Found Objects

I just look down. I never touch anything. Everything is exactly how it was ...no lighting, styling or post manipulation. Everything is what it appears to be. Everything makes sense. Everything has it's proper place and purpose. I just look down.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays.

Summer Gum Dream

Early morning warm and sticky gum on a warm and comfortable sidewalk.

Today's Hi Temp in Minneapolis was around 1.

Quiet Time

There is a small window of time during the day where both the kids are resting and I have the run of the house. Most of the time I race to pick things up, clean up the random "art projects" and try to check an email or say hi to the dog until the "chaos" begins again. During these quiet times I have seen a thousand of these vignettes. These vignettes are beautiful reminders of the little lives resting upstairs.

A Wish

At one point what was happening made sense. I walked into the store and noticed the floor had just been waxed. A bag of chips had fallen to the ground with a portion of it's contents trampled on and spread across the floor. I heard a rattling in the back of the store and decided I should take a look at what was making the sound. It seemed like the second I decided to check out the sound it stopped. At this point I wished I was happy with what I already knew. I wanted to go back and start over. I wanted so desperately to walk twenty steps backward and shut the door. I didn't need what I thought I first needed. I didn't know what I should be afraid of but deep down under my jacket my insides knew nothing would ever be the same.

Glass

Four people watched as the rain fell over the car, body and motorcycle. The street was quiet. A woman off to the left was talking on her phone. She kept repeating what color? what color?

Something I Can't Explain.

Two years ago I was visiting the town where I grew up. It was over Halloween and we decided to go walking around my old block trick or treating with my two year old, my wife, my mom and sister. It was a typical Halloween evening. Vera, my daughter, was very shy and at each house needed to be told it was OK to approach the person with the candy. She stood as far as her arm could extend for candy and would quickly turn once she got the sweets. This happened at every house except the house where I grew up. Now, you might not believe this but when the owner opened the door at my old house Vera walked straight passed him into the living room and began looking around. Now I never told here I used to live in this house as far as she knew it was like any other of the houses we visited that night. I just can't explain what happen. So gave the owner a little smile and said she must know somehow I used to live here..and apologized and stepped into retrieve Vera. The owner just smiled waiting for my to grab my child. For the rest of the night Vera went back to her shy self staying far back from the house doors.

Starbucks Challenge

I saw this Starbucks cup on a Monday morning. It must have been dropped sometime after 7:30 in the morning on the previous Friday and before 7:30 on the following monday morning..so basically about three days is the longest this Starbucks cup could have been exposed to the elements. The shot of Mr. Styrofoam on the other hand was taken after two weeks of him hanging out on the corner of Lowry and Central.

Smelling Good

Your at the bus stop and your like ...I want to smell good ... I just need to smell good. Lucky for you the speed stick is ready in your pocket... just throw away the this plastic protective cover and your in good smelling business.

DNA Lollipop

Sometimes things discarded have more value then when you have them stuck between your teeth.

Drew Mint

One simple May morning about two years ago I met Drew Mint. We were on the 10 bus headed for downtown. There were about 15 people randomly seated throughout with Drew seated directly across from me in the back of the bus. Drew was one of the people that blend into crowds. The plain simple person that is always around but if you don't take the time to look you would most likely overlook him. I was listening to a podcast and trying to avoid eye contact with everyone but there was something particularly unsettling about this man seated across from me. I think it was that this man wasn't avoiding eye contact but looking directly at me. Not knowing the proper way to handle the situation I took off my headphones and said, I am sorry did you say something...knowing that he didn't say a word but the alternative was to say something like can I help you which ..I didn't so I just said ," did you say something?" and without a moments hesitation Drew gave a little smile and said Hi, I am Drew Mint, no relation to J.D. Mint from the Arkansas Travelers. I again didn't know what to say but, oh .. "hi".. Then with another little smile he said you know after today I will never see you again. What do you say to that? So, I asked if he was going anywhere? Without a word Drew pulled the cord to get off at the next stop. I watched him walk off the bus and cross the street to the other side of Lowry. I watched him walk down 18th street as long as I could before the bus pulled away. That was the last time I saw Drew Mint.

Mystery Substance One.

First in the series.