rajafacesbothways

Dead letter Offices?

Finally have gone through all the transparencies documenting U.S. Highway 20 and can see the possible effects of time passing. With the cutbacks in postal service, I wonder if these small town post offices will continue to exist.

Innman, NE

Powder River, WY

For more U.S. Route 20 photos, go to:

accidental highway.com

Disappearing Scenes

I've been scanning slides of Drive In Theaters found along U.S. Highway 20, when Karen and I documented it 15-20 years ago. (see accidentalhighway.com) Then, many of them were falling apart, now I'm sure most have been replaced by strip malls. They remain a piece of historical nostalgia that can't be replaced by NetFlix and iPads.

Skylite Drive In, Elkhart, IN

Skyway Drive In, Woodville, OH

Motor Vu Drive In, Parma, OR

 

 

 

Slogging Through

Have spent hours going through all Route 20 slides (remember them?), pulling the best and today began scanning them for posterity. Did all the 15 DriveIn Theatres (remember them also?) along the way and today scanned those onto the computer.The rest of the individual slides of the 12 states await.

Forced me to reach back through the gray matter and recall the scanning routine. But success! Even backed them up. After scanning everything, I plan  to identify subjects and locations. All this for posterity without fame.

I guess if I wanted to be a star, I should have stuck with tap dancing.

 

 

 

 

 

NPR's Bob Edwards

Heard Bob Edwards speak at the Carnegie Center in New Albany. For years I was a constant listener of his Morning Edition and All Thing Considered NPR programs. Now I thoroughly enjoy Bob Edwards Weekend on Sirius XM Satellite radio where he interviews mostly well-known people who live creative lives. When telling others I was going to hear Bob Edwards they either had never heard of him or were very excited about it, indicating a lot about their listening habits.

I gave him cards from our accidentalhighway.com site and told him he would want to interview Karen and me on his Saturday morning show someday. After all, we too spoke at the Carnegie Center for our exhibit.

Hmmm. I'm sure he'll regret it if he doesn't follow up on this opportunity.

Or not.

 

Hanging It Up

All evidence of the 20/20Vision exhibit has left the (Carnegie Center) building.  And photos are stashed in various places. However the banner now hangs against the brick wall facing my space.

It can be viewed from my kitchen window, the rooftop and the rear deck/porch. Seen by invitation  only--unless you're a bird.

Into the Sunset

Our 20/20 Vision exhibit closed on Saturday and tomorrow I pick up the photos and the banner and return them here--to much lesser, dramatic space. (a friend's basement and a corner of my loft).

(moving on down the road--Nebraska)

Now where can we possibly exhibit next? Looking for direction---

(Route 20 in Oregon)

(Route 20 in Iowa)

Maybe the exhibit will go nowhere. The ride, not the destination is what is important.

And many more photos can continue to be viewed on our website:  accidentalhighway.com

 

Talk About It

The talk I gave on the 20/20 Vision exhibit went well and Saturday the show will close. The attendance was a bit larger than the rodeo photo below, and probably quieter without the Coors.

Rodeo--Fort Robinson, NE

Looking Over My Shoulder

Today I'm  giving a talk at the New Albany Carnegie Center on the experience of documenting  the country's longest highway; the 20/20Vision exhibit will close on Saturday.

I hope the audience will show the same curiosity that this Nebraska cow showed about the project.

Lots more photos on our webiste: accidentalhighway.com.  Check them out.

Wha-Hoo We're Covered!

Getting news coverage is always a difficult proposition for unknown artists, so I am delighted to see an excellent article by Brandi Terry on our 20/20 Vision exhibit in this week's issue (July 6) of the LEO (Louisville's Eccentric Observer) LEO WEEKLY in Louisville, KY. It includes one of my photos and a fine description of what Karen and I discovered as we documented our country's longest road.

AND--as a bonus, it has an article on Rick's White Light Diner in Frankfort, my favorite place to eat. Go check both articles out.

We are here:

Here is Rick's White Light Diner:

In Your Face

Discovered that the accidentalhighway.com website now shows access to Facebook and YouTube,  along with our expanding personal website and through the Carnegie Center in New Albany, IN. Who knew? (duh! I wasn't even sure what YouTube was and I'm on it!)

Check it out!!

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Driving to a family reunion in northern Ohio this week. Westlake is  also having a 150 year awareness of the first families in that town honoring them with flags. It includes my great, great grandfather who came for religious freedom (kind of an oxymoron) and became a successful farmer.

His grandson, my grandfather later built the farmhouse below which still looks good. Our reunion will be held at my brother's house which is just across a field. We're coming from 10 states, many can't make it but it there will be lots of laughs, which my family tends to do.

Grandpa's house.