THE FREEDOM TO TAKE AN ARMY OF PHOTOGRAPHS

We probably don't spend much time thinking about our freedoms because we are free. If we see a train or a plane and feel like capturing it with a snapshot, we just snap the picture.

When we go on vacation or off on a weekend getaway, we take our cameras and film--unless we have switched to digital. We go armed to shoot an army of photos of almost anything we want to shoot. Great! Yes, it is. Those planning on going to the Olympics in China in August might want to check with the Chinese embassy about what equipment one will be permitted to take. And one can assume that briefs will be held for arriving throngs of tourists about what they can photograph and what they cannot photograph. Count on it. Does a dog howl at the moon?
How sad it would be if we had to plan our vacations around the state regulations governing vacations. But that is simply the tip of the salt mine.

What if vacations were not approved by the state? Oh, some might say, "we would protest 24 hours a day 7 days a week and 365 days a year..." And of course, that was the last we saw of them," stated Feargov Negatovkoopoff, a neighbor who was held in high-esteem in the commune because of his ability to remember small details about his neighbors and their investments before democracy was outlawed by a new President.Of course we are still enjoying democracy, but think about what it would be like if we were ruled by a dictator.........Any photos of old buildings that were abandoned and boarded would most likely be off-limits for numerous reasons. If you take a moment or two you will probably figure out what some of the reasons might be.

Thankfully, freedom to photograph old depots that have been closed since 1965 is a freedom we still enjoy. (Old depot in Central City, Colorado; photo taken in 1969)

PHOTO LOVE POEMS FOR LOVERS ONLY

WE LOVED EACH OTHER FROM THE MOMENT WE MET, ONE DAY IN LATE FALL OF THAT YEAR IT SNOWED ALMOST EVERYDAY UNTIL THE FIRST OF APRIL, SO MUCH SNOW, SO MUCH SNOW AND NO SNOW SHOVEL, REMEMBER? REMEMBER HOW MANY TAXI DRIVERS LEFT TOWN BECAUSE THEY CLOSE THE CAMPUS DOWN AND THE ONLY LIQUOR STORE IN TOWN RAN OUT OF VODKA FIRST, THEN COLD DUCK, BUT WHO REALLY CARED? NOT US, WE HAD EACH OTHER AND A CELLAR FULL OF BOOTLEG RUM AND THUNDER ROAD MOONSHINE, TWENTY SACKS OF PORTLAND CEMENT, FIVE FIFTHS OF OLD GRANDAD, SEVEN GALLONS OF FOUR ROSES, A KEG OF BLATZ, SEVEN MOGAN DAVID TABLE WINES, RAILROAD CHINA FROM THE LANDLORD'S UNCLE NOBODY KNEW WE HAD. TWO DOZEN BUTANE LIGHTERS, ENOUGH OVERDUE CAMPUS LIBRARY BOOKS TO KEEP US READING IN DAYLIGHT AND MAKING LOVE BY THE FIREPLACE, REMEMBER? REMEMBER THAT WAS THE WINTER THE CAT HAD KITTENS UPSTAIRS UNDER THE GUEST BED NOBODY EVER USED. WHAT YEAR WAS THAT ANYWAY MY DEAR? WHAT YEAR WAS IT WHEN WE STOPPED DRINKING AND DIED OF BORDOM ANYWAY?