BreakAway » FOTOFRIDAY

FOTOFRIDAY: Happy Biffy Spiffy Holidays!

Posted on: Friday, December 6th, 2024
Posted in: FOTOFRIDAY | 2 comments

Unexpected delights like a lovely wreath on a frozen porta-potty offer a fitting visual metaphor for the holiday season.

The neighbors’ porta-biffy is def spiffed up for the holidays. This helps us remember that the season, while festive, has ups and downs, sacred and profane, joy and melancholy, merriment and loneliness, and—around here—warm hearts and cold air. My stocking hat goes off to the hardy workers that toil outside ‘round the calendar. To them I say: Stay warm, and keep the faith.

FOTOFRIDAY: A Sunny San Fran Sojourn!

Posted on: Friday, November 8th, 2024
Posted in: Sabbatical Shuffle, Travelog, FOTOFRIDAY | 11 comments

Is the Golden Gate Bridge the most iconic ever? Probably. And maybe also the most photographed!

Sometimes, we end up going to places because of friends and family (and work). San Fran is great, though I’ve never left my heart there. This time? Maybe so. Visiting my son does that. And, for a change in my many BreakAways there, the sun was shining! Also in Carmel, where I trekked for a wedding. The GGB soars beautifully across the bay…yet is not so easy to photograph. Thanks to my boy’s excellent bike-tour skills, I got this shot, and saw many other cool things too. No wonder SF remains one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations…!…

FOTOFRIDAY: Gosh, I Finally Found Fargo!

Posted on: Friday, October 18th, 2024
Posted in: Travelog, FOTOFRIDAY | One comment

The Bluestem Amphitheater in Moorhead, MN (just across the bridge from Fargo), intoxicates the mind, body, and ears with its stunning design and spot-on sightlines.

Yep, I finally got to Fargo, after all these years of only hearing about it and meeting countless souls from there or thereabouts. Ya sure, it’s a cool enough place, darn clean and rich. I saw a rare Sturgill Simpson show with 3,000 of my best friends—all gosh-darn friendly and happy to be there. Sturgill’s 3-hour set was A+ and the venue was among the best ever.

The next day, on the way home, I realized I’d left my credit card at the Toasted Frog Restaurant before the show. In some locales, that would spur panic. In Fargo, it’s no big deal. I called ‘em, and hey said, “Oh yeah, we’ll just mail it to ya.” In the land of alleged woodchippers, a laid-back vibe and proud honesty was palpable. And of course, my card hit the mailbox in just a few days.

Keep the faith.

FOTOFRIDAY: Sacred Spaces That Forever Soar

Posted on: Friday, August 30th, 2024
Posted in: SoulTrain, Travelog, FOTOFRIDAY | 10 comments

Hey! It’s not easy throwing a catchable friz while taking a competent pic—even for a lifetime photography and frisbee enthusiast!

Do you have special spaces that you visit whenever possible? I do. Sutherland Park is a large water reservoir/park—rather like a water tower but underground—in Sioux City. My friends and I spent 1,000s of hours there as I grew up. We tossed, played music and sang, watched shooting stars, or just gazed at the beautiful, rolling hillsides and sundowns..

I still walk there daily when in town, which has been a lot in recent years as my parents age in place with grace (and lots of bridge).

Daughter Elsa also tosses a mean frisbee, and is always game to hang out at the Park. Nearly 50 years of memories ride on that disc, and in the air, and I throw out some extra gratitude for life, friends, family, and preservation.

FOTOFRIDAY: Stung by APPLE!

Posted on: Friday, August 9th, 2024
Posted in: Rants & Roadkill, Unplugging, FOTOFRIDAY | Leave a comment

Watch out for bees. And A stands for Apple, and they can sting too.

So, it’s been 1.5 months since the last post. I could blame myself, and usually do. But in this case, Apple Computer reeeeallllly messed up. Like, 3 times+. So, after a fast crash—which probably happened because I did something a senior tech advisor told me to do (while others said DON’T!), it took them 3 tries and endless hours of crappy service to get me a $$$$ replacement.

I may tell the story in another post. But I’m not ready yet. Just mad and…trying to catch up and move on. Take care of your tech (as best you can!?!). Good luck with that! And of course…

Keep the faith.

FOTOFRIDAY: A Little Frank Lloyd Wright

Posted on: Friday, May 10th, 2024
Posted in: Travelog, FOTOFRIDAY | Leave a comment

There it is, hiding center-right—one of the most famous houses in the world.

After a light winter—for both weather and travel—I recently escaped to San Fran and Carmel where some parties, friends, and even my son awaited. Yet one of the best reasons to visit Carmel is the ‘Mrs. Clinton Walker House.’ Mr. Wright built it at her request in 1948, aiming to mimic the rocks, sea, and waves, and look like a boat prow setting sail.

Mrs. Walker had requested a house “as durable as the rocks and as transparent as the sea.” The cherry? A Robert Howard mermaid sculpture resting atop the seawall, which was added in 1964. Stunningly beautiful, all of it. Yet the luminous flowers and greenery caught my eye and soothed my winter angst the most.

FOTOFRIDAY: A Marvy Mini Music BreakAway

Posted on: Friday, April 19th, 2024
Posted in: Sabbatical Shuffle, Travelog, FOTOFRIDAY | One comment

His name is Adam Weiner; his band is Low Cut Connie. And yes, I’m a shameless groupie who will go to great lengths (including Iowa) to see their shows.

Do you have bands or entertainers that you are so crazy about that you will do crazy things like drive to Des Moines for a quick over-nighter just to see them perform? I do, at least if their tour is skipping my city. Of course, this would fail to come off as weird if the star were Swift or Springsteen. But in this case, it’s Low Cut Connie—the best band most people have never heard of.

Best stage persona ever and fun-loving troupe ever? Probably! Creativity beyond measure? Absolutely—as their recent movie proves. And his (and their) live-stream performances during Covid were, frankly, far and away the best antidote for the pandemic blues. And live? A few hours with this electrifying ensemble keeps fans giddy and mystified for days.

In fact, just looking at the pictures makes me wanna jump in the car and cruise to wherever they’re rockin’ tonight…

FOTOFRIDAY: All You Need is…Tickets!

Posted on: Friday, March 29th, 2024
Posted in: Travelog, FOTOFRIDAY | Leave a comment

LOVE is all you need—along with an outdoor escalator, some Roman architecture, and a couple of elevated sculpture repros.

Funny. The Beatles broke up nearly 60 years ago. Yet they show up often, probably more than they did in their heyday. I would LOVE to see Cirque de Soleil’s LOVE. But, unless you’re a VIP or BIG gambler, getting a ticket is nearly as impossible as a Beatles reunion. So I settled for this Fab Four photo while wandering the streets of Las Vegas a few months ago.

FOTOFRIDAY: Beware of Crashing Buildings

Posted on: Friday, March 15th, 2024
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These random office buildings in downtown San Francisco, shot in March 2022, were already showing signs of emptiness.

Years ago, before I lived in big cities, skyscrapers and architecture fascinated me. I took hundreds of pictures, had a photo exhibit, and incorporated the images into MA projects. Time passes, and so there were years of wearing suits and doing business in such monoliths. The exterior beauty remains, but the inner reality may be scary.

Some say the next big cra$h in this country will likely happen due to all those buildings going empty during Covid, and now remaining mostly cavernous and quiet due to hybrid working, downtown crime, and many more reasons. Smart businesses are pulling out.

The banks that hold those assets, loans, and notes are in for a brutal bust. And when that happens, we’ll all pay the price. Did we really need all those larger-than-life structures? Probably not. But in this country, bigger means better, right? Stay tuned…

FOTOFRIDAY: Where’s Caitlin?

Posted on: Friday, March 1st, 2024
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U of Iowa women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark finally—finally!—tries to leave the court after another record-breaking game, a gaggle of interviews, and umpteen autographs.

Yes, sports (and our appetites for them) have gone over over-the-top. Nonetheless, I defend the mania as a mini-Breakaway option, a suspenseful entertainment, and (we hope) an inspiration for the get-off-your-butt movement.

I will also admit to being a passionate U of Iowa fan, as I grew up in the Hawkeye state, had some terrific time at the school, and limit my emotional attachment to only 3 teams: The Iowa Hawkeyes (most any sport), the MN Twins, and whatever team my kids are playing for.

Still, my personal excitement and pounding heart was NOT prepared for the rock-show atmosphere of the sold-out IA/MN game last night. All to see Caitlin Clark, who’s broken just about every record, shot women’s sports to a way higher level, and did NOT disappoint.

She scored IA’s first 12 points in 4 possessions—never missing a shot—including the one from the center logo. She racked up 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. And she embraced her role as a role model, teammate, and good sport with grace and smiles.

Not bad for a 22-year old who grew up just a few hours of Iowa City. Best of all, she inspired and made hundreds (thousands?) of dreamy, screamy young hoopers happy. Me too!