under the bridge by the creek

under the bridge by the creek
Originally uploaded by DharmaCrow

a layered composite of some graffiti greatly altered

A wonky idea, but maybe not....

This morning during my usual 'mind journeys' while I'm soaking in the tub, it came to me that when people marry they're in essence setting up permanent residence in a empty theater. No, not a movie house, not an auditorium, a theater, with the stage, curtains, audience area, the 'wings' and all that attendant stuff. It's also useful to finally realize (although you might not think so at the beginning..) that while the various rooms have doors, there are no locks on any of them.

Sometimes both of you will be on stage at the same time. Other times, one of you will be up there and if you're lucky the other will be out in the 'audience' section. Then there will be the frustrating times when you're up on stage and you partner is not watching at all, and in fact, is off in the wings somewhere fooling around with the props.

There will probably be long periods where not only the stage, but also 'the house' is dark and you'll be stumbling around feeling your way via a barely remembered floor plan. There will be shouting in the dark and requests to turn the damn spotlight off. If you want to forge some success between the two actors over the long haul, it's best if you 'accidentally' misplace the scripts you came in with backstage somewhere and learn to write a new one together.....

Okay. That's enough riffs on that for now.....

mandala of the woodland stars

mandala of the woodland stars
Originally uploaded by DharmaCrow

Since it's too wintry to go out 'shooting', I've been fooling with images I already have in my collection. This is a construction that evolved this afternoon out of something entirely different. Reminds me of an 'altar cloth'.

The virgin's robe

The virgin's robe
Originally uploaded by DharmaCrow

this is one from some work I was doing this afternoon. It was beginning to snow and there didn't seem to be any reason to go out. So I started fooling around. Another 'quadratic abstract' .

faint(er) messages from the dream realm

I just wanted to get down the scraps of the dream I had last night before it all faded away. There were three memorable components. The first was about some sort of visit to one of my sons, who seemed to be incarcerated in some sort of semi-penal institution. I went to visit him with a vague idea of getting him 'released'. ( I've no idea why he was there or anything..) Once I tracked him down inside the place he seemed peeved to see me, as if I should have either gotten there earlier, or not have come altogether.

After speaking to him, I went off to find the proper authorities to get him released. That part was sort of vague, but once I'd completed my negotiations, I went back 'inside' to track him down. Somehow, between the time I'd left him and the time I got back, he'd done something to get "time" added to his sentence, so he couldn't leave. Once I found that out, I figured there was little I could do now but come back another time. Since he'd managed to make trouble for himself again, there seemed little reason for me to hang around. He was mad that I wasn't going to try to wrangle his release, but I figured it was his own mess and he wasn't all that keen on having me there in the first place, so.... see ya later alligator. That was part one... probably the most rationally 'complete' of the three scenes.

I think the second part was related to the first, in that I believe I was trying to get back 'there' (wherever that was..) to see him again. However, my return method was little on the wonky side. I decided that I'd get there by going hand over hand on the overhead power lines strung between those big metal structures you see criss-crossing the country. Somehow I was convinced that would be the fastest way.

One of the interesting symbolic parts of this scene was the lines themselves. They were this sort of 'silver' color, rather than black or grey like they probably really are. I did manage to get up there and grab hold of the cables and start across, but was having some doubts about my strength and ability to make it to the next pylon. Of course, I didn't have these misgivings until I was already out there doing the old hand over hand thing suspended above the earth. I wasn't afraid of falling, (and didn't feel heavy) but I was being very tentative with my grip and the length of my reach.

Due to frustration about this, I finally just said 'fuck it' and started to really stretch out there as I was making my way across. Somehow, this was just what was needed and I shot across that expanse of cable faster than I thought would be possible for a mere human like me. I remember looking at the cable as I was traversing it and seeing that parts of it were stained. But the cable itself was not frayed or anything. It's basic integrity was very much in evidence, even though some parts of it were darkened. The only other significant thing I remember about this part was telling myself that I needed to get some gloves if I was going to continue my journey.

The third section of my dream was a little less linear. There was minor storyline about my having had to fix a hole in a car belonging to a neighborhood chum (from my childhood) that I'd borrowed and messed up somehow. So, I was in this big, old, messy hardware store back in one corner looking through their section that held the nuts, bolts, and screws.

The 'hardware' section where I was had a mix of drawers and packages on hooks. Things were scattered all over the place, and it was obvious that no employee had been back there in a long time to straighten things up or put things in order. Consequently, I was on my own in quest to find the right screw for the job. I knew what I wanted, but had to poke around in various drawers and bins, sifting through the mess that other people had left behind. Many of the drawers had various sizes all mixed together and I was trying to find some matching screws so that I'd have enough to do the job.

Interestingly, most of the hardware was of a good quality, a black carbon steel of nice hardness, and I knew it would do the job well if I could find the right ones. I was very reassured about getting the 'right stuff' even though it was not easy going finding what I needed. In the midst of my search, the owner/neighbor guy showed up to pester me about getting his vehicle fixed, and he was accompanied by his bleached blonde bimbo girlfriend. ( Based on the identity of this guy from my past and the presence of his companion, I've surmised that this was a representation of my 'id'. That part seemed pretty clear upon reflection after I woke up.)

After annoying the shit out of me, they finally left the store and I went back to my search. I had been 'thrown off the scent' by having to deal with them, and couldn't regain the concentration needed to continue my search for the right part. I was frustrated because I liked the quality of the parts I'd found, but was running out of time to get just the correct ones. So,... I decided to leave the chaotic, disorganized, but somehow comforting hardware store and go to a "Menard's" that was in a nearby mall. I remember thinking that their hardware section would be all neat and tidy and I'd be able to find what I had in mind, but that those lovely plastic packages all labeled and hung up on hooks would contain cheap metal screws made in China. Not only that, but I'd have to take what cheap low quality stuff they gave me rather than get just the type and amount (and quality) I needed. Man, is that metaphoric or what???

Anyway.. that's enough of that stuff. I just wanted to make sure I'd written it down so I could go back to it later.. All for now.

Wonder what he would have thought if I'd gotten out my video camera and started recording???

Since it's the first of the month, I decided to take myself out for a little supper tonight. ( For those of you who need to know, "Bob Evans" now features a big screen TV mounted over the counter. Serving alcohol, and making the 'waitrons' wear revealing outfits can't be far behind now..) But that's not really my story....

In my part of town, the "Bob's" is next door to "Borders", so I thought I'd go over there and check to see if there were new issues of the the magazines I'm interested in. After all, I figured, it's a new month, should be new issues. However, this particular "Borders" anarcho-style of store management is such that I'm never sure when they will decide to get the stuff on the shelf. Figured it couldn't hurt to look, and I was in no hurry to get home.

Usually, I check the various "Buddhist" mags, and then take a look at the photography mags. Mostly the ones that have real 'photography' on the covers rather than the latest camera model or lens-y gadget. As I was standing there paging through one of them, I could hear a guy blabbing away on the other side of the rack where the 'cafe' section of the store is. Not an unusual occurrence, since it is sort of a public gathering place over there. Unfortunately, for the rest of us, he seemed to lack the ability to moderate the volume of his voice, so everyone within 30-40 feet had to endure his conversation whether we wanted to or not.

My curiosity was piqued. (as was my annoyance level..) I peeked over the stand to see who he was talking to. Of course,.. there was no one in sight. Instead, he's wearing some set of headphones (covering both ears) that functioned as a telephone. He's got a bunch of books on the table and he's 'selling' them to some person on the other end of his (non-private) conversation. Due to the fact that he can't hear anything except the world inside of his head (I'll bet there's quite an echo in there...), he's shilling for the rest of us, too. But, dude, we're not really interested in your banter, and you aren't that slick.

I was hoping for a swift end to the spectacle, but he kept getting up and walking over to the 'bargain racks' (talking the whole time) and getting more books!!! What a treasure hunter!

Finally, I gave up, and removed myself from his vociferous vicinity.

After poking around the rest of the store for a while, I decided it was time to leave. When I got outside, I could see through the window that he was still 'at it', and oblivious to his effect on those around him. I wonder if he'd have gotten a bit more self-conscious if I'd gotten out the little video camera I carry in my coat and started recording... nah. Probably not. Besides, I was already outside.. ah-this modern world.