Just Coffee

I get up every morning and I heat up a cup of coffee left in the pot from yesterday - what can I tell you - it is my drug of choice and I am an addict. I am powerless against my addiction....Wait that's a different blog! I make really good coffee which is why drinking yesterdays brew is not a major hardship. While that cup is heating I wash out my filter, grind and brew the new day's pot. I occasionally buy fair trade coffee but in this economy, global as well as personal, I don't always spring for the responsible fair trade brand. But I now have cause to re-think that process.
I spent the day driving and photographing a bi-national project jointly supported by the Diocese of Tucson and the Diocese of Hermosillo. We looked at some rather thorny border problems including domestic violence, battered immigrant women, human trafficking, trade problems, and the social impact to the stressed Mexican welfare system caused by the flood of potential or failed immigrants living and seeking shelter in the border towns. It is a human problem to which the United States has attempted to apply military solutions. In my humble opinion - which I think is pretty valid having lived in the border area all my life- It ain't workin'
But there are some baby steps that are working. At times it feels like digging to China with a spoon and at others I am mindful of the saying 'every journey begins with the first footstep'. Yesterday was a mix of both.
One stop we made was at the roasting location for Cafe Justo. This is a network of coffee co-operatives that grow, roast, package and ship their own coffee. The process is very interesting and although I have had for sometime an understanding of how coffee is roasted this was the first time I actually watched the machinery that does the deed.





They have a website and online ordering. I just shot them an order and I'll keep you faithful readers (all two of you LOL), updated. Anyway here is their flyer, web site, and a shot of the roaster in process, I'm going to go have another cup of coffee.

http://www.justcoffee.org

One other stop we made was to the The Holy Family parish in Agua Prieta, Mexico, where we were served a very wonderful meal, after further talks by the group. The chilie rellanos were a 9.4 in my life long search for the perfect chili rellano, and that is no faint praise! But as usual I digress.

It seems so logical to go to the places where the help is being delivered to begin the planning process. I took this shot in a garden of the parish. The church offers limited shelter for immigrants, and in the common outdoor courtyard they have planted a display garden to help travelers identify the plants native to the desert that can hurt an unwary traveler. I think the title for this "Pattern of the Point" speaks not only to this image but a more broad view to these bi-national issues. We are applying a military solution to a human problem. We seem to think that works globally as well as around my little piece of the border.

IR and the graveyard

Celestial Row - The entrance to the cemetery

I have been meaning to go take a few shots at the Evergreen Cemetery here in Bisbee, but until yesterday it was a round-tuit project. I did manage to drag myself out early enough yesterday to get some good lighting and got some shots that are 'fair to middlin' in my opinion. The one shot that I really liked and thought would be the star had the truck in the background. I forget to really look at the background. I have gotten better at scanning the frame edges of the photo for distractions and objects that should be either included or excluded entirely, but those background objects still trip me up.
I like the look of the IR shots and hope to get more as the foliage returns with warmer weather


I call this Odd Man Out

Art auction

The Bisbee Fine Arts Council is having their annual art auction tomorrow and I have donated a piece to the organization. I can't wait to see if it will sell and for what amount. I set a price of $165.00. It is a framed piece - the photo is a 12x18 print and I framed it in an 18x22 mat black metal frame with a blackcore photogrey mat. I set it up as a bottom weighted mat and I think it looks very nice.

Seeing as I will be unemployed in the near future this is a bit of a test to see what the reception is for this photo. I am thinking of working the farmers market this summer to see if I can make some pocket money selling matted prints, greeting cards. and postcards. I am also hoping it will bring me some contacts for custom framing. If I can make a 100 bucks a week I can manage for about 6 months on my savings before I have to get back to work. The opportunity to take a break and spend some real time taking photographs is too enticing to resist.



This is the photo I put in the auction. Wish me luck!