Deland now and Arcadia from a while ago

I’m in Deland visiting Judy and David. Here are some things that happened today: I watched the whole second season of Fleabag- it was excellent (and I’m trying to be happy about this rather than feel guilty), worked on design stuff at coffee shops, prayed the evening thunder storm wouldn’t turn into a tornado, got water in my camera. Like, in in my camera. There was some spastic involuntary shutter sound happening. I am not panicking because I’m too tired. I’ve decided I will put it in my car tomorrow and let it get super hot and then everything will just dry out. Seems logical. I don’t know if someone who knows about cameras would recommend this course of action but that’s what’s going to happen. I’m choosing not to think about how this could derail my whole trip.

Judy in DeLand, originally from Canada.

Rodeo in Arcadia. This is the Grandaddy of them all - that’s the official name of the rodeo. I think it happens once or twice a year. It was Sunday, there was prayer, afterwards there was a statement about how everyone is welcome, but, you know, it didn’t really feel that way. I don’t usually feel uncomfortable in new situations, unusual situations and I felt a little uncomfortable here- lots of very cool and nice people- but there was a general din of…aggression, don’t tread on me happening. Is it because I’m older and the camera makes it seem like I have a real job- I don’t, people! No worries there- and that I’ve been hired to take the pics for someone specific, like an animal rights organization? Am I being paranoid? I don’t look like a student just messing around, easily ignored. Also, it probably doesn’t help that I did tell some ladies I was shooting for an alumni magazine and couldn’t remember any colleges in Florida and said UFC. And they acknowledged it and nodded their heads, but there’s no school here with those initials, and as I walked away I heard them asking each other where UFC was. So, I’m sure I’m not helping my cause by being shifty about what I’m doing, but I did think that since I was already where I wasn’t supposed to be- behind the scenes because a very nice lady lent me her badge- it’d be better for me to be shooting for something official rather than just myself. Right?

This is kind of a crappy event, I mean, I guess most, all, of these events are pretty shit for the animals- but in this one, this little calf is released into the arena and two guys on horses come and surround him on either side and one ropes his horns and the other ropes his hind legs and I then when it goes wrong they pull too hard in opposite directions and this is a terrible thing to witness.

Always nice when the horse wins.

This cowboy was from Brazil, but lives somewhere in Florida now. Also, you’re about to get on a bucking bull, is it better to be sober or not so much? It seems not so much.

Wrist wrapping.

So, this is another event- it’s supposed to be fun for the kids- but, again, probably terrifying for the animals. What happens is they ask all children under a certain age, like twelve- to come down. Then they release three calves into the arena, these three calves are very cute and very excited to be free at last, until the kids - probably 50 or a 100? - are released, like hounds- and told to grab the ribbon that’s been lightly affixed to their tails and the first ones to grab it win a prize. So, at first, the calves are curiously running towards these still (ish) children and then the kids take off towards the calves and immediately you see the panic in their eyes as they do a 180 and attempt to run back towards the gates that just released them. But it’s no use, children are crazy little monsters and they’re no match for the promise of a prize of a twizzler or shoelaces or whatever was being given away, and they quickly get surrounded.

Cowboys just hanging out til it’s their turn at their eight seconds of fame. RIP Luke Perry.

Florida friends

It’s no secret that Florida has been a difficult place for me to leave. This US trip has really lingered down here, and just when I make up my mind to leave, something or someone else interesting and curious makes me want to stay a little longer. Also, the weather makes it very easy to be a lingerer - until it doesn’t and instead when you’re sleeping your car feels like a coffin in which you’ve been buried alive, gasping for air that’s thick and humid- but that only happened once.

All the photos below and all the ones that’ll follow are the reasons I haven’t yet left.

Meple and Noeli in Little Havana. I met these guys at the airbnb where I was staying, after multiple attempts to leave that week- packing my bags, packing my car, exploring the area, deciding it was too late to leave and I’d leave the next day, calling Julio and asking if I could just stay one more night- repeat, repeat, repeat, and then an invitation to his granddaughter’s birthday party, where I met these guys and learned of a magical apartment building in South Beach where they all live.

Guille, Noeli, Amaya in South Beach. After I finally left Little Havana, only because someone else had already booked my room at Julio’s, I meant to leave Miami…but stayed a little longer to hang out with these guys in the magical apartment building.

Puppy Academy

Also known as Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto, Florida. I took a tour one Friday morning a couple of weeks ago and learned that this is a state of the art facility for many reasons, though the only one I can remember is that it’s because they conserve energy by not turning on all the lights in every building at full power if the space isn’t being used. Also, it’s very clean, and it is fully funded through donations, they get no government support. I made many people uncomfortable by crying (not unusual) through most of the tour, because, honestly, it’s overwhelming how cute those guys are and what important jobs they’re being trained to perform and how many people they’ve helped.

Getting snugged while vitals are being taken. Actually, I don’t know what’s happening here, I made that up, I don’t know why the puppy is on the table, this was before the tour.

The sleepiest, sweetest little buddies. I think someone said they’re 6 weeks old.

Sleeping on an outer space pillow.

Needs a spa day.

Puppy preschoolers and puppy kindergarteners. Gulp.

Playground with purple worms wearing boots!

Look at that one guy in the back, curious and ready.

I think this one got a weekend pass to go home with this volunteer.

Puppy Kindergarten. Gulp.

Waiting for a guide dog in training to come out. Above was the first attempt, but she had to go back because she was too excited.

Single and ready to mingle.

An homage to Instagram’s Subway Hands. These guys were sweet.

Oh, I just remembered the other state of the art element is the veterinary care! The vet combines eastern and western medicine to treat the dogs and also, unrelated, hip dysplasia has been pretty much bred out of them. I believe this is all mostly correct.

Sprinkles dog. If you donate enough money you can get a dog a statue- that stays at the school- and a local artist decorates it according to your vision. This was by far the best one, maybe that’s why it’s in a building protected by a glass case?

These were stuffed in a closet like a dirty secret.

Recess!

New friends

Alex “Lucky” and Mark- brothers from Thailand. St. Petersburg, Florida. I met them on Monday and returned Tuesday to take this photo of them. More pics of them to come.

Tonight in Tampa

Well, not tonight, a few nights ago in Tampa in the Seminole Heights Neighborhood- best neighborhood in the city.

Got my sunshine

I’m working at Starbucks and it’s a gray, slightly melancholy day, and Got My Sunshine by Mojave 3 is on. It instantly took me back to the days I worked behind the counter at Starbucks and I played Excuses for Travelers on repeat - not at Starbucks, but in the rest of my life. How I loved that album and I know it’s not a novel thing to say- but it so well reflected my state of mind then. And this morning it reminded me.

So! It’s the weekend and what does that mean for me these days? Rodeo time!

This might be the best image from last night. This is a family of horse riders who perform tricks in between the competitions and usually that small boy rides two horses - AT ONE TIME! His other worldly look of determination and the other two horse stunt looked like they’d fit well in Twin Peaks.

At first I thought he was a tiny man, but he is a child. Here he is waiting and contemplating.

And in the arena.

Hot too too hot

It’s hot.

I took lots of photos on Saturday. About this I’m super happy. The first were a couple that I love and whose podcast I’ve listened to since they started in 2005- it’s so wild that they happened to be here while I’m here, what a random and godforsaken place to meet. I was overly enthusiastic and kept telling them how crazy it was to meet them- over and over- and over- again. I think it was probably real annoying for them, but fun and amazing for me. On the way to meeting them at their hotel, I spotted a guy dressed in a Statue of Liberty costume waving a tax sign around- I love this time of year so much. I asked him if I could swing back around after my other shoot and he said, yeah, whatever. So, I did. I was hot as hell. My armpits were tiny fountains and the shine on my face could guide ships home. He was still there and he was great. His name was Ze’van. He told me that he’d just moved here from St. Louis, MO five months ago and that he wants to play basketball. He wore an amazing diamond pinky ring that looked like a bow and said it was his mom’s. And he agreed that Orlando was a pretty terrible place.

Then I went to an Ethiopian restaurant feeling satisfied with the amount of shooting I’d done, thinking I was hungry and forgetting I was still full from a large breakfast. The best part of this is that the lovely waitress let me take her picture. She’s Ethiopian but moved here 7 years ago from DC and… loves Orlando. It’s fine, because the owner does not. I seem to have left all of her identifying info at the restaurant, so I can’t provide a name just now.

Overall a satisfying day. Also, another thing I like about Orlando: the lizards.

Baby Steps

This is more like a tweet, but it’s so exciting it deserves its own post: I made a campground reservation for one night at the end of March at the Bahia Honda something something state park somewhere in the Keys! Apparently the busiest state park in Florida and when the lady on the phone hung up, she said good luck getting a reservation, you’re gonna need it. Anyway, now I’ll just have to get down there somehow. I mean, I know how, but you know- the rest of the stuff. I feel relieved that I have a plan to leave this special ring of hell.

Orlando

I wanted to call this post Orlandon’t or more accurately in my case- Orlandoodoo, Orlandookie, I’m sure there’s more- a reference that is more personal than globally accurate- but that’s not entirely fair. Orlando isn’t terrible, though it is everything I imagined- which is an airless strip mall city- (reference for this is the movie Florida Project), but also a tiny bit more pleasant and interesting- again the strip malls and roadside motels- they’re a throw back and fit so nicely with the vision of motoring through Florida- (reference for this is also Florida Project). It is the kind of city that I’m happy to pass through- quickly, without stopping- as a passenger in a car, overwhelmed by the sprawl, immediately tired by all that sun. It’s miserable when I’m the driver trying to navigate this maze and also when the driving is non stop, the stopping from the traffic is non stop, and also when the aforementioned sun is out in full force- even when it’s not out in full force, it’s too much. I have not walked much here, I’ve driven to places to walk, I’ve walked out of the house to get into the car, but I haven’t walked out of the house to a place, accomplished a thing, and walked back. The charming and unexpected aspects of Orlando include: lots of trees! There are lots of trees with Spanish moss- as one guy from Puerto Rico said- trees with hair- and also lakes, so it’s not just concrete and Disney plastic- there’s some lovely nature. Also, I just discovered that the library delivers books to your house!

The adventures here have been minimal so far. I’ve mostly been finishing up some design projects and trying to get the courage to do some car camping, and by courage I mean - a thing I’ve learned about myself is that I really like having a bed and a bathroom and I’m less excited at the thought of not having them. Another thing that’s been odd is I haven’t really talked to a lot of people here. No random conversations which I love so much, and that probably affects my outlook on this city- because I’ve loved the crappiest places when I’ve met and chatted with the people who live there. So, the sour Orlando outlook could easily switch with one solid conversation. Also, this weekend promises a rodeo in Arcadia. And, get ready- there will be lots of photos! That will live in my camera and will probably take 6 months to land on this here blog. JKJKJKJKJK. Not really. Really. Ok, byeeee.

Ho Ho Ho

Smokey doesn’t know about this guy, but I definitely know I like seeing Santa surrounded by palm trees!

Aaand, also from December 24.

New four legged buddy

I have a new friend for a little while. He’s quite handsome and I think maybe a good guard dog, though I also think he might expect me to guard him.

So. I wrote this on December 24- just over 2 months ago and the day before all hell broke loose. I don’t know why I didn’t just hit publish then- I guess I felt like I needed to write more than 2 sentences.

Fried Okra and Cinnamon Gummy Bears

There’s nothing more to say about that except that while driving through Arkansas I stopped to get gas and I was delighted to find that in addition to selling fried chicken, they also had fried okra- my favorite! When I asked if that was indeed fried okra- it’s hard to be sure under all the breading- the lady confirmed and asked me if I wanted to have some- not buy it- but like we were friends and I was at her house and she would give me some because it looked good to me. Yes! (I mean, she charged me, but yes! Of course I will have that fried okra) and that, combined with an entire bag of cinnamon gummy bears, was lunch.

Pico de Freako- more Albuquerque and other things and places

So, the days are flying. I’ll stop complaining or explaining how difficult it is to write about my day at the end of the day, but just know when there’s a post every 3 or 4 or 5 days, it weirdly is.

I’ll start with where I am: Eureka Springs, Arkansas and where I was last time I wrote: Albuquerque, New Mexico. And all the places in between: Colorado and Kansas. It’s been a week or more and so much has happened- so many miles covered. So many back and forth miles.

I’ll try to do a rundown in photos of these lost days later.

Tuesday night I’d been longing to stay in a hotel and when I thought my Airbnb host had been murdered, I had the perfect excuse. I stayed in a funny place belonging to the University of Arkansas called the Inn and Carnall Hall and my room had a king sized bed which felt like my own personal sleep island. Despite the amazing bed, I didn’t sleep that well, but that’s on me and my poor sleep habits rather than the place or the bed and its super soft sheets and perfectly firm mattress.

When I woke up it was raining, it was like the weather gave me a pass on exploring and was telling me to just get on the road- the goal was Memphis (or Oxford)- but as I was checking out, I couldn’t resist asking the front desk lady if she had any recommendations for places to visit between Fayetteville and Memphis (or Oxford). Yes, I am telling this story in real time, and yes, she did have a recommendation.

I was almost hoping she wouldn’t say anything because the biggest struggle for me has been staying on track. When I drive during the day, it’s hard not to want to stop every 10 minutes and explore and take pictures. It makes the progress a little slow. But how could I just get on the road and drive for 4 1/2 hours when there was a place called Terra Studios 30 minutes away waiting for me? And still I told myself, I’ll just swing by, it’s raining and I’ll be on my way in 10 minutes. Nope. So, here where I should have all the words to describe the fascinating place that is Terra Studios and why I spent 2 hours- or was it 3?- I am at a loss for words that do that place justice and need the crutch of my photos- which will come…soon.

A thing that happened there: I met a lovely woman named Teresa, she took me around and told me the history of the place and she let me take her photo- her face is so open and full of joy- and she gave me a medicine bag that she’d made to hold the small precious things I collect on my trip. I hope we see each other again. This is yet another place I’d like to re visit and spend more time and set up my backdrop and take photos- I think it’s time to start a list. Also, she was the second person to tell me I had to visit Eureka Springs- which is an hour in the exact opposite direction of my goal of Memphis (or Oxford). So, of course I went.

It was a foggy and kind of mysterious feeling drive and I listened to Trailer Bride on the way up which was perfect musical accompaniment because it lightened the mood while maintaining the tone. The other person (at the Fayetteville Whole Foods!) that had told me about Eureka Springs said that every hotel there was haunted- which is a thing I hate- but he said it with such zeal and that combined with his failure to actually describe the place only to say I had to see it for myself- piqued my curiosity. But I wasn’t convinced until Teresa confirmed.

So, yes, Eureka Springs is old and windy and built into the mountain and some people say it’s a hippie town and others say it’s a biker town. I don’t know what a biker town is, but it sounds fun- more interesting than a hippie town - if not as docile. And I still don’t really have the answer. It was mid afternoon when I got there which combined with the season and the weather meant I had about an hour before it got dark. I walked up the hill to the one place that took over my imagination and terrified me when I first learned about Eureka Springs 24 hours earlier- the Crescent Hotel. Like I said, I don’t like ghosts and I don’t like ghosty things, but, for some reason, I felt like I should just go up there and get it over with. It was fiiiiine. It is big and imposing and I wouldn’t stay in any of those rooms for any amount of money- well, any amount short of paying off my entire student loan debt, but I would be wide eyed and awake the entire night. Or I’d take sleeping pills- I don’t know which is better. I didn’t know what to do when I got there, really. I didn’t want to try to feel anything (so why am I there). There was a sign for an observation deck at the top, and as I went outside to observe - basically nothing because of the fog- I imagined that the balcony would mysteriously break and I’d fall to my death. This wasn’t a premonition, this is just the usual terrifying worst case scenario conclusion that I’m blessed to reach in any and most situations. It’s an over active imagination on the wrong end of the scale. Could I think about cool things and winning lots of money and traveling to amazing places? No, I think about mysterious forces plotting my demise.

Anyway! The observation deck. Out there I found a couple from Missouri, with a tiny chihuahua dressed in a sweater. They love the hotel and have a goal to stay in all the most haunted rooms. Despite not asking for any specific details at all, please- no details, they eagerly told me about their experiences staying in the evil doctor’s room and the mysterious pacing they heard- and other things I’ve since blocked out. But, it was fine. They say the ghosts are pranksters in the after life despite spending their time on earth as tortured mental patients on whom experiments were performed by the aforementioned evil doctor whose name I can’t remember. In conclusion, I liked them- the couple. And I may even like those ghosts. They lightened my mood about the place. As did the cotillion/wedding party in the lobby.

I walked back down the mountain and set out to find a place to sleep for the night. I’ll save the back and forth and analysis and internal deliberation about finding the right hotel and just say I finally settled on a Best Western which was truly everything I wanted. A bit out of date, very clean, and mostly quiet. But bright and surrounded by other guests so I didn’t feel like I was living the Ozarks (or is it Ozarka?) version of Twin Peaks.

I’d planned to grab something to eat that evening to check out this mysterious biker/hippie town but as I sat in my car chatting on the phone, I opened a brand new very full bottle of water which spilled directly onto my crotch thus cutting my evening short. It was ok because I was pretty tired and the weather and I were both wet, and I was generally ready to get in bed and write this post. Which I’m finishing 2 days later in the Memphis Whole Foods (On this great journey across the States, I’ve spent as much time as possible in Whole Foods- they are to me what McDonald’s in the 50’s must’ve been- a -mostly- welcoming and familiar face). So, mission started but not completed.

The title of this post! It comes from Whole Foods in Albuquerque. While looking for some salsa for my breakfast burrito, the guy at the burrito bar offered me some pico and then expounded- pico de freako. I loved it so much and I can’t stop whispering it to myself.

Albuquerque, NM

Also known as the continuation of double pants weather.

And otherwise uneventful. So far. I know there’s good stuff here, but maybe we’re spending too much time in coffee shops working and not enough time exploring. Yesterday we…worked and then we peeled ourselves away from our computer screens and went to Old Town. On our way we found a giant souvenir store of Mexican tchotchkes on the old Rt 66 called Camino 66. Cute enough, here are some things we heard: on repeat, ‘we are here to serve’, in fact because we were convinced it was a front for the drug cartel, I looked up their reviews online and that is also their one response to all positive comments. Their response to negative comments - and all negative comments are complaints about being followed closely by various men with ear pieces who work there- is some variation of ‘customer service is our passion’.

Next stop, Old Town! It’s like the Colonial Williamsburg of the Southwest except they’re not as committed to really taking you back in time- old square, new shops. I imagine there are historical aspects of it, but we were there long enough to grab a bite to eat and notice that there’s a ‘Breaking Bad’ tour that’s widely well received and though I don’t know anything about the show I was up for it- except it costs $80 and I consider myself to be on a budget except for when I drop $90 on dinner. I also noticed a convent, I don’t know that it’s functional, but it’s my dream to one day live in a convent. Not really, it just seems simple and peaceful and full. I guess it probably says more about my state of overwhelm.

Best part of yesterday- all the cute little houses and equally charming shrubby scrubby trees. We did a lot of walking from our one Airbnb to town to our new Airbnb so we’ve gotten to know that area and the Sawmill District very well though I still don’t really know very much about the history of that spot. Who’s reading this? Anyone…anyone? Can you tell me about the Sawmill District if you’re reading this and you’ve got some extra time on your hands? Gracias.

*photos to come—also, I wrote this 5 days ago and only now just published it- so, the date should really be 12/7 because New Mexico feels far away as I sit and type in a coffee shop in Wichita, KS this morning.

Lots of travel, not a ton of writing

I really want to keep this as a visual diary, but I’ll freely admit that at the end of the day I’m tired and just want to zone out- no matter what. Even if I’ve spent the day doing something I love, like taking photos or exploring. Editing photos, writing a thing- a well (or decently or somewhat) edited - not rambling- thing require a focus that encourages procrastination. Well, no more.

Yesterday we drove from Denver to Albuquerque, NM. I have my travel buddy back for the week and our exact destination is unclear. The only concrete things are he’s leaving from Denver on Monday and I have to be in Sarasota, FL by the 18th. Warmer climates!

On our way south from Denver we passed through a super charming somewhat frozen in time town called Trinidad in Colorado. I could see all the possibilities for photos there- I would’ve loved to set up the backdrop and get to know some people, but we were there for an hour so my photos are mostly void of people. We stopped at a great bar called Moose’s and we nearly stayed for the trolley tour of the Christmas lights.

It’s hard to see the Trinidad sign on the mesa- is that a mesa?- but it’s a nice way to announce the town.

Travel buddy! Cool old ads!

Oh, hey cowboys.

I know this seems like a real blah picture and it kind of is, but that light in the west shining down that main street was pretty phenomenal, I didn’t really do it justice, but I want to remember it.

And one more! This is the photo that makes it seem like I got into a time machine and found Trinidad.

First post, not the first day

Hi, hello. I’m in the Twin Cities! I’m blogging about it, mostly visually.

Here we go:

These are some of the lovely people that gave their time and let me take their picture. With some we talked about home and what it means- that was the initial idea when taking these pics- but sometimes home doesn’t even come up and instead we talk about what they’re doing and the cold weather.