The Elder Sisters of St. Joseph's

The Elder Sisters of St. Joseph's, Jonestown, Miss., 2007

Boom Boom

Earlier this afternoon I heard crazy bouts of screaming and explosions emanating from behind the pseudo frat house across the street. After a closer inspection, I decided that they were initiating young, impressionable boys into their little club. They were launching bottle rockets to mark the occasion, so naturally I wanted to fire some as well, right back at them. Bigger ones of course, the kind of boomers you can only find at Rocket City inside the marvelous world of South of The Border in Dillon, South Carolina.

Two Unlikely Things

SnOBAMA, Durham, NC, Jan. 21st, 2009

Two unlikely and marvelous events occurred yesterday. Snow covered the ground up to six inches deep in Durham, North Carolina and Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of The United States.

Hecho En Mexico

Mexico is madly in love with the Volkswagen Beetle. They seem to be on every street in any city.

Here's some interesting information about the last Beetle made in Mexico via Wikipedia:

By 2003 Beetle annual production had fallen to 30,000 from a peak of 1.3 million in 1971. On 30 July 2003, the final original VW Beetle (No. 21,529,464) was produced at Puebla, Mexico, some 65 years after its original launch, and an unprecedented 58-year production run since 1945, the year VW recognizes as the first year of non-Nazi funded production. VW announced this step in June, citing decreasing demand. The last car was immediately shipped off to the company's museum in Wolfsburg, Germany. In true Mexican fashion, a mariachi band serenaded the last car. There was also in Mexico an advertising campaign as a goodbye for the Beetle. For example, in one of the ads was a very small parking space on the street, and many big cars tried to park in it, but could not. After a while, a sign appears in that parking space saying: "Es increíble que un auto tan pequeño deje un vacío tan grande" (It is incredible that a car so small can leave such a large void). Another depicted the rear end of a 1954 Beetle (year in which Volkswagen first established in Mexico) in the left side of the ad, reading "Había una vez..." (Once upon a time...) and the last 2003 Beetle in the right side, reading "Fin" (The end).

Foreign Dogs

"If dogs run free, then why not we?" - Bob Dylan

In 2008 I had the good fortune of visiting Mexico and Peru. In both places there was an abundance of dogs running free. They ran through the streets and crowded markets, even on the roofs. The smart ones, the ones still alive, knew enough to wait with everyone else on the sidewalk until the light changed before crossing the street. Some looked to be suffering from terrible mange. Others seemed ready to be taken home and spoiled. At the stunning summit of Monte Albán, there was dog that followed us around patiently (first photo). We considered the feasibility of taking it (we named it Monty) back home to the States. The thought of long quarantine hassles led us to believe it would be a bad idea, but by that time Monty had already slipped away to follow another group of tourists.

Sifting Through the Pile

Hal Clark, Clark Tire Repair, Siler City, NC, 2008

Colors & Numbers

Colors and numbers can speak a universal language. Consider this a study of the idea.
Clockwise from top-left, Pino Suarez, Oaxaca City, MX. A scene from the Friday market in Ocotlan, MX. Reconstructing the Zapotec ruins at Yagul, Oaxaca. MX, Mexico City street near the Zocalo.