“…and then, I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?”
― Vincent van Gogh
Vortex
Richard Serra
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Nature and Art
Category Archives: Photography
To Photograph People Is To Violate Them
“To photograph people is to violate them, by seeing them as they never see themselves, by having knowledge of them that they can never have; it turns people into objects that can be symbolically possessed. Just as a camera is a sublimation of the gun, to photograph someone is a subliminal murder – a soft murder, appropriate to a sad, frightened time.”
― Susan Sontag, On Photography
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
A Drone Over the Trinity
“Whatever question arose, a swarm of these drones, without having finished their buzzing on a previous theme, flew over to the new one and by their hum drowned and obscured the voices of those who were disputing honestly.”
― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
The scenes of the swollen Trinity river have been popular sightseeing attractions here for the last few weeks. Luckily, here, the flooding has been more of an inconvenience that the deadly danger that it has posed downstream. The high water is an interesting and strangely beautiful change – and not so morbid of an attraction.
In this modern world, odd occurrences inevitably attract a new breed of gawker – drones. A couple showed up at the Continental Bridge Park while I was down there looking at the water. They had a drone in a case – extracted it, and flew it around the place.
I think it was one of these. It was very capable, flying all over the place, a surprising distance. The pilot must have been very confident – if anything went wrong it would have been lost forever in the rushing floodwaters.
The drone flying off the edge of the Continental Bridge Park, Dallas, Texas
The drone with the cable stays of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in the background.
The drone coming in for a landing. She would catch it as it landed.
This wasn’t shot on the same day, but some of the footage is in the same spot.
Texas Flood
Well there’s floodin’ down in Texas
All of the telephone lines are down
Well there’s floodin’ down in Texas
All of the telephone lines are down
And I’ve been tryin’ to call my baby
Lord and I can’t get a single sound
Well dark clouds are rollin’ in
Man I’m standin’ out in the rain
Well dark clouds are rollin’ in
Man I’m standin’ out in the rain
Yeah flood water keep a rollin’
Man it’s about to drive poor me insane
—-Texas Flood, Stevie Ray Vaughn
Trinity River,
Dallas, Texas
Legions Of These Myrmidons
“One day when I went out to my wood-pile, or rather my pile of stumps, I observed two large ants, the one red, the other much larger, nearly half an inch long, and black, fiercely contending with one another. Having once got hold they never let go, but struggled and wrestled and rolled on the chips incessantly. Looking farther, I was surprised to find that the chips were covered with such combatants, that it was not a duellum, but a bellum, a war between two races of ants, the red always pitted against the black, and frequently two red ones to one black. The legions of these Myrmidons covered all the hills and vales in my wood-yard, and the ground was already strewn with the dead and dying, both red and black. It was the only battle which I have ever witnessed, the only battle-field I ever trod while the battle was raging; internecine war; the red republicans on the one hand, and the black imperialists on the other. On every side they were engaged in deadly combat, yet without any noise that I could hear, and human soldiers never fought so resolutely.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden
I was out moving around the city with my bicycle and a DART pass. I had my tablet in a backpack and decided to head downtown and see if there was anything interesting on my Love Lock USB Dead Drop. The water in the Trinity was up, but I didn’t know how high it was on that day – so I thought I’d at least give it a shot.
Crossing the river on the DART train I looked out and saw the Santa Fe Trestle trail snaking its way across and a few inches above the water – so it looked like I could make the crossing. I started to ride down from the Corinth train station and soon I was on a narrow strip of concrete with water all around.
Finally, though, I reached a spot where the water was coursing over the pavement. I’m not an idiot, I knew it was time to head back. I did get off my bike and fished out my camera for some flood shots.
Concentrating on the water and my camera I didn’t notice one important fact. All the fire ants from across the vast river bottom plain had been forced up onto the narrow strip of trail. At my feet they were boiling in a thick red mass.
If you know anything about Texas – you know that fire ants will swarm you and then when one bites, they all do. Nasty, nasty things.
It hurt, but not too bad. I did the fire and dance, sweeping them off as fast as I could.
Then it was out of there, as fast as I could pedal.
The Santa Fe Trestle Trail snaking its way through the flooded Trinity River Bottoms.
Dallas, Texas.
The view across the Flooded Trinity, Dallas, Texas
As the water moved from one side of the trail to the other, through drowned drainage pipes, it left a maelstrom in its wake.
Trinity River Bottoms, Dallas, Texas
Finally, the water overtakes the trail.
Dallas, Texas
Too Lost By Then To Stop
“I dream that I have found us both again,
With spring so many strangers’ lives away,
And we, so free,
Out walking by the sea,
With someone else’s paper words to say….They took us at the gates of green return,
Too lost by then to stop, and ask them why-
Do children meet again?
Does any trace remain,
Along the superhighways of July?”
― Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
Continental Bridge Park,
Dallas, Texas
I Am Haunted By Waters
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters.”
― Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories
Before and After
Entrance to the Santa Fe Trestle Trail, Dallas, Texas
I took this photo on a fun organized bike ride last October.
We lost about half the ride at Lee Harvey’s – but here’s the rest at the Santa Fe Trestle Trail.
(click for a larger, better version on Flickr)
Here’s what the same spot looks like now.
Downtown from the entrance to the Santa Fe Trestle Trail,
Dallas, Texas
Dreams Tonight Will Shelter You
“Dream tonight of peacock tails,
Diamond fields and spouter whales.
Ills are many, blessings few,
But dreams tonight will shelter you.”
—-Thomas Pynchon
Dallas, Texas
The Sense Of the Beautiful
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Continental Bridge Park,
Dallas, Texas
(click image for a larger version in Flickr)
Well We Know Where We’re Goin’
Well, we know where we’re goin’
But we don’t know where we’ve been
And we know what we’re knowin’
But we can’t say what we’ve seenAnd we’re not little children
And we know what we want
And the future is certain
Give us time to work it outWe’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride—-Talking Heads – Road To Nowhere
Then and Now
Not long ago, back in January, I posted a photo of the trails in the Trinity River Bottoms taken from the Continental Street Bridge Park. The entry was called Ride To Nowhere.
Here’s the photo:
Trinity Skyline Trail (east side)
from the Continental Bridge Park
Dallas, Texas
Now, it really does go nowhere.
Flooded river bottoms, there is a concrete trail under that water, if you look closely, you can see the trail marker.
Trinity River, Dallas, Texas
At least the big tree has leafed out nicely.
Bill Chance 