Crow Creek Mine

A couple of weeks ago I went back to Alaska, where I lived for over 30 odd years (mostly consecutive) before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Like any trip back to a place where you spent a considerable amount of time, you notice things you miss, things you definitely don't miss, or stumble across things you didn't appreciate or experience when you lived there...

For this first blog post about the trip up north (there will be others in the coming weeks as I sort through photos I took and themes and thoughts come together), rather than write about something grand - like my drive into Denali National Park - I thought I'd write about something smaller, more intimate.

My first morning in Anchorage I grabbed the rental car and headed south along Turnagain Arm with no real agenda other than getting out of the hotel and back into Alaska.  I drove, watched Beluga whales roll in the early morning sun, and eventually ended up in Girdwood, a small town mostly known for Alyeska, a world class ski resort.  Slowly driving through Girdwood, enjoying the sunny morning, I spotted the sign for Crow Creek Mine and veered down that way.  Having never explored the mine, I decided to give it a look. 

After paying a small fee, I started walking around, scanning the area, taking it all in.  Soon I spotted this truck, 1929 Model A Ford.  The morning dew melting off the truck, the flower box under the front bumper, the wooden shack in the background made for a nice composition...

I loved the look of this small building (I left the site map in the rental car so I can't say for sure what it is).  Moose antlers, lanterns, wagon wheel, flowers, moss growing on the roof, a staged scene but still one that pulled me in...

Walking into the building, one of the first things I noticed was the morning sun pouring through the dirt and grit on the window.  As I've written previously, I can't resist stopping and taking photos when there's a dirty, dusty, gritty window; the character it can give light, especially light captured early in the morning or later in the day, is a character I find photographically irresistible...

In a small bedroom off the main room, I spotted this bag sitting on the table.  The bag and the bottles on the dresser were kissed by the morning light, softened by the lace curtain.  I stood there looking at the bag, imagining it was the bag of an old country doctor making a house call...

Looking out the front door, the door framing the wagon wheel, light coming through the door, forest in the background, tools hanging on the wall to left, I liked the rustic look of the scene.  If there's a door or a window with any character, I'm going to stop, look, and shoot...

Walking back towards the parking area, I stopped and took a few more pictures of the old Ford truck.  At one point I noticed the reflection and melting frost in the back of the Ford's headlight...

I ended up staying longer and taking more photos than I could have imagined.  Partially a step back in time, partially staged kitsch for the tourist, Crow Creek Mine is a stop I would recommend if you find yourself in Girdwood.  Next time, I'll grab a gold pan and spend even more time there...


Nikon D7000, Nikkor 16-85 DX VR

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Driving Across Kansas

In July I made the trek to Kansas to visit family.  I ended up spending a couple of days in Ottawa, a small town in America's bread basket, indistinguishable from many others like it across the midwest.  While there I did get the chance to visit the Old Depot Museum, a small museum in an old railroad depot that pays homage to small town America and the history of the surrounding area.  The museum consists of small rooms throughout the two buildings, each with a different theme or focus on a period of time.  One of the first rooms to really catch my eye, that had some flair to it, was this recreation of a 1950s era malt shop.

Across the hall from the "malt shop" was a recreation of an old country school house, complete with the American flag, bell, and an apple for the teacher.  You can't see it from this angle, but the room was complete with an old pot belly stove and rows of old wooden desk with ink wells.  

I spent a considerable amount of time exploring the building and taking photos, but ultimately it was these two rooms that I kept coming back to when looking through the day's photos...

On the way back to New Mexico I saw these old buildings as I passed through the outskirts of Strong City.  I don't know what they were used for - my guess would be grain storage - but I liked the look of them, once proud, still standing...

Later that day we passed through Ellinwood in central Kansas, and the main intersection in town was the setting for this building that caught my eye, with a weathervane and lightning rod perched on top. 

Looking down Ellinwood's North Main Street I saw these shocks of wheat, made of metal, mounted to the light poles.  This street, lined with utility poles sporting the shocks of wheat with the flag flying below, screamed small town Americana...

As I always do when driving through Kansas, I stopped in Liebenthal, population 102, where my parents were born and my mother was raised.  Over the years this small store has changed hands numerous times, and it appears to be waiting patiently for its next incarnation...

All photos taken with a Nikon D7000, and a Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens

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