spent doing this when someone told me that I once never photographed people now that it all that I do. It isn’t all that I do it simply has taken up all of my time.

I want to send more pixture post cards. More of the type I used to send before YYT.

I don’t plan on stopping the series. I tried to do that a couple of years ago but someone said something and unthinkingly I made a snap. I also like how the work is changing as I run into people over and over again. Made comment that this is my Ballad of Cod Dependency. The people are special as the time spent with them even initially becomes longer and longer.

Now that there are print on demand books, I see consolidating the work into one mailing. I know that the time line will go, the idea of segments. Finishing I tried to remember when it started in August of last year. I also like the minor adjustments that happen along the way. The exercise for me as much one of memory as anything else. I liked choosing stamps, I hate that postage went up twice during this series.

The cost of postage was really becoming a strain, I was feeling guilty about the plastic sleeves – seeing them as my versions of those supermarket plastic bags.

So with the final instalment due to hit the post office Canada Day, I’ll have a good two months to work on the next incarnation.

Monday 23 June 2008



The woman at the Gloria Jean’s coffee bar recoiled when I started to hand her my Steep ‘n’ Brew cup for the coffee I just bought.

-We’re not allowed to have that behind the counter – as she was filling the type of stainless steel graduate I use for mixing my pyro developer.

I thought that heading east on Sunday would solve two main problems – the endless congestion around Chicago and something to listen to on the wireless. It being Sunday there would be an afternoon ball game to listen two in the dead air space – unless I want eternal salvation – that is Indiana and Ohio.

No such luck. No traffic meant that only two wickets were open on the Skyway so it was a 10 minute wait to pay the $3.00. The worse is Indiana as they don’t bother to publish the toll rates on their tickets, I guess they reckon it will ruin the surprise when paying.

I seemed to remember that Michigan Public Radio made it into Indiana and was saved for a while. Thought myself even more lucky as at the Ohio border I tuned in the CBC out of Windsor just in time to hear Enright sign off for the summer. The signal was lost just as Vinyl Café was ending.

Must be getting used to the trip as I simply sat back and endured Ohio all 240 miles of it. Had to stop twice as one oasis was so crowded that there was no parking to be found. Had a bag of fries al fresco wanted something a little more nutritional as there was a Panera but there is so much one can take of people staring blankly at the menu board baffled at the choices. There were more than 20 in the queue and I was still in “making time” mode.

Kept going up and down the dial trying to find something and wondering why passing within radio waves of Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh there were no games to be heard. Again thought that my lifeline of NPR stations would come back to live around Pittsburgh but only found classical music or something unintelligible – am guessing it was yinser NPR.

16 miles from Breezewood traffic stops, torrential rains – I stop at an oasis just in case and between heading in and buying three post cards

-three cards…

one dollar six cents


anything else


ninety four cents is your change.

And coming back out it was raining so that I couldn’t take a few snaps.

I took the camera in during a rest stop in Indiana but got dirty looks from the men in the bog.

Having to slow me down slowed me down. Thought about getting off at Bedford but I couldn’t miss Breezewood the town in the middle of the interstate. What a cash cow, the Las Vegas of gasbars.

I lost my bearings for a bit but finally got some gasoline and something to eat at Sheetz – think a name change is in order. It was that central Pennsylvania evening – the rain having just stopped the sky was clear and contrasted nicely with the towering signs.

Was completely at a loss, it took me three tries to buy an egg mayonnaise sandwich, simply wanted to head out and photograph. That urge was even greater as I took a back road out of town (is there a town there?) by these old motels all lined up and no sheets soiled.

Decided against easting in Sheetz after someone broke a bottle of Jones grape drink. Headed to a lay-by to have the sandwiches before heading below the Mason Dixon Line.

A few snaps of the picnic area when buddy seeing me asked what camera I had and a discussion of photography ensued – he was an armed forces photographer hated the Sony – yeah yeah that is another entry - in Iraq he used a lumix to sneak pictures.

I had to leave.

Still light out play with the dial one last time to find WAMU when I come across the Hagerstown Suns, Delmarva Shorebirds game.

Thursday 19 June 2008

NAVAGATIO PAGANI RC-D CFA


Glen Burnie to Glenburnie
Harve de Grace to Harbour Grace
Green Bay to Baie Verte
St. John’s through Saint John to St. John’s
And if this wasn’t enough
Hvitramamaland to Vinland
My love of significant things of insignificance.

Later that I would like, a road trip to the Rock.

I thought it the most feasible approach – even with the price of gasoline – as while I was there last year, I tended to stray more and more from the Trans-Canada and was drawn down those long roads that connect the south coast outports to the Trans-Canada. Flying and renting a machine coasts about as much as driving but I am not limited to 3oz bottles nothing sharp and what I can stuff in an overhead compartment. I don’t have to sweat my film and x-rays.

My curiosity in less easily accessible places came from the Radio One version of driving Miss Daisy when I carted a minor CBC presenter to Millertown. I was told that the dirt road ran into the Burgeo Highway and the Atlas in my head unfolded.

Slowing down, heading up the Bonavista when finally I didn’t care if I made it to the cape heightened the urge. So thinking…

Once off the ferry, I would head east to Rose Blanche to see what is left of it. before getting on the Trans-Canada. While on the island I would go south coast island hopping Burgeo, Ramea, Grey River, François etc. as well as those long threads of tarmac to the same places.

Following through on my obsession of places of supposed importance. One of the four corners of the world on Fogo – keep forgetting where it is exactly – so more island hopping.

When I Baltimore I mention this my mum and when she said that she had decided not to go on the world cruise, I glibly said how about cruising up the east coast.

She’s in. She traded in the Taurus for an Accord – better mileage

The Midwest departure is 26 July to make the 3:30 am sailing of the Leif Erickson on the 29 July. Martin and Gabrielle’s place is occupied until august which leaves time for all sorts of options.

Saturday 14 June 2008





I had to head up to Alterra in Milwaukee to refill the coffee stocks. I also noticed that i was a few stamps sort of a posting so on the way north I would head west to the post office in Bristol.

While I was heading in that direction, I should actually make a snap of that house that was in the middle of the Illinois Fox in Wheatland that I sped by two days ago. It looked so tranquil.

This time I took Joãozão fully realising that it would be left behind on the second great trek north and east.

As I was already west and along the Fox, and found $3.99/gallon gasoline in Paddock Lake, I thought that I would follow the river up to Muckwonago where the dam was Phantom Lake filled. It was the opposite of Monday two rivers wander. When it became obvious that I wouldn’t really be able to follow the Fox, most roads close to it were flooded at some point requiring long diversions, I slowed down. I also slowed down when there were quite a few deer – live this time – on the verges staring at the passing motorists.

The park near downtown Burlington was under water, Rochester and Waterford seemed ok but with bypass roads running rampant in Wisconsin, I missed the town centre of Waterford, the county thinking it better to drive through a generic industrial park that looked larger than the village itself.

Slowed for sure when I ran upon a ballpark at County O and State Road 83 where I added to the archive before staying on O and turning down Janesville Road.

All these towns seemed to have followed the failed city model. Before hitting Muckwonago, I hit the Home Depot, WalMart and man strip malls which was more trafficked than the town centre, which was even more eerily quiet due to the streets blocked off by cones.

Using my traveller status I went through one of the barricaded streets to find all the television stations camped out across the road from the dam which was predicted to give way that evening, cameras pointed people mingling. Parked where I could – a good distance away and did what I had planned to do for sometime marl about the town – somewhat glad that I could park close by.

Made a snap of the cameras in waiting and tried to deal with the subtlety of the situation – in the distance water on 83 under the CN/Wisconsin Central tracks that supposedly will collapse once dam breaks.

As I said for the most part around here, the flood is an intellectual problem, for most – me included – it is hard to understand that the standing water in fields will mean higher prices in everything – these are dedicated to growing corn. Even that house in Wheatland that is flooded annually speaks of stalwartness, and/or neglect – and maybe the stupidity of the people who insist on staying there – rather than property loss.

Looking at the dam, which one can easily hop across, determines the fate of Tichigan, Burlington, and yet again Wheatland and Silver Lake.

The shock came seeing the Sly Fox at 83 and W almost flooded not from the river but run off from the fields. The beauty parlour even further from the river which hadn’t overrun its banks – an island. It seemed that wherever water could pool there was a lake.

Since I was this far west, I thought that I would have a look at the Vernon Marshes. The last time I was here it was with a directionally challenged yinser and a southerner. Last time we could walk out on the marsh. Now it was a lake.

Walked to the edge of the water.

-Wish I had brought my bow and arrow – buddy says to me freaking out a digital DSLR toting buddy with a discernable aesthetic eye.

- For the waterfowl

- For the carp.

As he stated that four flopped out of the water and back again. We discussed refraction of the water – he aims 30cm in front of the target.

Trains are coming and going along the CN tracks in the distance.

Digital guy leaves quietly

He used to work for CP rail, running trains from Portage to Minneapolis, as well as Fond du Lac to Milwaukee. It was he that told me about when the dam would go, and that the trestle will collapse. Smiling, he heard tell from a woman in town that the world would end in 2015 and looking around…

We discussed closed roads before both heading off he going to retrieve his bow and arrow me to see one of these roads closed by the Fox.

Again it was understated. County Trunk I was a winding road by a full river where every once in a while there was a bit of water crossing the road. Flushing hydrants looked more violent, the water was gently flowing apparently not deep. In the distance a sub-division. It was the beginning of the greater Milwaukee area.

90 miles into the 35 mile ride up I-94 to Alterra, I am re-stocked.

A ding dong ditch in Kinnickinnic in Bayview and more $3.99 gasoline before I-94.

Friday 13 June 2008

Swarving downtown Kenosha, I feel that I have entered some off kilter parallel land. Passing neighbourhoods that look normal, I entered an area of new housing condos that circled their garages, tasteful gallery type of shops – mostly empty. In fact everything seemed deserted. There must have been people living there as cars were parked behind the condos, but no one was on the street only three people were heading to the Kenosha museum. An empty rea trolley – tracks, pantograph, carriages brought in from Philadelphia Toronto and other cities - kept circling the area.

In anticipation of the boon in people and disposable income, the old downtown which seems to be a vacant building theme park - full blocks of façades plastered with building unfit for habitation interspersed with antique malls which could be confused with places where those who were there simply abandoned their belongings– three cafés complete with fair trade organic shade grown coffee, decorated with old bulk bean bags. The cafés outnumbered the people in the area by one. Even the Subway sandwiches was unpopulated. Luckily one was seated just outside one talking to himself and every once in a while taking off his shoe and scratching his foot. The other person paced and drooled on the opposite side of the street. His beard saved the pavement from the dribble. He kept digging in his pocket apparently looking for that bit of change for that double skim lattè.

Tuesday 10 June 2008

A flooded river outing based on the two in the area that seem to always overflow. Packed Ubaldo and planned to wander down the Des Plaines – and up the Illinois Fox. Heading west there is an account of the river and how full it is by how it floods the nearby wetlands.

The rain had stopped and if I delayed it would crest before I could get out.

This area is hardly calming –under the biggest coal fired power plant in southern Wisconsin, past a rampantly growing industrial park in which buildings are constructed even though there are those that are left empty, a pathetic human made lake and the outlet malls all of which are safe from flooding.

It seems that the rains has chased the deer from the woods are five watch me pass on the I-94 frontage road.

Stopped along County Trunk ML and realise that this is going to be difficult – flooded rivers are only noticeable when one knows the boundaries. The Des Plaines was high but subtlety so. Only when I noticed along the banks that the trees were underwater but this was only interesting in the way that the light reflected of the water through the trees.

This was going to be a difficult outing. I was out searching for things and worse searching for specific things. I was heading to the usual flooding places and wanting to deal with the less harmful aspects of the water.

A stop at Russell Road just west of the village – the north side flooded the bar by the tracks dry (yeah yeah hah hah) where there was a bridge in the middle of the water.

Trains passing in the distance.

Back down Kilbourn Road where there was a hope for a decent day. The stereotype of flooded rivers was undermined by fields filling up from run off. Tried to make something of this but was forcing the issue.

Into Wadsworth and the carpark of the Des Plaines River Trail – after a train passed. Again the water looked aesthetically pleasing – if brown – rather than flooded. Flooding as nostalgia.

Gave up on the Des Plaines and headed over to the Illinois Fox passing through that great mistake of Gurnee, north of Six Flags, south of Gurnee Mall.


I know that I was too single minded as I was heading through an area of road houses that I have been meaning to sketch off. I justified my not stopping on the threatening skies.

It was the day of the aesthetic flood. I was relieved that those living of the Chain of Lakes were so far unscathed. Stopping in the State Park there were again those little signs of flooding which could also be sign of decay – a fishing pier that was now an island. People in their machines looking out over the river.

By now I gave up – was now simply going through the motions. I didn’t know what I wanted to see – certainly not disasters. This was a good thing as I do like going out with an open mind as I am not illustrating but trying to understand what is in front of me. I think that i was imaging an equivalent of the proof that a tornado had passed through a field when I was out and about in January – everything normal except for those giant oaks ripped up at the roots surround by those that are unscathed.

Stopped at Fox River park to make a few bucolic snaps of picnic tables and grilles - odd I was disappointed as the river wasn’t as high as it usually is here there was still a place to park.

Mechanically drove up Fox River Road to State Road 50 again a forgone stop on the flooded river route but now I was on automatic.

Saw a house that seemed almost bucolic in the middle of the river, US flag proudly flapping.

Maybe next time.

Tuesday 3 June 2008

East of Canton

It was to be an addition to the great bus ride series, I wasn’t to get to and wander ™ but ride to the terminus and then come back. I had chosen the 22 as it goes to Johns Hopkins Bayview – of course there isn’t one. It was one of the choices that I had coming back from Friends, my curiosity was peaked waiting for it in Hampden after Service Photo.

Because of this I only took the leiquinhas, why be burdened when it was a mere bus ride. Playing bus roulette the northbound M-3 came before the southbound one and knowing full well that I may not have to pay – didn’t took it to the M-2 to ride to Mondawmin actually wanted to go down Reisterstown Road for a change of scenery. It was even more depressing than Park Heights.

The cash box was broken on the M-2 also.

Pulling into Mondawmin, I saw the 22 pull out and seeing that it would be a good hour before the next bus, looked around for another potential bus ride.

The 5 to Cedonia. Always wanted to go to Cedonia. I know nothing about Cedonia. I simply remembered that it was beyond the Baltimore that I knew. The route twisted all through east Baltimore. The bus was there.

It seems that the bus twists a bit too much. I forgot that I almost completes a circle before heading south to head northeast. I also forgot that seeing a bus at the stand doesn’t mean that it will going anywhere soon.

The bus was packed.

I wondered if I would ever make it to the terminus and started to look for an exit strategy. The plan was when I saw a bus number heading back I would get down and start the return trip. With my usual hesitation I kept saying next stop one stop too many and ended up missing that connexion.

Got down when I saw Bayview in the distance and decided to walk to it I was someplace around Sinclair Lane and Clearway and chose Erdman Avenue seeing the traffic cones, taverns, and strip malls.

It was about now that I missed Joãozão, had to make due.

Tavern entrances, old office buildings turned into churches, crab sales, I seemed to be sneaking up on Bayview but not really getting any closer. Under the railway tracks at Macon Street south in Kresson Street and into a small residential area, back out past the Coca Cola bottler, a used car lot and a strip joint before another residential area this time with people out and about.

Saw a potential snap but spent so much time assessing the merits while walking that I was a good mile away along Lombard before thinking that I should go back and make the snap.

By that time I decided that it wasn’t worth it and the tavern façades were a good compensation – not really.

Looking over the Harbour Tunnel Throughway, with Natty Boh in the distance to guide me gain my bearings, wandered a bit more into the Hopkins complex to wait for the 22 bus for the return trip.

Well not really thought that I would walk along the bus route until one caught up with me.

Well not really about 200 metres from a bus shelter, the skies opened with big heavy drops, that had me racing back to the bus shelter until I was hopelessly drenched.

No worries though by the time the 22 showed, I had dried off.