57087--chair #13

[zyzyly]

Chair # 13 on an abandoned railroad right-of-way that follows the Sacramento River for a while before disappearing into a pear orchard. I've had the idea to take this picture since almost the beginning of the chair project. I had decided to shoot it on a particular day last year, but the day before, a local photographer was hit by a train and killed while standing on tracks taking a photograph of something. So I decided the time wasn't right.

It was my day off, and I took a drive down along the Sacramento river into the area they call the Delta. It's one of my favorite local spots--always quiet and isolated during the week. I stopped at a local winery to pick up a few bottles of wine. It was cloudy, but only rained a few drops the whole day.

I had some other adventures, but thought that maybe I should save them for the coming days when I will be trying to think of something to write about and what pictures to post. Like putting money in the bank. Sort of.

I did have an interesting encounter with another photographer at a community event I stumbled into by accident in one of the little river towns. She was photographing the event. I recognized her from some past event I had photographed for the alternative weekly. After this event was over, I went up and introduced myself and asked who she was shooting for. Turns out she was just doing freelance for a local paper. We talked for a while and discovered that both of us had a passion for photojournalism, both of us had set it aside a for a while to get a graduate degree (art history for her), and had both recently picked up our cameras again. We both thought that was pretty cool.

This music I'm listening to--Nick Drake. I had never heard of him until I took my big long drive across Canada back in 2005. I was in Toronto for a day or two--it was the only big city I stayed in during the entire trip. I was avoiding big cities. I was on my way to visit someone I had only met on Livejournal, ruralrob, who lived in a little town outside Toronto. I think he used to call the town "Nanookville".

Anyway, while I was in Toronto, I wandered the streets in the evening, not knowing what to do with myself. I ran across a record store and went inside. I've always found refuge in music. I browse the CD's and picked two out of the sale rack. I went up to pay for them, and the guy behind the counter looked at each individually. He picked up the first, which was OK computer by Radiohead and said, "this album changed my life."

He picked up the second, the Nick Drake, and said, "This album will change yours." He was serious.

I don't know that it did, but I do remember wondering if it would, and seeing the first glimpse of possibility that maybe my life actually could change. My days in Nanookville with ruralrob, his partner Meirion, and his dogs were the beginning of my healing journey. So who knows?



Toronto, August 11, 2005

Comments

[anita-margarita.livejournal.com]

Nick Drake, yes. he isn't for everyone. I like him very much but he is too.... (searches for right words)...you have to pay close attention to him, and his appeal escapes my husband. Mixed marriages.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about Nick Drake, although I can't articulate what it is about him either. But I do love listening to him.

[susandennis]

I miss Rob and Meirion and the dogs and their house and their trips to Toronto and that town with the pie festival. I think of them fairly often and wonder how they are getting along.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I do too. Bob writes regularly for the HIV website he edits, but it's not the same as hearing about their everyday life.

[gracegiver]

Stories like this are one of the many reasons I love LJ.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

Me too.

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

My visit to Nanookville was in 2006. Lovely place, great hosts. And exploring town was like visiting a set from a favorite TV series -- familiar, and I recognized people from Robbie's photos.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

It was! We had lunch and dinner in the little cafe and I got to meet a bunch of the people he had written about. all just as he described.

[kishenehn.livejournal.com]

It's too bad Bob gave up on us. I always enjoyed reading about his life ...

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I did too. His was one of the first journals I followed, and always one of my favorites.

[duccio.livejournal.com]

Does the counselor who you were sending the Chair pictures too still relieve them and comment about them?

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

l still send them to her and she almost always writes back encouraging me to take more.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

She wrote me a long reply to the picture I sent, giving it a very positive critique. I don't remember if I mentioned that she is a very accomplished artist. Her work is spectacular.