It is amazing how life gets away from you.  Last post was January 2011.  I keep telling myself to update and well yeah… not happening. 

This last year has been a year of change and discovery.  Not all good, but not all bad.  Lots of medical issues and answers we do not like but it has opened our eyes and changed our outlook. 

 So this is the end of an era.  For 10 years we at Desert Photos have been event photographers for our little corner of the world.  We photographed local public events and would run when others called.  We spend hours and hours shooting only to come home and spend days sorting and touching up and creating DVDs.  Sounds exhusting huh, well truth be told it was but we loved it.  We thrived and we laughed.  We made some great friends. 

We are passionate about photography any kind really but at some point you have to choose.  Our main passion has always been landscape and non people stuff, cause lets be honest a tree is not going to argue with you about its hair being out of place or want you to do it over cause its leaves are crooked.  So we have made our choice and life will go on, hopefully with a little less stress.  We will still go to events but we will get back to doing things our way, when and where we want, when and where we can.  More weeks willl be spent together in the woods. or by the river, or in the car.  There will be no deadlines and no one to make happy save for ourselves.  If you know anything about us then you know the woods, the river and the car make us happy. 

So with that being said we like you to let us reopen your eyes to the desert around you and continue with us on our new journey.

There are days when you sit around and nothing exciting, special, or even out of the ordinary happens.  Then there are days when out of the blue all those things happen at once.  I had a day like that in December 2010.

Little back ground—Don and I give our business cards out to EVERYONE, so that they can go to the Desert Photos site, or so they can call us, or so they can give the information to others.  The second side of this is that you can also get our email and my phone number off the site, in various places.  The email is easy it is under the contact us link.  The phone number not so much.  It is actual part of the ID tag on our photos.  You can get it unless you know how to view the ID tag. 

ANYWAY enough back ground.  I was sitting around doing a lot of nothing and my phone rang.  Being that it was the holiday season and I was feeling especially nice, I answered it, something I seldom do if I do not recognize the number.  I figure they will leave a message if it is important right.  I know I know why do I pay for a cell phone.

Anywho, so I answer the phone with my customary “This is Ruthie” and the following conversation took place;

“Is this Ruthie Porter?”

“Yes it is”

“My name is Betty Xxxxxxxxx” (that is not really her last name or it spelling just for the record)

“Hi Betty, how are you today?”

(All the while I am thinking OH LORD what is she selling)

“I am fine.  As I said my name is Betty and I am a college professor in Baltimore Maryland”

“Oh that is neat.  I have family in that general area.”

“Really what is the name?”

“Grogg”

“Oh I know some Groggs.  That is so interesting.”

Slight pause

“Betty can I ask why you called me?”

“Yes Yes so very sorry.  The reason that I am calling is because I was perusing the web the other day.  As I am on Christmas Holiday, I was looking for Christmas lights.  I was in images and came across this photo of lights reflecting off water.  I thought it was very pretty and was thinking ‘it must be in the eastern states or mid west’.  Well imagine my surprise when I clicked the website and found out it was in the Desert!”

Yes Ma’am we have water in the desert and pretty lights too.  The photo that you were looking at is part of an annual event here called Christmas on the Pecos.”

“Well it was absolutely beautiful.  Is this a big event or a small home town event?”

So I proceeded to tell her about our Christmas on the Pecos and when it took place and how long it has been running.

She in return asked a lot of questions including the best way to get here and where to stay.  What else could she see while she was here; she asked my advice on what I would do if it were me flying in from the other side of the country.  I told her that she could fly into Roswell and drive here down through Artesia and see the all three towns and still get to the light show. 

For 45 minutes I was on the phone with this total stranger, talking like we were old friends.  Finally she says to me,

“Well that sounds like an absolutely amazing Christmas Holiday!  I think I need to start looking at flights”

We talked for a few more minutes and said goodbye. 

The purpose of me telling this is not to ring Desert Photos bell, there has been too much of that already, but to share and express how interesting it is that you can reach other people across the country by doing one little thing. 

I hope that Miss Betty the Professor did make the trip and I hope that she had a great time.  I hope that she takes home with her memories of the lights on the water in Carlsbad NM and I hope that she has an amazing wonderful holiday.

Lets talk Sports.  I would think that everyone knows what a Powder Puff game is.

It is the one game a year where the girls play tag football and the guys are the cheerleaders.  Usually it is the cheerleaders and the football team but not always.

 Anyway,  so there was a time in the span of Desert Photos that we decided to try the sports thing.  So we went to the Powder Puff game at the local High school.  The players (girls) were waiting to come on the field and trying to convince the cheerleaders (boys) to take the field and entertain the crowd.  Much to the dismay of the cheerleaders there was quite a crowd gathered.

 Finally One brave cheerleader takes the field and the crowd goes wild.  Then it was ok as far as the rest of the “squad” was concerned.  They all bounced out and cheered to the crowd.  Now although we were impressed with all of the boys for the show they put on,  there was one that stood out.  Why and how you ask? 

Well he went all out.  He wore the cheerleading outfit complete and makeup, earrings, jewelry, the whole works.  He was bouncing and flipping and cheering.  Every touchdown brought a jump with pompoms and a rousting “GO BIG BLUE”  The other guys at first almost avoided him.  Then getting into the spirit of it joined in on his antics. 

 Well Desert Photos was there to shoot the girls playing but I have to be honest…we had so much fun watching the “cheerleaders” that I missed ¾ of the game.  We have never had as much fun as we did watching those Jocks get in to the cheering role.  Mostly thanks to the One brave soul who went all out in his new role.

 We posted the photos with the approval of the boys of course.  Week went by and we received an email from a gentleman.  This guy was in the Virgin Islands working and had missed the game.  He wrote us to let us know that he saw the photos and enjoyed them so much.  He said that he felt like he was there and that our photos showed him something he already knew.  That he had a great son.  He said those photos made him swell with even more pride.  He said that he regretted not being there but that our photos make him feel like he was sitting in the bleachers

 Who you may ask was his son, the one brave soul that ventured out on that vast football field.   A father and son moment that they can share for a long time and proof to a son that dads love you, even when you would rather not be seen in public.

This is one that touched me and thanks to a few friends EVE, DON, and FRANK, ended up touching many more.  Little back ground.  The National Guard 920 Engineers were in afghanistan for a year.  This is a story that happened at the homecoming that Carlsbad had for them as they came home for the first time.  It  was an awesome day by itself but the following story made it completely and totally AMAZING.   Thanks for reading.

A Welcome Home 920th Story

I wanted to tell you all this story of something that happened to me at the Welcome Home Tuesday.  I waited until now because I was not sure I could tell it without tearing up.  I am still not sure if I can do this but this is a story that makes Tuesday just that much better.  Here goes.

I was taking photos at the mall and one of the bikers walked up to me and was talking to me.  It was not someone I had ever seen before and so I was polite and just chatted.  He informed me that he had been living here for a short time,  1 ½ years.  Told me he had always been a biker and had just recently gotten involved with a local group.  He stopped and looked around and softly said “This is a great thing for the community to do”.  I agreed and he walked off.  He was on my mind because there was just something.  You know,  you can tell.

Anyway, things moved on and the day moved on.  Now we are downtown and I see him ride past and he waves.  I smile and wave back.  The Ceremony starts and photos got taken, Video got taken.  Do not really see him again but I am a little busy.  As I start to get ready to leave I check on Don and head back over to say Goodbye to some friends.

As I am looking for a friend I see my new buddy standing off by himself.  I’m friendly so I want to say bye and give him a card so he can see the photos.

I walk over and he looks up and I see tears in his eyes.  Being concerned I ask him if he is ok and this is what he says to me.

“ There was a time in life that this type of event would not happen.  I have lived in a lot of places over the last 30 odd years and this is the first time I have seen this outpouring of love.  You and all those who did this, did a wonderful thing.”

I said “We didn’t do anything more than should have been done for every military person who has come home”

He looked at me and said “When I came home I got spit on, yelled at, and had food thrown at me.  On that day the soldier in me got back on that plane.  That part of me could not live in a place that responded as the people here did.  You have no idea what this means to a guy like me.  Because of what you did the 22 year old soldier, that young kid who wanted nothing more than to come home, that kid from 30 odd years ago finally got to come home. He finally step off that plane to a community that loves him.  Thank you for helping to get that guy, this guy, home. For the first time since the war, I don’t have to look over my shoulder.  I can breathe… I am home.”  By this time tears were rolling down his face as well as mine.

I did the only thing I could do.  I wrapped my arms around him and said “Welcome home soldier and thank you for all that you did and for all that you do.”

Now I know this was long and drawn out but this is one of those stories I had to share with you. There are a lot of soldiers that came home for the first time yesterday and all of you were part of that.  So from me Thank you.  Thank you for your love and hard work and for bringing so many home.

Ruthie Porter is a long time friend of Carlsbad Radio and Don and Ruthie’s photos can be seen at http://desertphotos.net/home/.

As life moves on we change.  It is completely inevitable, we change and so thought and directions change as well.  So Snitze and Fizzle will also change.  I have been asked a number of times why we do not write down the stores that go along with so many of the photo shoots that we go to.  Well this is part of the new plan for Snitze and Fizzle.  Please stay tuned for the stories, and grab a tissus.

It is that time of year again.  When the decorations come down and we all look forward to the new beginning that the New Year brings.  For some it is the that a new year wipes the slate clean.  For others it is a New start to make up for past mistakes and still for others it is just another day on the calender. 

For me, I am hoping, ( cross your fingers and toes) it is a time for change.  Not to change those things around me but about me. Things I do not like.  Things i need to do to make a healthier, mentally and physically, happier me.  Someone I would want to be friends with.  Because right now the me that I know is not that person. 

So here is is better and brighter days filled with sunshine (inside and out), happiness and laughter.  Lets hope for a brighter future not only for ourselves but for this place we call home.