The 45th running of the Atomic Cup. Really hot, lots of noise, the smell of jet fuel in the air. Camped right across from the beer garden. Does it get any better than this? What more is there to say, really. Thanks for the memories.
Arlington National Cemetery
Dulce et Decorum Est
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, –
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
This was written by a war hero. Owen led units of the Second Manchesters on 1 October 1918 to storm a number of enemy strong points near the village of Joncourt. However, only one week before the end of the war, whilst attempting to traverse a canal, he was shot in the head by an enemy rifle and was killed. In a moment of ghastly irony, the telegram from the War Office announcing his death was delivered to his mother’s home as her town’s church bells were ringing in celebration of the Armistice. For his courage and leadership in the Joncourt action, he was posthumously awarded the Military Cross.
I just watched this talk and really enjoyed it. This guy has some great insight as well as a splendid sense of humor. Yay for Ted Talks!
I was out at the Spring Antique Show at the TRAC in Pasco, WA last week and happened to stumble upon a rather unique booth. Behind the counter, surrounded by movie posters, books and other mementos from her life on the big screen sat Karolyn Grimes, the actress who played Zu Zu in the iconic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”. She is a genuinely charming and delightful lady, very approachable with a wry wit and obvious love for her role as the “Unofficial Ambassador” for the movie.
This is a movie that has touched many lives, and I witnessed an example of that after my interview with “Zu Zu”. After Zu Zu rang the bell and said her famous line, a woman standing near the booth burst into tears, sobbing about how it was her all-time favorite movie and she wept every time she heard the now famous line. Zu Zu immediately came out from behind the counter, consoling her with a big hug. A very gracious woman and an all around class act. Check out her website.
Also, make plans now to attend the Fall Antique Show in Walla Walla on September 25, 2009. Zu Zu will not be there, but you never know who you might meet.
Seattle skyline from Kerry Park
Last week I was in Seattle, hanging out and photographing at Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill. Kerry Park is famous for its iconic view of downtown Seattle and the Space Needle, Mt. Rainier looming in the background. Kind of cliche, but I have always wanted to photograph here, and it was a gorgeous day, so what the heck.
I was taking a break, sitting on a bench taking in the view and doing some people watching when up rolls this camera crew and begins setting up right next to me. The talent strolls over to the telescope by the railing and begins rehearsing his lines and it suddenly dawns on me who it is. It’s Ken Jennings, who had the longest run ever on Jeopardy and won over $2 million. Yeah, that’s right, over $2 million. Now I am probably one of the hugest fans of Jeopardy ever, I have it set to record on the DVR so I never miss an episode. This is like mana from heaven. So I get up and start taking photos of the whole thing and even shot a little video of one of the takes.
Ken filming in Kerry Park
When they are done with the filming, Ken walks over and stands right next to me. Being the introvert that I am, I decide to strike up a conversation with him and begin by telling him the story about how we always try to guess the Final Jeopardy answer as soon as they reveal the category and have actually answered correctly on a number of occasions. He replies by saying that he used to do that as a kid, too, but it’s probably not a good idea to do it on live TV in front of millions of viewers. However, if someone were to do it (and get it right), he believes Jeopardy should pay double. Take heed, Alex Trebek!
Having my portrait made with Ken Jennings
He was a very personable and friendly guy and agreed to have his portrait taken with me. I was totally star-struck!
Seattle Skyline at night
I stuck around way late that night and got some more shots, my favorites as it turned out.
Space Needle framed by sculpture at night
Long exposure with zoom
