Meet Brandon Dufrene, a man who was exercising when I arrived at the levee look out spot near LSU's vet school . He was at the top of the stairs, just about to make his decline, when I took this quick shot. He passed me on his way down so I showed him the image and apologized, too, for interrupting his workout. He said that was okay because he had already finished his 15 mile bike ride earlier. Keep in mind that it's nearly 90 degrees and high humidity even at 7:30 pm, and I commented that it must be tough getting a work out in those conditions. He explained that it's great for your lung capacity and cardiovascular endurance as I was standing there dripping in perspiration standing still. Maybe I'll make the effort one day to get out there with my sneakers instead of my camera and embrace what Brandon exemplifies. It's also very cool to think about the fact that as he was running and moving, so was Venus and the other planetary forces. If I was in fact a runner, I'd probably find a ritual in that thought as I went out into the heat of the sun.
After I made it to the top of the stairs and looked across the river at the setting sun, I decided to find a location closer to the river to shoot. I didn't have much time, but I went for it. Well, by the time I set up the sun started moving behind a cloud that I didn't see at first. Somehow grabbing a picture of Venus got lost in my mind unfortunately, and I took a few pictures of the sun, with Venus in transit, escaping us for another 105 years. It's a good lesson if grabbing the opportunity when it's there because that moment in time will not return and conditions DO change out of your control. I'll have to be satisfied with my photo set from the observatory and enjoy the story and experience in that. :)
Chasing Venus and the sun did lead me to finding a pathway to the river...let's see how that will open up another world.
Your photos are beautiful. Brandon is my nephew and a fine young man. I haven't seen him in a few years and this is a fantastic photo of him. I don't think the heat here is a factor for him after serving in the desert as a Marine. Thank you for sharing your work and your beautiful writing!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for visiting and sharing your thoughtful comment, Ms. Florence. It's good to know, especially from a family member, that the image is a good representation of Brandon. This brief moment with him continues to create positive thoughts about how we share of ourselves in this world. Obviously he does so with honor and strength. :)
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