Tools
06 June 2008
I've been working recently on a series of still life
compositions - images of tools I've collected from my
late grandpa's garage.
My grandpa was a rancher, farmer and nuclear plant worker, the latter sadly required by the economics of farming/ranching a small plot of land in the arid western part of the United States. He put in long hard days at "the site" (Westinghouse's nuclear training facilities) and then came home to work his little ranch until the sun went down. Life wasn't easy, as my mother can attest, but by the time I was old enough to spend the summers with them near Mackay, Idaho, progress had been made and times were easier. I helped changed pipe, cared for the cows and my cousin and I ran around on an old Trail 90 motorcycle looking for fun. I loved hanging out in the various out-buildings of his ramshackle world and these tools were a huge part of our lives - we built, made or fixed most things ourselves. The depression had made him thrifty, clever and resourceful.
Here is a picture I have of him holding me as a toddler. I'm pretty cute - much cuter than my sisters/brothers were, if memory serves...
My grandpa was a rancher, farmer and nuclear plant worker, the latter sadly required by the economics of farming/ranching a small plot of land in the arid western part of the United States. He put in long hard days at "the site" (Westinghouse's nuclear training facilities) and then came home to work his little ranch until the sun went down. Life wasn't easy, as my mother can attest, but by the time I was old enough to spend the summers with them near Mackay, Idaho, progress had been made and times were easier. I helped changed pipe, cared for the cows and my cousin and I ran around on an old Trail 90 motorcycle looking for fun. I loved hanging out in the various out-buildings of his ramshackle world and these tools were a huge part of our lives - we built, made or fixed most things ourselves. The depression had made him thrifty, clever and resourceful.
Here is a picture I have of him holding me as a toddler. I'm pretty cute - much cuter than my sisters/brothers were, if memory serves...
He passed away, not unsurprisingly, due to
complications with cancer and I still miss him and
those days intensely.
These tools are some of what remains of him and those
long-ago days in the summer sun.
Well, I'm off to shoot
the final dress rehearsal for EBT, so have a great
weekend. I'm traveling next week, but should be
online and active.
Cheers!
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