Down On The Ranch(o)

Howdy once agan, everyone! I'm coming to you from the great state of Vermont, home of Rancho Descansamos ("We Rest") and the Stager/Velasquez families. Pepe and I managed to wend our way through Vermont's winding roads to arrive here around lunchtime Wednesday -- perfect timing, huh? -- and have spent the time catching up with Lisa and her folks, as well as reuniting her with all her childhood photo albums, held in my care for over 10 years unbeknownst to me (but knownst to her).


And here are Lisa and her mother and Lisa's son Kevin looking over old times while I struggle and strive to unload Pepe for my stay. ("Hey, that's okay, folks. Don't mind me.") I didn't realize it, but one of the albums were Lisa's first one with her first camera she got as a child. What a reunion that must have been for her.


Of course, one of the things that is a must here on the rancho is an afternoon walk of the dogs down to the pond for a look-see into what's in store for this summer. So far, there will be plenty of salamanders, and at least one frog, as one popped up for air right in front of us.


Of course, the dogs, Clea and Ally, lost no time in tormenting the local amphibians with romps through the water. Here's Clea getting in only as far as her tummy (she's a sled dog, not a swimmer), while Ally didn't mind at all just jumping right in, being part Lab and all.


Another happening around here was the belated celebration of my birthday, complete with what looks like as many candles as each of my 57 years. The rather bemused look on my face is actually staged, as I was trying to recreate a photo that just surfaced of my grandfather and a similar-looking birthday cake of his own. It was as if he couldn't decide whether he should blow it our or ring up the Volunteer Fire Department. Whatever the case, we had to hurry up and do the shots, as the conflagration was threatening to melt the icing on my German Chocolate Cake -- my very favorite.

Well, I guess that'll have to do it for now, as I've got to get ready to hit the road for Acadia today and wind this little tour up once and for all. Thanks for checking in from time to time and urging Pepe and me on with well wishes and desires of your own to be out on the road. I'll check in again from Bar Harbor. Till then . . .

The Pennsylvania Fly-by

Wait a minute -- that's not Pennsylvania! No, it isn't; it's Dallas, Texas very early in the morning way back on the 19th as I was leaving town to begin my journey in earnest. Luckily, it was a Saturday -- thanks to the monster thunderstorm delaying my departure -- so traffic was fairly light, for Dallas. Still, that didn't stop what few drivers there were from being typical morons, but Pepe and I escaped town none the worse for wear.


Two days later found me in Frankfort, Indiana and at the home of Bill, Susan, Jack, and Anna, who we see here -- only without Bill, who was on his way to Wichita at this time. Why or how I ended up without a picture of Bill is a total mystery to me, as he was riding his ride-a-mower when I pulled up. What an idiot I am!


After my stay in Frankfort, I fired up Pepe and off we went to the Wright-Patterson USAF Museum to re-capture some of the planes I took photos of on my 2000/2001 Big Trip -- one of which was this beautiful Lockheed B-58 Hustler all shined up and lit like something out of a sci-fi movie. The Wright-Patterson people got really creative with their lighting, but unfortunately it doesn't help photographers out much. The "Cold War" exhibit seen here is totally dark except for the spot lighting, which is really tricky at best. Lots of long exposures and blurred images.


The same thing -- and more -- went for this Convair B-36 Peacemaker, one of the most important bombers of the Cold War era. As I complained about in my last entry, the cramming of aircraft into such a small space makes for a frustrating photo shoot, but at least they had a balcony I was able to take advantage of to get the entire plane in the shot, even though the foreshortening effect makes the wing HUGE. Hopefully, there'll be an example of this magnificent aircraft outside so I can get a shot to do it justice.


Stepping back a few years -- like all the way back to WWII -- I came across this fine example of a Junkers Ju52, one of Germany's most important transport craft ever. And, no, this isn't an Air Force airplane, but they probably test flew it here after the war, as they did several other Axis aircraft. I failed to read the placard, I'm afraid, so I don't know for sure.


So as not to bore you all with all of the 388 aircraft photos (can you believe that?!), Pepe and I pushed on to Zanesville, Ohio where I reacquainted myself with their Denny's Diner, missed on the Doug's Diner Dash back in the Fall. After four hours of walking through all those hangars, I was more than a little beat, and Denny's country-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and fresh mixed vegetables hit the spot big time. Man, was that good!


Then, morning broke very early, but it wasn't without its benefits. As I popped out of one of the four tunnels in Pennsylvania (I'll save the photos for the gallery), I popped out and saw this phenomenon -- a cloud in the shape of a giant brain floating in the sky. Have any of you ever seen the 1950s sci-fi movie The Brain from Planet Arous? Well, this looks just like the real deal, let me tell you. By the way, I own the movie, if you're ever interested in checking it out.


Now, here's an interesting yet disturbing image. Can you imagine what a person, strung out from miles and miles of road and severe lack of sleep, would think seeing this upon awakening from a momentary nod-off? Holy SHIT! Eerrrhhhh! CRASH!!! Actually, it was the last in a train of semi tractors being towed to their new destination, wherever that may be. I just couldn't resist taking the shot. (Shades of T-Rex from last time, huh?)


And here I am, in my snazzy office-away-from-office in New Paltz, New York. (Okay, technically, I'm not in the picture, but you get the general idea. What a great office, huh?) I was hoping to stay in Newburgh, a little further to the south, which was the longest-serving headquarters of our very own George Washington -- our esteemed country's original George W. It may have been from Newburgh where George and his men bravely traversed the nearby Delaware River in a flimsy little rowboat so historically during the Revolutionary War, probably due to I-84 being inaccessible thanks to it being covered in snow and ice. (This was way before the invention of the snowplow/sander that we rely on so heavily these days, I'm sure.) Anyway . . . here I am for now, and tomorrow I'll head up the New York Thruway and over to the little town of Wells, Vermont and Rancho Descansamos. After that, it's pack it up one last time and head on up to Acadia for the summer. Don't touch that dial!

The "Fly Me" Tour

Well, hey there, friends and neighbors. Just wanted to let you know I made it to Grand Prairie safe and sound. I don't have a lot of time right now to get long-winded (WHAT?!?!), but here's a rundown of current events:


This was my view out the back window of the apartment as I was furiously trying to get the apartment cleaned and Pepe packed up. Time was a-wastin' at this point. I didn't get as early a start as I'd hoped, but I still managed to get off in good time.


And here's Pepe all loaded up and ready to roll once again. As always, he takes his load in good stride and doesn't even seem to notice that it's there. Thank goodness.


Once at home (top photo), I dashed over to Addison Airport to the Cavanaugh Flight Museum, the first of my aviation-oriented stops on this cross-country jaunt. I was extremely excited to find this little guy here, a Grumman US-2B -- or "Stoof" as it was known when it was designated as S-2F -- an anti-submarine plane I used to take care of when I was in the Navy. I've always loved these guys.


Another plane I was excited to find here was this Lockheed F-104A Starfighter, one of the most beautiful jets of all time in my opinion. I'd seen one of these on our squadron's ramp one day and just circled it in awe. This is the only other one I've seen since. It'll be a great addition to my airplane photo gallery.


Shooting the museum's aircraft from inside the hangars was a bit problematic, especially since there were so many crammed in so little space. I still took photos of them, but longed to get them outside where I could really do them justice. Still, a picture of a Supermarine Mk.VIII Spitfire is a picture of a Supermarine Mk.VIII Spitfire any day.


The next day, I took Pepe to get his oil changed, so I thought I'd poke around my old airport and see what kinds of planes might be sitting out there on the ramp. I ran across this quirky-looking little bird, a Flight Design CTSW. It looks like an egg whose bird just couldn't wait to hatch, doesn't it?


Then, last night all hell broke loose. A monster thunderstorm roared through the area, bringing howling winds, baseball-sized hail and rain, rain, rain. I took a quick shot out onto the patio, but the camera decided to focus on the raindrops instead. Luckily for us, the hail never made it to this area, splitting up and going to either the north or south of us. Whew!!! I've been looking at the weather all night and this morning and have decided to lay over another day here and let it move it on to the east a bit more, otherwise I'll be in it for the rest of the trip. No sense in that.

So, I guess that'll catch you up on events for now. Be sure to stay tuned to this station for further updates from the road.

New Cameras, Busy Days, and Birthday Boys

Well, hey there, everybody. I'm back again, and this time I'm armed with my new little digital camera -- a Sony S730. My older one was having problems in the sky areas, due to dust inside the lens, so rather than send that one in for repair (which I will eventually do, as I love it), I got a new one for the upcoming trip. It's not as well-built as my old one, but as you can see the sky is free of dust blobs. It's not a bad little camera really, and it fits in the old one's case just fine. Okay, on with the show. This is the view out the working booth window, looking across the incoming lane. Nice view, huh? (It's been cropped down to get rid of all the extra ground and sky that really didn't need to be there, plus I don't really care for the 4x5 format of digital cameras. I do so miss the 4x6 format of 35mm.)

This the view from my chair looking north up the incoming lane. The clearing in the tree was done by yours truly, as the mesquite tends to leaf out right in the way. Gotta see what's coming.

While I was packing up my stuff to head home, I happened to notice my Tiffen 87 Infrared filter in my camera bag, so, still in Camera Test Mode, I thought I'd give it a try taking an infrared shot. Not too shabby! Any blurriness is most likely on my part, due to the fact an 87 filter is opaque, so the camera is taking a long, long time making the exposure and I was just bracing myself up against the door frame. I'll definitely have to pursue this avenue a little further with a tripod later on.


Well, now we're in the Big City (Alpine), and wandering around town in search of a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit while Pepe gets his brakes looked at, as well as an inspection. On my way to the local McDonald's at the other edge of town, I happened by the Granada Theater, a dilapidated old thing with so much character, so I just had to stop and give it its due.


Boy, you know, they just don't make signs like this one anymore, and what a shame. I hope at some point someone comes along and pumps some money into this place and fixes it up to its former glory. Funny thing, right after I took this shot, the pigeon sitting on the middle support next to the sign fluttered his wings as if to say, "Damned paparazzi!" I didn't even know he was there.


Pushing on down Holland Avenue to Mickey D's, I happened upon a line of these industrious little guys busy with procuring their own sustenance for the day. Once again, in Camera Test Mode, I decided to check out the new little camera's Macro mode, something I do love to do. Not bad, really, considering you have to keep moving because these fellas know no vanity and are just too darned busy with their day for such foolishness.


Having achieved gastronomical and vehicular success in town earlier in the day, it became time to meet with my buddies Jennifer and Romaldo in Terlingua for one last Burger Night at the Starlight Theater before heading to Maine. Jennifer went to check on our table, so I thought I'd sneak a grab shot of the denizens of "The Porch" doing what they do best -- drinking beer and shooting the breeze. You can learn a lot about the town and its citizens' doings sitting here on the porch, a popular meeting place and hangout. Sometimes, if you're really lucky, you can even catch various entertainers performing out here, up to and including Willie Nelson himself. What a great venue for that, huh?


At our table now, I thought one last photographic capture was in order and started with this shot of Rags, a cute little guy sitting patiently -- and obediently -- at the door looking in at his owners, who got a kick out of my taking his picture. Jen later told me Rags was lovingly liberated from wandering the streets of Mexico, a poor and bedraggled little stray. He seems to be doing just fine in his new home.


While editing all the photos I took, I realized I had a segmented scan of the entire place, so I thought, since we had the "entrance" door covered (and still stalwartly guarded by Rags), we'd continue with the "exit" door -- nobody really cares which door you use -- and this table of chatting chiquitas. Once again, we're shooting with long exposures and no tripod, so some image softness may occur.


Continuing around the room, we see a couple enjoying the easy atmosphere beneath one of the Starlight's beautiful agave sconces. I just love those things!


Moving on, we encounter the Starlight's indoor sign, just above the stage where Ted Arbogast will soon be performing tonight's live music. Ted is an awesome musician and I'm always in awe of his fingering ability. He's a bloody genius. (So why didn't I get his picture? Duh!)


And here we have the main body of the room. I'm still not sure what he prayer flags are all about -- if that's indeed what they are -- but they add a certain charm to the room. Also they and the strings of lights help take up some of the space under the high ceiling.


And last but not least, we have a shot of the bar, and what a nice bar it is, too. It has a real nice Old West look to it, don't you think?


And here we have the Belated Birthday Boy himself, schmoozing with the bringer of all things delectable, the one and only Jennifer. For my birthday, we had a Brownie Sundae topped with melted candle, as when Jen informed Ted it was my birthday, he had the entire congregation sing "Happy Birthday" to me as the lone candle blazed away to almost nothing. Not a problem, although one bite did taste a little waxy. Still, it was great fun being the center of attention, and a perfect way to end the busy day. Thanks, Jen!!!

Well, that's all there is for now. Be sure to stay tuned to this station for any further updates. See ya!

Hello, I Must Be Going

Well, hey there, everybody. A dear friend of mine recently brought to my attention that I've been a real sluggard where my blog is concerned, and I have to admit it's true. As I'm preparing to head back down the road toward the next Pot O' Gold, I thought I'd better pop in and say something. This season hasn't really been a good one for this kind of activity, as due to my relocation to Panther Junction (instead of the modular housing unit in Persimmon Gap), I'm afraid I just haven't had as much free time as I'd like due to the long drives. That and my sister Lyn has been keeping me fairly busy updating the family photo albums (both Duncan/Mather and Moore/Smith) I've put up online with photos dating back to our great-great-grandparents.

Great-great-grandfather, Andrew Mather




I've also been scanning some old photos of my own in the off times, such as this one of me and my Nash Metropolitan (now how many of you have ever owned one of these little jewels?) as well as scanning all the aircraft photos I've ever taken and putting them in their own online gallery, such as this aerial shot I took in 1973 of the Bell P-39 Airacobra "Mr. Mennen" for Sport Flying magazine:


All that scanning and uploading of all those aircraft photos prompted me to offer them up to my favorite online aviation photo website, 1000AircraftPhotos.com, and they started my very own collection last month, with further additions to come at the end of every month, at least until I run out of photos. If you'd like to check it out, you can open up the title page by clicking the link below:
1000AircraftPhotos - Doug Duncan Collection


And while I was poking around in my old photo albums, I came across another image I love dearly, this one from my very first trip out here to Big Bend on a photo workshop in 1986. This was taken Homer Wilson's Blue Creek Ranch and has most of the instructors and attendees in it. (Except for the head honcho of this little expedition, the very edge of whose duster you can see on the far left-hand edge of the frame. You really have to look hard.)

But, all this doesn't mean I haven't had any time to go out and poke around this big, beautiful park. Thanks to all my prowling around on back roads last season, I decided to assign myself the personal project of heading out and photographically documenting as many ruins out there as I could this season. Two of the top nominees for this little project were the Mariscal Mine . . .


. . . where they smelted cinnabar ore into mercury, and a rather obscure old ranch house practically no one ever hears about, the Bone Spring ruins . . .


. . . located out in middle of nowhere off a dirt road at the end of an abandoned road that abandons itself completely the farther along you go, until you standing there in the middle of the desert going, "What the . . . ?" The Mariscal Mine you can drive to; this one takes some real effort and a good dose of navigational ability -- and binoculars. I do love a challenge.

So, I guess that'll just about catch you up on my doings for now. I hope when I hit the road in a couple of weeks I'll be able to pop in from time to time and give you updates along the way. I'll do my best, okay? Till then, hang in there and don't forget about me. I'm still out here, I promise.