I love dogs. Always have. Growing up, I can never remember a time when we didn’t have one.
Take a look at this face. The picture of innocence. Look deep into the eyes. They’re saying, ‘I didn't do it’.
As you might guess, there’s a story here. First, introductions are in order. This is Jack, my Bull Terrier. If you look closely you might make out a tattoo in his right ear. I usually tell people that’s from a stint in the Navy, or he got it when he was in prison. Actually, it’s his birth date, put there by the breeder. But it makes him look tough. He’s my constant companion.
Recently, we’ve been working on a project to catalog items I’ve made for the Kentucky Derby®. We’re very blessed to be partnered with some extremely talented individuals throughout the process.
I was working late one afternoon at my computer on some photos I had taken. I left the light tent I had constructed in its place, along with the tripod and a prime camera lens that I occasionally use. Jack, as usual, was with me. He’s usually at my feet, on my feet, at my side, or at the very least, near by. I have an assortment of bones around to keep him busy. (What’s the point of having jaw muscles like Arnold Schwartenegger if you can’t use them?)
Getting up from my desk, you can imagine the quizzical look on my face when I noticed his bone on the floor, where he was not. And you can imagine the surprise and disbelief on my face when I realized what he was enjoying, my prime camera lens. It was shredded. I guess he thought he’d get rid of what competes with him for my time.
Don’t let the busyness of this wonderful season steal away the moments with the ones you love. You might just lose your prime camera lens.
Do Something
There’s something about old outdoor magazines I love. Perhaps I’m hopelessly nostalgic.
I recently, by chance, went to an estate sale with my son and one of my brothers. Stepping through the kitchen to get to the back rooms made me feel like a time traveler and I found myself questioning, who was the previous owner? The answer was in the office. A stack of small magazines from the 50’s and 60’s called Arizona Outdoor Sportsman; and Dale Slocum, the owner, had been the field editor.
Reading the December 1957 issue, I was immediately taken by a story of five men, long time friends, who decided they would float the Colorado River from Mexican Hat, Utah, to Lee’s Ferry, Arizona (prior to the building of the Glen Canyon Dam). What’s amazing is that each would use a raft of their own construction - three inner tubes lashed together, with a nine-foot board for a seat.
Adventure to these five friends was not about having high-tech equipment. They simply used what they had at hand and were not afraid of the unknown; rather, they looked at the unknown with anticipation and excitement. Pure adventure!
It makes me think of my dad’s Scottsdale business landlord of many years, Carson Floyd, a former Kansas farmer. My brothers and I were young. Mr. Floyd would open the front door and say jokingly, ‘Boys, let’s do something! even if it’s wrong!’ It was his funny way of saying, ‘Boys, don’t be lazy, make decisions, and forge ahead.’
Fear can be a stifling thing and it will rob us of enjoying the simplest of blessings. So this Fall, don’t just sit around. Count your blessings. Be determined, make decisions, learn from the outcome, and forge ahead!
Inclusio
This summer I was fortunate enough to sit in on a graduate level class taught by my nephew at Phoenix Seminary on the Psalms of the Bible.
One of the things I learned is that many of the Psalms are framed by ‘inclusio,’ or a repeated phrase at the beginning and the end of the Psalm. ‘Bracketed’ is another way to put it’s similar to book ends.
I grew up in a family of brothers. There are four of us. We were â’strongly encouraged’ by our parents not to fight with each other, and strongly encouraged to fight for one another. Today that’s called ‘having each other’s backs.’ I was born in the middle, (just like in the photo). I’m the hairy one standing in the center.
The brother on my left is the oldest and the brother on my right is the youngest. I guess you could say they are my inclusio - my book ends.
Believe me, we still had our ‘disagreements’, but tempered by the wisdom of my parents, we were able to bypass things we could regret later in life, because of things said or done when we were younger. That has strengthened our relationships over all. We still laugh at each other’s quirks, and draw on each other’s strengths.
Maybe my parents should run for public office.
Memories
There are things laying around in my studio - items that have no direct influence on my work or no intrinsic value. But these items have memories attached; for me, it’s that ‘story’ that gives them value.
In one corner shelf, there’s an old fishing tackle box with a Pflueger bait casting reel, an old oil lamp, a hickory tobacco stick, and a rail splitting mallet carved from a single piece of wood, to name just a few.
The fishing reel, for example, belonged to my grandfather. Perhaps my very earliest memory of fishing revolves around my grandfather’s rural Kentucky farm, lazy Pond Creek, and summertime. Even now, there’s something about summer that makes me want to be on a farm, reaching for a cane pole, and heading down to the creek..knowing full well there are no ‘river monsters’ there, just palm-sized sunfish… and that’s enough.
You see, a simple investment of a moment in time can make a huge impact for a lifetime.
Thanks Papaw.
Christmas 2015
Christmas Note:
What makes Christmas special for you? Is it getting out the decorations? Hoping for snow (if you’re a kid), or that it doesn’t snow (if you’re an adult)? Seeing your children or grandchildren in the annual Christmas pageant? Singing the old Christmas carols with renewed fervor? Attending a candlelight service with family at Church on Christmas Eve?
We have a very large extended family-we have babies coming out of the woodwork! When we would all get together as a family, there was one gift that got passed on year after year. NO ONE wanted it, but it was always fun to see who would wind up with the responsibility of storing it at home for the year until the next Christmas.
For me personally, Christmas is an opportunity to take advantage of moments to pull back on the reigns, step aside from the seasonal current, take a breath, and consider again with renewed anticipation the joyful promise of peace. May that peace find you this holiday season.
Spring 2015
I love the spring of the year. Like a canvas prepped and readied for spring’s fresh new colors, or a clean page ready for the first lines of a new story, spring speaks to me of renewal and promise. Maybe it’s the result of where I grew up in southeastern Kentucky, where the Redbuds and Dogwoods bloom out among the fresh bright greens of the new leaves. It has definitely been imprinted into my mind and heart.
New News
New Look to our Website and Instagram
We have a new look to our Website, along with a newly launched Instagram account. Not only will we be occasionally sharing new projects and pieces, but I will also be sharing photos of things that inspire me and current photos of events.
New Chapter at Keeneland
We are happy to announce that we’re opening a new chapter in our long relationship with the Keeneland Race Track in Lexington, Kentucky - the site of last year’'s historic Breeders Cup. We are actively designing new items that are unique for Keeneland.
We’ll be at Keeneland, April 8-10, 2016.
Kentucky Derby 142
Save the date for the first Saturday in May for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby! We are so thankful to once again be setup in the Churchill Downs Store located near Gate 17 at Churchill Downs, May 4-7, 2016. We will also have items located in the Kentucky Derby Museum Shop. If you plan on being at the Kentucky Derby this year, please stop in and see us!