Sunday, July 26, 2009

Time For A Drink !

Just got a batch of photos back from the lab . . . old negatives freshly converted to digital for a new lease on life. To celebrate that, it's time for a drink, it's the aperitif hour here in France, and you're all invited ! The young lady here in this 1997 photo from Jacmel, Haiti, is bringing the bottles . . . what's your pleasure ?
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And while you're sipping your drink, you can contemplate this barn in southeastern Pennsylvania which was being re-claimed by nature when I saw it in 1997. Which reminds me, I'd like to highly recommend that you take a look, if you enjoy this photo, at the work of Tom Bejgrowicz at his Tom B. Photography blog, where a plethora of scenes from abandoned and dilapidated buildings await you, presented in a style unto himself. Enjoy. . .
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34 comments:

James said...

Great pictures and the bottom one reminds me that I need to get out and look for some cool old buildings to photograph.
It's just been so hot and or rainy here in Southeastern PA. I doubt that barn is still standing though.

Lynne with an e said...

Ah, oui, l'heure d'apero...I'm sipping a well-iced glass of BC (British Columbia) apple cider while listening to my daughter broadcasting from Nashville Tennessee as a guest host on a radio station there, while I dip into the postings and connections provided by my blog-friend, Mr.Toad in France. Life, with all its tenuous and tender links, is miraculous, non?

Haiti...I haven't been there but my partner in life has and we have a painting hanging on our living room wall from there, while one of mine has gone to live in Port au Prince.

Steve said...

Love the hairy barn - looks like it's alive. As for a drink... my favoured tipple is a whisky on the rocks though right now I could go for a hot chocolate. A big one with marsh mallows in it. Cheers!

Patricia said...

The Haitian image is a miracle. I am in love with the beauty of the values, textures, and subject matter. Hats off to you.

Owen said...

Hey James, I think you're right, at the rate the vines were climbing on this one, I'll bet they've pulled it down by now... glad I was able to "freeze" a moment in time before it disappeared...

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Dear Lynne, I think we were commenting on each others posts here almost simultaneously ! Now, is that iced cider with or without alcohol ??? Here in France Cidre has a mild alcohol content... but you have to drink alot to get a buzz. It does quench the thirst well though ! ;-D

A daughter in Nashville on the radio, wow, that must be a trip !

And a partner who went to Haiti... cool, not all that many people have that I know of anyway. Hope your painting will find its way onto the blog at some point. There is alot of beautiful art from Haiti. We brought back some cut metal pieces. The photos I just got back from the lab yesterday converted to digital include ten rolls of film I shot on the trip to Haiti in '97. Will be slipping some of them into the blogosphere in coming posts...

Stay cool... :-D

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Hullo Steve, if it's as chilly where you are as it is here in northern France today, hot chocolate may be just the ticket. In fact, that barn WAS alive. After taking the picture, I had to run for my life !!!

Owen said...

Hi Patricia... many thanks to you ! Haiti is a gorgeous place, and for a photographer like me who likes texture and street art and odd things in general, it is close to heaven...

Lynne with an e said...

Cider produces a most excellent buzz! None of that wimpy "cidre" pour moi! (7% alcohol, man!)

The Haitian man who has my painting came to visit us here and loved my art work at the time because he felt it had a Haitian feel to it (which I took as a compliment). I look forward to seeing more of your photos from your trip there.

Lyn said...

Champagne, with a juicy strawberry just bounced into it..after that I too will be ready to be reclaimed by nature, as that grassy homestead seems to be!!

jeff said...

Owen ! T'as osé ! Pétard... t'as osé montrer la distillerie de notre célèbre tisane ! ! ! Bon, il faut dire que depuis, elle est à l'abandon... mais au sous-sol... Merde ! 'fallait pas le dire ! Excuse Owen ! Sorry !... Ben au sous-sol... ya rien ! Juste quelques cartes postales oubliées et une vieille presse à billets !

Ciao Amigo ! la nuit m'appelle !... Bye ! A plus !...;-)

Anonymous said...

Great shots both, but the first is amazing.

Harry 'aka' Mojo said...

Hey Owen! thanks for posting your Barn photos today!..I went to school in Hershey, Pennsylvania and I can remember all those barns that dotted the landscape of Amish Country there.
Ahh Lad..another time..another place..another world ..Right now I am enjoying my favorite ale Sierra Nevada, with a great little sharp cheddar with a bit bread and crackers on the side! Cuban Black beans and rice for dinner.! can you make it over in time? Bring the family and some wine lad!!!
Cheers Mate! :-)
Harry/Mojo

Maggie May said...

that barn is amazing looking. magical, how the world is embracing and reclaiming.

Maggie May said...

that barn is amazing looking. magical, how the world is embracing and reclaiming.

The Sagittarian said...

oh dear, so I AM the only one to state how phallic that barn appeared to be! (Mind you, I initially thought Steve had written "hairy bum" so perhaps my eyes need testing!!)

Anyway, you know how much I like black and white photos so this post gets a thumbs up from me. And no. We don't need to know where those thumbs are up. Its an expression. Oh, I'll go and join Lou in the cider corner. With a bucket. And a straw.

Lynne with an e said...

Saj--I hope you've brought your own bucket! And keep those thumbs to yourself, you naughty girl!

The Sagittarian said...

Louciao - haha, I'll try but I can't promise anything, the sun is out today and it's given me a natural 'high' as it has been ages since we saw the sun! I'll join you in the champagne too if thats ok, will bring my own strawberry.

Lydia said...

O, the faces in the first shot! Marvelous smiles, profile, and silhouettes.

I can tell that we are going to be the recipients of some great stuff as a result of your having taken old photos to the lab. Yea!

CiCi said...

I don't know if I can drink and contemplate at the same time, but if I do it has to be green tea and the silo needs a shave.

ladydi said...

Rather whiskery. How wonderful that you captured it on film. "Should have brought the camera" are words I utter a lot.

Vagabonde said...

I came over from Marguerite’s blog Cajun Delights and really like your photographs. I also visited Tom Photography blog and enjoyed looking at his bizarre photos of dilapidated buildings – fascinating in their own way. I’ll come back to look at more.

Ann said...

just spent some wonderful time catching up on your blog..i have been away from my blog friends for awhile. your photos are always amzing and maake me want to get a backpack and a real comfey pair of shoes , buy a ticket and see the world. unfortunately,i can't do that,but visiting your blog is the next best thing!! thank you for "taking me away" to visit places i may never have the chance to see otherwise!

Nathalie H.D. said...

Toi qui aimes les vieilles cabanes et les bicoques déglinguées, tu as trouvé plus fort que toi!

Merci pour tes passages à Avignon, j'étais en ballade pendant quelques jours mais j'ai trouvé avec joie tes messages à mon retour.

clo said...

Howdy Owen...:)
j'arrive un peu tard pour l'apéro...ou un peu tôt...
je suis encore au café...
c'est les vacances et il fait bon trainer le matin...
alors c'est la qu'avec Jef vous fabriquez cette fameuse tisane...
beau laboratoire...j'ai été faire un tour sur le blog du créateur de cette photo....pas mal du tout... original...
une bonne journée...
bises Owen...

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

I'll have a lager or perhaps a cider from Somerset, UK. Please, no juju Voodoo juice. I really like the picture of the barn.

Owen said...

Hi LGS, hope all is well in the realm of squirrels... I can imagine this barn with all the vines would be very tempting for a squirrel to climb all over, and plenty of storage space for nuts...

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Howdy Clo ! Je vois que tu apprends les "colloquialismes" américains très vite... aahhh, c'est bien les vacances, et de trainer un peu le matin parfois, mais attn au café, on a vu ce que cela peut faire ! ;-D Juste au cas où, la photo de la grange en train de se faire manger par les vignes, c'est une des miennes, mais ça servait comme point de départ pour introduire le blog de Tob B., que j'adore d'ailleurs... alors, bon l'apéro c'est pour toute à l'heure donc ? On peut le refaire ce soir, ce serait sympa, et puis finir avec une tisane !!! Et comme étant juré de garder le silence, je ne peux ni confirmer ni infirmer que cela pourrait être le site de fabrication dudit tisane... :-D
A bientôt Clo, et merci pour ce tournesol !

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Salut Nathalie ! Ah oui, Tom B. est un spécialist de haute qualité en matière de batiments à l'abandon... un vrai pro ! Moi à coté, je ne suis qu'un amateur... mais bon, on s'amuse comme on peut ... J'espère que tu as fait de bonnes balades ces jours-ci...
:-D (content de te lire...)

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Hi Ann, you are more than welcome, anything I can do to help folks travel vicariously is a pleasure... Maybe someday you'll be able to put on those comfy shoes and travel a little... Many thanks for adding me to your list of blogs too !

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Dear Vagabonde, welcome, welcome, am always happy to meet new visitors, and if Marguerite sent you, even better... I get hungry now just hearing her name, there's always something good cooking at her place. Glad you enjoyed Tom's blog, he is something else ! I was just looking at Recollections of a Vagabonde, will have to come back, your piece on Cherokee Indians looks fascinating already !

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Hi Di !! Hope you are having a great summer... Yeah that barn was pretty hairy !

Lauralee said...

Love The Life That You Live

Owen said...

Hi Techno, green tea is a possibility, we got oodles of it here, la Grenouille is a green tea adept. Not sure that the barn is likely to get a shave though...
:-D

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Lydia, Aren't all the people beautiful there in that photo ?!! ... Haiti is a paradise for taking pictures, I'm going to have to go back someday, with a digital camera, I would have taken thousands had I not been limited by the constraints and costs of film. And yes, there is more coming soon...

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Ahh, I see Sagitarrian and Louciao have stumbled in from whatever other cocktail hours were in progress ! Arm in arm, buckets of champagne with straws for drinking it, strawberries, thumbs... so happy to see you two, glad you liked the barn, there's room in there too for people who pass out and can't make it home ! :-D

Glad to hear the sun is out in New Zealand at last !

Laurie said...

Another barn-storming post, Owen. I notice the door is open. Great shots of Haiti, too.
Laurie

Owen said...

Hi Lee Beth, thanks for dropping in here... :-D

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Maggie, Could have been a subject for a song by the Who... The Magic Barn... the Earth will finish by reclaiming all that has sprung up...

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Hey Mojo Harry, Sierra Ale, sharp cheddar, black beans sounds great !!! We'll be on the way here shortly ! Will pack a few bottles of what la Grenouille just brought back last night from a place called Gaillac... School in Hershey PA ? I only went there on a school trip once for a day. Guess you grew up with the smell of chocolate on the wind ? Thanks a ton for your messages !!! Glad you liked the barn, I love places like that...
Cheers !

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Hi Tricia, many thanks !

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Cher Jeff ! Et oui, j'ai osé montrer l'image de la distillerie clandestine de la t.....* ! Mais, bon, ce n'est pas grave, je n'ai pas dit où cela se trouve, juste très vaguement... on pourrait chercher encore longtemps ! Et au sous sol, tu n'as pas vu qu'il y avait une trappe cachée sous les tonneaux dans un coin... il faut descendre jusqu'au septième sous sol pour me trouver dans le laboratoire de dégustation...

Ciao Jeff, à très bientôt, bonnes vacances !!!

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Lyn, can just picture you with vines climbing all over out of the ground... better not drink too much of that strawberry laced champagne, or it will be a case of Strawberry Fields Forever for you too ! ;-D

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Ah Lynne Louciao, more pictures of Haiti are in the pipeline... so, one of yours is in Haiti now ? Do you still have a photo of it ? Or others of yours ??? The plot thickens, I didn't realize you are an internationally acclaimed painter with work in multiple countries... pray do share more on this subject !

In the meanwhile, watch out for that strong cider !!!

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Lynne with an e said...

My dear Owen, if you simply click on the photo of me with the button eyes that is on my blog, you will be magically transported to my website where you can learn all you ever wanted to learn about my identity as an artist...except for what I am up to of late. The painting that went to Haiti is one of the Maritimes Series. With the promise of more Haitian moments coming our way on your blog, should we be cracking open some rum? The Saggitarian will doubtlessly have some good recipes on hand to get us all in the mood...a little voodoo...a little dancing...

Margaret Pangert said...

Amazing photo of Port-au-Prince! Haiti surely doesn't look like that now! Our church goes 3 or 4 times a year with medical assistance. It's truly devastating to see the ill, the malnourished, the homeless... Have you read/seen the movie The Feast of All Saints by Anne Rice? There's the Haiti of your picture.

Alas, the "hair" on the barn means it will cave in soon! You may have gotten the last remaining days of its life!

Both interesting subjects and photos.

Bonne vacances, Owen!

Batteson.Ind said...

Stand us a dark rum, and a vodka mule... :-)
We're back! Have been terribly neglectful of our blog thing, catching up with everyone today and I've found a billion treats already :-) Love the reclaimed photos, that barn looks like something out of a Stephen King story, creeepy!.....

Roxana said...

the old negatives... film has indeed that unique texture, to use a word from your previous post :-)
i am always full of emotions when i come across my old pictures, but it is such a cocktail of feelings that i cannot name them. and i get the same when i look at these pictures, but especially the first one. it is really impressive, Owen! i can't stop wondering where all these people are now...

J said...

The question is, is there room for a bar? ;) Great photo from Haiti, interesting to see a what it used to be like.