MoseleyWorld

Earlier this month, we took a quick trip to the Redneck Riviera. After flying into Okaloosa Regional Airport (that’s Fort Walton Beach, Florida), we then headed toward the white sand shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Well, at least that’s what we thought. After taking several scenic routes, we thought we were on track and pulled up to what we thought was the toll bridge over the bay.

As I grumbled, wondering aloud why in the world only one lane was open, I discovered the “toll booth” was not actually a toll booth, but an entry gate to Eglin Air Force Base, one of the world’s largest. The heavily armed airmen were kind enough to give us quick directions and tell us where to turn around so we wouldn’t have RPG’s fired at our rental car.

As we started crossing the long bay bridge, the smell of saltwater was in the air and we saw dolphins swimming in the bay. Ah, we might actually get to Water Color, Florida, where Carey’s brother and his family were awaiting us. Here are a few photos - we’ll post part two later.

our labor day home away from home

early morning at the beach.

saxon thought the sand wasn’t so bad!

dipping her toes in the gulf of mexico.

saxon and her mom

saxon playing with her cousin mac.

mac wasn’t so sure he liked the gulf. maybe he saw a jellyfish.

alex and avery hanging out on the front porch

enjoying the great pool near the house.

saxon’s stage smile - shown when really excited.

fassnacht family foto

saxon at seaside, fl (where the truman show was filmed)

yummy snow cones served from an airstream trailer at seaside

fascinated with new things, saxon loved the water faucet.

snoozing on the eastbound plane to dfw

As a child, I was always fascinated seeing my dad’s first cousin, Frank Gohlke , take the big family portrait at the bi-annual Ross family reunions. Although I secretly yearned for a chance to look under the dark cloth of Frank’s old-fashioned looking view camera , I never could muster enough courage to ask for a peek.

Now, Fort Worth’s Amon Carter Museum is giving all of us a great opportunity to peek at Frank Gohlke’s photographs. Accomodating Nature: The Photographs of Frank Gohlke is a mid-career retrospective of Frank’s photographs that, according to the Carter Museum, "depict how Americans build their lives within a natural world that rarely matches the pastoral ideal."

The show runs from September 15, 2007 to January 8, 2008. On September 15, the museum is hosting a "dialogue" with Frank titled How I Found My Way by Getting Lost: A Photographer’s Odyssey . Frank is an eloquent speaker who always (IMHO) has something interesting to say. Here’s Frank talking about one of my favorite photographs of his:

In addition, my friends at the Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery in Dallas will be exhibiting 40 of Frank’s photographs as well. Stop by the PDNB Gallery on September 15 for their Artist Reception from 6-8 pm. http://www.pdnbgallery.com/

Accommodating Nature: The Photographs of Frank Gohlke (Center for American Places - Center Books on American Places) - this is the soon-to-be-released book published in conjunction with the show at the Amon Carter Museum.