THE DAY OF THE ESTATE AND REAL ESTATE SALE

THEIR IS NO THOUGHT AND CAREFUL PLANNING BEHIND THIS ILLUSTRATION. IT IS SIMPLY AN IMAGE AND NOTHING MORE.
THERE'S A CHAIR OR TWO, A COUPLE OF WINDOW FRAMES THAT WOULD LOOK GOOD ON ANOTHER WINDOW IN SOME OTHER SCENE. SIGNS ABOUT A SALE, AN ESTATE SALE. THERE ARE OLD FLOWER POTS, SOME BRAND NEW WHILE OTHERS HAVE TRACES OF OLD SOIL AND DIRT FROM GARDENS OF THE PAST. AND AMONG THE ITEMS SCHEDULED TO BE SOLD, A FEW BARS OF GOLD, OLD MEMORIES OF ANOTHER TIME BUT NOT ANOTHER PLACE. THE PLACE WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED, NO LONGER NEEDED, IT HAS GROWN TOO OLD. IT WILL BE SOLD. AND SO IT WAS AND SO IT GOES, TIME AND AGAIN, DAY AFTER DAY, UNCLES AND AUNTS PERSONAL ITEMS, NO LONGER NEEDED, NOT OUTGROWN, JUST NO LONGER NEEDED. THE AUNT USUALLY GOES LAST.

THE DOOR THAT WOULD NOT BE UNLOCKED UNTIL...

IT WAS THE DOOR THAT WAS
LOCKED FROM THE DAY
THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. HOW MANY MEN WOULD WALK ALONG THE ROAD TO FIND THE DOOR LOCKED, HOW MANY MEN WOULD DARE TO LINGER IN THE DAYLIGHT TO PRETEND A KEY WAS IN THEIR CHARGE? HOW MANY MEN WOULD DARE TO RETURN IN THE NIGHT TO GIVE THE DOOR A SECOND CHANCE TO OPEN EASY WITHOUT A SCENE OF UNEASY PRETENSE? WHAT TREASURES WOULD THEY FIND INSIDE THE ROOMS BEHIND THE DOOR THEY DARE NOT OPEN IN THE LIGHT? THERE IS NO NEED TO ASK THE MEN; THEY ARE NOT ALIVE NOW AND LIVED ONLY LONG ENOUGH TO ENTER IN THE NIGHT. THEY NEVER HEARD, THE STORY GOES, THE DOOR LOCK ONCE THEY WERE INSIDE. SO THE STORY GOES. I DO NOT KNOW. LIKE OTHERS WHO STILL WONDER, I WON'T EVEN PEER INSIDE THE DUSTY WINDOW PANES TO SEE WHATEVER REMAINS. BY ROBERT L. HUFFSTUTTER

IMAGES THAT ATTRACT EYE APPEAL

THERE ARE IMAGES THAT REVILE, IMAGES THAT INSPIRE, IMAGES THAT ENDURE AND IMAGES THAT SEPERATE THE BODY FROM THE SOUL. IMAGES CREATED BY LINES DIVIDE THE MIND INTO BALANCED QUARTERS, FORE, HIND AND SIDES. LINES LIKE THOSE OF KLEE, CHAGALL AND BUFFY ARE SO LINEAR.

PLAGUED BY POLITICAL JUNK

IT WAS MUCH MORE THAN A SIMPLE SPRING CLEANING THAT ARISES FROM ANNUAL SURGES OF ENERGY, IT WAS AN ACCUMULATION OF ALL THE VITRIOLIC TRASH THAT HAD ACCUMULATED WITHIN EACH NOOK AND CRANNY OF MY ABODE THROUGHOUT THE PAST FEW MONTHS OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING. OUT OF MY LIFE ONCE AND FOR ALL. I HAD THE NEWSPAPERS REMOVED BY MEN WHO WOULD NOT REMOVE SUCH RUBBISH WITHOUT ORANGE RUBBER GLOVES. I TOLD THEM IT WAS ONLY NEWSPAPERS THAT HAD NOT BEEN CONTAMINATED BY TOXIC FERTILIZER OR MARGINAL WEED AND INSECT SPRAYS. THEY CHUCKLED AND SMILED; THEY WERE MUCH WISER THAN MOST WHO DEALT WITH SUCH. "WORDS, JUST WORDS, " I SAID. THEY NODDED AND SAID "THEY ARE THE WORST, THE WORDS ARE THE HARDEST TO WASH AWAY NO MATTER HOW HARD ONE SCRUBS. WORDS, JUST WORDS, SO HARD TO WASH AWAY."

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)

INSIDE THE MIND OF AN ARTIST IN LOVE WITH LIFE

THERE IS WITHIN THE MIND OF ARTISTS A VARIETY OF THOUGHTS THAT TRAVEL UP AND DOWN THE SPINE, EACH ONE A PASSION OF SOME KIND, EITHER ONE REMEMBERED OR ONE JUST FOUND. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE ARTISTS EMBRACED ROMANCE FOR A FINAL TIME TO FIND THAT THE ROMANCE WAS NOT THE TRANSIENT TYPE BUT ONE THAT WAS MEANT TO LAST A LIFETIME.

WAXING PHILOSOPHICAL ABOUT CHECK OUT TIME AT MOTEL SIX

WORDS ARE IMPULSES, URGES, MOODS, EMOTIONS, MYSTERIOUS IMAGES IN THE SHADOWS BEFORE SUNSET OR SUNRISE; WORDS ARE NOISES, SOUNDS, VOCAL UTTERINGS AND EXERCISE, MOVEMENTS OF ARMS AND LEGS, YES--ALL OF THESE ELECTRIC CODES MOVING THROUGH FLESH AND BLOOD TO GANGLIA--NERVE ENDINGS. AND NERVE BEGININGS TOO, FOR SURE. WORDS, JUST WORDS, SOUNDS OF THE MAN AROUSED BY A WOMAN ON FIRE WITH DESIRES ONLY SATISFIED BY MATERNAL TASKS AND CHORES NOT YET KNOWN. THE SOUND OF THE WOODS IN THE DEEP OF WINTER WHEN FOOTFALLS ARE CRUNCHING AND FLATTENING NEW SNOW. ONE MIGHT WONDER IF THE TWO, SO DIFFERENT AND YET SO MUCH ALIKE, FIRST MET IN THE REFLECTING WARMTH OF A FIRELIGHT. AND WHO REACHED OUT TO DRAW THE OTHER THAT FIRST TIME? WHICH ONE READ THE RULES THAT FIRST TIME? AND WHAT DID THE OTHER SAY AFTER THE MULTIPLICATION DUTY WAS OVER? PERHAPS NO WORDS WERE SAID. INSTEAD, A LONG AND DEEP PRIMAL SCREAM COULD BE HEARD ABOUT A NOON TIME CHECK OUT HOUR, CHEATED ONCE AGAIN OF AN AFTERNOON NAP.