Mat Twassel's photos

as opposed to Due Date

somewhat soft and somewhat wet

Although you probably can’t see them very well, there are ants in this picture. (Sorry I don’t have a good macro lens—this is from a cell phone camera.) I observed a parade of them, tiny red ones, each carrying a small white packet in its mouth, scurrying across the sidewalk in front of my house. I was pleased they were going away from my house and not toward it. At first I thought they were carrying bits of food, but then I wondered if these little white bundles were not eggs. Maybe they were moving. Or maybe they were stealing eggs from another ant tribe. If they were thieves did they intend to raise the ant-napped babies as their own, maybe make them slaves, or were they going to eat them. One thing for sure, if they’re going to Wisconsin to find better jobs, they’re going the wrong way.

Overnight this baby appeared on our lawn. I suppose I should be thankful there are not ten thousand of them.

We saw a number of impressive churches in Milwaukee, but we were unable to get inside any of them. Maybe God was on vacation.

Quite a few years ago I taught a class in photography. Not that I have any great expertise, but I did own a 35mm camera and I did have quite a few years of darkroom experience developing and printing my own pictures, both in black and white and color. And it was an introductory class: the students were my children and several of their friends from the neighborhood. We covered the basics, and the kids took pictures and developed the negatives and made prints. It was fun. One of my favorite parts of the class was a discussion we had on the important “parts” of a picture. The kids took pleasure in the idea that what is not in a picture could be as vital as what was. My favorite picture from assignment to illustrate this concept was a photo of a vase with some flower stalks, much like the one shown here, though in black and white. Spring 2017.

orchids

Mobile Bay

for the time being

But I don't know what it is.

Much like last December (or yesterday) these are long gone. And by tomorrow they will be forgotten, whatever they were.

December seems to have disappeared.