Wildflower

When?

That’s what everybody wants to know.

One of the things that I get paid for its my ability to understand the future. No. I’m not a seer. Not a guru. Not a clairvoyant. I simply do a lot of research. I listen a lot. All the while I’m letting the information roll around in m y head. After that, my ideas comes out. Anywhere. Anytime. In the shower. While I’m cooking. While I’m walking the dogs. Most of them are terrible.

The pandemic isn’t going away soon. Or, even in a few months. Maybe, not in years. I don’t know exactly when. Sheesh. I’m not that good.

New Orleans started to open. People turned stupid. They partied too much. They were photographed in a packed Bourbon Street.

Our per capita rate of infection is the highest in the nation.

The governor got very angry. So did the mayor.

The governor closed the bars. Mandated masks. Reset the opening time table. The mayor cut the bars ability to sell curbside drinks. Between the two, they effectively closed our bars. Restaurants are closing too. Some forever. Some until restrictions loosen. It’s too hard for owners to make any money with a limit of 25 people.

Music venues are closed too. Musicians aren’t able to earn anything. One, who worked a lot including Jazzfest and French Quarter Fest, is leaving NOLA for a while. She’s selling all of her stuff.

As most of you know, I’m not a fan of the president, but I agree with him on one thing. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. Most music tour leaders agreed that tours wouldn’t start until October, 2021. Now, touring might not start until late spring 2022. It’s getting worse. Not better.

Humans are impatient. We are angry. We are angry with our leaders, the police, our structure, abuse of black people, the abuse of women. The list goes on. What started as peaceful protest has turned into battlefields. In Portland, some kind of federal storm troopers are beating and detaining people for no reason.

For every action there is a reaction.

The protests are heating up again. Protesters are fighting back. I truly fear that my country is going to turn into a battlefield. That a shooting war is going to break out. Combined with the pandemic my country feels doomed. It’s like we are falling of a cliff.

Fixing this beyond my pay grade. But, I know those of us who have a little hope left must work together, communicate, try to build the house while the house it’s burning down, and look after each other. I’ve said that before. I think it was abstract. Now, it’s real.

The Picture

I made the base picture of the Black Masking Indian Queen at Uptown Super Sunday 2019. I’m not sure when or if I’ll ever have that chance again. The event would be called a super spreader unless the virus is stopped. During the parade you are shoulder to shoulder and face to faces with everybody. One sick person…

I made the clouds that surround her a few days ago. I’ve been doing this kind of experimentation for the past couple of months. I usually post it on Instagram, but I realized that many of you might not be there and that you should see it. Now you are.

Working this way is a process. It’s using my archive to locate the right images. It’s layering and blending two pictures. And, about finishing them properly. It takes time. And focus. And, intent.

Stay Safe. Stay mighty. Enjoy my photograph.