Maxine's Senior Center

                       Lynn, Indiana.

Lynn is a town in Randolph County, Indiana with a  population of about 1100.  The lodge hall is now a senior center.

Monday Morning Coffee: Row Boat Thinking

Summer is certainly over.  The temperature this morning at the Today's Image World Headquarters was in the high 20's.  Fall has arrived and winter seems not far behind.  The wood fireplace is cranked up and heating the work space.

Time to plan for the coming seasons.  Wandering around the Midwest is fine for the Fall.  Will continue to photograph in the area as long as the weather holds up.  Several new places on the travel list, as well as, returning to a few earlier locations.

When the weather changes - i.e. Winter - time for plan B.  Usually this is when reviewing, organizing and editing images takes place.  Also a good time to return to the darkroom and print images gathered over the summer months.

Winter is also a time to plan and prepare for the coming Spring and Summer.  Whether to continue the ongoing project - Midwest - or to bring it to a close.  Whether to investigate and perhaps begin new ventures. 

Most of the recent photographs have been content driven.  The subject is what is important.  How and in what manner the communities and people of the Midwest are changing or not.  Yes, there is decay but there is also growth.  This decay/growth has been the driving force behind much of the recent images.  Content driven, not materials or equipment driven.

Images can be material/equipment driven.  This could be simply whether the image is black and white or is color.  Whether the result was produced by analog or digital means.  Each  representation has its strengths and weaknesses. 

Now photography is changing - big time.  Cameras are being left behind.   Smart phones, I-pods and hipster programs are common replacements.  Photographic prints are rare. Images are viewed on an electronic platform.  Don't see this changing.  Rather believe that it will continue to expand.

Might be a time for some "Row Boat" thinking.  In a row boat you make progress by looking backward.  You don't see where you are going.  You see where you have been.

 Time for Plan B:  Stop, Step Back and Rediscover.  This could take many forms.  Change  content, materials, equipment or process.  Return to an earlier way of working and expressing.  For some this would mean - dare I write it - Old School.  Not in a romantic way, but rather in an honest, direct and clear manner. Today with yesterday.

Have several directions in mind.  Need to process and decide which path to follow.  Still tuned, more to come.

                    

Stop N B Happy

                   Churubusco, Indiana

New Life

                   Union City, Indiana.

One of several Union City storefront churches.  The small close fellowship that they provide enable many to find a spiritual home.

$ Cash to Payday $

                                           Union City, Indiana.

Don't ask about the interest rate - you don't want to know.

Cheap and Maybe Good

                                           Union City, Indiana

Used computers are like used cars. Pay your money and take your chance.  Computer fax anyone?

Monday Morning Coffee: Abarrotes Y Taqueria

 

Normally Sunday is my day of wandering around Indiana and Ohio taking photographs.  This last weekend,  Saturday was the day.  Usually prefer Sunday's as there are fewer distractions - people, cars, dogs, etc.  Sunday was taken with other tasks - so Saturday it was.

On Sunday the bad news is that most stores and offices are closed. Am left looking in from the outside.  Saturday finds most - if not all - businesses open.

Decided to return to Union City.  Now this community sits on the Indiana and Ohio boarder.  A part of the town is in Indiana and another part is in Ohio.  For what it is worth, a single post office serves both sides. Go figure!

Not much has changed since my last visit.  Being Saturday, a bit more folks/ traffic about. Stopped a couple of times by people asking what I was doing, aren't the buildings nice, are you working for the newspaper, and must see so and so, as well as such and such. About then recalled why Sunday was a "good" day to photograph.  Oh, people have good intentions -  the Midwest polite way - just tend to break up the photography.

Around mid-afternoon, enough already!   Needed a break, and food seemed to be the way to go. Looked around then noticed a "Abarrotes Y Taqueria". 

                                                     Union City, Indiana.

 Mexican food is a favorite of mine. Walking in, it indeed was the real thing.  Dark interior with no fancy lights, tables, or other wall hangings.  Just a typical store/restaurant that could be found in rural Mexico. Heaven. 

In the back was a grill staffed by a woman who spoke no English.  Ordered in my limited Spanish.  She looked at me, walked away, and found another woman that spoke English.  Repeated the food request in English to her.  She spoke to the cook - in Spanish - and told me would be ready in a few minutes. 

Now a few minutes could be a few minutes or it could be several minutes or it might be longer.  Time is not a constant, rather - depending where you are and with - time is a variable. 

Opposite the grill a television  showing, in Spanish,  a Mexican League Soccer match. While the language was pretty much a mystery, the action on the field was not.  Immediately absorbed by play on the field, trying to catch a few words of description, forgetting about food, time and photography.

Suddenly, from the cook, SENIOR!

After taking the food package, walked to the front, paid  the English speaking woman, and headed for the car, thinking I would eat as I drove to the next location.

Opened the food package and immediately realized that there was no way to eat and drive. Too much food.  Pulled over and consumed half of the order. 

I have never had a better quesadilla.  Might be something to this Saturday photography, especially if I return to Union City, Indiana/Ohio.