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This is what greets the visitor after rounding that bend to the left to go inside. We were there before things opened up, so the lot of us were loitering here or exploring the other vast open-air hallways. Fortunately a piano, which my nephew Terry is playing, is provided to help while away the time. He appears to have a rapt audience of two standing and one sitting, with Chenjean and her sister, Sue-fen, sitting behind.
Another view of Terry and his audience - which was now two - below:
After Terry finished I sat down to play a song I wrote when I was twelve years old. It is variously called "Trash" or "Litter" because the spirit came from the early-70's PSA on television about littering. An Indian, played by Ed Ames, paddles down a pristine river in his canoe and when he stops on a sandbar you can see trash being thrown at his feet, then a trickle of tears runs down his cheek due to the damage being done to Mother Earth. Quite moving...and the background music played five notes in succession that became the nucleus of my song. I was pleased, and encouraged, when these ladies clapped.
Getting closer, it's easy to see how the bold curves and shapes guide the visitor into the interior (that's my family in the background making their way in). But the reason I took the picture in the first place is the guy on the bicycle holding an umbrella. It was hot and sunny on a mid-May day, and lots of folks use them to shade from the sun in Taiwan (side note: the Spanish word for umbrella, parasol, literally means "for the sun"), but not too many I've seen while riding a bicycle. And to top it off, he has a girl - presumably his daughter - on the front. The are both wearing masks, and it appears she is holding the umbrella. See below for extremely cropped-in shot:
While in Kaohsiung we had to take in the Performing Arts Center, situated in the center of town. It's relatively new, and there wasn't much going on there at the time, but the shape and bold curves gave it a sensuous beauty that I was eager to capture.
The pic above is a three-shot panorama of the exterior of the building as we approached from the road. Since it was virtually empty there weren't many people around, great for my style of photography.
Know I posted a similar pic at the beginning but I like night shots so here is another one. This was captured hand-held, using a wall in the hotel room to stabilize the Bigger Cahoona.
Ending the River of Love series with a semi-night shot here...a few from the Performing Arts Center in Kaohsiung next.
Now back up to the room for a pic of something through this lace curtain, complete with focus shift to the right...
Penny for that guy's thoughts...
And now for my second favorite pic in Kaohsiung. I'll perhaps clean this petal up a bit one day and make a print. Thought about this pic as I noticed this thing laying on the ground.
With blue background, then the original background below:
Every once in a while you'll see an animal participating in a wedding. YouTube has hundreds of videos of dogs acting as ring bearers or performing some other function in the ceremony, and there is one with a couple of llamas sent in to surprise the bride.
Well, I attended a wedding in which a horse was called upon to walk the aisle. Kevin and Megan, my best friends in college, sent us an invitation to their daughter's wedding, so the wife and I drove up to Arkansas to be there. It was an awesome, rustic venue - a barn out in the country - surrounded by gently rolling hills and a small lake down by the way. The ceremony itself was conducted outdoors, and the weather cooperated beautifully.
There were originally supposed to be two horses - one for him and one for her - and after saying their vows they were to literally ride off into the sunset. But as fortune would have it the groom-to-be had a four-wheeler accident just days before the big event and was unable to sit on his horse. Thus, we're down to one horse, a mare named Roxy. But at the right moment she very obediently clopped down the aisle and stood long enough to see them get hitched (pun intended, sort of). After it was over she was led down to the lake where she cavorted while the party and guests made their way up to the barn for the reception.
Of course I went nuts over all of this, as I love (and miss) the country and anything that is out of the ordinary (which I also miss). Was tempted to bring the Bigger Cahoona, but didn't want to distract with the shutter noise or get in the way of the professional photographer hired for the occasion. Therefore no pictures, but - besides having the chance to visit good friends - it was wonderful to be there and see a life of love begin with the help of friends and family - including those of a different species...
Best tree pattern branch picture I've ever seen was at a picture store on Maui, and as it turns out the photographer was from here in Houston! Would love to meet the guy and get some tips, or at least glean something from his creative spirit.
Silhouette of same below:
