Q. Which boy sees more?
This was a multiple choice question on an IQ/aptitude test I took in second grade. I remember it because I knew the answer to put down was the boy who looked at many things. But I had to answer the other way because it seemed to me the boy who looked at so many things never really got to 'see' any of it. There is so much that can't be seen in a passing glance. I don't know if it was a deep philosophical moment for a seven year old or just the little engineer in me who knew the devil was in the details but I still wonder if that was actually the answer they were looking for.
One of the problems with being a male of driving age is that I'm often called upon pilot the ship on road trips. The little boy who wants to look at the details of the drive is stymied by the need to stay between the yellow lines on the road. Every so often, though, I get a chance to sit on the right side of the car and take in the scenery. Such was the case last friday when I accompanied a reporter to a farm on some lonely county roads past Zamora. I got to look around. Sometimes at many things, sometimes just one at a time. Unfortunately being a passenger also means I can't stop the car when I see something I really like. So when I saw a distant tree on gently rolling, wheat covered fields I knew I was going to have to come back as a driver who could stop and be the boy who got to see the details close up.
First stop was one I saw in a passing glance on the way over and decided to stop for. Some wildflowers in a few shades of different grasses with an old fence leading thru the photo. Not great but still worth a try
Next stop was the patch of hills I saw before
I spent an hour in basically the same spot watching the wind roll waves thru the fields of wheat and clouds thru the sky
The wheat on the other side of the street was already golden. A few misty clouds moving over the vaca mountains and some power lines that conveniently look like scratches on a negative helped give this photo an antique look.
There was another spot along I-5 that I've wanted to stop at for years but always seemed to be short on time when passing thru. Several mighty valley oaks standing in the middle of working ag fields. Last year one was surrounded by sunflowers but I forgot to return when the flowers were in bloom. Right now the tree was just in corn but it was the first time that I had the time to stop. Five miles along a frontage road, thru a drainage ditch with 5 foot tall thistle, over the railroad tracks, and trespassing onto some farmer's property all to see a descendant from last year's sunflower patch telling me the details were worth stopping for a closer look.
My push thru the weeds in the ditch was entertainment for a few of the local blackbirds. A good viewing point for them to watch me was also a good view for me and the camera.
