My Photographic Memory

 

Looking through some of the thousands of pictures and slides I’ve taken over the years, I’ve come to a realization. This collection of “snapshots”; weddings, baptisms vacations, camping trips and other adventures are all memory aids.

    When I was in grade school I could never figure out why the teachers wanted us to remember things.  Take state capitals, “OK, now how often do you think I’ll need those in the future?” The names of the Presidents or how to diagram a sentence, they might come in handy eventually but do I need to commit them to memory? Multiplication tables and mathematical functions… well, they were used a lot in my future, they did come in handy!

    I, in my infinite wisdom back in grade school, figured if I knew where and how to get the information, why did I need to memorize it?

    Much as I hate to say it, there is a lot that I’ve forgotten. I will be forever in need of my notebooks and calendars. There is a reason that I write down people’s birthdays and the dates they have left us. Simply said, if I didn’t note them, they’d be gone.

    While listing these dates and names on my new 2023 calendar, I was debating whether or not to skip a few names. There are a couple men I used to work with decades ago, should I eliminate their names since I no longer work with them or see anyone who would even remember them? I decided to keep them there, as long as their name is on the calendar, they will be remembered. Saying their names keeps them alive in my memory.

    I can’t recall things like I used to, my memory never was a great one. If there are a lot of names in a novel I’m reading, I keep a slip of paper in the book to help keep track of who is who. I have trouble remembering the plots of books I’ve read, the names and details don’t stay with me, even the books I love. I’m familiar with the night sky but to pull out the names of stars and constellations can sometimes be daunting. I won’t go as far as to say my memory is terrible but it sure isn’t good. I have always envied those who can call up facts, names and dates at a moment’s notice. This is something that was never meant to be for me.

    This is one of the reasons my camera and photography is important. In a way it acts as my memory. I take pictures of the places I go, things I enjoy doing, and people I like and love. Looking back at these pictures helps me remember those occasions. I usually can tell where a shot was taken and who I was with but the dates often leave me floundering. Thank heavens I’ve put notations on most of my slides and pictures!

    Being able to remember things is a wonderful ability; we don’t know how lucky we are to have it! Thankfully, my grade school declaration has proved helpful in my life. I can usually find where the information I need is, especially in these modern days of computer aids.

    I have lots more slides and negatives to sort through and I’m loving it because of all the memories they’re bringing back. They truly are my photographic memory!

    Happy New Year and may this upcoming year provide us all with lots more wonderful memories!

Time Keeps on Slippin, Slippin, Slippin...

 

The wind intermittently blasts against the house, the shrubs bounce their frozen branches back and forth and the temperature continues to drop. The windows have taken on artistic looks as the frost lines across them. Birds flutter as they attempt to grab onto the swinging feeder.

    Inside, I am warm as I wait for the inevitable power outage. It isn’t so much “will” as it is “when” it will occur. Rain preceded the drop in temperature and already branches litter the yard. The wind chills are below zero.

    I usually only leave the house one or two times a day but already I am pacing the floors. Being restricted to the inside tends to draw out the normal passage of time.

    Thank heavens for my books, I won’t be alone. There are candles in the drawers and everything that requires it, has been charged.

    Snow fell for a while, obscuring my views of the valley below. Not that there was much to see, most people have observed the constant warnings aired on the radio and television. It is best to stay inside. With Christmas just two days away, there is the possibility that visits and plans may need to be rescheduled.

    Time has slowed down. Walking around the house the cracks in the walls are more noticeable. The worn handles on the once new knives hanging in the kitchen and the creaks in the floors as I walk across them remind me of how time passes by.

    Thinking back, I’m happy with most of my life, there have been some bad spots but for the most part, I think it’s been a good life and I’m pleased with the spot I’m currently in. This isn’t to say that I wouldn’t change a few things if I could, but that isn’t an option.

    I feel for those who have been given a rougher road than mine. We all encounter those rough spots and those who have to battle them during the holidays have an even tougher time of it. The problems I have are minor to those of others. This is something I attempt to remember every day of the year, but it is even more important around the holidays.

    Looking through the small clear spot on the frosted window, I think about how time is always moving forward but not always at the same speed. I hope and pray that we all have a wonderful holiday, no matter where we might end up celebrating it. The New Year is almost here. Like I said, time keeps on slipping...slipping...slipping...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Right Place at the Right Time

 There are times when a photographer goes out to shoot a picture or two and nothing presents itself to them. The ideas in their head just don’t evolve into what they had imagined. The weather might not co-operate or the sun is too bright. (Usually not the case, here in Pittsburgh!) The subjects are poorly lit or there might be a wrong adjustment on their equipment. It happens all the time. This should be looked at as just another bump in the road, another day of learning, learning that we don’t always get what we want!

    This simple fact becomes more and more obvious the older we get. In our youth we are pumped up, full of the knowledge we can’t wait to use. We have ideas and plans and as the years go by, we tend to realize that not all these wonderful thoughts will pan out. We are going to experience some failure on the road of life and the sooner we realize it the better. Failure helps us progress forward. “We learn from our mistakes”, we’ve all heard that quote! 

    On the other hand, sometimes the things in life all line up for us. There are times that all our rows are right where they are supposed to be and this last Wednesday was one of those days.

    Frank and I were off to find some geocaches and hopefully some pictures. Since we’re usually already up, we tend to leave early in the day. This morning was no different; we were out on the road by 6:30. We took a slow, meandering route towards where the caches were hidden while waiting for enough light to be able to search. The sky was slowly brightening and features were just starting to be recognizable when we saw a purplish glow in the east. There could be a picture hidden in the sunrise, if we could just find a place to view it from. Buildings and trees hid it from our view as we drove around the North Hills. As we looked for a good spot, the sky appeared to revert back to its normal “Pittsburgh grey”.

    I pulled into a road that was situated above a church and a convent and parked the car. I got out of the car and saw that the entire eastern sky had turned orange and red. “Red sky in the morning, astronomers take warning!” is how I believe the quote goes…this doesn’t apply to photographers!

    We both “ran” across the street with our cameras. The Church and Motherhouse were nicely silhouetted by the spectacular sky. We both started lining up our shots.

    It was then that I realized that there was a man working on the dome of the church below us! We continued taking pictures as two other workers joined him on the dome. The sky was truly fantastic and of course, the men noticed it also, how could they not? They stopped working to admire it and take a few pictures with their phones, just as we were doing behind them with our cameras. Their shots might have turned out a bit sharper and the colors might be a bit more precise, but our picture had the workers in them. We had a human element in our shots. 

    So, the shots we got that day were just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. It was all a matter of luck. We couldn’t have planned this! I’ve got a shot that will probably eventually end up on my wall and memories of a fun morning filled with excitement and adrenaline.

    We continued on to our geocaches and only found about half of the ones we were looking for but that didn’t bother us. Mainly because of the exciting start we had to our day! Yes, sometimes it pays to leave early in the morning before the sun rises. 

The Empty House

 The Empty House   

It was far enough away from the road that it couldn’t be seen, tall thick shrubs hid it from view. A short gravel road led us down to it. Coming to the driveway, we saw the house. A bit weathered but still looking good. The open faced garage was empty and the small chicken coop was silent.

    We walked up a small slope to the porch and Jim put in the key, something he and Pam didn’t bother with in the past. Opening the door, he stepped inside and hesitated.

    The two of us had driven up to New Hampshire to retrieve his cat. Molly had slipped away while things were getting packed for the move to Pittsburgh. After a month in the wild, a neighbor had found her.

    This house was thought to be Jim and Pam’s “forever” home. Sadly, life doesn’t go the way we plan. What we hope and wish for are often just that, only wishes, not our destiny. After spending close to 15 years here, Pam contracted an extremely serious illness, which soon left Jim alone in the house. The cats, a dog and the chickens kept him company on the property. Jim, being who he is, had plenty of friends but in the end, decided to move back down to Pittsburgh to be closer to his family.

    We walked into the house, emptied of all furniture, looking even larger without anything to break the view. He wandered into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, looked inside for a moment or two and then slowly closed the door. We went towards the back and the bedroom, passing his now empty office.

    I felt as if I was intruding on his visit. I didn’t want to say anything, so I played with my camera. This could be the last time he’d be in this house, the place they built together. This is where he probably thought he would spend the rest of his days.

    Going down into the basement where his shop used to be, we saw a swept floor and concrete walls.  There was no sawdust on the floor, no machinery holding half-finished projects, nothing hanging from the rafters. It definitely wasn’t the way I remembered it. A single workbench was pushed into a corner, the drawers all emptied. A mop hung on the wall, its sponge missing. I don’t know how Jim felt but I felt sad, and depressed.

    Going back upstairs, we went to leave. I noticed a lamp hanging from the high ceiling. Underneath it was where their table used to sit. A window overlooked a row of birdhouses and a stick fence, behind them was a field where birds and wildlife roamed. I remember binoculars sitting on the table along with the usual bric-a-brac of normal life. I thought of the times I sat there with a steaming cup of coffee watching the day begin.

    We walked out to the car, past a small wall in the garden, evidence of the gardening skills that Pam had possessed, now…overgrown. A beautiful house sitting on a perfect piece of property, the house empty, yet filled to the rafters with the countless memories of life.

Astronomical Pittsburgh - 1996

 Sorting through slides taken over the years, I came across a small box with the title “Ast Pgh”.  Opening it, I found a batch of slides I had taken in the mid 90’s. They were of places with astronomical names. Many of these places no longer exist. How many do you remember?

The streets are still there, so let’s start out with them.

Brashear Street, named after John Brashear, is in Point Breeze.

Telescope Street in the city’s Southside, not far from where John and Phoebe Brashear lived.

Jupiter Drive in Hampton Township.

Moving into the planets, I started by visiting the Venus Diner in Hampton Township. It has since been moved to another location, possibly in another state.

Then I visited the town of Mars! I always thought this historic sign was interesting since it states the town was named after the star Mars, not the planet…

and what would a visit to Mars be without seeing the UFO?

The planetary visits stopped with Pluto’s, in the Strip District. Pluto is no longer a planet and Pluto’s is no longer a nightclub.

Moving into the stars, there was Starlite Classics located in Wilkinsburg,

and Star Discounts on the main street in Lawrenceville.

Star Tile And Marble was in Aspinwall.

The Starlite Lounge was in Blawnox,

and less than a block away is Moondog’s.

The Comet News was in Braddock, and finally,

here’s a picture that was taken on that same roll of slides,

a comet flying over Wagman Observatory…1996, it was a fun year!

It's Not Quite the Same

 I was going over to pick up my friend Jim in Oakmont. The main drag was being worked on and I needed to take a small detour. It was just a few blocks out of my way, no big deal.

    Turning left a block above the main avenue, I realized that I was on a street that I haven’t been on in decades. I came to a stop sign and there it was, the small building where my first ophthalmologist had his office. No big deal, right?

    The office wasn’t what struck me; it was the chimney on the house across the street from it. I remember that chimney well!

    I got my first pair of glasses sometime between when I was five or six. It was right around when I first started school. This isn’t much different than what many other small kids go through, thank heavens for doctors who can correct our eyesight and allow us to see better!

    We visited him and he set me in a chair with all sorts of torturous looking equipment attached to it. He swung a huge black mask in front of my face, covered with silver levers and numbers. A chart hung on the wall in front of me.  As he moved levers and switched things around, he kept asking me if I could see the chart and if it looked better. Eventually he finished and wrote some numbers down on a piece of paper and told my parents he’d see us in a couple weeks.

    Coming back, he gave me my first set of glasses. With them, I could read the chart with no problem. Everyone seemed happy. But what I really remember most about that day was leaving his office. I stepped outside and looked up at the chimney across the street…and I could see each and every brick in it! I hadn’t seen this before, not in my neighborhood, not even on my own house. Each and every brick! I remember how amazed I was! What else had I been missing?

    Today I had to stop and look at that chimney one more time. It was only 60 some years ago but I remember it still.  The trees have grown up in front of it and I’m guessing that the bricks must have worn away a bit…they just don’t seem as sharp as they did that day! 

    Yeah…that’s it, the bricks have worn away.