Labor Day (USA)

 A fun fact:

September 2026: photo by Cliff Hutson

September 7 is the latest date Labor Day can mathematically occur under its statutory definition, i.e., the first Monday of September.

Workshop Companion Notebooks: photo by Cliff Hutson

I am making a very long weekend of this holiday; so rather than natter on I am going to refer you to what I feel is the best post I have written about it.

A fun quote:

“One is not idle because one is absorbed. There is both visible and invisible labor. To contemplate is to toil, to think is to do.”

- Victor Hugo

Moonrise, Los Angeles, California

 Good Artists Copy; Great Artists Steal

Moonrise - Los Angeles, California: photo by Cliff Hutson

*The expression "Good artists copy; great artists steal" has been attributed  to many people. Most famously, perhaps, to Pablo Picasso, but also Steve Jobs among others. I mention this in a vain attempt to compare myself to Ansel Adams. 

While I certainly was not thinking about it at the moment I took this photograph when I looked at at it a few days later I realized that it reminded me of a photograph that many many of us have seen over the years. So, that title became the inspiration for mine. Any other resemblance is nearly accidental, ,though it could be said that all creative work builds on what came before.

"More whiskey and fresh horses for my men!"

 A random internet quote:

Bourbon: photo by Cliff Hutson

I can not find a definitive attribution for this quote, but I like the sentiment. 

Time's Fun When You Are Having Flies

“The best time to go fishing is when you can get away.”

Box of Flies: photo by Cliff HutsonToday

Today, I exhibiting my weird sense of humor. But, it can also be true that time flies whether you are having fun or not; the older we get the faster it goes.

Feeling the Rain

Gray skies are gonna clear up

Raindrops on Freesia: photo by Cliff Hutson

"Some people feel the rain; others just get wet.” - Bob Marley

While I attribute the above quote to late, great reggae singer, Bob Dylan and Roger Miller have also been given credit. I am going to stick with Marley.

I have griped about rainy days in the past. But, I understand that, in life, feeling the rain allows me to appreciate the sunshine. Which I feel is the point of the quote.

Preparedness

 Projects

Five Screws: photo by Cliff Hutson



Be prepared, if a project calls for four screws. put five in your pocket.

Notable Quote

Tool Bag: photo by Cliff Hutson

"Failure is always an option."

Adam Savage

Birthdays

The Woodpecker

An xkcd cartoon

And, Me

He says that it is its birthday, it's my birthday too! Yeah!

Birthday Candle: photo by Cliff Hutson

Aging

"You know what they say, getting old ain't for pussies."

- Raylan

"Aging is really hard,” is clearly a sentiment expressed by a lot people.  And, I guess that it can be harder for some people than others to accept the changes that age brings. But, for most of us, being able to look on the right side of the grass is far preferable to the alternative.  

Western culture tends to try to ameliorate aging by looking for a magic bullet for health and longevity in a pill or bottle. Being proactive might be a better approach.  We may have some control over the behavioral aspects of aging. How we eat, exercise, think, and interact with others all have a strong impact on our biological health. But, as my Aunt Dagmar used to say; "Eat healthy, exercise, die anyway."

So, my plan for the future is to continue showing up as long as I can and making the most of each day.

What You See

Thoreau: photo by Cliff Hutson

Feeling Reflective

Reflection; photo by Cliff Hutson

Long Haul Dining

I am not now, nor ever have been, a long haul trucker. There were more than a few times when my late wife and I would fantasize about getting a conventional cab Kenworth and hitting the road as a team. But, we realized that it was probably not as glamorous as it seemed and kept on doing what we doing.

However, on our road trips we liked to eat where the truckers stopped. Some say that truck drivers frequent diners where the coffee is good. Others say that they just stop where there is room to park a big rig. We, in any event, usually found the food to be to our liking.

I still do, and present some of my standard fare:

Steak and Eggs

Skillet Steak with Fried Egg: photo by Cliff Hutson

Steak and eggs, another timeless meal. Most people probably think of this dish as breakfast, but like pie, it can be eaten any time of day or night. Many a long haul has been fueled with nothing else. Except maybe grits. And, biscuits. Don't forget the biscuits

Grits

Bowl of Grits: photo by Cliff Hutson

Grits is a food made from corn, or hominy, that is ground into a coarse meal and then boiled. Said to be of Native American origin, they are now most associated with American Southern cooking. They are a great side dish at breakfast, or whenever steak and eggs are consumed. 

Biscuits

Pile of Biscuits: photo by Cliff Hutson

George Bernard Shaw supposedly said, “The United States and Great Britain are two countries separated by a common language,” even though it is not found in any of his writings. However, the word "biscuit" certainly proves this conjecture. It is used, in Great Britain  to describe what I call a cookie or cracker. While, in America, it means a soft, leavened quick bread.

Some people say that they feel uncomfortable eating in truck stops as they don't fit in. This has not been a problem for me, as long as I did not try to sit in the "Log Room" or whatever area was set aside for truckers only. 

The one point of friction I have encountered is in ordering biscuits - which I prefer over toast or muffins, or any other bread product associated with breakfast. A surprising number of roadside diners seem to only offer "Biscuits and Gravy".   So, to get biscuits with my meal I order biscuits and gravy and have them hold the gravy. I do this with a little trepidation as it reminds me of a scene in the movie "Five Easy Pieces." 

Coffee

One More Cup of Coffee: photo by Cliff Hutson

Breakfast in the morning, of course, calls for a cup of joe. Other times of the day, that can be problematic. 

The Next Move

The next move is up to you.  If you are enticed by the call of the open road, eschew the chain restaurants and try a place where you see the big rigs. By the way, it is not all breakfast, you know.

Cheeseburger in Paradise: photo by Cliff Hutson

June 2018 Reading

The books that I finished reading in June 2018

June 2018 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

• “Black Betty,” Walter Mosley
• “Stiff Arm Steal,” A.J. Stewart
• “Offside Trap,” A.J. Stewart

Well, the year is half over and I have only read twenty-one books. That puts me well off the pace of my goal of sixty for 2018. I can chalk part of the reason for this to the amount of time that I have spent watching the FIFA World Cup. But, mostly it is due to encountering a bunch of proposed books that I find I have no interest in finishing. I am not going to let the probability of missing this goal to get me down. As, to paraphrase Miami Jones, once you start measuring something you enjoy it saps the fun out of it.

a·nal·o·gy

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

A Danish

Blueberry Danish: photo by Cliff Hutson

"A flute without holes is not a flute.
A donut without a hole is a danish."

- Ty Webb

Another Danish

Apricot Pinwheel: photo by Cliff Hutson

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My 15 Minutes?

Evening Primrose: photo by Cliff Hutson

"In the future, everyone will be world-famous 
for 15 minutes", Andy Warhol

There is little doubt in my mind that I will ever be world famous. It is also said that “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house."  However, two recent publications use images of mine. So, my name might gain the attention of a few people from time to time.

Rainbow Bridge National Monument Brochure

Detail - NPS Brochure: photo by Cliff Hutson

The National Park Service is using my photograph of an Evening Primrose in a brochure for the Rainbow Bridge National Monument.

Gilia capitata: photo by Cliff Hutson

Wildflowers of Southern California

Closer to home, my photo (above) of Gilia capitata appears in a guide to facilitate the easy identification of wildflowers - "Wildflowers of Southern California (Adventure Quick Guides)" by George Miller.

Field Guide: photo by Cliff Hutson

I think that this is very flattering as Miller is a professional photographer, and all but a relative few of the images in the book are his own.

A Good Reason and the Real Reason

A Real Reason

A quote I have been using quite a bit of late is: “A man buys something for two reasons: a good reason and the real reason.”

This hit close to home recently as was trying to organize some of my image files and realized that sometimes I buy a bottle of beer or wine just because I want to photograph the label.

That is the case with these first two photographs. The ale has been here for about three weeks and I have yet to try it. I did drink the "California Girl", which  is a pretty decent white wine.

Renegade Blonde Ale: photo by Cliff Hutson

California Girl: photo by Cliff Hutson

Another reason for the California Girl selection is that the image reminds me of a girl I dated when I was an undergrad. (I wonder if she has aged as much as I have.)

A Good Reason

The next two photographs were taken after I bought the wines for a good reason. They came highly recommend by someone whose taste I trust; and I am truly into Zinfandel. 

Old Vine Zinfandel: photo by Cliff Hutson

Grower's Reserve Zinfandel: photo by Cliff Hutson

These photographs are due to my following  Garry Winogrand's statement; “I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed."  Thus my work becomes sort of a diary. 

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Mudville

It's all over but the shouting

I Voted 2016: photo by Cliff Hutson

“Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children

     shout,

But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out”

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Jacaranda Season

Blue Jacaranda Blossoms: photo by Cliff Hutson

“Beautiful hands are as rare as jacaranda trees in bloom, 
in a city where pretty faces are as common as runs in dollar stockings.”
 - Raymond Chandler

Jacaranda Trees

It can be very difficult to discern seasons in Southern California. Temperatures can near triple digits in December as easily as they can in July. June days can be as cool as the ones in January. But, one “season” that is hard to miss is “Jacaranda season”. One of my favorite times of the year, due to its beauty of blue-violet flowered trees which line our streets and fill many public spaces.

Jacaranda mimosifolia, also known as the “blue jacaranda,” usually blooms in late May or early June, and the blossoms last for a few weeks. The trumpet-shaped flowers are an inch or two long, and usually five-petaled. They look good on the trees. I also think that they look great as a carpet on the ground. But, many complain of the litter gumming up the soles of their shoes. I will admit that the sticky flowers can also be tough on a car’s finish. Gardening guides recommend that these trees be planted well away from swimming pools or other high-maintenance areas.

Jacarandas, ubiquitous as they are, are not native to our area. The trees are indigenous to Northwestern Argentina and adjacent Bolivia into Brazil. Mature trees can reach 25 to 45 feet, in an oval canopy spread almost as wide as its height, with light green, fernlike, 10-12" long compound leaves with small oval leaflets.

Trivia lovers might be interested to know that a Jacaranda mimosifolia in Santa Ana is registered as a California Big Tree. It measures 58 feet high, with a trunk circumference of 98 inches and a crown spread of 73 feet. But, as I said, I think they look great in any size.

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Tidy Tips

Layia platyglossa: photo by Cliff Hutson

Layia platyglossa

Tidy Tips, Layia platyglossa, is an annual wildflower in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. It is native to California, but also found in Utah, and Arizona. Occurring in many different habitats, it is not uncommon to our Coast Ranges, Central Valley, Channel Islands, and southern coastal plain where it is a member of spring wildflower displays in meadows and grasslands in low elevation, dry environments . It is notably seen in Southern California on sandy flats along the coast.. Apparently tidy tips once covered vast expanses of the San Fernando Valley, but have been succeed by houses and malls.

Tidy tips blooms in Spring, typically flowering March to June. I think the common name suits it. Typical of the sunflower family, what appears to be a single flower is actually a cluster of small flowers. There are “ray flowers” that look like yellow petals, each with a  with neatly painted tip of white, which seems to have been trimmed with pinking shears. These flowers are complemented by numerous yellow “disk flowers” in the center of the floral head. Tufted, dandelion-seed-like fruits succeed flowering. The seeds of this plant are a favorite of birds. The leaves are are narrow, somewhat  rough-hairy with lower ones being lobed, while the upper ones are entire.

Layia is named for George Tradescant Lay (1799-1845), botanist on the HMS Blossom which visited California in 1827, while in search of the Northwest Passage.  Lay also botanized in Hawaii and Alaska, in addition to California. The genus name "platyglossa" comes from the Greek meaning "broad-tongued,"  referring to the ray flowers.

“Nature is garrulous to the point of confusion, let the artist be truly taciturn.” -  Paul Klee

Une Métaphore de la Vie

Une boîte de chocolats

A Box of Chocolates: photo by Cliff Hutson

Une très petite boîte de chocolats pour être sûr. Mais encore, "Vous ne savez jamais ce que vous allez obtenir."

Notice the Ordinary

“Notice the Ordinary” is the second thing listed in a small book called Fifteen Things Charles and Ray Teach Us by Keith Yamashita. It is an essay about Charles and Ray Eames.  The author makes the observation that by photographing and cataloguing the ordinary - such as seashells, the side of a building, or a manhole cover - they show us that the ordinary can make “a wonderful cast of characters”. 

This fits in well with a quote that I often refer to:

"To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” ~Elliott Erwitt

So, in pursuing this line of thought, I have embarked upon a personal project I call "Photo 365 - 2015". The idea is to take and post a photograph everyday of the year. I have done similar projects before, but this time I intend to mess around and do stuff that I most likely would not have shared in the past. The idea is to break out of the shell in which I have normally cast myself.

The year started with some food photography, a carry over from last year's project, "Dining In". That went really in my opinion. Not only did my food photography improve, my cooking did as well. The idea behind an activity like this is that I am not sure where it is going to lead me. That is probably a good thing in this phase of my life.

Thoughtful Quote

A flute without holes is not a flute.

A donut without a hole is a danish.

- Ty Webb