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One Last Look

Richard — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:54:41 +0000

I waited too long. After taking this shot, I decided the ideal spot would be to post this photo in another Mystery Challenge, which solicits guesses to solve the mystery of the the location where it was taken. But decided that wouldn’t be fair, seeing as how it’s not there anymore! This artwork was displayed above the escalators leading to the lower-level of Indianapolis International Airport, but administrators decided to pull it from it’s prime spot late this summer for, wouldn’t you know it, advertising. What a wonderfully refreshing idea. We will all benefit from seeing more advertising instead of original artwork.

Not to worry. I have another, even better idea for the next Mystery Challenge, which will be coming soon.

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IHB’s Quiet Milestone

Richard — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:35:22 +0000

IHB reaches a quiet milestone now with this 500th post since it’s first offering in spring 2009. The only reason I know is the publishing tool keeps track of and displays the number on the dashboard, otherwise I would have no idea. I just take photos and write when I feel like it. The number won’t be important to anyone else, but significant only to me in that I know it represents a body of work, growing piece by piece, each possessing a little bit of my heart and creative passion. Hopefully something positive has resulted. Along the way, what I’ve experienced has made me appreciate the community we live in more than ever, which in itself is enough for me.

The site has evolved since the beginning as any creative work always does, and there are some definite changes in the works now. If my instincts are correct the best is yet to come. What will the future bring? Well, the best answer always is “We’ll see”.

Winter Solstice 2011

Richard — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:02:55 +0000

If you have been missing the long days of summer, take heart, because change is right around the corner…tomorrow actually. The Winter Solstice is today which means the Earth is reaching the point where the north pole is tilted away from the Sun to it’s maximum angle. But just as soon as that happens it begins heading back in the other direction, and daytime hours will begin to get longer again. Longer days, more sun and warmer temps eventually. Around here, you just have to hold your breath for a couple months and the warm-up will begin.

A lot of things natually slow down or grind to a halt in the winter months. But the important things never will. Just because it’s not summer, that doesn’t mean the barbecue season is over. Not on your life. With nightfall coming earlier and earlier in the evening, the serious grillers just flip on the floodlights, positioning the grill directly in the sweet spot of the beam and go on like nothing has changed.

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Do-Over

Richard — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:25:43 +0000

When I saw how this shot of the Arts Garden turned out, it fascinated me for some reason. From this angle and distance, you could convince me that it was a giant time machine like something out of the H. G. Wells novel. If somehow it really was, the first thing I’d do with it would be to transport the Colts management back to August of this year and somehow convince them to fore-go hiring Kerry Collins, and elevating Curtis Painter to the primary backup quarterback. Hindsight…it’s a wonderful thing.

Fall Back Position

Richard — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 07:00:29 +0000

The clocks get turned back one hour earlier today at 2:00 am. Thank you very much Benjamin Franklin! the conceptual originator of Daylight Savings Time. This is one invention too many for old Ben as far as I’m concerned. I’m not the only one in Indiana that hates doing this now. Part of the reason is there are over a dozen clocks for me to reset twice a year now between home, office and cars. But mainly, so what if it gets darker earlier and days are shorter in the winter? It’s supposed to. It’s winter. I liked that our state was a holdout and was one of the only areas with common sense enough to refused to change it. I liked that Windows had a separate time zone setting for Indiana when you set up your computer. We were special. Now, we just bow our heads to the east coast, because that’s what time they are on. What they don’t consider is the actual east coast is 1,000 miles east and it gets daylight there an hour earlier than here. When business starts at 8:00 am in New York, it’s still dark here DST or not. I am now envious of Arizona, the only mainland US state that doesn’t observe DST. Good for you. These are the thoughts going through my mind as I manually set the clock on my fax machine, the 15th clock I had to change today.

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October Tradition

Richard — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:35:31 +0000

Shopping for a pumpkin suitable for carving is something most of us have done lately. It just wouldn’t be Halloween without one with its triangle shaped eyes and menacing smile greeting the trick-or-treaters near the front door. In the old days, we used a fat stubby plumbers candle to light the jack-o-lantern from within. But now a nitelight and an extension cord gets the call. I looked 3 or 4 places before I found just the right pumpkin.

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UFO Close Encounter

Richard — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:02:44 +0000

Luckily I was far enough away but had my camera with me and zoom lens ready as a UFO darkened the sky briefly before landing in downtown Indianapolis today. Everyone on foot scattered, taking shelter wherever they could, and traffic turned or sped away as the giant saucer-shaped craft hovered close to ground-level near the corner of Illinois and Washington Streets. As you can imagine after taking this shot, I didn’t wait around to see if any aliens disembarked or tractor beams were employed to actually pull anyone or anything on board, as I ran around the corner to a safe distance. In what seemed like only 10 seconds later, the ship gained altitude again and was gone, headed toward the southeast and out of sight. I was astonished at what I had seen like everyone else I talked with and just thankful that everything seemed to be OK and especially that I had a photo record of the close encounter.

Shop Talk

Richard — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:58:58 +0000

Stopped at the grocery on my way home as is often the case to get a few things for dinner. I was busy sorting through the veggies and someone says, “Not a bad price on peppers now, huh?” When I turned around, I was surprised to see Peyton Manning with a shopping cart. We got to talking and he confided that because of the extended rehabilitation for the neck surgery, the team would not let him participate even in practices for fear of injury through hard contact and had sent him home. You’d think he would be upset about that, but apparently he was delighted to extend the summer break for a few more weeks and had been helping out with the household chores, shopping and puttering around the kitchen. What was cool was the man knows his produce and is quite the cook, sharing an interesting recipe with me for roasted red-pepper soup. To return the favor, I gave him the specifics about a trick play that I designed to use in 3rd-and-short situations where he fakes the hand-off to his running back on his left just as his entire line also surges strong to the left, and instead he spins, cutting to the right and running up the right side with the ball all alone. He said it was a coincidense I had mentioned it because the play fit right into his plan to be less predictable, take wild chances and run the ball a lot more himself this season.

Funny, you just never know who you will run into at the store.

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Indiana State Fair 2011

Richard — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:29:54 +0000

The State Fair is something that you must attend to legally call yourself a Hoosier. That’s a state law I believe?? There are fundamental Indiana values and sights to experience that can’t be found anywhere else in such concentrated form. For a couple weeks each year, it gives all of us a chance to visit and catch up on things with each other. Our Indiana contemporaries from small towns, large cities, farm communities…people from all walks of life and every corner of the state drawn together. A curious mix, but that’s what we are.

I took a couple hours off and went there yesterday. Parked and took the free shuttle bus for the first time. Unbelievably effortless way to get there! I’ll never do it any other way again. Inside the gates, it’s clear to see that eating is the most popular activity at the Fair, the attraction with the biggest draw. Besides eating, everyone has their own list of things they must do there. I know mine’s different than most, but here it is: Stroll through the pig, horse, cow and sheep barns…Beyond entertaining for a city boy. People watch…Something astounding continually crosses my path. Knock down a Lemon Shake-up…Yeah, kind of pricey for a little sugar, water and a few pieces of lemon, but it’s tradition, you can’t put a price on something like that! Ride the Tractor-Tram one lap around the Fair…Get the big picture while choking on bio-diesel fumes! Last but not least, check out any ongoing events at Pioneer Village…My absolute favorite. They were running sugar cane through a horse-drawn mill at the time. Pretty convenient too, just a couple hundred yards away from the shuttle pick-up stop.

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Perfect Sunday

Richard — Sun, 29 May 2011 14:33:28 +0000

Aren’t we lucky. Warm temps, sunny with some clouds and a light breeze swaying the tree tops occasionally. Pretty close to perfect. Whatever activities are in store for you today…enjoy.

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