Postcard from San Francisco

How often have I written of San Francisco in this blog? Many times, I am sure. I can’t help it…The City was where I was born and raised. My father was also born and raised here. But, it was my Grandmother who showed me the real City. I was her first grandchild…thereby her favorite.

For many years, she ran a woman’s boarding house up on Jackson Street. But, no matter how many women lived there, I always had my own room when I came for a visit. When I would stay with her, I helped out in the morning with the chores. I remember opening the old-style refrigerator for the man who climbed the back stairs carrying a large block of ice on his back. The iceman cometh…almost every day.

When the chores were done, we would go out on excursions into the City. If it were a Sunday, we would start with Mass at Old St. Mary’s Church, right on the edge of Chinatown. Then we would wander through Chinatown, often on a side street like this one…stopping to have lunch in one of the many little restaurants that dot the Chinatown landscape.

On other occasions, we would ride the Powell Street cable car up to Nob Hill, often stopping at either the Mark Hopkins or the Fairmont for an ice cream sundae. Back then, the cable cars were for getting to and from places…not the big tourist attraction they are today.

Sometimes we would ride the cable car all the way down to Fisherman’s Wharf, also not the great tourist attraction (or should I tourist trap) it is today. She taught me which were the best restaurants on the wharf and which ones for tourists. Too bad I didn’t like fish. But I do remember the giant crab pots always boiling on the wharf. They are gone now.

My Grandmother was a great and special woman. She sang in the San Francisco Opera Chorus and her circle of friends included the legendary conductor Arthur Fiedler. She was class personified. How could she not be with a maiden name like Winifred Rose Callahan.

So when I describe myself as a San Franciscan in absentia, it is only because she taught me the ways of one of the greatest cities on this earth. I will love and remember her always.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page.

Postcard from Venice

I stood in Venice

by George Gordon Byron

    I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs,
    A palace and a prison on each hand:
    I saw from out the wave her structures rise
    As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand:
    A thousand years their cloudy wings expand
    Around me, and a dying Glory smiles
    O'er the far times, when many a subject land
    Looked to the wingéd Lion's marble piles,
Where Venice sate in state, throned on her hundred isles!

    She looks a sea Cybele, fresh from ocean,
    Rising with her tiara of proud towers
    At airy distance, with majestic motion,
    A ruler of the waters and their powers:
    And such she was--her daughters had their dowers
    From spoils of nations, and the exhaustless East
    Poured in her lap all gems in sparkling showers:
    In purple was she robed, and of her feast
Monarchs partook, and deemed their dignity increased.

    In Venice Tasso's echoes are no more,
    And silent rows the songless gondolier;
    Her palaces are crumbling to the shore,
    And music meets not always now the ear:
    Those days are gone--but Beauty still is here;
    States fall, arts fade--but Nature doth not die,
    Nor yet forget how Venice once was dear,
    The pleasant place of all festivity,
The revel of the earth, the masque of Italy!

Painting by J.R. Corkrum

“Blue Pole Canal” 

Postcard from Capitol Reef

Every so often I love doing a black and white image. I took this photo on one of my exploratory trips down the back roads of Capitol Reef National Park in Southern Utah. It is a very undervalued National Park that gets few visitors compared to some of its neighbors such as The Arches and Canyonlands.

They get so few visitors that they don’t charge an entrance fee. There is only one campground, and they do charge for that. But, every night I was there, the campground was full by about 2:00 pm. I understand that as the campground is one of the nicest I ever stayed in. They can accommodate both tents and travel trailers.

They have a nice amphitheater for after-dark presentations. One one night, they gave a nice talk about the park, then showed an episode of Ken Burns National Park series. So for a small, undervalued park, they due on heck of a job.

The campground sits in the old Mormon settlement of Fruita. There is a long, mostly paved road that runs south from Fruita and eventually dead ends in this slot canyon. This photo shows the road going into the canyon and leading to the parking lot. From there, you can hike into the canyon and see what havoc Mother Nature can wreak with water and wind rushing through limestone canyons. While this canyon is not as narrow as other slot canyons in Utah, it is still fun and quite interesting to explore.  

I hope if you are ever in the vicinity of Capital Reef, you will take the time to explore its many nooks and crannies.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page.

Postcard from the Vatican

About a year and a half ago, I showed you a photo of St. Peter’s Square taken at night. It’s a photo I am proud of as I took it without a tripod trying to hold it as steady as possible. A few days later, I came back to the Vatican and shot this daylight image of the Square.

If you look at the other image, you will notice the obelisk is on the right side of the image…here it is on the left. In both images, you can see St. Peter’s quite clearly. It is a big, big church (or more properly, it is a basilica). Later this day, I wandered all over the inside of the basilica. I took several images on slide film, but the developed slides somehow disappeared. I saw them at home after they came back from the processor, but then they mysteriously vanished. I never found them. Sad.

You will notice a distinct lack of people in the square this day. It is just a few days after the start of the second Iraqi War and people all over Europe and the Americas stopped traveling, afraid of reprisal terrorist attacks. Later in the day, my friend Susan toured the Sistine Chapel (while I took off to see more Roman ruins) and she reported there were not very few people in there. The place is normally jammed with tourists.

The Vatican, AKA Vatican City (officially Vatican City State), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It has an area of approximately 110 acres, and a population of around 840. Of course, its most important resident is the Pope, leader of the Catholic Church.

He is also the head of the Vatican government and all of the highest state functionaries are Catholic clergyman from around the world. The city-state itself is supported financially by the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications.

The Vatican became an independent city-state in 1929 during the reign of Pope Pius XI thanks to the Lateran Treaty between the Church and Italy (signed by Mussolini).

The Vatican is actually the property of the Holy See, the main organization of the Catholic Church which dates back to very early Christian times. It is the Holy See that oversees the church activities for 1.2 billion Catholics around the world. Surprisingly, the Vatican City State is distinct from the Holy See. The two entities have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, issues only diplomatic and service passports, whereas Vatican City State issues normal passports for its citizens.

This is probably more information than you ever wanted to know about the Vatican, but when in Rome, its nice to know the territory.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com

Postcard from Chicago

In the depth of winter, I thought you would like a reminder of the glorious days coming our way soon. -JRC

 

THE SEASON OF SPRING

the season of spring
weather seems to sing
lovely lovely days
are coming our ways

the season of spring
blooming blossoming
of nature of all kind
let roots unbind

the season of spring
birds unfold their wings
diving high into sky
wish one could fly

the season of spring
careful hearts love sting
reaching out towards others
some persons might bother

the season of spring
nice sound bells ring
new wave new style
faces have on a smile

the season of spring
an new awakening
busy humanity on earth
as if it’s a new birth

listen listen to my words
the season of spring is near
now a look into your lovely eyes
and one can see spring is already here

 

by Morhardt Carmen Mencita Monoi Angel

Postcard from Glacier National Park

This is one of those experimental digital sketches I do once in a while from my original photos. The image is a of snow-melt waterfall high up in Glacier National Park in Montana. I don’t believe it has a name but probably runs pretty much all year long, depending on the amount of snowfall.

I didn’t have to hike to or make any major effort to get the original shot as this waterfall is right by the side of the road. At my age, you gotta love that! My friend Dave and I were driving up the “Going to the Sun” Highway that runs from the west side of the park up to Logan Pass and into the high country when we ran into this waterfall (or cascade, if you will).

The highway is one of the most scenic roads in all of America. The views are absolutely spectacular. It was built 75 years ago during the Great Depression and was one of many government projects designed to get people back to work.

The road officially received its name, "The Going-to-the-Sun Road," during the 1933 dedication at Logan Pass. The road borrowed its name from nearby Going-to-the-Sun Mountain. Local legend, and a 1933 press release issued by the Department of the Interior, told the story of the deity, Sour Spirit, who came down from the sun to teach Blackfeet braves the rudiments of the hunt.

On his way back to the sun, Sour Spirit had his image reproduced on the top of the mountain for inspiration to the Blackfeet. An alternate story suggests a white explorer in the 1880s concocted the name and the legend. No matter which version is accurate, the road named Going-to-the-Sun still inspires all who travel it.

The road is only open about 3 months out of the year because of the high snow fall in this area of Montana. It takes a couple of months of snow-plowing to get the road open each year. So, if you are planning to go, it will have to be in summer.

If you are lucky, you will see mountain goats and big horn sheep along the road, so drive carefully. But do plan to stop along the way to take in the amazing views.