Well got out of the house today went to the mall this is the mall that I went to and I was 15 much is changed Ward’s department store is now a Best Buy so I just sat around took it all in I’m a little tired now so I’m going to go home but it’s good to be out and about

Some nice Sun Flowers from my good friend Bertie…….

Hello Friends….. This is to let everyone know what has happened to me… On Friday June 9th I suffered a mild heart condition….. I went to the hospital to have it checked out… It was a bit more serious then first thought…. It now looks like I need heart surgery… The Doctors seem to think the added stress from the robbery just added to the problem…..It’s happening on Monday… I’m surrounded by good doctors and a great staff that has been taking good care of me…James my son has come over and stay the night….he will be here during the operation.  Lots of friends have called and texted thier support…. I understand the dangers of this type of operation but feel that I will be fine…. I want to thank all of my friends for everything…..

On Sunday after 4 or 5 months of pondering I decided it was time build myself a new camera kit for work and fun photo shooting.  So I gathered up a lot of my Pro Nikon Gear and make a trade…..  I went with the new Fuji XT-2 and 3 lenses to start with…..after work on Sunday I went to my weekly photo walk and met with friends and took photos…. I was in love with this camera right away…..even stayed out till after 11 taking photos…. Monday morning off to work with the new kit to share my excitement on the new camera…. After work, I headed home to take a look at some of the photos that I had taken….The ride home on bart…..well it is bart…. went as well as it could…  Upon my arrival, I grab my gear and went downstairs to catch the bus…. The bus was not there yet so I put down my backpack and camera case…. Zip up my jacket and started to put on my pack…. I felt that I had hit someone with the pack…as I turned around to see I realized that a man was trying to grab my pack… I turned and was able to grab it back…..but in the moment that I turned away another young man grab by camera bag and was gone 40 yards away at a dead run….. I was not going to catch him……and realize that I had just lost my new camera kit…. after a moment I just was devastated at the lost……I texted a few friends to report my lost…. I have never lost this much stuff at one time in my life.  I really did not know what to do and even thought that maybe I should just quit…..do something else……  Louie who is one of the managers at where I work took it upon his self and started a Go Fund Me page for me.  At first, I thought I have never asked for help I have always found ways to work it out… and was not sure of this, but after talking to a few close friends convinced me it would help…. The response has been amazing with people helping me out….  I am so grateful for what Louie has done for me and I will always be indebted to him.  I know how hard it is to make money in photography and how difficult it is to have any extra cash to give away so I so appreciate the help from so many even more… Photography has been a life-long love affair and I can not see myself without it…. So with the help of many, I might be able to put together a new kit and continue to help people new to Photography… Again I thank everyone for your help….

As of the moment I have been on Bart for 1 hour and 6 minutes……at this rate they are going to need more signs like this….and now part 2……. I’m riding home…….now I’m on a Bart train where the driver thinks he’s a tour guide……… By the way if you was a guide guide……I’m sure he’d be fired for not being very good but the worst thing is that we’re exposed the 45 minutes of idle chatter………. What I really wish for for the driver to announce stops and other than that just shut up….,….

Sunday is Mother’s Day…..so the meetup on Sunday Night will be canceled….. I hope you take lots of photos….. For me, I will remember my Mother by looking at photos…….and maybe go for a walk……..

Time is a funny thing…sometimes it’s good… I mean you have lots of time to do all the things you have planned…. You’re young the world is magical, and you have it by the tail… or so you think….. sometimes time plays strange games with your mind….. Here I am….well into my sixth decade … And I sometimes just wonder….. The other night thanks to a friend I found out that James McCartney was playing a small club nearby…. now some of you might wonder what does this have to do with time… You might recognize that last name….. yep his father was a member of a band that lots of folks would say is one the greatest bands ever….. I would say that…..funny how time has come around for me……  James McCartney his show was good, I enjoyed it…..I was told that his show was truly his……and it was……after the show I stood there and watch him chat with folks…….and that’s where I said to myself ….. where did all the time go…….well you say what does that have to do with me…….Photography entered my life at around12 years old…..my Father and Aunt were into it…..had a darkroom….. and I loved taking photos…..but sometime around the time I was 15 a band enters my life and music took over…..I did not take photos I got a guitar joined a band…… but it did not take long before I realized that I was not going to become famous…..so what to do…..I went to a bookstore and there on display was a photobook by a photographer she had photos of the band member I loved who music along with his partner wrote the songs….. almost all the book was black & white photos….. I thought they were so cool looking that I went and found my old camera…… and started to take photos again….. in part because of this woman……. and what was her name……Linda McCartney……. Yes, that would be James McCartney Mother……I will always be indebted to her……. because I can not imagine my life without photography………and for that matter music……..

Friends sometimes help you stay grounded….. They sometimes let you know when something cool is going to happen…….Thanks to Joe & Alecia for letting me know that a band called “Moonalice” was playing at Union Square ………Here is a photo of Bandleader  Roger McNamee….. you should google him……it’s quite a story………

I have been coming to the City for a real long time……. I walked the streets during the Summer of Love…… But I never have ridden the street cars…..Well, the other day I did….One less thing on my bucket list……

Somedays you want to just stay home…… I say grab your camera…..you will always find something to photograph…..as did this photographer………