Category: Ecstasis

by jad

Photo-Elicitation

Taking photos with someone else is an interesting way of looking at things differently. You’ll probably notice the same things, but you may not; you’ll pause to listen in one spot while the other is talking and vice versa; you’ll use these stops to compose or capture, or you may just peer through the viewfinder, too engrossed in the conversation. You’ll probably start off talking about what you’re seeing, but it’s more than likely that you’ll end up somewhere else entirely. Looking back at these, I’m struck by how most are imprinted with a memory of something said or remembered, … Continue reading “Photo-Elicitation” →

by jad

Is Christianity Worth Saving & Other Frustrating Questions

I spent the day yesterday at a conference asking: “is Christianity worth saving?” All I knew about it was that it featured Brian McLaren, a post-evangelical theologian I’ve admired, & that it would have 3 sessions answering that question in 3 ways: “no,” “yes,” “what now?” I was surprised to find a very non-traditional format for the event. Instead of a panel with a series of talks and Q&As, there was a circle of thinkers & doers from around the city taking turns to ask Brian questions that began with: “I’d be curious to know.” This was a full circle, … Continue reading “Is Christianity Worth Saving & Other Frustrating Questions” →

by jad

Why is Photography Interesting?

Why is photography interesting? The number of people who might care about what I have to say has almost doubled since I took it on as an intentional practice, so that question might be better posed to the people who took interest, instead. But why *is* photography interesting to me? I have often said that I am an inherently visual communicator, but those of you who have been here from the start know that I picked up the craft as an object of discourse or matter of concern first. Words came before light, in an isomorphism of what Dane Rudhyar … Continue reading “Why is Photography Interesting?” →

by jad

Transit Equity Day: RR x TRU

I want to use this last post of a gorgeous bus stop from my time in California as an opportunity to ask for your financial support of @RidersRightsLB. Next Saturday is #TransitEquityDay, and, to coincide with this occasion, the #Seattle Transit Riders Union has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support a mutual aid initiative that RR is coordinating in #Lebanon. I’ve put a link where you’d expect to find it on my profile. Please consider supporting mobility justice in Lebanon during an extremely difficult economic and political time there. The parallels we are drawing between our two very different contexts are deliberate. Rosa Parks and … Continue reading “Transit Equity Day: RR x TRU” →

by jad

#Route101: Napa Valley / SF

If there’s any stretch of this road trip that I’d do all over again, it’s #Route29 through Napa Valley. This region, with its wineries and whistlestops, is obscenely picturesque, and had way too many photo-ops to fit into our schedule. Here are two pit stops and one drive-by through the car window. I love that this combination gas station & burger joint says: “welcome to wine country.” x I keep mentioning #SanFrancisco without posting anything from there, so how about a little nibble on this sugar cookie of a building to whet your appetite? We were so very lucky to arrive here on the … Continue reading “#Route101: Napa Valley / SF” →

by jad

#Route101: Shelter Cove / Eureka

I’ve already posted about this place, but the journey here and back was so poignant, there’s still more to say. We decided to come here by looking at the coastline on a map and choosing somewhere that could break up the drive down to San Franscisco. Christine thought it sounded like the sort of place pirates would go, and that was good enough for me. Little did we know how right her intuition was. The road was labyrinthine and steep; the rain was unrelenting; we lost our phone signal, and as the other cars thinned out the further we drove … Continue reading “#Route101: Shelter Cove / Eureka” →

by jad

#Route101: Klamath / Coos Bay

This little Paul Bunyan-themed #Route101 attraction is a perfect apéritif to this vast stretch of Redwood Highway wilderness, especially if you’ve never seen or touched a Redwood before, like me. I’m not a fan of heights either, but the skyways were absolutely breathtaking in the best kind of way with just the right amount of “adventuring” for my tastes. I don’t want to come across as California-woo but just being around and breathing in these giants felt soothing to the soul. x  Our New Year’s Eve morning actually started here, and it actually started a little rocky too. We’d pushed ourselves quite … Continue reading “#Route101: Klamath / Coos Bay” →

by jad

#Route101: Florence / Crescent City

The first stop on our #Route101 road trip was supposed to be the famous Sea Lion Caves, but when we arrived, we were told that the tours had been cancelled because of the storm. We were a tiny bit disappointed because the weather seemed fine at that point. But, sure enough, by the time we were done circling the gift shop, it started getting a little uhhh blustery out there. By the by, does anyone know why #FujifilmSusperia400 often has a pronounced green tinge in the shadows? I really like it but I’m curious how and why it happens. Total matrix vibes in these. … Continue reading “#Route101: Florence / Crescent City” →

by jad

#Route101: Reedsport / North Bend / Mapleton

We stopped here on our way to Portland on December 30, purely to take that photo in the last slide, but ended up leaving with some mini cakes and a big ol’ jar of blackberry High Country Honey from Lakeside, OR. It was a little sad to see all these shuttered and vacant stores lining both sides of main street, sandwiched between hokey MAGA wood art and a cute little “bakery & coffee shop” that didn’t sell coffee. It felt like a poetic aperçu of this place. x This was where we spent most of the morning of New Year’s … Continue reading “#Route101: Reedsport / North Bend / Mapleton” →

by jad

#Route101: Olympia / PDX / Lebanon

Olympia was a pit stop and packed lunch break at the start of our #Route101 road trip. This was my second time here but my first time passing through downtown; we’d only visited the state capitol area last time. I think it was just as grey and dreary then too. These were taken on the same #FujifilmSuperia400 roll I took with me to Bellingham on Thanksgiving break, but for some reason my #NikonN60 auto-wound it after only two shots. I got a film picker to salvage it later and you can see the accidental double-exposure in the last two slides from when it didn’t quite line … Continue reading “#Route101: Olympia / PDX / Lebanon” →