Blog — Doug Earle Photography

I celebrated a birthday right after the beginning of the year. January 6, 2021 marked the 72nd anniversary of my nativity. To be honest, I’m not a huge aficionado of birthday celebrations. It’s nice being remembered and getting greetings and well wishes, but I don’t need much more than that to mark the passage. But, as birthdays go, this started off pretty nice—Breakfast tacos from a favorite restaurant, Teka Molina (where I first ate about 69 years ago), some creative gifts from Mary and others having to do with cooking—one of my other passions. Plans for a quiet afternoon and bring in dinner from La Paloma Blanca, another favorite. A nice way to mark the passage of another trip around the sun.

And then things got memorable.

I mean, how many times has an attempted coup by a group of right wing wackadoodles inspired and encouraged by a malevolent, treasonous, seditious, insecure huckster happened on your birthday? I bet never.

I won’t go into what I think about all that mess, but will say that I’m glad Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are in control and are able to restore some sanity, order, process and dignity to our political processes. Won’t be easy, especially as long as a significant number of politicians continue to treat government like some High School Football rivalry.

After watching and reflecting on the inauguration the other day I penned these thoughts to my Facebook page: “In thinking on the Inauguration, it strikes me that it was outstanding American national liturgy. I confess that much of what goes on as American national liturgy turns me off. Especially that of the last four years. But this was well done national catholic liturgy: Inclusive, celebratory, descriptive of who we aspire to be, recognizing we aren't the center of the universe and there is a power higher than us, dignified and solemn in the best sense. And, perhaps most important to remember when we awake in the morning, "liturgy" doesn't mean simply pomp, circumstance, flag waving and banner hanging (What’s with all that?) but literally means "The Work Of The People". Great and inspiring start and reminder of the work we all need to continue.

We did get our COVID vaccines mid-January and we get our second dose this week. Neither my wife nor I had a single side effect from the first Pfizer shot. I wore my “La Cabrona” t-shirt by a local graphic artist, PincheRaf, which gave the nurses a good laugh. For those who don’t speak Spanish “Cabrona” is a bilingual pun based on a slang term “Cabrón”, which literally means “goat”. But as a slang term it can mean everything from something strong and headstrong to a mean ass son of a bitch. Since C-19 is a Corona virus, I think it’s the latter meaning the artist had in mind. For the second shot I ordered another shirt from PincheRaf , “La Proteción. We’ll see if that gets a laugh as well.

And, to keep it all in perspective, meet the newest member of our household, Xóchi. She’s been a blessing of abundant kitty life in this house. I needed a new muse. She’s a great one as I begin another year.

I had a thought this New Year’s Eve morning that if life were a novel, today would be the end of a major section, or perhaps the end, of the first novel in a series. If something doesn't happen to us between now and midnight, we have managed to survive 2020 in good shape, as have all of our family and closest friends. While we know a few people who have tested positive for COVID, none have become seriously ill or died. Feeling blessed, and lucky about that.

Some close friends have experienced losses during the last few weeks of the year, which is, as we have experienced in the past, terribly hard. Some were in the natural fullness of a long-lived life, others unexpected and sudden, yet others tragic. Another friend left yesterday to move across the country to take a new call and begin a new phase of her ministry. Cause for celebration to be sure. But still a loss.

Most of Texas has been in a bad drought this year, but a wet blue norther blew in over night, and we awoke to a frigid, wet rain gently falling into parched ground. It's winter, yet you can almost see the plants and aquifer soaking up life giving moisture. A sunflower (!?!) bloomed over night even though the temps dropped to 38 degrees with a stiff north wind blowing. (Makes we wonder if this is a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel we’re in.) And while the Border Collie didn’t like the rain and thunder, she was happy to curl up in the back of the closet and sleep in till it passed.

Blessedly, and thanks to the God given-minds that scientists have, there are vaccines on the horizon, which appears closer and closer with each passing day. Two of our first responder family members have already gotten theirs, and it looks like they’ll begin to do us old-folk next, maybe by mid January! We are “impatiently patiently awaiting getting ours. [Note, we have appointments January 14 and 15 for the vaccine].

There’s a new, ground breaking administration being inaugurated in just 21 days! I know things probably won’t change as immediately as I want. But at least there will be the possibility of order, planning, courtesy, and common decency up on The Hill. At a minimum we’ll hear an articulate thought and complete sentence coming from the White House.

The time feels very transitional--as if it's the right time to turn the page to a new part of our story yet to unfold. I’d love to think that the New Year is going to be the best year ever, but if I’ve learned one thing in the past 72 years it’s that perhaps it will, but likely it won’t. Like all years there will be moments of joy and blessing, abundance and grace, creativity and excitement alongside the losses, griefs, challenges, disappointments—all those changes and chances that make up life.

So let’s hang up the new Sierra Club Wilderness Calendar, eat the Black Eyed Peas (maybe second and third helpings for luck), pop the Champagne for abundance and blessings, and let's open a new page on what comes next.

Wishing you all a safe, healthy and Happy New Year. If Y’all have time and are so inclined, I invite you to see my photo reflection on the past year, which follows below:

Photography is a way that I keep a journal—Images rather than words. The following is a journal reflection on what life in 2020 was like for me.

What promised to be a good year began with great light that caught my attention.

Things looked promising for 2020.

I was able to work with a model for the first time in 5 years! (Only took us 10 years to finally arrange things and work together due to her location/schedule and mine.)

That was great fun. I rediscovered a genre of photography that I’d grown tired of. I resolved to do more of it during 2020.

Then La Cabrona the Corona Virus appeared:

And life swiftly shifted into quarantine and our focus shifted to what was closer to home.

Still, it wasn’t too bad. There was beauty to be explored, neighbors to know better, grace in introspection. Even occasional humor.

I began a couple of new photo projects: Fiona’s Paws and Photos At Prayer—(photos taken while doing on line worship with our church.

But as time wore on things began to flag a bit. Covid wilt struck. Hair grew long. We wondered if it would ever end.

But we stuck with it. Our explorations became more creative and moved closer to home.

We persevered, though we longed to do what we used to be able to do. (Leftovers, our Grand-cat, left us during this time, at a ripe old age.)

We watched and waited. We prayed. We ZOOMED

As the year drew to an end the vaccines appeared, and light was still with us. We could clearly see a new dawn awakening.

On New Years Eve we were able to sign up to receive the vaccine in a few weeks. We turned in early, and awoke to the beauty of light shining out of darkness, and an open slate for what lies ahead.

May 2021 be filled with glorious light for you and yours.