Hurry Up and Wait

  You know the saying, “hurry up and wait”? I think we have all heard it at one time or another, however this weekend I learned something more about that saying. I learned that it is very true if you happen to be a team roper waiting for your turn to catch a steer at a rodeo.

If you are a team roper you spend hours getting ready for a competition, and this does not include the years of training. On rodeo day you get your gear packed – ropes, gloves, blankets, tack. Load the horses in the trailer, drive to the rodeo, get unpacked, saddle up, get entered, get warmed up, get ready, get the adrenaline flowing – and then wait. You wait. And then you wait some more.

I am back in Montana this weekend with my friends Jason and Miranda as they continue their quest to become successful team ropers. I took this shot from behind the ropers as they wait for their turn to spend somewhere around 6 seconds roping a steer – if they are lucky.

The years, months, days, and hours of work and preparation all boil down to a few tense seconds that spell success and a pay check -  or failure and a loss of fees, gas, travel, and confidence.

I like this shot because it captures something you rarely see – the behind the scenes waiting at the rodeo. The long wait before the make or break moment. Stay tuned for more news and photos of Jason, Miranda and their team roping saga.

Corea Dories

One of my favorite harbors anywhere is Corea Maine. I was there teaching a workshop this fall when we found this nice scene of lobstermen’s dories tied up to the dock. You can never ever have too many photographs of boats or harbors…really!

Tofino Bound in 2012!

I am so excited to announce that once again I will be heading to Tofino and the Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island this May. I will be teaching a workshop with the one-of-a-kind David Middleton, who in spite of a heart attack and being whalloped in the leg by a horse, seems to want to continue teaching workshops. Go figure?

If you know me, you know that I love Tofino, and would go there anytime for any reason. It is a fantastic workshop location – bears, old growth forest, tide pools, miles of sandy beaches, surfers, working harbors – more than you could ever want or hope to capture in a week.  We are only taking 10, and as of now have 3 spots remaining. Please let me know asap if you are interested.

Dates : May 8 – 13th 20012 – (a day longer than usual as there is so much to do.)

Where: Tofino, Vancouver Island, BC

Cost: $1075 – includes boat charters, trip to Mears Island, bear photography as well as instruction.

Old Friends Found at Gotts.

One of the very best things about working on the book, The Lobstering Life, was meeting the wonderful characters who make a living pulling “bugs”from the sea.  One of the hardest things is wondering about those guys and gals now – wondering how is Andy Gove getting along at 83, how are Mattie and Chris out on Monhegan Island now that a new season has begun for them, wondering if Dougie Dodge finally has that boat framed up out on Beals Island, wondering if Butch in Stonington has the grandkids this weekend… These people and many more all shared their lives with us, they are much more than photographs on a page, and I hope we will have more chances to see them again over the years.

A few weeks ago when I was in Maine teaching I had the chance to catch up with two of my favorite Maine lobstermen, Capt Norm Closson and his Sternman Phil. I was driving down the road to Bass Harbor with David and we decided to pop into Gotts store. I do believe David really really really needed a chocolate chip cookie, and we wanted to leave a book at Gotts. So there we were, discussing Norm and Phil and how best to find them, and then low and behold there was Norm standing in the parking lot! More than a co-incidence.  Here I was 3000 miles from home, on a random day, at a time not usually associated with lobstermen (as in late morning, not 5am), and there was Norm. It was so much fun to see him, hear about his season (record catches in Maine this year) and give him the Lobstering Life book.  We had the pleasure of introducing him to our workshop group, as they probably wondered (or maybe not) why I was running across the parking lot to hug a seeming stranger in a tattered cap.

Then, our luck held out and the next week we stopped for gas, late afternoon, again at Gotts and ran into Phil at the gas pump! He’s been working on a road crew and is as jovial as ever. So I am happy to report that they are both well and if you are in Bass Harbor – or there abouts – stop into Gotts store, have a chocolate chip cookie, they are excellent, and ask them to point out Norm and Phil in the book- or in person – you are sure to get a smile.

I will try to follow up with more news about our lobstering friends this winter. I hope that they are all safe and sound, coming home with full traps on calm seas.

Acadia National Park

I’m just home from teaching with my pal David Middleton in Maine. The guy just keeps plugging along – heart attacks and horse kicks won’t keep him from his teaching duties or his dark chocolate. It was a fun workshop, with a great group of people. One of the highlights for me of this location is wandering the beautiful carriage trails of Acadia National Park.  This year the fall weather was a bit unpredictable, but when is weather anything but? We had rain and wind for a few days but nevertheless, we had some nice color on the trees, and even better color on the paths and trails. This photo was taken along the path to Duck Pond on a rainy afternoon. I’m hoping it makes you want to step into the frame and talk a walk! If you ever get the chance to head to Maine be sure to visit Acadia, it’s well worth it in any weather.