Villareggio 2007

Sepia Airedale

Keying into this week's canine-themed Sepia Saturday, we feature my father's Airedale, Mike. Some of these photos have appeared in other posts, but since a good many of the stories we heard about the old homestead in Elm, Michigan, revolved around the exploits of Mike, it seems worthy to let him have his own entry.

Mike's baby picture, with young Nelson in a sailor suit circa 1920.

Mike looks considerably grown up, but Nelson's only aged a few years. Love the belted jacket, looks like he's off to church with sister Margaret.

One of the stories described Mike playing the part of dreaded "Moby Dick, the Sea Dog"while my dad and his sisters would clamber around in the apple tree, which was the Pequod.

Another couple of years and they added another dog. Pluto... I think Margaret's holding a little umbrella or perhaps a doll, but it looks more like a rubber chicken!

Mike is definitely a mature fellow by now. Is that a cookie on a saucer that Margaret is resting on his head?
Is it my imagination or is he wearing shoes?

Here is Mike with another addition to the family, Chingo, the black chow, and the eldest sister, Dorothy,
enjoying a little shade.

Reportedly Nelson recited poetry to Mike in quiet moments.

The whole menagerie, 15 years on...hanging out on The Marmon. 

Mirror Darkly

Spent a morning in the farming community of Monroe, Washington. While I was taking these shots of parallel worlds, a few miles away a mountainside was sloughing off and burying Oso, a village in the foothills, under twenty feet of mud.

Sepia Semper Fidelis

Today's Sepia Saturday returns to the Detroit of the 1930s, and to a special edition of my father's hand-crafted Daily Blah, which he produced for many years and posted at his school.

Most often the paper was produced in pencil on oversize newsprint, which, 80 years later, are perhaps unsurprisingly quite yellowed and brittle, crumbling around the edges. Great candidates for preserving electronically!

In 2010 I posted samples of other Daily Blah front pages, on this earlier Eff-Stop sepia post. The following full issue, from late in Nelson's 17th year, memorializes his longtime favorite Airedale, Michelangelo, and as a rare feature includes some photos taken by the editor.

Pets 1 through 4

Piper and Stella at the ramparts. This theme shot really exemplifies the Companionable Dog. Even if you're not doing anything, she'll want to be a part of it.




As opposed to our cats, the poster children for borderline personality disorder.

Free-Range

Stella at large...


Lake Cleowox, Oregon


Lake Sammammish, Washington


Ashland, Oregon