beginnings

endings are just beginnings



photos by Elaine A. Russell

Endings are beginnings, and beginnings are endings.... or so the axiom goes. I am not sure who said that.. but I have been thinking about it today.
Today we are going fishing with the hopes of getting a nice trout for supper. I also hope to get to Fezz's 1950's Diner (http://debbyjacks.com/menus/fezzsdiner.html) just outside of town to take some photos. And of course, get some fern photos if I can. It is really overcast again.. so it may not be possible.
Update to come later ~~


UPDATE: well --- we made it to the Diner, but as soon as I got there and started to take a photo.. the power went out. A huge thunderstorm with a tornado watch went thru with 80 mph winds. I got a cup of coffee.. but couldn't get anything else (as the power was out). Torrential rains came down. So --- no fishing.
I came back to town, and FINALLY found my husband's aunt.. I have been to her house several times, and thought I was just missing her. Turns out.. she has been in the hospital for a year, and another 16 months in an assisted living place. When I found her, we both had tears in our eyes. She is in her late 80s.. not sure exactly how old she is. She was working on a puzzle. Her mind is good, but her body is not co-operating. After our visit, I went and picked her a bouquet of sweet peas nearby, and took them back to her for her room.
By then, the storm had mostly passed. I decided that I would try to go to the woods anyway.. and hopefully get a shot or two of ferns. I went all the way past Cherry Springs and the great lookout.. and then down some side dirt roads deep into the heart of the Susquehanna Woods. Got some great photos.. and some awesome mist.
Coming down out of the woods, I stopped at my brother in law's house. I got to visit him and his new wife, his mother (who just had surgery) and is finally retiring from her full time job at the age of 76. I got out my ever-present fishing pole from my car and went fishing on their property. Didn't catch anything.. but the trout were certainly teasing me by jumping up out of the water and shaking their tails at me. My brother in law showed me a snake skin that he found near his basement door this am.. over 3 feet long. Said he didn't know where the snake was, but he was ready to shoot it if he had to. Ya gotta know Bill... .I can certainly see him shooting a snake in his basement.
Also got to visit with my nephew, his girlfriend and one of their daughters. She is adorable.
After that ... I drove into town and stopped quickly at Othmer's Pond. This is one of my favorite places. I remember when I was in high school I used to clean the main home there. There was a second home on the property years ago... the caretaker's house.. but it has since been torn down. As you probably guessed from it's name... there is a huge pond there. It is gorgeous, and not horribly deep in most parts. There is a little island near the middle of the pond. For years.. it was the place where everyone would go to skinny dip in the summer, and ice skate in the winter. It was once a doctor's elite home... but has passed thru several owners since.. and I have no idea who owns it now.. but it looks like it is now a high end retreat place. http://othmerpondestate.com/
Then.. back to my parent's house. It is late.. and I still have some laundry to do if I am going to head out tomorrow. There is supposed to be a county-wide power outage tomorrow. I probably won't be able to get my photos burned to cd from today.. but perhaps I will be able to get them done further on down the road somewhere.

new beginnings

-------------- ---------------------------------photo by Elaine Russell

After much introspection and with a heavy heart, I have decided to leave the Wooden Cow Gallery and Art Space. It is my fervent hope that they will continue to be a shining light in ABQ for all kinds of art, and I wish them the very very best.
Sometimes; it is just time to move on. I believe in the concept and ideals that were the initial spark of what is now such a fantastic gallery. Having been involved in the process since its inception, it is very hard to let go of something that has been so close to my heart. It has been a ton of work, but it has all been worth it in the end to be able to see something that started out as a dream, and see it blossom and become a stunningly active place that embraces all forms and spectrums of the art community.
I also know without a doubt that it is possible to bring such dreams to life.. and that is an encouragement to us all.
The last show was fantastic.. and it was wonderful that such a great artist, Ren Adams, was selected as the featured artist. As one of the creators of the Wooden Cow, she is an inspiration to us all that alot of work, and some very cool ideals can indeed become a reality.

New year... new ventures... constant inspiration.... This is going to be an interesting year.