I was flattered to see that Doug chose one of my pictures to use for the March calendar image ? I guess it only proves that if you snap the shutter enough times, you?ll eventually get something that works! (By the way, that?s John, one of the BBRSP volunteers on the horse.)
When I showed this picture to one of our secretaries at work the other day, she said ?Oh, isn?t that neat ? you?ve got two completely different kinds of transportation there!?
But when I shot the picture, my intent was to show the complete opposite ? in fact, what I felt when I saw the image was that what I had there were two almost identical images, coincident in space, separated only by time. To me, they are two ends of a uniquely American spectrum. The iconic cowboy, alone on his horse, free to roam across the great western expanse at will, in juxtaposition with today?s equivalent ? the lone pilot in his winged horse, free (again) to roam at will. Wherever the thought, the wind, and the trail take them they can go exploring ? free to change their mind and take a detour ?to see what is over that ridge?. Throw a bedroll in (or on) the back, mount up ? and go!
Now we all know that the Hollywood cowboy probably didn?t exist as we know him. Didn?t you ever wonder what the Lone Ranger did for a living? How?d he pay for food and those silver bullets? In the same way, we have to work to pay for our fuel, oil and parts. But once you have a stash, a little stockpile for supplies ? haven?t you ever just taken off and drifted for a few weeks? A very American thing to do - with maybe a tip of the hat to our Australian friends?
There is an intermediate image not in this photo ? the motorcycle. I remember a couple of summers when I was in college when I set off ? like the cowboys of the movies ? across the great prairie to the mountains and deserts of the southwest on my trusty machine ? a tent, sleeping bag, and tools strapped on the back. No plans, no pressures, no schedule. A few weeks of that and the mind was clear. The same thing is true with an RV today. You have to be a little more careful not to go too fast ? in a day?s flying, you can cross the country, but in the process you?ll miss so much.
That?s one of my next flying goals ? a couple of weeks of just wandering, me and the Valkyrie. Why do you think I look so hard for places to camp right next to the plane? No good cowboy would want to be far from his horse at night?..
Paul
When I showed this picture to one of our secretaries at work the other day, she said ?Oh, isn?t that neat ? you?ve got two completely different kinds of transportation there!?
But when I shot the picture, my intent was to show the complete opposite ? in fact, what I felt when I saw the image was that what I had there were two almost identical images, coincident in space, separated only by time. To me, they are two ends of a uniquely American spectrum. The iconic cowboy, alone on his horse, free to roam across the great western expanse at will, in juxtaposition with today?s equivalent ? the lone pilot in his winged horse, free (again) to roam at will. Wherever the thought, the wind, and the trail take them they can go exploring ? free to change their mind and take a detour ?to see what is over that ridge?. Throw a bedroll in (or on) the back, mount up ? and go!
Now we all know that the Hollywood cowboy probably didn?t exist as we know him. Didn?t you ever wonder what the Lone Ranger did for a living? How?d he pay for food and those silver bullets? In the same way, we have to work to pay for our fuel, oil and parts. But once you have a stash, a little stockpile for supplies ? haven?t you ever just taken off and drifted for a few weeks? A very American thing to do - with maybe a tip of the hat to our Australian friends?
There is an intermediate image not in this photo ? the motorcycle. I remember a couple of summers when I was in college when I set off ? like the cowboys of the movies ? across the great prairie to the mountains and deserts of the southwest on my trusty machine ? a tent, sleeping bag, and tools strapped on the back. No plans, no pressures, no schedule. A few weeks of that and the mind was clear. The same thing is true with an RV today. You have to be a little more careful not to go too fast ? in a day?s flying, you can cross the country, but in the process you?ll miss so much.
That?s one of my next flying goals ? a couple of weeks of just wandering, me and the Valkyrie. Why do you think I look so hard for places to camp right next to the plane? No good cowboy would want to be far from his horse at night?..
Paul
