That was that…

“that” having been the at times queasy uneasy 2023-sy…but ending it at Wall Spring in Winter as long as you dig winter as much as dogs and Bruce Haley do was just about right although

the lack of snow all the way to the end of the year was definitely disconcerting.

The last day’s morning came up smoky-looking and strange on the Smoke Creek and

like Bruce, whose work Lee Saloutos introduced me to just before Christmas, I like winter a lot

even though those two, more dedicated to photography, communicate it way better than I do

but here is here and here

it was the last day of the year, an arbitrary landmark if ever there is/was one. Nonetheless for

that, my 81st New Year’s Eve, we had pizza, a very nice champagne from B. Moore, and were

up at least until midnight in Omaha…then woke to a brighter day,

the brightest day yet; t-shirt weather in the kitchen doing the first watercolors of the year,

a year I fear promising more unrest to come, um.

11 thoughts on “That was that…

      1. Fred Kolo

        Your fine photos come close to convincing me that the lack of snow is really not a big deal, I’ll go back and look at them all several times more to keep me feeling that way. Nice!

        Reply
  1. gregg renfrow

    My mom always said to expect the worst, and in doing so, we will be prepared.

    That is ridiculous, even considering the source — the nervous mind of a roman catholic.

    (sorry mom)

    Reply
  2. kirk moore

    I’m not complaining, but often it takes me a long time to read your blog.
    This one, for example, with that first link to Bruce’s “Winter” book (truly excellent photography!) and then to Stray Pets Films took up at least 30 minutes. Finally I got back to your blog and thoroughly enjoyed your winter@wall photos (although snowless). They exude the stillness or perhaps calm (before the storm) of a New Year. Yes, there will be plenty of stormin’ in 2024 (it would be nice if it was only snow, but I suspect drought induced wildfires, A.I. conflicts and fake news will be acomin’). But wait… I’m not done yet; a wander into Lee’s website took up more time. All well spent though. Thanks for the update from “out there”.

    Reply
    1. mikesmoore Post author

      See though, it’s not MY fault if you click the links! But some pretty good stuff in there, or I thought so…

      Reply
  3. Steve Stern

    There is some good stuff, but I think your pictures show a more common landscape devoid of life but not covered with picturesque snow. And, wow! What a spectacular house. The eastern side of the Sierras is pretty general. Do you know where it is?

    Reply
    1. mikesmoore Post author

      I haven’t seen Bruce’s books [yet] but really dug the landscapes around him in the film…places I once knew well. Well, a lot of them, anyway. As for snow, oh boy could we use some of that picturesqueness this year. So far anyway; maybe it’ll come – I see the Caltrans cameras are all covered with it this weekend. Lee’s house is a little south of Reno, within sight of the airport.

      Reply

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