Sailboats at rest at one of the multitude of marinas in that city, at night. San Diego, California; October, 2010.

Doot, doot, doot, lookin' out my back--er--front door. (Click on the thumbnail to see the flora on the outside...and it's someone else's front door. Mine's in Madras) Happy Valley, Oregon; November, 2010.

And now for something completely different

Have you heard about Pioneer One? If you like such shows as, say The X Files, then I think you might like it. I read about it this morning and watched 2 of the first 3 episodes tonight. While it obviously has financial limitations that prevent more extravagant sets, it's fairly well written and acted. I never thought I'd ever follow an Internet TV program. I think I was wrong about that.

Here's a brief synopsis:

Pioneer One is an independently produced drama series made for the Internet. In the pilot, U.S. Homeland Security agents investigate a possible terrorist act, the cause of which is discovered to be the return of an old Soviet space capsule. What the capsule has returned will have implications for the entire world.

In March 2010, writer Josh Bernhard and director Bracey Smith quit their jobs and set out to produce the pilot episode of Pioneer One as a proof-of-concept for how the series could be produced and released. Funds were raised through a Kickstarter campaign, favors were called in, and much sleep was lost. The pilot was finished shooting by the end of April 2010 and was released online on June 15th through VODO.net.

Then something unexpected happened.

Within two weeks, the pilot was downloaded nearly half a million times, and $20,000 was raised from viewer donations alone. By the end of the summer, we had raised well over $30,000 from people all over the world whose sole interest was seeing the show continue and succeed. We made plans to produce the next three episodes of our 6-episode first season with that money.

In October 2010, off the heels of the pilot’s win for “Best Drama Pilot” at the 2010 New York Television Festival, production began on episodes 2, 3 and 4. These episodes continue to be released as we’re raising funds for the final two episodes of season one, with production planned for May, 2011.

One of the sides to the very interesting ExploreMusicProject building next to the Space Needle. Seattle, Washington; July, 2009.

Wha...? There's a tree growing up through the lodge! Crater Lake National Park, Oregon; July, 2010.

A bucolic scene on a sunny afternoon. (Click the thumbnail for more detail) Chartes, France; September, 2009.

Just after sunrise, a seaplane taxis out of the inner harbor to take off for parts unknown. Victoria, BC, Canada; April, 2009.

One of my favorite movies is the French film Amalie. One of the running gags in the film is that Amalie has given a garden gnome to a friend of her's who is an airline stewardess, who then takes the gnome all over the world and takes photos of it in front of famous places, such as the Empire State Building, Ankor Wat, and others, and then sends the photos back to Amalie's father who wants to travel but mopes around too much to ever get around to it.. I assume this is where Travelocity got the idea for its gnome icon. So I've been looking for a gnome of my own to take with me on my travels so that I, too, could send/post photos of this icon in front of interesting or famous places. Well, I've not been able to find a small, light-weight gnome that I would be willing to pack around with me. And there's that whole Travelocity has already stolen Amalie's gnome icon thing.

As a result, I've also been looking for something else to use in the place of the gnome and this past weekend, I think I've found it. Or him. There's a series of children's books based on Diary of a Whimpy Kid and while in a Barnes & Noble bookstore I found this Whimpy Kid action figure. I thought "For all the whimpy kids out there never seen as cool enough, how cool would it be to cart him around the globe?" So now when I travel somewhere, I'm going to attempt to make it a point to bring him with me and shoot shots of him in great places as an homage to all those kids out there seen by others as whimpy, not cool. We'll show 'em! Clackamas, Oregon; March, 2011.

A Herkimer diamond (left) and an amethyst crystal egg in a backyard. Clackamas, Oregon; March, 2011.

Americana junque for sale. Sisters, Oregon; January, 2011.

Under The Eye. London, UK; September, 2009.

Yet another of your average, everyday vendors at the Oregon Country Fair. (Click on the thumbnail to see the tattoo on her temple). Near Veneta, Oregon; July, 2009.

On a hike up Schnebly Hill, I turned around to see these trees frame a view of the town. (Click on the thumbnail for a better view) Sedona, Arizona; May, 2010.

Mount Rainier stands watch over the downtown skyline. Seattle, Washington; July, 2009.

My iPad, first gen, on my dining room table a couple months ago in my old house. Now I've moved into a new house and have since sold this iPad and gotten the new iPad2. Things evolve. Madras, Oregon; January, 2011.

The facade of Westminster Abbey. Have you received your invitation yet? London, UK; September, 2009.

Morning has broken: The rising sun's light bounces off apartment windows and is reflected in a pond. Granville Island, Vancouver, BC, Canada; April, 2009.

There are those places where you just expect purple neon piping on the storefronts. (Click on the thumbnail to get the full effect) Gaslamp District, San Diego, California; October, 2010.

Portrait of Man. (Click on the thumbnail to see the material, year, and artist's name). On the campus of Taliesen West, Scottsdale, Arizona; May, 2010.

Out on the midway. Oregon State Fair, Salem, Oregon; September, 2010.

I'm ready for non-freezing walks, less wind, no snow, greenery, vines, flowers. I'm ready for Spring. Paris, France; September, 2009.

A river of plants cascade down the stairs in the background and flow outward onto the main space of Pioneer Courthouse Square. I'm so ready for Spring! Portland, Oregon; June, 2006.

I am so ready for Spring that I'd welcome a swarm of bumblebees going about their daily way of life. Madras, Oregon; July, 2010.

I'm so ready for Spring that I am looking for each little new bud to show itself. (Click on the thumbnail to see every little hair). Victoria, BC, Canada: April, 2008.