Welcome to the rt tulley photography blogIt features photos, text, and poetry.January 14Trees
I am thankful for trees of all kinds (except when I have to rake leaves!). They give us shade and beauty. They are homes to birds and squirrels. Trees to me represent strength and beauty. Even without their leaves, I love the complicated branching patterns. Each tree has its own character.
This photo is of a tree I found near the Mississippi River. It has leaves shaped like a maple so I think it may be a Red Maple.
to a tree
a tree is an elongated stem which supports branches and leaves that uses photosynthesis by converting the CO2 it receives into energy and O2 but a tree to me is much more it is feminine adorned in her simplest state by interlacing and branching appendages which accentuate light and dark richness of bark her skirt of leaves to shade and canopy self made budding, flowering in natures finest enticing embracing she uses her allure in a way demure tempting and seducing holding us then the weaker men i love trees gently dancing with the music the music of the breeze. © rt tulley
January 13Baton Rouge
I am ever thankful for my home town, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Except for time away at graduate school I have lived here since my parents moved here when I was about 12 years old. It has gotten larger since my early days, especially after the Hurricane Katrina exodus from New Orleans, however, it still retains its charm and small city atmosphere. A study done at Southern University claims that Baton Rouge has the highest green (trees) surface area of any city in the United States.
This picture is of the Baton Rouge skyline taken across the Mississippi River from Port Allen. I love how they wrote the name out on the levee. The tallest building in the picture and the one next to it are the Chase Bank towers. They are where my dad worked and where my brother now works.
baton rouge, my baton rouge, ole red stick
baton rouge my baton rouge ole red stick on the banks of the mississippi river not a prettier place you could pick with people as friendly and genuine as a people can be trees and flowers so many to see baton rouge my baton rouge ole red stick a place to call home not a better place you could roam baton rouge my baton rouge ole red stick. © rt tulley January 12Cypress Knees
I am thankful for cypress knees. They are so unusual and have a character of their own. And I've already mentioned how I love cypress trees. Cypress knees are projections from the cypress tree roots up to and above the surface of the ground or water. What is the purpose of cypress knees? Nobody exactly knows. Theories are that they help stabilize the tree in the marshy ground where it grows (I believe this theory) or help with aeration of the roots (this theory has pretty much been disproved). Whatever their purpose, I just know that they are very special and unusual in their own right. Knees have been reported to be as high as fourteen feet, however the tallest cypress knees I've seen are at least 3 feet high on the thirteenth hole of TPC Louisiana Golf Course in Avendale, Louisiana (photos of them may be seen in my Golf Courses/TPC Louisiana photo folder on this web page-photos 99-106).
This photo was taken near the City Park Lake in Baton Rouge.
cypress knees
many wooden knobs sprouting out of the swampy grounds cypress knees points like kingly crowns called boscoyo by the cajun peoples cypress knees pointed spires like steeples a mini city of this wooden landscape giving the tree strength and stability in this marshy seascape. © rt tulley January 11Cell Phones
I am thankful for cell phones. They make communication more accessible and reduce the fear of being stranded somewhere with a flat tire. BUT, sometimes I have wanted to turn my phone off and leave it at home as they can be annoying a times. Of late, I think we can become slaves to this technology. But they are so nice to have when you need a quick answer to a question, check the weather, check a map, or text a quick hello to a friend.
I call this photo Modern Love. I am afraid that sometimes our great access to communication has actually reduced our interaction with each other. I wonder if they are texting each other?
cell phones
cell phones can do so many things communicate applicate surf oh the pleasures they bring and we can text and various other intents and chat to our hearts’ contents oh what a wonderful day when cell phones will have their way control our interactions and attractions take our attention away from distraction and we will not need to be with others when we can speak our minds in tweets up to 140 character lines what more could anyone have to say we need only power up every day. © rt tulley January 10Flight
I am thankful for flight-that of birds, that of humans. Flight allows us to achieve heights and destinations not otherwise possible, at least in a short amount of time.
This is my daughter Beth during a recent visit to City Park in New Orleans clowning it up.
I inherited from my father a fear of flying. But after the plane leaves the runway, I enjoy every minute of it. I marvel at the views from the sky. It helps put life in perspective.
fear of flying
i would gladly be the first to soar very high above the ground but what scares me most ain’t the going up but the coming down. © rt tulley
Here's a little story I wrote that tells about myself and my dad's fear of flying: My fingers clawed into the armrest as the plane taxied down the runway. The muscles of each forearm held its attached fingers tightly in position. My arms felt like those of a weight lifter pulling up on very heavy dumbbells. I am reminded of my less than frequent visits to the dentist. Sitting in the chair, with his hands and instruments in my mouth, no matter how I tell myself to relax, no matter how I try to visualize myself floating on an air mattress, bobbing up and down in the Gulf, I feel the muscles tense, the old claws digging in.
I recite my pre-flight ritualistic prayer and listen intently to every word and watch every movement of the safety demonstration, even though I know it by heart. I check the location of all exits and make sure I count the number of seats between myself and the nearest door, just in case I won’t be able to see through the smoke. I don’t feel at ease until the plane brakes to a stop at the end of the flight and I step through the doors of the plane into the terminal.
I suspect I inherited my fear of flying from Dad. I remember the stories of his first transcontinental flight. In October 1959, Amos Molded Plastics sent him to Europe for two months to obtain some important information and make valuable contacts. He knew he couldn’t con his way out of flying both directions, so he worked on Dale Amos, his boss, to reduce the number of flights by half. Dad talked him into letting him return via the Queen Mary luxury liner so that he could write the report of his trip. On the return trip he had time to relax, contemplate the business aspects of his trip, and win the dance contest. I’m not sure if he wrote the report.
Back in those days, they had air activated life preservers rather than seat cushion/flotation devices. It seems that during the safety demo, my father listened and watched as intently as I do in these modern days. The Stewardess had each passenger put their vest on and showed them where to pull to activate the air pump. She warned them not to pull it at that time. Of course, my father being the original inquisitive and anxious flyer of the family, had to make sure it worked. He pulled. The vest engorged with air, filling to its maximum, isolating Dad with the evidence irremovably and visibly stuck tightly around his neck.
“Now you’ve done it!” shouted the stewardess. “You won’t have one when we crash”
“When we crash?”thought my father. As punishment, she took the vest away from him. I can imagine how he felt during the flight. At least she could have let him keep it on until landing! I’m sure he would have worn it all the way to Germany. It’s no wonder he danced like a fool on his way back home. It’s interesting that Dad worked as an airplane engineer in the Wing Division of the famous SB2C Hell Diver Navy plane at Curtis-Wright in his first job out of college. Perhaps he learned things the general public is not supposed to know. © rt tulley
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