leggy model

Bunch of these stinkers in the back yard today. A little research revealed that it is the Iron Cross Blister Beetle otherwise known as the legendary Spanish Fly!

new photo website

Please looky looky and make with the comments.

http://www.wix.com/ronwarrenphoto/ronwarrenphoto

Some folks using some browsers and/or versions of flash have reported invisible navigation buttons (just above top white line to the right).

journey

It seems that some/many people do not understand why in the world we would want to come back to Michigan. I guess yesterday's post made the decision seem frivolous, casual, and poorly thought-out.

In reality, it was a difficult decision to make. Dawn loves the desert and hates MI winters, but she also misses being around family. I hate the desert (at least in the summer) and am ambivalent about winter (except on the harshest days or when I slip on ice and sprain something). I like how each season makes you appreciate the other ones more.

The economy caught up to Arizona. There is no work here. A Realtor that we know said about the AZ construction industry (two years ago), "As long as the last person hasn't left Michigan and Ohio, we'll keep building here." Not so anymore.

We live near where Dawn teaches (near by desert standards, about seven miles) but that means we are about an hour from any real civilization. We live in the midst of 80,000 people but very little business and folks here just aren't friendly in the way we are used to from Midwesterners.

Even though the photography was doing poorly in MI, it's completely dead in the water here.

So, no work, irksome weather, stuck in the boonies, no friends, no family (we love that Glenn, Annette, and Jack are here, but they are very busy and are that hour away that I mentioned so we don't get to see them much). We feel like there is no good reason to stay here and at least a few reasons to go to MI.

Rather than look at the move to Arizona as a failed experiment, we choose to look at it as an adventure, and probably just one of many. We have high hopes of the economy improving and that we can once again prosper. This recession has been good for changing our mindsets about our standard of living, what one needs vs. what one wants, and how, even though we've been just scraping by for a few years now, we are still living in the lap of luxury compared to the living conditions of millions, perhaps billions, of people around the world (I think a few months would have driven the point home as well as the few years that it has been, but, just the same, it is a good lesson to learn).

We're happy to be coming back. We hope some of you are happy about it, too. See you in two months!

coming home

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears!

Dawn, the Cos', and myself are kicking the desert dust off our boots and making for more mild climes (more mile in the summer, anyway). AZ has gone the way of the rest of the country (in the tank) and opportunities are few and far between. We miss our friends and our families as well as foliage that won't stab you to death. We miss fall colors and we miss Christmas (contrary to popular belief, I do like Christmas). We also miss good Chinese food. Never could find any here!

So, it looks like somewhere around late June, we will be returning to SE MI!

Unfortunately, we do not have jobs lined up. So we'd appreciate it if you would do two things for us...

• Please keep your ears open to any regular old day jobs for me and Dawn (or maybe modeling work for Cosmo!).
• And spread the word about the photography, please. Perhaps that can keep us afloat while "job" opportunities percolate into existence!

We're excited about seeing everyone we love!

2nd grade concert

Yup, the 2nd grade Frog and Toad concert from last night.

cosmo update

I think he's feeling alot better. No licking and no crazy scratching. Yeah! Yay for vets!

cosmo goes to the vet

Cosmo just got back from the vet. He's been licking his paws and legs like crazy. Diagnosis=allergies. Everybody wish the little stinker some relief with his new meds and think non-itchy thoughts for him!

a fluffy pooch (w/ a birthday!)

Today is Cosmo's birthday! He's seven. Or 49 if you look at it that way. He and I are going to start having our mid-life crisis' together. Here he was resting with Dawn yesterday...

gecko

Yesterday morning, a silly little gecko jumped out of a computer bag that Dawn was moving. We've never had one in the house before (well, one in the garage once) but they are harmless, twitchy little creatures. Dawn caught the little stinker and tried to engage it in a conversation about insurance, but it would have none of it. It didn't even have a cute English accent!

So she set it free in the back yard and Mr. Cosmo was oblivious to the whole sordid matter. Sheesh!

summer classes in Gilbert

The city of Gilbert has just put together their summer catalog of P&R classes. I'll be teaching 2 sessions of my Basics of Digital Photography class. 1 runs Tuesdays June 1-June 15 and the other one is Tuesdays June 22 - July 6. See pg. 29 of the pdf catalog for more info! All classes at the McQueen Rec. Center. Six hours of info on composition, camera functions, a little lighting and some photo critiques for only $89!

http://www.gilbertaz.gov/eservices/parks/pdf/lp/Summer10LP-Brochure.pdf

former trees

Yesterday I sold this unremarkable photo to the local newspaper... (there is a local area of some 685 acres that had 57,000 dead trees on it -- they were all recently removed. Some of these lumpy piles of pulp are all that remain -- cost over a million bucks!)

local waterin' hole