A Hindu Wedding – Day 1

Rinku Shah the day before getting married in Phoenix, Arizona

This is Rinku Shah on a day of immense celebration and simultaneous tragedy. Today is the day before she’s getting married but it’s also a difficult moment because her father passed away not long ago. The photo she’s holding is one I took from a previous get-together that she insists is the greatest picture of her father ever taken, what an honor.

Rinku’s mom, her name is Kusum. The responsibility on this woman’s shoulders is immense as the planning of festivities and hosting the many family members and friends at a Hindu wedding should not be underestimated.

Rinku Shah the day before getting married in Phoenix, Arizona

Rinku asked me months ago that I should be her wedding photographer, I tried to talk her out of it as I’m not a photographer of people but of landscapes. She persisted and I obviously relented. I’ve never been so nervous photographing anything before.

I think I was fortunate in getting at least a few images that I’d be proud to have with me into the future that helped define the day, these are a few of the photos I stumbled into the day before the official ceremony.

Rinku Shah and Yagnesh Rajnikant Damania the day before getting married in Phoenix, Arizona

Rinku’s soon-to-be husband, Yagnesh Rajnikant Damania.

Rinku Shah the day before getting married in Phoenix, Arizona

Over the two days I shot more than 2,500 photos that included variations of the couple, family, and combinations of everyone and delivered the best 888 that I took, they wanted them all.

Dion & Tassia

Dion Terry and his girlfriend Tassia visiting Phoenix, Arizona

After many a year not being able to visit with one another as every time Dion would visit Phoenix, Caroline and I were on a road trip, we had the chance this evening to sit down for dinner and catch up. All those years Dion would visit on long holiday weekends, the very same long weekends that offer us great opportunities for travel. And, unfortunately, our destination so far has never been San Diego where Dion lives, as nature is our draw. Dion and his girlfriend Tassia were on a short road trip of their own this time, only stopping in Phoenix to say a quick hello to friends and family before continuing on to Gallup, New Mexico, Window Rock, Arizona, and other points on the Navajo Reservation from which Dion hails. Though we only had a short three hours to talk it was nonetheless nothing short of wonderful to see this old friend. While not traveling Dion practices the starving artist routine, check out his blog MuttonDagger.

Fort Stevens to Nehalem, Oregon

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

Disclaimer: This post is one of those that ended up being written years after the experience was had. While there was a paragraph or two posted way back then with a single photo, there were no other notes taken, so most of what is shared here must be extracted from the images and what memories they may have lent us.

Sunrise at Fort Stevens State Park on the coast of Oregon is exactly what one would be expected to take advantage of after waking in a yurt that is within walking distance of the shore.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

We were on a short walk before meeting up with the friends we had dinner with last night.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

The wreck of the Peter Iredale that’s been out here rusting away for the past 102 years.

Kirk Millhollin and John Wise at Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

Here’s Captain Kirk hamming it up for the camera. thought he’d be cute, but unfortunately for me, I snapped the photo a moment too soon. Just as he approached to give the appearance he was going to lay one on me, I turned my head and gave him a full-on-mouth kiss – with tongue. Yeah, who’s laughing now, Mr. Millhollin?

Update in April 2021: Sadly, Kirk and I had a total fallout back in the middle of 2017 due to circumstances that were complicated due to my wishful thinking and (in large part) my inability to simply deal with funding issues with the company I was running at the time and that Kirk moved to Arizona to be a part of. I don’t believe there can ever be a resolution beyond where we are today, which is totally 100% non-contact. After knowing the guy for 22 years, I often wonder how he’s doing regardless of the circumstances around our parting.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

Kirk had wanted to take us out to a small area spit of land on the Jetty Trail near Point Adams, where at other times of the year, he’d found an abundance of mushrooms, the special kind of magic ones that authorities frown upon harvesting.

This amanita muscaria or fly agaric is not one of the ones I was referring to although some claim that they too have mystical properties.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

Kirk, Rachel, and the kids needed to head back early to Portland, so Caroline and I returned to our yurt to get a bite to eat and pack up our stuff. Though we weren’t going far.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

We are still at Fort Stevens, except instead of the Pacific Ocean side, we are over on the Columbia River. The ruin is part of an old series of military batteries built over one hundred years ago to defend the Columbia River’s mouth.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

The rusty and crumbling fortified hulks are just the aesthetic I’m in love with.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

It turns out that there’s a guided tour that takes visitors into the underground structures; sadly, we didn’t get to participate in that as we weren’t aware of those tours at the time we were visiting.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

Some people go for jewelry and nice clothes; I go for textures and patterns found out and about.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

Near Swash Lake and Jetty Lagoon, just wandering around.

Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton, Oregon

While I believe we are somewhere out on the Clatsop Spit and that we are looking at the Columbia River, I could easily be wrong, but we are in the general vicinity of that area.

Astoria, Oregon

A late lunch in Astoria across from the Pilot House Luxury Suite that we’ll never want to afford, though secretly we’d love to.

Caroline Wise and John Wise at Cannon Beach, Oregon

What happened to the time between lunch and this late afternoon is lost in memories that cannot be found, but that’s of no real matter because here we are, smiling and happy at Cannon Beach, Oregon.

[I have some faint memories that our friends didn’t actually leave but hung out with us a bit more. We definitely ended up buying a big bag of saltwater taffy in Seaside – Caroline]

Sunset at Cannon Beach, Oregon

Add to the other thousands of memories we have of sunsets along the coast, or is it millions by now?

John Wise at Cannon Beach, Oregon

Yep, it’s so cold out here at the end of the day that even I needed a beanie to keep my ears warm. Did I tell you that Caroline spun and knit this work of love for me?

Sunset at Cannon Beach, Oregon

The iconic Haystack of Cannon Beach at sunset, what could be better than a walk here, even on a chilly late fall day?

We’ll be sleeping in a yurt again this evening down south of Manzanita, Oregon, at Nehalem Bay State Park.

Into The Blue

Caroline Wise attending a dyeing workshop in Blue, Arizona

Yesterday afternoon, Caroline and I drove up north to a place in Arizona near the border with New Mexico that we’d never heard of; it’s called Blue. Our accommodations were unique and allowed us to stay right where Caroline was attending a natural dyeing workshop.

Blue, Arizona

After breakfast in our travel trailer and before the crafting got underway, we headed out for a walk around the countryside that featured perfect weather. Consider that down in Phoenix, it’s well into the 100’s right now.

Blue, Arizona

Moss is not something we ever see growing off cactus down south.

Blue, Arizona

It’s beautiful up here in the mountains.

Caroline Wise in Blue, Arizona

Yep, beautiful.

Blue, Arizona

But our walk is coming to an end as it’s time to get to the reason we are up here.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

Meet Janie Hoffman, who calls this corner of Blue, Arizona, home and is not only our host but also teaching the course on using plants for natural dyeing.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

Sample books of Janie’s experiments using combinations of various plant matter with mordants which make the dyes longer-lasting but can also change the resulting color of the fiber.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

As not all mordants and dyes are skin-friendly and some dyestuffs can stain the container they are in, Janie is using stainless steel pots marked with what will be in them.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

Just as the above label said, this is madder root, a popular source of red dye for fabrics.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

While this is broom snakeweed.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

Sadly, all the mistletoe was in the pot, and none was overhead, so there’d be no kissing underneath it.

Caroline Wise attending a dyeing workshop in Blue, Arizona

Cooking up the dye, getting it ready for dipping yarn into it. Maintaining a specific temperature can be essential for some dyestuffs.

Blue, Arizona

This giant moth was me being distracted by Janie’s beautiful garden that’s nearby. She grows dye plants as well as decorative flowers.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

And before we knew it, lunchtime was upon us. We’d brought cheese from our friend Celia, a.k.a. the Barn Goddess, made a salad with things from Tonopah Rob’s farm, and bread from Wildflower. Absolute luxury in the woods.

Caroline Wise and Sandy attending a dyeing workshop in Blue, Arizona

Meet Sandy, who was Caroline’s partner in this operation. These two hit it off as friends the moment they started smiling together.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

The yarn goes in.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

And needs to soak a while.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

More soaking yarn.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

Yet more yarn.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

And yep, you guessed it, more yarn being turned into something other than white.

Caroline Wise and Sandy attending a dyeing workshop in Blue, Arizona

Into the wringer to squeeze out the excess water, but this was after the ladies thoroughly rinsed it.

Dyeing Workshop in Blue, Arizona

Up to dry, and the night was ours.

Beard Be Gone

Caroline Wise, Sonal Patel, and John Wise in Pheonix, Arizona July 18, 2008

Every 10 years curiosity grabs hold of me and I wonder what my face looks like under the beard and so it was upon coming home this evening that I reached for the beard trimmer and a razor and cut the hair from my face. NO – I do not like seeing myself this way. Something is missing. I feel as though I look like everyone else. Worse, it feels like a stranger is looking back at me from the mirror. This week will have been the last time before 2018 that I will shave. A great aspect of not shaving is the freedom from taking a razor-sharp piece of cold steel to my throat every day and scraping my face raw. I love my beard. Long live the beard.

Khushbu

Kushbu Patel, expectant mom and friend

This is mom-to-be Khushbu Patel, at her baby shower, we attended last night. Khushbu and her husband Saurin had invited us some years ago to their engagement and now here we were already going to their baby shower. The friends we have made in the Indian community and how they welcome Caroline and me stand out as an absolute high point in our lives here in Phoenix, Arizona.