And The Rest Remains Part 2

We both know what memories can bring, they bring diamonds and rust.

Joan Baez

As I completed the pictures this weekend from Asbury Park that I wanted to share, many things are on my mind. The loss of Paul Newman, the financial picture in America and my path in life. Asbury Park is like a metaphor as I study it. It's a place that shows where we've been and were we're where going. There is a energy there that I liked. It's a little uncertain, a little edgy and somehow hopeful. That's how I feel about life right now. I'm not totally sure where I'm going, but I have hope whatever the past has been, despite the uncertainity of our current times, the future is bringing something new and better.

Joan Baez, "Diamonds and Rust":

And the Rest Remains Part One

"Back in the day when I was a fixture on the Asbury Park boardwalk, I'd often stop and talk to Madam Marie as she sat on her folding chair outside the Temple of Knowledge. I'd sit across from her on the metal guard rail bordering the beach, and watched as she led the day trippers into the small back room where she would unlock a few of the mysteries of their future. She always told me mine looked pretty good - she was right. The world has lost enough mystery as it is - we need our fortunetellers. We send our condolences out to her family who've carried on her tradition. Over here on E Street, we will miss her."
Bruce Springsteen

On July 1st 2008 the Asbury Park boardwalk lost one of it's most famous fixtures. She was certainly a character from all reports. I was sorry I didn't have the chance to encounter her, but her influence remains. She was certainly immortalized by a certain famous singer. I'm glad though to at least have caught the places where both of them came to fame in their lives.

Bruce Springsteen, 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy):

Asbury Park Casino Part 2

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

Seneca

There were two sets of wonderful objects inside the old casino. The original carvings and murals which had been placed. In order to capture some of the shots I wanted I found myself doing what I called photograph gymnastics. It certainly captured the attention of some people. Suddenly I was doing interactive photography and found people wanted to be in the shot. One girl did a cartwheel for me. I actually loved the result.

I don't know who did the mural of the woman, but I'd love to meet them someday. It was a great backdrop. Again they captured the changing vision of the boardwalk through their subject matter. Saucy, bawdy and yet with a hint of elegance.

The Tubes, "She's A Beauty":

Asbury Park Casino Part 1

It's hard for me to get used to these changing times. I can remember when air was clean and sex was dirty.

George Burns

One of the things I wanted to do was to visit while in New Jersey was the Asbury Park boardwalk as it's under major redevelopment. I had seen an episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservation's" from a few years ago that included a segment how bad Asbury Park had gotten. It captured my attention, but I had heard things had begun to change finally. My goal was to capture some of the decay of buildings around the boardwalk before they are restored. What can I say, I love old buildings. The casino was the first place we went. An older gentlemen sitting outside gave us a good deal of history everything from the segregation of the beaches to the hotels that had gone from high class to seedy rent by the hour. What had been wholesome Americana went to sleazy Americana. Much of that is changed or changing. Now it seems to be returning to some place between both...More next post..

Jace Everett, "Bad Things":

Where's L-M?

Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.

Jack Kerouac

Where have I been? Well working hard, but just getting back from a week visiting friends in New Jersey and looking at the towns along the shore for a possible move in the spring. We had a great time including having a bridal shower for a friend who is getting married in January in Las Vegas. Delta was my airline of choice this time and it was an easy ride. But it's not my last trip this year. I now have a ticket to go to Brussels, London and Paris the first two weeks of December. I'm watching the dollar though, let's hope all the financial chaos settles by then...

Back to work tomorrow to earn some of those dollars for the next trip.

Big Country, "In A Big Country":