Day 153; Golfing in Iowa; Alex takes me to a golf course. This was the above view from hole 7. We were mixed into a group of folks who were in a tournament. We golfed way better than them. (not really. But i pretended we did at the club house by talking loudly like we just beat the course record)
Day 152; I joined a gym recently on day 148 and have been getting back into a routine physically. Instructional walking has become a thing now. Heres an example in the new gym.
Day 151; Making A Wish; Alex and I go on a walk to kick start her weekend. We talked casually about life when i pulled this dandelion, then i asked her to blow off the stems of it. Is it stems? Seeds? What the hell do you call those things? Anyways. I hope she made a wish.
Day 149; Leslie Cacy's 4 year; I dont know how four years have gone by since I last saw you. Im trying to think of what to type here but i guess i'll just say whats on my mind. Four years ago you passed on this day and i remember that was the very moment i knew what a tragedy was. In our world its very common to see tragedy every day, you always read or see about it on the news. The day you died was the day i felt what tragedy is. It was horrible and well...tragic. I never want this to define you. For me its incredible that tragedy doesnt define you. Love does. I know that because talking amongst friends and remembering you just shows how powerful and meaningful of a human being you were. I sure do miss you and i sure wish we could have conversations. I know you would get super into it and give me all kinds of funny looks. You were just an amazing person to share life with and I miss you. Heres a picture of a Jack and coke cause you liked jack and a sunset of you saying hello to us i presume.
Day 148; I kept the streak going of going out to places and checked out a barber shop named Trims. It is awesome. They have a basketball hoop inside, you get a beer with your haircut and the staff was awesome. Pictured here was my barber Don. I asked him for a picture and he was more than happy to take a picture in this badass barbers chair they had in the display in the window front of the store. Him and that place were awesome and its nice finding a barbershop thats that cool.
Day 147; Top of the Hop; Alex took to me 30 hop, a tap house nearby our home. it was the first time in over 2 months we had even been out to enjoy a drink in public. It was a taste of nostalgia wrapped in tranquility. Even normal perhaps.
Day 146; Passing through Missouri; On this day we left Missouri for Iowa. Alex bless her heart pepped me up about the drive since ive been tired of driving so much. She told me of the beauty of the 6 hour drive and what a peculiar drive. First off the road kill: Every 1 minute id see a dead armadillo, turtle, deer, raccoon, possum, skunk, hawk, turkey. Second thing of note was the storms brewing. Tornados were surely forming and a town we left looked as black as asphalt in the rearview mirror. The drive was beautiful though and i snapped this shout out of my car window while crossing some tracks, the only ones we crossed all day.
Day 145; The Family Tree; I dont know if Alex's mom has name for this tree but i named it the family tree because between parties of peeople stepping in front of the camera, in that very middle spot we took family photos at dusk. The whole scene was so beautiful and unreal. The tree, the short green grass, the tall yellow grass. Yes this is the same tree and scene from two days ago. Spoiler alert: Without bugs.
Day 144; Drive way show; In Missouri there isn't really any laws against fireworks. On the first full day and night of me being there the family and myself watched a firework show set up in the driveway. I sat down the driveway from the action to capture it all. The show was spectacular and it was so fun to see what unsuspecting set of fireworks you were about to witness. I sat with Alex's nephew whose in middle school. I felt like i was hanging out with a kid from the sandlot and watching fire works. It was awesome.
Day 143; First Time Fire Flies; I drove 11 hours up to Missouri to meet Alex and her mom and step dads property. I drove through beautiful greenery and the most road kill i had ever seen in my life. The environment was like a country forest, it was awesome. Up to this point i had never seen a fire fly before in my life and on this night i watched in fascination as green streaks spewed through the air long enough for you to notice. After many hugs and hellos and a few beers i set up my tripod and photographed these streaky things.
Day 142; Water Dog; On this morning i got a call telling me my covid-19 results were negative. This was a relief and it was also going to be the last day in Colorado now that i knew it was just a bad cold and not infecting folks with rona. I was able to visit folks i couldn't see including my friend Brooke. I had to see her dog sweet Rory, pictured here not looking so sweet. She loves chasing the water from the hose and this image was my favorite of the day. A far cry from her debut on this project (Day 58)
Day 141; Rustic Setting; In the fields behind moms house i laid in the tall grass and photographed grass, bugs, hills and the sky. It was this rustic setting i waited for though and when the sun slipped down below the fence post i framed tall grass, barbed wire and the sun to finish the scene. The work had been done but my legs itched something fierce from the grass.
Day 140; Bumble Hands; Pictured here is my sister holding a rather large bumble bee in her hands for a photo. It was dead and we wowed over its size. It was really funny after this photo was taken I picked it up and tossed it into the wind. While we watched it blow away we saw another large bumblebee come swarming around the same exact area where the dead one fell. Lindsey and i both asked "did it come back to life!?"
Day 139; Rona Tested; On this day I expected to go fishing but the worrisome side effects of a cold had me concerned for my mother and friends. I had the sweats and a fever, a frightening sign of Covid. Any other time its a cold and i would just go fishing, unfortunately media has grasped this virus staining it with fear. I got a nose swab that was extremely uncomfortable. This lady,giving me the test out of my car was so nice though. Standing in the hot sun in this suit and all she let me take her picture from the seat of my car where she applied the test. Now we wait and see.
Day 138; Lightning over Florence; For the first time this year i got some lightning! It was about 10 o clock at night and i was feeling the peak of being sick. I was meant to go fishing with my godfather early in the morning and i kept telling myself to sleep. Instead the flashing light out my window rolled me out of bed. I wonder what i had missed. I got this at the tail end of the storm and then went straight to bed.
Day 137; Game of Spades; A game night is played at the table at moms house. While dealing with a cold im cautious, applying hand sanitizer during every round. That got old. Lindsey won this round of Spades on this night.
Day 136; Master Spirit; A swarm of interesting clouds brew at dusk. An opening of light gave way to this beautiful scene that illuminated one small puff of cloud for only about 5 seconds before the moment was gone.
Day 135; Smoothed Over; I photographed a creek nearby my mothers house close to sunset. I was expected to hang out with friends on this night but i have been battling a cold and altitude. The symptoms are eerily similar to that of the famous and feared covid-19. This is frustrating and worrisome while staying with my mother. The bright side is i get to hang out and breath in and photograph Colorado.
Day 134; Moody Morning; The next morning i rolled off the couch at Scotts house early. I was met outside with a stale heavy fog that blanketed the entire city. I photographed the morning fog for a good half hour until the sun rose. The fog began to disband and dissipate, resulting in this shot.
Day 133; Crazed Reunion; Pictured here is my buddy Scott(Day 62). His mom and my friend, Kris (day 6) died earlier in March and I never really got to hang out with him due to her ailing and the corona virus. Without any closure or contact Scott was up on the top of the list of people to visit. I was finally able to meet up with him and we had a crazy night partying and reflecting on life and all its wild up and downs. This portrait summed up the entrance of going into the wild topics of our worlds.
Day 132; Catching up; My mom laughs over something we were joking about. I wanted to take a picture of her here snugged in comfortably by her two cats on this afternoon.
Day 131; Mothers Sunset; I drove 15 hours. It was a long drive filled with lots of music, the Rich Eisen show, lots of interstate speeding and lots of minutes passed in the same seat. It was all worth it when i arrived home to see my beautiful mother. My sister and my mother both had an idea i would be showing up to surprise them but were so happy when I arrived. The sunset and her company was all that mattered that night. Happy Mothers Day Mom.
Day 130; Winding Down; On this day i randomly got the idea to drive 15 hours the next day and go visit and surprise my mom for mothers day. So during the night I wound down with Alex and took this picture of her on our bed. I will miss her and I love her so much for her dear support of me in so many ways.
Day 129; Backyard Toss; On this laid back day Noah and i played catch in the back yard. At one point the ball went over the fence into the neighbors yard and we had to use tiki torches to reach and get it.
Day 128; The New Norm; I hate how everyone is using the term "the new norm" these days. Its indicative of the crazy times during the virus and getting used to a chaotic world. Today is my birthday, May 7th. Every year i get a cake. I am appreciative of this but i never eat it. This year after the move i checked out a local pizza place called Tomasos and their thin crust pizza was the best pizza i ever ate. So when Alex asked what cake i wanted i said i dont. I want a pie, a detroit deep dish pie from Tamasos. She gladly obliged and every year from now on, it will be the new norm that i blow out the candles on pizza. Not cake. I like this new norm.
Day 127; Why did the cat cross the road; On this Wednesday i went up Lindale Trail for the first time with no idea what to expect. It was a 3 mile long straight shot road surrounded by trees. I came across this un-amused cat and snapped this shot as it slowly crossed the road paying me no mind, seemingly alone and un-phased in its kingdom.
Day 126; Seasoned Cinco; Pictured here is a pan full of ground beef caked with various seasonings before being married all together and cooked for the main ingredient in our tacos. Its Taco Tuesday and Its Cinco De Mayo and sadly it is also 2020. Alex made home made tortillas and we had a feast while listening to mariachi music. The very next day a mass shortage of fresh meats is expected as many plants close due to Covid-19
Day 125; Blind Date; Presley sits behind a set of window blinds and watches birds out the glass door. I sat on the floor and photographed our cats in and out of these blinds for over 30 minutes. Here Presley was looking back at our other cat Dude as he made his way to look out the window himself.
Day 124; Getting Pollinated; Pictured here is an ant that I spotted zipping around from a distance. I looked closer and noticed its ass was straight into the air and Its head was buried in the flower. It would then pull its head out and race to the end of the petal, pause a moment, stand on its back legs and then rub the pollen from Its antennas all over Its face. After that the ant would race back and do it again. I felt like i was literally watching an ant partying. This happened several times before my lens bumped the petal and like a paranoid pollinator, It bailed.
Day 123; Drive up Tacos; On this Saturday we went to our friend Nikki and Ryans house to celebrate his birthday. For Ryans birthday there was a taco truck showing up in the neighborhood and the truck parked in front of his house. Pictured here is the birthday man himself adjusting a small sombrero we brought with us. The sombrero once worn by our cats was hilarious to be seen wearing by such a hulk like Ryan. The tacos and shots of tequila were great.
Day 122; The Cedar Trails; On this day i rode my bike out in Hanna park further than i ever had and was shocked to find trails surrounded by trees. This small dense patch was incredible and breath taking.
Day 121; Dude's Backyard Gaze; Pictured here is Dude looking out from the top deck of our home. It was the first time we ever let him out there and he marveled at being up high and gazing out. Imagine what it would be like if he was actually able to murder birds huh!?
Day 120; Beard be gone; How about a nice bathroom selfie huh!? I felt stupid taking shots of my face. I decided to shave my beard off just for pictures sake on this Wednesday night cause i hadnt taken a photo. So instead of a before after I just shaved my face and for a fun effect i did a double exposure of my face and an upclose of the gray shower curtain. The resulting tone is almost an analog style yellowish green. I feel naked without my beard thanks to this photo.
Day 119; 151 rain drops; A rain storm came through producing lightning in the distance. Alex gave me some instructions to take highway 151. not really sure where i was going instead i pulled off into a park off the highway and explored. The environment around me was so green green green. With all the droplets and cool things upclose i was envisioning black and white isolated scenes like this one.
Day 118; Blinded Princess; Alex's niece Chloe celebrates her 3rd birthday in the driveway of her home. Unfortunately due to the corona virus and no visitors, Chloes parents were forced to throw a private party, having people come by and honk in honor of her birthday. I got out to take a picture of Chloe in her princess get up, as she perched in her chair. With everyone else taking a quick picture of her, Chloe shielded her eyes from the setting sun behind us, resulting in this photo. Happy Birthday kiddo.
Day 117; The Swamp; On a second day in Hanna Park i head down an unmarked trail to discover a swamp.
Day 116; Hanna Park; Nearby our house is a park called Hanna Park. It has long winding paths that fork off in different directions and i am excited to run, bike and most importantly photograph this area.
115; First Night At Home; At first I was saddened this was photo of the day because it was literally the only photo i took all day. Then i realized sometimes a day will go by and you won't really pick a camera up and you gotta live by the day and not the shutter count. This is an image of Alex and I
'Cheer-sing' during out first dinner in our new home. I made a chinese stir fry and was so giddy to cook at home again. We are getting the house set up and going.
Day 114; The Movers Arrive; Pictured here is Alex and her dad as they look on at the giant semi that backed down our cul-de-sac and blocked in a few neighbors from leaving or entering their drive ways. A lengthy review of this scamming moving company is going to be made and hopefully we stop finding certain items of our stuff smashed and broken. Overall. We are happy to have our stuff back. Most of what they didnt break or lose anyways.
Day 113; Noahs School Picture; Noah, pictured here, poses in the back yard for a school photo. Since the 'Rona' has shut everything down Noahs school asked for updated pictures of other students, just so other students can check in with one another. When finding this out i was more than happy to help. This young man has been photographed a few times in the past couple weeks and he plays a big part in my life. This is one cool dude.
Day 112; Cheers; Alex and her brother share a beer in our new home on Alex's 26th birthday. The movers were originally supposed to be here the day before but the sketchy fraud moving company continues to jack us around and hold onto our stuff with no idea really when it will actually get here. So in the meantime we cracked a couple of beers inside an empty home and just hung out, hoping and wishing that the movers will have our stuff sometime this week. Happy Birthday to the wonderful Alex Nemmers, glad we are here for your birthday and so is your family.
ALSO: On this day Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to sign with my Tampa Bay Bucs.
Day 111; Hey Little Fella; On this day we finally got to begin moving into our new home. For the last couple weeks we have stayed at Alex's dads house and now its slowly time to transition once again. While moving in a few things here and there i noticed this little guy on the sliding glass door. I busted out the macro lens and took a few shots. The wind picked up blowing his set of wings sideways and i snapped this shot as he hung onto the glass.
Day 110; Chain Hoops; Yesterday after finding a hoop we stopped at a gas station and i saw this hoop and laughed that we took so long to find a backboard when there was one so nearby. I went there today and played for quite awhile. Its been great shooting the rock on back to back days. The hoop is lodged between a gas station and an abandoned church next to the highway. It feels so private and so open at the same time.
Day 109; Found a court; On Saturday Alex Noah and I went out seeking to find a basketball hoop. We checked the parks and schools and there were some sections that literally removed the rims from the backboards to stop people from gathering and playing basketball during this pandemic. Luckily we found this hoop in the parking lot of a school.
Day 108; Basking; Dude looks out the window as the setting sun nears its exit. The cats are officially settled and comfortable in this house and come Monday will have to adjust to a third house in as many weeks.
Day 107; Sheltered In Place; A self portrait of myself by the window. staying indoors and on my phone has slowly started to get to my head. We haven't left the property in 6 days.
Day 106; Missing Ball; On this day I talk to my friend Nick on the phone. One of the things we discussed was baseball. As big sports fans we are really struggling with the lack of sports in our world and one of the big topics was baseball. In spring training there is the grapefruit league in Florida and the cactus league in Arizona. With no baseball being played and talk of further interruptions expected down the road, there is talk of playing all baseball in those respective states. It benefits the Colorado Rockies well since they won't have to pitch at Coors field in Denver if they do go that route. I was tossing this baseball in my hand while talking to him and took this photo shortly after i hung up.
Day 105; Occupying Time; Noah pictured here plays a golf game on Xbox in his room. Another day inside for all of us has us all going a bit of stir crazy. Noah was expecting to return to school at the end of the month. To his dismay he will have to wait to see the majority of his friends until next school year as all schools have been closed. You'd think a child would be excited by no school and staying home but hes quite sad and was looking forward to going back. I feel bad for kids effected by this too.
Day 104; Changing Seasons; Theres a large Oak tree next to Alex's dads house that is shedding leaves and blowing all over the yard. It is strange to see a tree that is shedding leaves in the Spring but hey. Its Iowa i guess. Here is a leaf I picked up that day. The Rona has us all huddled up inside so this is the best i can do for a photo right now.
Day 103; The Easter Bunny; Its Easter! On this day i found some flowers in the yard next door to photograph and was going to use them for picture of the day. Then it started raining and this guy showed up to steal the show.
Day 102; Settled Cats; Pictured here is our cat Presley looking at Dude who is under the covers. This is the bed we are currently using in the guest room of Alex's dads house. As you can imagine a 15 hour drive in acar and being transplated in a new home was not easy for them. Thankfully after 5 days the cats are calm and settled. Unfortunately for Presley here, Dude was in no mood to play and no rush to get out from under the covers.
Day 101; Shopping in April; During a tour around Cedar Rapids i try to begin a project and photograph the process this corona virus has on our everyday lives. I decided to try and shoot from the hip in the grocery store and get a frenzied and chaotic take on how people do everyday things like shopping. This is an image of a woman entering the store equipped with a mask and gloves.
Day 100; Haircut; Alex nervously begins to buzz my hair as she has never done this before. Thanks to the shutdown because of the corona virus there are no barbers or hair stylists. kudos to Alex for doing a good job on my hair. Her nerves slowly went away after a while and she did great. "Im just happy we didnt have to buzz it all off" she would later say while admiring the work she had done.
Day 99; Air Noah; Alex's little brother Noah mimics dunking a basketball on a shadow against the garage. I told him to get a smaller basketball to grip to make it look like he was really dunking on a regulation size hoop. The angle of the sun and small ball hes palming makes him look like a modern day midwestern MJ.
Day 98; Iowa Sunset; After a small storm dramatic clouds build up over Cedar Rapids. It was the first night i had been here as someone who is going to live here. My friend Brooke said that this sky was meant for me and Alex.
Day 97; Goodbye house; Alex stands in the garage with the jeep running, looking into our empty home on Monday morning. With the lights turned off, the cars packed up and a 15 hour drive ahead of us this marked the last time we would see the first place we lived together. I will certainly miss it and am so thankful for having lived here.
Day 96; Farewell Canon City; I travel up Skyline Drive for the last time in a while. Shout out to my friend Alyssa who told me before she moved from this city she never went up skyline one last time and that i shouldn't make the same mistake. Im glad she put that idea in my head as it was a beautiful night unwinding over the town. I'll miss this place but its not the last time i will see it and am looking forward to the next adventure. Thanks for the memories and all the wonderful souls in this place.
Day 95; Picture during the deal; While playing cards are being dealt my mom poses for an image where she was sitting in the garage. This marked the last time for a while we'd all play cards together. On this night we had a small party to celebrate Alex and my birthdays. We played Spades of course. Ill miss this wonderful woman.
Day 94; the movers show up; They were shady, they were a rip off and they are scammers. This moving company has been a pain in the ass from the get go and its a learning lesson to really make sure you do your homework on who moves your stuff. This semi was backed down into the alley way and right to our driveway. A semi was unnecessary for our small 2 bedroom place but we certainly weren't the only house they were packing into this truck on this day.
Day 93; Sleeping in the Living Room; Alex facetimes with our friends Holly and Shannon while enjoying a cupcake from the comfort of our bed in the living room. With the movers set to show up in the morning we literally cleaned out almost everything to make it easier on us with the move the next day. To spice things up a bit the bed was moved to the living room this night, the cats approved. This marked the last night we stayed in our home.
Day 92; I take a small break from packing and cleaning up the house and jump on my bicycle at sunset. I rode around and headed toward these abandoned train cars to photograph them. I have always been interested in these cars and have photographed them here and there throughout my lifetime but am always worried of getting caught. With everyone at home and focused on the Rona and with us departing in just a few days now was the time to strike.
Day 91; Afternoon fishing; With nicer weather we venture out and fish on this beautiful Tuesday afternoon. this shot of the Arkansas river down in the Royal Gorge Valley marks the last photo of March and the last time i'll touch this river for quite a while. I love this river and this gorge dearly. We will be leaving for Iowa on Sunday.
Day 90; No fishing; Pictured here is my buddy Nick, looking down on the Arkansas river from on top of black bridge. The plan was to fish today. With rain clouds and wind gusts the only thing we caught was a buzz.
Day 89; Morning Cuddles; My sister pictured here loves on her cat stubby. During this pandemic its worth noting how excited and happy pets must be to have their owners home keeping each other company. Also of note is the notorious show 'Tiger King' that has attracted viewers during this stay at home process. Its the story of a homosexual tiger breeder in a lawsuit battle with a animal rights activist who is suspected of murdering her husband. If that isn't thrilling television i dont know what is.
Day 88; Rollin Dough; Pictured here is my mother as she works out some dough in the process of homemade pizza. Her and I made 3 pizzas for dinner that night. It was absolutely a blessing to have done this with my mother. After the pizza we all had a game night and Alex and i stayed the night there. A total sleepover.
Day 87; Goodbye fish; With the movers set to come in exactly one week, preparation continues to get everything stowed away for the move to Iowa. Pictured here is our cat Dude watching Alex scoop out the fish in our tank and into a bucket for transfer to the pet store. Thanks to All Star Pets for taking our fish so we never had to flush them.
Day 86; Jesus tests positive; Churches are closed during the corona virus inspiring online services for people of faith. Also a popular trend online has been funeral services and weddings.
Day 85; Fire it up; Pictured here is my buddy Nick getting some tequila wings going for an order at Canon City Mugs. Business is steadily starting to incline now that the initial panic wave of the corona virus has come and reality is set in. On this day Mugs tested out their first prepped meals that they offer for delivery along with everything on the full menu still available.
Day 84; Golfing; My friend Bradley takes a swing at a golf ball on Tuesday. With the pandemic showing no signs of slowing Bradley and I got out assuming this could be the last time we could even do something as simple as golfing. Last Tuesday (day 76) was the last time we could eat in a public setting and it goes to show how fast the virus as effected our lives. Two days later the golf course was closed as a statewide shutdown was issued.
Day 83; Along the tracks; Alex my buddy Nick and myself get out of the house and go on a little adventure. Fresh air was needed. These are train tracks in the Royal Gorge. The last time i will see this stretch for a while.
Day 82; Sunday Mimosas; Colorado Governor Jared Polis passed a law where its legal for restaurants to deliver alcohol amidst the pandemic. You must order food while having alcohol delivered as part of the rule. On this Sunday Alex and I ordered mimosas from Mugs along with some sweet potato fries. With the pandemic effecting essential businesses thankfully restaurants can still offer take out services. Alex and i are slowly feeling better and this vitamin C was a boost :)
Day 81; Non-essential shutdown; As the virus spreads and infects people at a torrid pace non essential businesses close their doors down for a while, effecting the economy and the human psyche.
Day 80; TB to TB; As if the country coming to a complete halt and dramatic circumstances changing everyday life as we know it wasn't enough this happens. Tom Brady to the Bucs. As a life long Buccaneer fan i am stoked and excited. It rejuvenates a sad fan base and a struggling organization by bringing in the greatest Quarterback of all time. No one believed me when i told them that this really could happen. Well now it has happened. Its like the world is ending or something!
Day 79; "You like my space buns?" Alex is pictured here holding our cat Dude. She is also sick with a cold but is used to staying indoors since she works from home. While taking this picture she asked me "babe ya like my space buns?" Yes babe. Nice space buns.
Day 78; Tylenol; On Wednesday night i came down with Flu like symptons, hot and cold flashes and fatigue. I took some medicine and laid in bed waiting for the symptoms to leave. To be sick during this time is absolutely frustrating and concerning. Add to the fact we have to be out of this house, packed and moved 3 states away in two weeks is terrifying and stressful. Take your meds and rest up for the time being i guess.
Day 77; Clean Hands; My godfather Mark washes his hands in a sink at his shop. The CDC recommends you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds while scrubbing vigorously. Mark did just that here in this example.
Day 76; Last Call; Dalton takes a drink of beer out of a glass at The Owl, a popular burger joint here in Canon City. On this Monday we were certain this would be the last meal where we could all eat out in public and have beers together. Shortly after we left the establishment a rule was in place that for at least the next 30 days all bars and restaurants in Colorado would be closed, thanks to the corona virus. This served as the last time we'd be together in public for who knows how long.
Day 75; Spring Training; Spring rain drops line an Iris outside of our house early Sunday morning. The smell of rain and the welcoming moisture is wonderful.
Day 74; 16th Street Reflection; I get out of my car and wander to take pictures in the puddle soaked parking lots near my home. I always find a nearby cement walk-way lined with businesses interesting to photograph so i pulled out a multi-exposed image of that walk -way coupled with an image of my reflection looking into a gas station window. I love me some reflections.
Day 73; Self Portrait; My friend Brooke suggested i take a self portrait as a challenge photographically. On a day where i have a lot of cool moody images i chose this image of me looking almost Russian. Thanks for the idea Brooke. Its nice to have what i look like on this project.
Day 72; No Tee-Pee; The Corona Virus in the USA is getting very real and folks are stocking up on toilet paper in response. On this day my boss asked me to go to Safeway and get a plunger for the store. I can't tell you how ironic it was that I had a plunger and everyone else wanted toilet paper. I took my camera with me to take a few shots of this aisle and in the process ran into two people in less than 1 minute who needed toilet paper and were visibly frustrated it was all bought out. As of right now a 36 roll of toilet paper is going as high as $100 on Amazon.
Day 71; Corona Cubes; On this day America was set back by the rapidly approaching Corona Virus that is effecting peoples lives. The NBA suspended its season after a player tested positive for the virus and even star celebrity Tom Hanks and his wife were confirmed to have it. This has spun the country into a sobering reality and a bit of a panic. On this night i poured whiskey over ice and watched the news. I looked closely and thought these bubbles looked like bacteria and wondered if this is what the corona virus looks like.
Day 70; Red on White; Pictured here is my friend Shannon. On this day we photographed her dressed up for college graduation shots to send out. When i saw this red door and her red hair complimenting it i was thrilled. Congrats to you my friend, im proud of you and love your view on life.
Day 69; Laid Back Dude; Dude relaxes on a chair in the afternoon. Dude recently went to the vet for a bad tooth and they gave him fluids and an IV, as evidenced by the missing patch of hair on his arm.
Day 68; Weight Toss; The clocks went forward as Spring approaches. On this beautiful day me and these fellas went fishing after work. Our buddy Dan in the blue plaid smoking a stogey brought a magnetic weight tied to a long rope in hopes of picking up something out of the river. In this image Nick tosses that magnet out into the river as they all watch in anticipation, including Nicks dog Toby.
Day 67; Carlos goes by; This is Carlos. He is what i call a bar ninja. He comes in weekly and will have a handful of drinks over a span of time but they are never the same drink. For instance he can go with beer, to coffee, to vodka, to tequila, a different beer to soda. He has the guts of a god and he rides his bike everywhere. I don't know how he does it, i dont know how Ninjas do it. We laughed at this photo since i told Carlos i had no pictures of the day. He was totally cool with me randomly photographing him with my giant ass off camera flash. Thanks Carlos.
Day 66; Missing Film; I miss film and all the different kinds there is to shoot and all the diffferent cameras to use. Can't wait to get back to it. In the meantime i got a year to live.
Day 65; Walking Alone; After the service for Thomas Bright was held at a church the burial followed in the next town over where this image was taken. I took a picture of this woman leaving the ceremony, far behind a few others ahead of her. I don't know who she was but i was intrigued by her funeral attire among the gravestones and the trees. Like myself, she wasn't accompanied by anyone else she was there alone and i could relate to that. RIP Thomas.
Day 64; Loving Tattoo; After being able to take off her protective wrap, Brooke shows me her memorial tattoo and some of the flowers she recently received as well.
Day 63; Old Bills; While counting out cash i get some of my older bills out to photograph. Ive had these tucked away for a couple years now just because i think they are pretty cool. Ive taken a few pictures on different days and this was this days edition, pretty simple. Im taking them to the bank soon to finally cash in. Fun fact on Day 24 photoshop wouldn't allow me to even open an image of a newer 100 dollar bill. Apparently photoshop doesnt care about old bills.
Day 62; Afternoon Guinness; Every Monday or Tuesday i go and see my friends Scott and Kris (day 6). This usually consists of having a Guinness or two. Cheers bud.
Day 61; Walk of Shame; After that crazy leap year party i had to walk to work at 730 AM since i left my car at the party to avoid drunk driving. I took a picture of this stop sign in our neighborhood which sums up our slummy corner quite well. We live next to an abandoned house that kids like to tag and destroy and im sure they really do hate us snitching on them when they are caught doing it.
Day 60; Leap Year Party; Pictured here is an image of two girls shot gunning some white claw seltzers and drenching a crowd at my buddy's leap year party. It was the craziest party I've ever been to. It was hard finding an image for this day as that party produced the funnest night of photographing i've had all year by far.
Day 59; Tulips; I take a picture of some tulips I got for Alex. Thankfully our cats haven't thrashed the hell out of them yet.
Day 58; rory; I meet my friend Brookes dog Rory. I actually used a combination of Brookes camera with a lens i am letting her try out. In this shot we went to the kitchen and we tried getting her to jump for treats. She was confused by the gesture at first, jumping for treats, figuring it out rather quickly. She was sweet and gave me puppy fever.
Day 57; why?;
and the clock tells me its late.
I wish i knew what to say
take the pain away
My black pea coat is covered in cat hair and i think of Huck.
I thought of Rory and want to meet her.
Im at your door.
and hope somehow they
Day 56; Hannah, Phoebe and the Birds; I go and visit my friend Hannahs in her new home. I finally got to meet Hannahs cat Phoebe as she looks out in a common perch of hers, watching birds, while Hannah eats lunch. Hannah has all wood floors and i am shocked that cat doesn't shed and i can only think how lucky she is not having to clean it up compared to ours.
Day 55; Ducking Darts; This is my friend Jen. I took this picture of her while she shot darts and was telling me to move or else it wouldn't be pretty. She has been my boss for over 7 years. On this day she took me and Nick and Tahnee on a 'Thanks for working for us for so long' trip. So shout out:
Jen, I am going to be hard pressed to find anyone that has ever treated me so well as an employee and small business owner. I am always so thankful for how you care for us like family. You give a shit about us. Its hard to find people that run a business and care about the employees as much as the business so thanks for always being not just my boss but a friend and such a reliable person in my life. You are an idol of mine by the way you carry yourself so well as a business owner, a wife, a friend, a mentor and an American damnit. Thank you so much for being a part of my life."
Day 54; Winter\Spring; This day i woke up with rain on the ground and the smell of spring in the air. A few hours later the biggest snow flakes i have ever seen began to fall from the sky. It looked like giant feathers floating down. After a day shift at work the snow had passed but everything was soaked, including cactus spikes pictured here.
Day 53; Happy Birthday Gary; My friend Gary stopped in for a few drinks celebrating his 69th birthday. Gary is my friend who i confide in when it comes to music. We both collect vinyl records and he often is a sought after vendor when he attends vinyl festivals in Denver and Colorado Springs. Gary's vinyl collection of the Beatles is awe inspiring and id wager money its one of the finest and most collect-able collections in the world. Happy Birthday pal.
Day 52; Latte Pour; On this Friday i get a latte from the bean pedaler. Its been a while since i have had a latte and decided to get one over black coffee for pictures sake.
Day 51; Missed MAGA Rally; Pictured here in his 'Make America Great Again' hat is my friend Dakota. He attended the rally in nearby Colorado Springs but stood in line for over 5 hours and didn't get in. There was a reported 70,000 registered for the rally in a venue that held 8,000.
Day 50; A Cold Walk Home; A late night walk home after work was a cold one, as another cold front moved through producing snow. While the majority of people in this town complain about it i am thrilled to see so much snow and a real winter for the first time in years.
Day 49; WW1 Mementos; My godfather Mark pictured here has owned his own antique store for close to 30 years. Over that span he has come into contact with many amazing items that he has either shared with me or told me about. This year a man came into his shop and sold Mark his entire great grandfathers World War 1 collection. When asked why he was selling it all the man said was he needed to pay bills and all this was "just stuff". The collection included the soldiers helmet, canteen, medals, 3 bibles he carried and wrote in, a piece of a propeller off of a WW1 fighter plane, his own hand made trench art, a Japanese katana sword and a german helmet. This book though was the personal favorite and something that would make this whole collection appeal to museums and history buffs. It was his very own handmade journal featuring his enlistment and discharge papers, letters to his wife, facts about the planes he was flying in, newspaper articles about the war, food menus where they stopped and ate, prayers, snippets out of books, photography, you name it. Looking through it made you tear up and cherish the lives and freedoms we have thanks to men like him.
Day 48; Dealing Cards; Mom finishes dealing a deck of cards again during our weeky match of spades.
Day 47; On a Sunday afternoon i went out with a crew to have some drinks. I called my friend Brooke and told her we should shoot a sunset on Skyline drive, a one way road that takes you on an aerial view of Canon City. My tripod head was a bit loose and the wind was literally moving my camera so im surprised and happy this long exposure was born.
Day 46; Sunbather;' Dude basks in sunlight in a small section where his fat ass can fit.
Day 45; Valentines Rose; In the cafe at work the owner always gets fresh flowers for the tables. The roses were a fit for this day.
Day 44; Icy Windows; A photograph featuring a single snow flake on my car window is taken in the driveway. I was curious to why the flake itself had an orange hue to it. Then i figured out it was the light from the outdoor garage light touching it.
Day 43; Asian Nachos; Food photography is hard. I went to photo school with a girl named Nikki who is now an established food photographer and i remember how difficult it was in studio with reflections and color corrections and lighting. I'll feature about one picture a month of food but i am no food photographer yet. I named this picture Asian Nachos because to me it looks like an Asian version of Nachos.
Day 42; Spades; My mom looks at me as i sneak a picture of her as she surveys her hand in the card game spades.
Day 41; Droplet; A drop of water trickles off an icicle outside of the cabin we stayed at. Over the entirety of the weekend a ton of snow and cold weather was sent to the region.
Day 40; Love Day; Alex pictured here on a blanket with champagne ready and snacks poses for a picture before i head outside to photograph a nearby creek. She laughed and told our friends over snapchat how inside by a cozy fire with a robe and champagne is an ideal place to her while she pans the video to me in a freezing ass snow storm photographing and thats my ideal place.
Day 39; Courtney Barnett; I got to see one of my favorite musicians again that weekend when we went and saw Courtney Barnett perform at the Stanley Hotel. I was thrilled i got to bring a camera into the event and was happy with the images, including this one of her looking me dead ass into my soul.
Day 38; Illusion Forest; My friend Forest plasters his hands on the window in this multi exposed image. I had been planning this image for a few weeks and was funny instructing him to cover the window with his hands many times. The nice fella didnt want to dirty the windows up too much to which i replied "Dont worry. The print will be worth it."
Day 36; Bird Watching; Presley watches birds outside of our window.
Day 35; My weekend after a drunken super bowl Sunday brought snow and bitter cold temperatures and beautiful landscapes.
Day 34; Back to the Car; Snow begins to fall as a cold front and winter storm hits the area this Monday. Pictured here are my foot tracks between my tire tracks as i make my way back to my car parked on the side of the road.
Day 33; Super Bowl Blur; This image taken at Mugs where i work shows a blurred state, representing what i remember. Lots of beer, lots of shots and lots of laughs. Thankfully my cat won us 250 dollars on a super bowl square and everyone here was pissed.
Day 32; Izzy's Birthday; On the 1stof February it was my moms dog Izzy's 11th birthday. This dog was around when my dad was alive and is such a sweet girl. Way to be a good girl Izzy.
Day 31; Dave is retired; Dave wanders in late for a drink close to closing time. I hadn't seen Dave in mugs in close to 5 years. I took this picture of him and his hat that says "Im retired...having GOOD times IS MY JOB". Dave said he didn't know where he got the hat. Nice seeing you again Dave. Keep enjoying retirement.
Day 30; Late Night Mercury; To this point on this night i hadn't shot a photo all day and i was now off work and approaching midnight. I drove around town searching til i found this ole classic sitting out by a mechanic shop.
Day 29; Herbed Vinaigrette; At work i photograph my buddy Josh in the process of making salad dressing. This was olive oil meeting red wine vinegar.
Day 28; Inside Dans head; My buddy Dan is the smartest guy i've ever known in my life. He is a genius and a totally out there guy. Dans mind stretches the limits and his personality stretches the line of sense of humor at times, making him the kinda guy that makes philosophical conversations awesome. Any conversation really. Dan is like talking to a real life Rick from Rick and Morty. Im thankful for having had this dude in my life and look forward to his company always.
Day 27; First storm; 27 days into the year and Canon City has its first storm coming in.
Day 26; RIP KOBE; I was on the toilet playing a golf game in the bathroom when Alex opened the door and showed me her text on her phone, it sent a jolt to my brain but i dismissed it. She shrugged and walked away and i looked it up myself. To my disbelief multiple articles no more than 5 minutes old were posted all over Google, all headlined about the death of Kobe Bryant via helicopter crash. Kobe was one of my idols growing up watching my favorite sport, professional basketball. He was one of the greats and someone you admired and someone i hated to hate. I didnt want to hate Kobe because he was awesome. He was a laker though and as a die hard Nuggets fan i had to watch Kobe beat us more often than not. No bigger than the 2009 Western Conference championship series, the fursthest the Nuggets had ever advanced in their franchise history. He was accused of rape in Colorado just a year earlier and when i went to a game the 'boo's' every time he received the ball were deafening. He hung 41 on us that game and took care of business unfortunately. That year the Lakers won a ring against a bad Orlando Magic team and i always said it should of been us. After that i always marveled and was in awe of Kobe Bryant. His competitiveness and will to win was unlike anyones mindset i had ever seen. He did it all on the court and there was no doubt there will ever be another one like him. He basically revived one of the biggest cities in the world by giving them hope and encouragement, something to look forward to that was positive and uplifting. Kobe Bryant was in many ways a cities saviour and all he did was simply work hard at what he loved to do. Over the next several days i read about Kobes personal life and his relationship with his wife, his kids, his friends and his colleagues. It makes the death of him at age 41 much more tragic after reading his regard for the future and his drive to get the best out of his kids. As dominant and amazing he was at a sport he absolutely loved, he would choose family over that in a second if he had to. He leaves this earth as someone i'll never forget and an idol i'll look up to til i die. This picture was taken in the gym that day he had passed.
Day 25; Record cleanup; Pictured here is a splatter paint vinyl record from the band The Mystery Lights. On this night a friend of mine named Gary, gave me a bunch of fancy sleeves for my records to which i began to organize and do a clean up effort. I had to take a picture of this beaut.
Day 24; Deposit; On this day i took this money to the bank. I transferred my change from a jug into a large bowl. A quick guess thought the change would add up to a little over 200 dollars and was pleasantly surprised to see it netted me over 300. Interesting note (no pun intended) When i tried to open this image up in photoshop it wouldn't allow me to even open the picture, thanks to their stance on banknotes being edited. It just pops up a screen telling me i cant edit this picture. It left me with an uncomfortable realization that "They" are watching everything you do.
Day 23; Edie's Embroidery; Pictured here is my friend Edie who does hand stitched embroidery and is awesome at it. Edie's house was so warming and welcoming and her pets helped make the visit so memorable. Here she is pictured in her living room.
Day 22; Cats Etch; Pictured here is the hands of my friend Cat. Her and her husband Tom have their own art studio and they come into mugs every week and every week Cat does a new themed picture on the etch a sketch. The most impressive thing for me, aside from detailed work on an etch a sketch, is the amount of time it takes her to finish her drawings, only around 10 to 15 minutes at most. This weeks image is a advertised image of the upcoming super bowl in Miami.
Day 21; Employee Bowl; Alex tosses a bowling bowl at some pins during the Mugs employee party. Almost no one was sober.
Day 20; The Squiggly thing; Alex and i went on a hike by a nearby creek and i noticed a bush with these furry "squiggly" looking things hanging off the end of some of the bushes twigs. I pulled out my macro lens and went to town. This image is especially relevant because it became the first image in which i photographed and printed on the same day.
Day 19; Jersey Swap; Levi Paxton can only smile in disbelief while resting his face on a cheese head as his Green Bay Packers get smoked in the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. Levi's mom sitting next to him is a big 49ers fan who was wearing a Jerry Rice jersey while Levi sported an Aaron Rogers jersey. At one point while down 20-0 in the 2nd quarter i heard Levi ask her "Mom can we trade jerseys??"
Day 18; Bucco Presley; Presley hangs over her cat tower looking down on Dude in the afternoon.
Day 17; Lunch with Lindsey; i meet up with my sister Lindsey and enjoy an afternoon catching up and talking while enjoying a delicious Italian stallion sandwich. I love her very much.
Day 16; Impeachment Trial; An impeachment trial for Donald Trump begins as the country continues to be divided.
Day 15; Eggs; Eggs are about to be cooked for breakfast.
Day 14; 1917; Alex and i go and see the movie 1917, a World War 1 movie that was filmed to be one continuous running shot. The movie was probably the best movie id ever seen in theaters.
Day 13; Presley's interest; Before work i play with my cat Presley who is snuggled in the window pane sun bathing.
Day 12; Dude and Presley; Our cats Dude and Presley post for a white house style photograph.
Day 11; Bo wins a beer; Bo pictured here holding two beers is an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan. On this day the chiefs hosted the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round and quickly fell behind 24-0. Bo, then made a bold bet that the Chiefs would be winning by halftime. Everyone including myself called him a dumbass but then miraculously, the chiefs stormed back to take a 28-24 halftime lead. I paid my dues on the bet and without Bo knowing i opened up an O'douls non-alcoholic beer. When he took a drink of it he was pissed and asked "What the fuck is this!? Why did you give me a Grandma beer!?"
Day 10; Printer setup; My cat dude offers support as i read instructions on setting up a Canon Pixma-Pro 100 printer i received for christmas. The printer is a pro grade printer and has inspired me to print print print! Its been a blessing and lit a fire under my photographic ass.
Day 9; Rule Burnside; I like to collect cameras, photography related things and records. The record market is unbelievably wide open when it comes to vinyl records anymore. Limited edition releases, foreign country releases and different designed vinyl is all awesome. Before getting ready to prepare a meal i pulled this old record out of the stack. A record by blues artist R.L. Burnside on a limited edition "smoke" vinyl.
Day 8; The Barbershop; Pictured here is my buddy Aaron looking into a mirror after he had just cut my hair. I went to school with Aaron and hes my barber down at Phil's Barber Shop.
Day7; Epsom Salt Bath; After a long week of exercise and work i run an epson salt bath to end the week.
Day 6; Ufa's turn; Pictured here are my friends Ufa and Kris. Kris has been dealing with injuries and has been prescribed pain killers to recover. While on pain killers her son scott gets the dog Ufa to jump on the couch for a picture. Kris immediately demands Ufa to get down while Ufa does her best to ignore her. Moments after this picture Ufa reluctantly gives up her spot on the couch.
Day 5; Presley's ailment; Alex let me know of the discovery of a chewed up peace lily on the same day of our cat Presley throwing up clear liquid. The peace lily is a toxic plant for pets, thankfully for Presley she was alright and only digested a small amount.
Day 4; Word search; Alex looks through a word search on a relaxing Saturday afternoon. NFL football playoffs started this day and so did Alex's laid back weekend.
Day 3; Mike Brodies book arrives; in the early part of the decade around 2012 i discovered a photographer named Mike Brodie. He was a train hopping traveler equipped with a 35mm camera, capturing everything on his journey. It became my favorite body of work over the last decade and i finally bought the book. The book arrived on January 3rd of the new year. Here i am looking through it with a a cup of coffee.
Day 2; Meatball Nirvana; Turkey meatballs bake in the oven late at night, minutes to midnight. Cooking has become a large staple of my life in the last year, remembering recipes from scratch is something i plan to work on extensively.
Day 1; 2020; Back in the day when i thought of 2020 i would think of flying cars, robots doing my laundry and the ability to read minds. Instead...We have beyond meat burgers at Burger King.