Details

     Needing to update my blog for years I finally decided to post the details I've caugh using my iPhone.
     Lets see..... I graduated from UF in 2010 and I've been a substitute teacher, portrait photographer, volunteer and overall coffee drinker.  And now I kinda feel like maybe, possible I've finally accomplished something. And what is that.... details... details....details.

     Yes, something so simple as details are important, and they build like bills when details aren't noticed. It's what we see when we appreciate something.

     Crumbled up paper, smells, smiles, people laughing, hand holding, food.  It's the music we hear on the radio after a good date, it's a look, it's a stair, we can see it in everything.
 

 And with plenty of coffee we kept going on the short journey of details hoping we can remember what we see. Or maybe not.
 

All in all, I learned the details of how deep art can really be and how other things can be more important. Every detail in life is important. 

Eat Free or Live Free!

What's Love?

     Maybe love is a debatable subject, but for me it's easy to understand. And the best way I saw it this week was through my mother on Father's Day.

     I saw love in the way she brushed his hair, and her constant visits. I saw it in the way she constantly wants to make sure he's comfortable.  I also see it when she thinks about the food she should bring when she visits him.  The look of love has so many plateform, and it interests me.  
     For years I'd worked at a portrait studio that was primarily for parents with small children. We had other types of constomers, but most were parents who wanted photo's of an angelic child, whether it was the childs character or not. And for this job I would have to give this false impression of perfection because visually it was beautiful, until one day I stopped.

     I learned as a photographer, whether the photo itself isn't good in composition, emotion still exisits. I realized emotion alone can sometimes make a good photo, and that's when I learned about the look of love.

 

Alzheimer's: It's close to my heart

     Going from strong to frail is difficult to look at, seeing your family member laid off is another. This is a small story I decided to do about my grandfather and mother August of this year.
     My grandfather Francis Drake, 86, has be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, since in January 2007. My mother, Suzanne Walker, 50, was layed off in February and now spends most of her time taking care of him.
     I remember two things about my granfather that have always made me laugh. In his youth he wanted to be a photographer, but since he couldn't spell "photography" when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, he could spell "engineer."  So, "engineer" is what he became. The other is that he always lied about his age, always.
     As for my mother, she's always had a loving heart. Now we could all say that about our mothers, but if you met her you would understand. But her loving nature these days have become something deeper.
     These days she's an "informal caregiver."
     A position 19 million other Americans can proclaim as they care for a parent or grandparent 75 or older, she's now a part of something I've only read about.

Visiting once or twice a week, she comes as much as she can between going back to college and taking care of her mother, my grandmother. 

Bringing her Yorkshire terrier around the facility, he even falls asleep with my grandfather during visits.

Making sure he's comfortable, she does what she can with little help, except from the nursing home that is now his home.

Vigil honors victims of earthquake

Dated May 20, 2008 for The Independent Florida Alligator

Harsh winds couldn’t extinguish the flames blazing from a couple hundred candlewicks at a Friday night vigil held to honor victims of an earthquake that hit the Sichuan Province of China on May 12.

The vigil, hosted by the Friendship Association of Chinese Students and Scholars, a non-profit student organization, took place at the Reitz Union Amphitheater.

About 250 students, faculty and Gainesville residents attended the ceremony and observed 30 seconds of silence to honor victims of the earthquake, both living and dead.

Since a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck the southwest province of China May 12, the death toll has risen to about 35,000, and about 245,000 people have been injured.

UF President Bernie Machen spoke to the crowd beside a large heart illuminated by individual white candles placed front and center of the amphitheater.

“We grieve with them,” Machen said. “Indeed, all of us in America have suffered a great loss because the Chinese are our great friends.”

Members of the association are still seeking donations after collecting about $10,000 since Wednesday afternoon, said Jiawei Zhang, the club’s vice president.

All proceeds will be donated to the Chinese Red Cross, said Weitao Li, president to the Chinese Red Cross, said Weitao Li also encouraged students to give donations to the Chinese Consulate General in New York City or to Mercy Corps.

Long Yu, a chemistry graduate student, is one of many students who donated money in support of earthquake relief, accumulating roughly $1,100 in donations during the week from his own pocket.

“At this point, we’re not caring about money but hope,” Yu said.

“Life is so invaluable.”

Jiangyan Xu, an engineering graduate student, attended the vigil because he feels close to those who share is culture and dialect. He did not lose friends or family in the earthquake.

“We’re lucky people we know survived,” Xu said.

Weifeng Liu, an electrical and computer engineering graduate student, had no family affected by the earthquake but donated $20 on Thursday at the Ching Oriental Market.

“It’s a dark and emotional moment for the whole country,” Liu said. “We hope more people can help.”

Saving Lives From the Air

Photo for The North Florida Herald

FULL story at www.highspringsherald.com/articles/2009/08/27/news/news16.txt

With well-wishes from Obama himself, color guard horses arrive at Alachua farm

FULL story at www.highspringsherald.com/articles/2009/08/14/news/news02.txt

One of the two horses from the color guard in Colorado pushes for another carrot at the Mill Creek Farm in Alachua. The farm is the new home for the horses.