Journey to Ukazoo-Slide Ten

Slide Ten: Spilled Milk

I didn’t start driving till late in the evening and after just a few hours, as I neared Roswell, New Mexico by some back roads, I started to feel a heaviness in my eyelids. Rather than risk falling asleep at the wheel I found a small secluded spot and pulled off the road. As I worked to find a comfortable position to catch a little nap I noticed the dim glow of a light up in the distance hills. Curious, I left the van and climbed towards it. As I inched over a small rise I saw, nestled between two stands of rocks, a very unique metal and glass home and just outside the entrance was a family standing around a small camp fire getting ready to make s’mores.

Startled by my presence, they nonetheless extended a warm welcome and an offer to join them for dessert.

Engaged in a “Getting to know one another” conversation while prepping for the s’mores, they recounted how while en route to a vacation destination they noticed the need to find a place for refueling. They had just pulled out of Warp Drive and needed to make a turn as they approached Milky Way which would get them to the next fueling station.

Henri (the husband/dad) insisted that they turn left against everyone’s else’s opinion to turn right and after traveling for several ‘Light hours’ realized they were lost. They ran out of fuel just as they arrived in this area and had no choice but to pull in and park.

That was 66 earth years ago. With no identification and possibly here illegally they decided to set up home in these hills while working to reconfigure their communication system so they might go home. Over all this time their system has produced only static, but as of late they have managed to filter in some classic “60’s” songs.

Their only close encounter with people was when they first arrived. The kids were out flying a rather large balloon they had made and out of nowhere some local farmer shot it down.

They have avoided anyone ever since.

I asked where home was and they quickly responded in unison “France”.

As the parents went to get a photo album to show me some pictures of their earlier travels, a couple of the older kids started to boast about how they could do this levitation thing with their glass of chocolate milk. The younger ones rolled their eyes and dared one of them to do it.

I took this picture just as Mom came back to find a rather audacious but failed levitation attempt.

A not-so-happy Mom proceeded to scold them, not just for the spilled milk but because they should know that the intergalactic law for levitation is “no one under 16 years old is allowed to do it-period”. Besides being sixteen, she reminded them, there are several hands-off training courses and tests required prior to obtaining a license before you can levitate any objects on your own.

She sent them all off to bed without any dessert, but after they were all tucked in, she at least, with a wink, allowed Dad to read them a favorite bedtime story, the universally acclaimed children’s book, “The Little Prince”.

Later, back in the van and on the road, I reflected on the evening of conversation and several dozen album photo’s of star systems, which prompted a passing question. Were they really from France?

Art notes:

All images and text are copyright Craig L Haupt

Postings of Journey to Ukazoo Slides are every Monday.

Blog: http://www.craiglhaupt.com

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Journey to Ukazoo-Slide Nine

Posted by Craig L Haupt

Journey to Ukazoo

Slide Nine: The Frog Race

Stopped in Kermit, Texas, the same week they were host to the State Fair. Spent most of the weekend wandering around taking in the sights and indulging in cotton candy, pizza and a favorite, Fried Dough. One booth featured Swedish Meatballs, but I’ll be darned if I could understand a thing the guy behind the counter was saying. Passed on the Meatballs and opted for a Blueberry Muffin at the next stand and it was sensational, to say the least.

Not everything was eating, I enjoyed a few games on the midway and relaxed to some great music-a smidgen of Country, a touch of Bluegrass, a band that played old Animal tunes, Blues and even a little Gospel which was very inspirational.

Events for Sunday, the last day of the fair, featured a host of frog related events such as Lily Pad Jumping, Snatch a Fly With One Flick, and the new How High Can A Frog Leap entry. Then in the evening, the final and ever popular main event, The Frog Race.

It was a clear night, Flood lights lit the field, and a jam packed crowd, primed for the main event, was growing wild with anticipation. Money changing hands and bookies writing like crazy as the champion from the next county over was to face off against the hometown favorite. Working the stands were soda, beer and popcorn vendors and at the top of one section were two old guys leveling insults at the visiting frog’s fans. Earlier they had also heckled a comedian working the intermission and most of the crowd happened to agree, he was barely funny.

At the sound of the starter’s pistol, I took this picture just as the frogs were dropped at the start line and began to jump for the finish line, but it wasn’t long before the cheering started to subside as people started to realize you couldn’t tell the two frogs apart. Concern and disarray swept the crowd. Confusion over possible misplaced bets ensued. As the frogs crossed the finish line and the race ended, the crowd was in a near state of panic, the Judges and owners convened and it was determined that both frogs were twins, each going to a new home when tadpoles and each assuming a different last name, so no one knew they were related.

One of Kermit’s more upstanding citizens, Sam, blessed with sharp eagle eyes was asked to check each of the frogs and he found, on the underside of the winning frog’s chin, a very faint birthmark in the shape of an alligator. The Judges decided to delay the final results while they waited on their request to fax over the birth records to determine which frog had the birthmark.

The crowd waiting, the comedian gone, so with a chicken sandwich in hand, I wandered around.

Half an hour later, the fax was in and raced over to the judges stand. By the roar of the crowd there was no mistake that the winner and birthmark belonged to the hometown frog. Hoisted up on shoulders, the frog was paraded all over the fairgrounds, creating a mood that was truly celebrational.

What a night. What a lot of eating-cotton candy, fried dough, pizza, chicken and of course, those wonderful muffins.

Art notes:

All images and text are copyright Craig L Haupt

Postings of Journey to Ukazoo Slides are every Monday.

Facebook: Craig L Haupt

Likes and Shares are welcome.

All towns and cities are real with the exception of Rachel, Tenn.

Journey to Ukazoo-Slide Eight

Posted by Craig L Haupt

Journey to Ukazoo

Slide Eight: The Letter

Stopped in Waurika, Oklahoma, and found a wonderful rustic looking Bed & Breakfast. Later in the day as I returned to the inn after a walk I found several of the guests conversing in the Dining area. Much of the conversation centered around trying to find a fourth for Pinochle, and not just any Pinochle but Double Deck Partners. Without hesitation I jumped at the opportunity.

Chad, Mitchell, and Trey, as my partner sat down in the dining area to begin playing and it was during our game that John, a rather quiet but slightly emotional owner of the B & B opened a letter from his wife. She had, several days ago, gone to visit and help out a sick friend of theirs. John proceeded to read about his wife’s stay and how during the caring for their friend “she gave thought to what it would be like to fall in love with him and continue to stay even after he had regained his health”. That, upon her decision to stay, she would ask you to “box up and mail all my belongings” and would you “send the checkbook as I would need money to buy fancy new shoes and clothes” and also “have someone bring over the cat too”. The page concluded with “These were some of numerous thoughts that went through my head”.

Reading this created several outbursts of, “oh me’s” “What did I do wrong” and “How could she’s”. I took this picture after John had dropped the letter and he started into the “should I end my life” phase of moaning. Janet, a frequent guest who was sitting nearby, was concerned enough to pick up the dropped letter and looking closely saw that two pages were pressed so close together you thought it was just one sheet. Janet took it upon herself to separate the pages, calm John down, and insist that he read the second page his wife had written that started out with the sentence “but that didn’t happen, couldn’t and wouldn’t happen” and went on about how she found a “reaffirmation of love for John….”.

After the major drama of the letter had subsided and we went back to our game, John regained his composure, relaxed with a glass (or three) of wine, retired to the kitchen to bake a batch of chocolate chips cookies to share, and took requests for drinks. I asked if per chance he had a bottle of a local brewed root beer. He did.

Double Deck Pinochle, exceptional Pinochle players, home baked Chocolate Chip Cookies, local brand of bottled Root Beer. I would have to say that this was one of those-’It doesn’t get any better than this” moments.

Art notes:

All images and text are copyright Craig L Haupt

Postings of Journey to Ukazoo Slides are every Monday.

Likes, Shares, and Comments are welcome.

Journey To Ukazoo (Towson, MD Bookstore)

Posted by Craig L Haupt

I started a “Journey to Ukazoo” slide show on my “Craig L Haupt” Community Facebook Page, June 3rd. Below is the first Facebook post that includes a description of the “Journey to Ukazoo”.
I will be posting “Slide Six” Monday, July 8th, on the Facebook page. The intent is to post the next five Facebook slides (Slides 2 to 6) over the next few days to the blog as to bring it up to date, so “Slide Seven” on the Blog will align with the Facebook post, “Slide Seven”, by Monday July 15th. As I post a “Slide” with text each Monday afternoon at 5:45 on Facebook to my “Friends” and “Likes”, I will then post the same “Slide” and text to my “Blog” page for those on my art mailing list and new guests to my artwork who do not use Facebook.

June 3rd Facebook Post-Description of Journey to Ukazoo and Slide One:

By way of a series of small events in connection with recently displaying a few prints at Ukazoo Bookstore in Towson, MD and also securing an art exhibit there as well, starting the week of Feb 16, 2014 to April 13th, I have decided to promote the exhibit by taking a “metaphorical journey” to Ukazoo
I will be posting a “Tongue in Cheek” slide show of my “trip”, once a week (Monday) for the next 37 weeks, using images from past art shows as a series of slides of my “stops” at various locations in the U.S. as I “travel” to Ukazoo.
Besides the self-promotion aspect of generating interest for the future exhibit of new works, this slide show also gives those new to my artwork, a chance to see various examples of images exhibited since my first show in 2005.

Slide One: ‘Steppin’ Out’
This shot is of me taking that first step on my journey to Ukazoo. To be honest, the image is a little off as I do sport a beard and mustache. Now the hair on the other hand, or should I say ‘lack of hair’, is fairly accurate. The van is packed. Up front I have some tunes, my water, pretzels, and some homemade chocolate chip cookies and I am ready to go. First stop is Ocacoke, N.C.