Last Photo Series Of Our Marriage

This is a sad event for me because I'm going to start posting the last photos we took together. These were taken in November 2017 with a camera my wife found for me at an estate sale earlier. It was a nice little Kodak Easy Share and it cost all of $1.50. She found several cameras at that estate sale and went to the trouble of gathering them all up and taking them to me while I browsed in another room, so that nobody could grab them before I had a chance to look them over. She was always that thoughtful. The Kodak was the best of the lot and the price was right. We went out the next day to try it out, and I found that this basic little camera took fine photos. It uses AA batteries, too, which simplifies things. Little did we know that slightly over a week later she would pass away while in cardiac intensive care. 

I photographed the usual things. Our custom on Saturday, after breakfast, was to get in my car, stop at a Quick Mart for diet cokes, and drive. We really enjoyed driving here and there, sometimes out of town, sometimes in random directions in town, always looking for something interesting or new or unexpected. This time I had the camera with me.

We both noted that we were reminded of an old Hitchcock movie...

Yes, I thanked my wonderful wife for going to the trouble of snatching up those cameras. I always looked for cameras at estate sales. She knew that. I collect digital cameras. Some I will give away, but this camera, the Kodak she found for me, I will always keep. I will never part with it. It is fine for situations where I want a simple camera for impulse shots, something easy to carry and very easy to use. It is quite rugged, too. I'm down to the Kodak, the trusty Nikon for serious efforts, and a Sony Cybershot with a 6x optical zoom. The Kodak actually has better image quality than the Sony but has only a 3x optical zoom.

I will post the last of these very special photos in a few days.

Where The Affluent Are Not

Yes, we liked best the places in Lubbock where you would not find any trace of affluence. Like the neighborhoods where most of the vacant lots contained discarded tires, furniture, mattresses. We liked to visit areas where most of the houses were vacant or in a poor state of repair.

These are common sights in some parts of town.

You don't find much of a police presence either. Tech Terrace Park, for instance, has a nearly constant police presence. You cannot park near Tech Terrace Park without seeing a cop car cruising by at fifteen minute intervals. And they REALLY look you over. They can tell who belongs and who doesn't. In other parts of town it is certainly not like that.

 Poor old boat, got no place to float.

Nature.

 At the edge of town, somewhere, anywhere, you are going to find cotton fields.

I wish I could recall exactly where we were when we took these pics. Seems like I turned onto a dirt road off of North Upland. And I remember saying, wow, there sure is a lot of neat stuff to photograph out here! We were going to come back someday. Someday I'll try to go back there solo, find that spot again. Won't be the same, but nothing stays the same does it? 

Wrecks And Ruins

Some of this was on Southeast Drive.

Lots to see on Southeast Drive.

We are within the city limits but this part of town is not very populated, as you can see.

Neglected, semi-wild, undeveloped-- let's hope it will always be that way. What this world needs is a lot more birth control and a lot less "development". Over a reasonable period of time, it would be nice to see the total human population shrink to a more sustainable number. 

Next update, we will spotlight some more illegal dumping.