Old Photo #90 – Fred Karlenzig's Garage

Another Plum Coulee photograph.

Fred Karlenzig, among other things, was the last caretaker of the Plum Coulee Collegiate. I recall that he had a gruff presentation, but I always found him warm and kind. The perpetual cigarette (I think) and his Hitlerian moustache may have contributed to that impression in a shy boy. My hazy memory tells me that, when once I went to the bathroom with a migraine early on in elementary school, he emerged from his denizen – the boiler room – to offer solace.

During at least one summer, he hired me to cut grass on the school yard.

Mr Karlenzig's garage was 50 yards east of our house, just up the back lane. I believe it's long gone.

Old Photo #89 – Voyeur 36

This photo may have been taken the same day as yesterday's. Back then, the range of normalcy was somewhat more tightly distributed than it seems to be these days. This observation is not meant as a complaint, other than to say that there is comfort in familiarity, the known.

These women were neither known by me nor, necessarily, of my social milieu – but they characterized a post-war construct that afforded a sense of stability and predictability, all of which seems now to have passed us by.

Old Photo #88 – Voyeur 39

Self-portrait with John Giesbrecht (before I knew him) and time suspended.

The window of the old Birks building at the corner of Smith & Portage in Winnipeg. John (the preoccupied fellow on the far right wearing the Madras jacket) is/was a librarian with the Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre. We met about 15 years later as members of a business committee.

Old Photo #87 – Goatsbeard, on the Yellowstone River near Hysham MT

Ruth fell in love with a paint colour named Goats Beard while we were still in our last Winnipeg home. It was, I think, a Martha Stewart colour.

While on my ZAMM ride, I saw these massive seed heads (rather like dandelion gone wild) in the ditches of Montana. Upon my return home, some Googling turned up the name of the plant and the source of Ruth and Martha's inspiration.

Old Photo #86 – Flame-Out, Gordon, MB

An old Kodachrome shot. Underexposed, but brought into the realm of presentability thanks to the tricks in PhotoShop.

The con-trail disappearing into the setting sun actually cast a shadow that evening.

Old Photo #85 – Zeus with Bread Box, Brown Betty & Baseball Glove

Okay, it's not Zeus, but the rest is accurate.

This very fine friend – and not seen for about 30 years – is one Ken Zacharias, known as Zach to all and sundry back in the day. Zach was somewhat of a cause célèbre at University College (U. of Manitoba) in '70/'71 for his short film, "Why Don't We Do it in the Road." I met him a year or so later, after his girlfriend and eventual wife, Jacqueline Rodway, came to work at the judicial inquiry which employed me. We quickly became very close friends.

This little bit of zaniness occurred while on vacation in Detroit Lakes, MN.

Old Photo #84 – Aboriginal Dancer/'94

In the U.S. – and where and when this was taken – this young man was called an Indian dancer. I don't know that one term is more accurate than the other, as even this fellow's progenitors were not native to North America, if anthropologists are to be believed. Anyway, that's my rant about political correctness for today.

Taken during the closing ceremonies of the 1994 Jimmy Carter Work Project (Habitat for Humanity), a one-week, 30 house build in Eagle Butte, SD, reputed to be the second poorest reservation in the U.S.

Back in the '70s, the photography of Ernst Haas was often featured in magazines of the day. I admired his work of Indian dancers. Here's the first example that popped up in my Google search this morning: http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/3434733/Premium-Archive?Language=en-US

Old Photo #83 – Bert Freeman 1

I loved Bert. His weathered, canyoned postman's face told some of what lay beneath: humour, playfulness, caring... and some pain. He was easy to love. He gave so freely of himself – at least that's what my family experienced. He adored my daughter, Jill. She still has a gold-lump necklace he gave her when she was about 2 years old. She has love spoons he carved for her. And there he was in Bexhill-on-Sea and, we, in landlocked Manitoba.

He loved his seaside. He & pooch would head down most every day, metal detector and cigarette-making components in hand, for a spot of exploring. Then up to the local for a pint of Guinness and home to his shop in the backyard, where he fashioned jewelry out of what couldn't be salvaged as either coin of the realm or historic artifact.

Old Photo #82 – Redwood Grain Pattern

Found near one of the trailheads in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. October, 2005.

Old Photo #81 – Approaching System (at Speed)

Another photo from our eastward drive down U.S. Route 50 – the Loneliest Highway in America – in the fall of 2005.

Old Photo #80 – Between Brownlee & Oxbow Dams, ID

Flooded or not, there's beauty in Hell's Canyon. Taken on my July/05 ZAMM ride.

Old Photo #79 – Moss, Redwood National Forest

Taken in the fall of 2005 as part of my last ZAMM ride. The Redwood Forest is wonderfully mystical and soul-quieting place.

Old Photo #78 – Frosted Leaf

Long ago & far away, although not as ancients as old 78s.

Old Photo #77 – Turner Visits Sioux Narrows

Some years ago, preceding or following a sudden Lake of the Woods summer storm.

Unfortunately, Turner seems to have forgotten to remove his grid from the final piece – or I shot through the bug screen (again).

Old Photo #76 – Mandatory Full Moonrise

Every pair of hands holding a camera has, at one time or another, lifted its charge to the horizon as a full moon crested the cloudless horizon. This image, along with the recent Pileated Woodpecker shot and hundreds like them, should serve as a reminder to me that the bucket list (which is my default classification for time at the cottage) by its nature acts like a mining device: keep picking away at what the mundane and, periodically, you will dig up a rewarding nugget.

Old Photo #75 – Sevier Lake, UT, 2005

In the fall of 2005, Ruth & I took a roadtrip to complete my photography of the Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance route. On return trip included her introduction to The Loneliest Highway in America, U.S. Route 50 which traverses the desert between Carson City NV and Delta UT.

As we neared the end of our easterly drive, the sunset turned apocalyptic as we stopped in the Sevier Dry Lake basin.

Old Photo #74 – Pileated Woodpecker

Woody showed up at the cottage one day a few years ago. I had not seen a Pileated there previously and, to keep from spooking it, I shot through the bug screen – which is what has created the subtle linen effect of this image.

We have year-round Pileated Woodpeckers in the Ruth's Ridge area; with luck, I'll be able to photograph them soon.

Old Photo #73 – Peony-Glow Triptych

The peonies at the lake were particularly glorious a few years ago.

Old Photo #72 – Plum Coulee 34

Back to the Plum Coulee 75th anniversary.

Voyeuring the voyeurs.

Old Photo #71 – Abstract 45

Old Photo #70 – Abstract 40

246 Main Street in Winnipeg used to be one of the Henry Armstrong – "The Man Who Runs Things in this Town" – Instant Printing shops. If I remember correctly, Inspirational Corner was a religious book store attached to the printing business.

At any rate, this corner is somewhat lacking inspiration, except for the word itself and the irony which prompted this photograph.

Old Photo #69 – Abstract 39

Back when my folks moved from my beloved Plum Coulee to nearby Winkler, their new home featured a lavender bathroom suite: lavender walls, sink, tub, toilet.... and fish. We bugged Mom mercilessly – but in fun – about getting rid of these wall-mounted hairballs, but they swam on for years.

They have, since Mom & Dad's move to the seniors complex, swum on to some other deep-sea fate.

Old Photo #68 – Abstract 21

The Wolseley area of Winnipeg. Michelin Man found lacerated, cut down to size in someone's front yard.

Old Photo #67 – Pigeons at the Brickworks

Since I do not converse in Pigeon – or even Pidgin English, I am unable to report on the group dynamics here.

Old Photo #66 – Abstract 37

Back in the day, the hotel facing onto Albert Street from Notre Dame Avenue in Winnipeg was the Oxford. Its stock-in-trade was draft beer over strippers at lunch. In recent years, it's been known by the dubious moniker, The Gentlemen's Club, though the offering is, I imagine, the same.

Back then, graffiti tended to be broader in its offerings.

Old Photo #65 – Abstract 9

Another photo from the Learys brickworks.

Old Photo #64 – Abstract 7

Back in the day, I used to haunt the backroads of southern Manitoba a lot. One unusual find was an abandoned brickworks in the Learys area, a few miles southwest of Roseisle. It was operated by Alsip's and provided the red brick for Manitoba's Legislative Building.

I was truly haunted by the site, and returned a number of times to photograph and poke around in its history. Back in the '70s there was still a lovely home on the property. The cooling vaults still had piles of brick, and the plant still housed rusting hulks of machinery. Pigeons were everywhere, and the surrounding landscape enveloped with a sense of calm and mystery. It may be time to head back in summer to see if any of what was then still remains.

Old Photo #63 – Mu Talks Back

Mu came to us as a refugee from the halls of our vintage apartment block. Two days later, she went into heat and sought every HB pencil in the place. She was a lovely cat, if sometimes – like a cat – prone to get my short fuse smoldering with her species-specific antics.

Her end came one afternoon in Winnipeg's west end, when she jumped into a fenced yard containing two Dobermans.

On this day, however, she roared awake from her nap.

Old Photo #62 – More Blonde & Blue

This little lady is my step-daughter, Allison's, cousin's daughter. Now you know. Taken at Allison & Pete's pre-wedding BBQ a few years ago.

Old Photo #61 – Rainbow's End

Because the end of a rainbow, however fleeting its life, is still a marvel.

Old Photo #60 – Terry: the Door is Open

On March 17, 2008 our friend, Terry Berg, checked out of this life. A kind, loving & caring man, he felt trapped by his circumstances. He escaped by the only avenue he saw left to him. All the heart-to-hearts we'd had over the years were insufficient unto the day that day.

This photo was taken at a lively Christmas get-together at the home of Jamie MacIver & Flori Ens on Dec. 27, 2006. We had a magnificent time. In fun – and undoubtedly in the 'spirits' of the moment – I took this photo through my empty wine goblet. The metaphor was only realized 14 months later when Terry emptied himself of his burdens.