Photos
First, the beginnings of Smiling Dan’s new two car garage. The proud man is dressed in his work clothes.
Secondly, overhead shots of my neighbor in his colorful flying machine.
Lastly, the long awaited photos of our trip back to Latham, Kansas, to visit my father’s grave with friends and family. The younger folks are first cousins or spouses of, the two guys who look like me are brothers, the three who bear no resemblance are the Ruthenburgs, and the olders folks are aunts, uncles and spouses of. Of course, you all recognize Matthew.
The most ramshackle house is where my father lived with his six brothers and sisters.
I’m especially happy that Jeff, Karen and Travis made the trip because I can imagine years from now as paper copies of these pictures are pulled out, unlabeled,people will be dreaming up names and relationships for them.
This Flash format allows you to fiddle with all the controls, like turning off the music (Enya’s Watermark), or viewing photographic data and even fast forwarding through the images.
“The most ramshackle house” appears to have a stack of firewood that hasn’t rotted away from years of disuse. Has someone lived there since your father moved out?
Does your neighbor take off in his colorful flying machine from his backyard? Maybe you could prevail upon him to take pictures of your neighborhood with your camera, and post a few? (Or were these pictures shot from someplace else?)
Comment by rakkity — November 20, 2007 @ 5:39 pm
I believe he launches himself from a small airport in the neighboring town of Stow. He often buzzes his house, which is our tipoff that it is indeed him, though I suppose it could be some anonymous ultralight stalker. Maybe I’ll climb my roof someday and hand him my Nikon.
Many people have lived in that house since, though presently it is uninhabited. We walked past many no trespassing signs to get our close up view of the outside of the house, and I found an unlocked window which allowed some of us to enter the house. T’was a bit rundown inside, and on the kitchen table was the salted skin of what looked like a fox.
Comment by michael — November 21, 2007 @ 3:16 am
” ‘Twas a bit rundown … ” Always the master of understatement. And I wonder to how many of your varied tales you can add B&E for spice? More’n the one hand can digitize, I’ll bet …
Thanks for the visual chronicle — means a lot. But did you feel as dramatically wistful as the strains of Enya intimate? I like the seeming ease of everybody, the occasional faraway look more than outnumbered by direct-to-another regard. Looks like a very bonded gathering. Bravo for carrying through on the whole thing! We can add the saga to the litany of many things we admire about you.
Comment by adam — November 21, 2007 @ 8:41 am
P.S. When does Dan expect to have a finished garage? Always a dicey question to ask a contractor, I know, never mind asking one contractor about another …
Comment by adam — November 21, 2007 @ 8:43 am
You are right, it was more than, and I do have other inside photos but I’m hesitant to post them because they feel so invasive of whomever was living there’s privacy. That’s a No Duh!, ain’t it?
The comment of the moment came from Matt who called me into the bedroom and pointed out that in the guy’s closet hung clothes that looked just like mine. From the git go Matt was unimpressed with my new bought-just-for-the-occasion colorful plaid shirt.
And, yeah, I was tempted to suggest you turn the music off. It was way too funereal for how we all felt. I don’t want to say festive, but most definitely upbeat.
Comment by michael — November 21, 2007 @ 9:22 am
There’s another reason to go back to KMart to find your shirt!
Comment by Jen — November 21, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
I’ve decided I’d rather spend my money on beer at the Acton Jazz Cafe, but as you can see he does have a point.
Comment by michael — November 21, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
Wait, is that your closet, or his?
Comment by Jennifer — November 23, 2007 @ 10:31 pm