From todays log....

12h51 tuesday 7th August 2007

St Marks coffee shop 17th ave Denver Colorado

Well what can I say - the blog is up and running and somewhat disjointed by many probable opinions but I like and will transfer from here to there, in the event that their systems crash as one of the blog services recently did. There is a couple from Belfast in Ireland here that have had their entire blog wiped out by their host server due to their system failure and they have lost all their collective entries since they started traveling. It would possibly not be so bad except they had been posting and storing their photographs on their blog instead of on a disk or memory stick and now they have very little of their trip. It really is a pity as that means so much to them. And that is how we learn, keep it safe and secure and post from the current entry instead of your back ups.

So another day has dawned and I have just finished my washing for the day. So fresh clothing for the next week or so. That I admit is the nice thing about staying in a hostel instead of bumming it, you get to shower sleep and wash clothes. Gabriel the manager on duty at the hostel and I sat for a bit this morning as he wanted to see my website http://www.squireslens.com/ and was impressed with the content. It is way out of date but gives the viewer a sense of what my work is all about. I will definately upgrade it when I get home and possibly create a whole new site on http://www.duncanbtaylor.com/ for the artwork side of my portfolio. We will need to see and budget accordingly. The big question is of course what am I going to do when i get home. If i had my way it would entail a very agressive marketing campaign and get in touch with and market to the states in a big way. Competitions is the other route I can take and will run a registery of some kind.

I will not be going to Boulder Colorado as I do not have the finances for the trip there and an overnight or two stay and then a return ticket. I am here till the 9th August and then I am on Amtrak again the ninth August to the west coast somewhere. I need to check where they land on the west coast and possibly just train right through to a major city or town. The only thing with big cities is the cost factor and transport is a bitch. So i will get the amtrak schedule out and see where they go. It would be great to have unlimited funds as I would spend a month in each destination. That way you get to build friendships and bonds with the locals as well as to get to all the galleries and studio's etc. But alas what I have is perfect for me right now.

What would my ideal set up be, well lets see. Firstly I need accommodation a minimum of one hour from civilization. No neighbours and preferably a mountain or valley view. Fireplace for winter and cooking and unfortunately due to the nature of my work I need power supply. That can be in the form of a generator, just big enough to power my lap top and charge the camera batteries etc etc. Communication with the outside world can be in the form of a cell phone or land line link to post entries on the web site and maintain my marketing plans and activity. Other than that food and water is about it. I would spend a month at a time there working and would go to the closest village, town or city to buy supplies and get a shot of exhaust fumes to stimulate my reasons for staying in the mountains. There is so much that I could achieve in that peace and quite and it would take only two or three sales a month to survive. What would i do with my time? Well my pictures, my art and then i would most definately start writing again. Childrens or even adventure novels. But my initial main focus and drive drive would be coffee table type books with the body of them being pictures and brief narrations and explanations. If anyone reading this wants to hire a proffesional to occupy their mountain cabin and grow their beard long in exchange for maintenance and or handy man duties around a farm or estate, please feel to contact me at www.squiretaylor@hotmail.com I am a qualified electrician, I have built houses and spent seven years in construction, maintenance and mining in South Africa. I am not shy to do manual labour but have a slight twitch in my back that may prohibit the lifting of tractors or similar large farming equipment. Ok now that my personal punting for a living space is done, I will continue to elaborate on my chosen career of photography.

I have three or four themes that I wish to pursue and they include, teaching and personal motivation. This I have done for many years being the National sales and operations manager for one of the largest labour brokering firms in South Africa. I have designed, supervised the building of and established both restaurants and clubs in Cape Town. So management and teaching or leading in may respects comes naturally to me. The other thing I wish to persue is developing my artistic abilities. They have progressed to some satidfaction but I do require more time to experiment and develope my techniques. Photography will always remain one of my passions and will constantly be on the top of my agenda. So reporting or documentary type work is also a definate avenue I will pursue. Then last but not least i have designed many weird and wonderful machines and gadgets that I need to build proto types of. These will find a market in many circles and when I have the funds and the time I will develop these into functional samples for marketing. So all being done and said I must admit i do not look forward to the mundane job hunt and execution as that will inhibit my passion for everything else. It is because of that that I have chosen to pull out of South AFrica and my scenarios there. I chose this life change because all those years chacing that 'dream' society has created, for example the house and its location, the vehicle you drive, the job you have etc all blends into a sixteen hour day and no time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Fo the benefit of the blog I will repeat the story I read on a restaurant wall in Chicago recently about the American business man on holiday in Mexico.

The story goes...
An american businessman was traveling through Mexico and came to this sleepy fishing village around mid day and saw at the docks a fisherman pulling up with several large fish in his boat. The American called out to him asking him he if he had been fishing alone. To which the simple fisherman responded that it was only himself and the catch he bought in. How long were you out the american asked, Ooh about two hours was the reply. Good catch for two hours commented the american and the fisherman said that it was average. The american asked him what he did with the rest of his day and the fisherman said that he played with his children some, after getting up out of bed at 09h00 and a leisurely breakfast with his family. And then he came fishing for an hour or two depending on the days catch. And returned home for lunch and a siesta for two hours with his wife in their hammock out on the veranda to escape the worst of the days heat. Afternoons were left for the odd chores he may have around the house and in the evenings he strolled down to the market place to have a few beers with his friends and play a game of cards.

The american was surprised by all of this and said to the fisherman that he could be a very wealthy man if he could fish so well in two hours he would be able to substancially increase his catch if he stayed out longer. If he caught more he would be able to sell more at the market. To which the fisherman nodded, and the american continued that if he, with the increased profits got another boat he could double his income and manage the crews and boats instead of fishing himself and based on that success he could get a fleet of boats to manage as the time passed. How long would all of this take asked the fisherman? Well if you do well and eventually looked at a canning factory for your fish process then roughly fifteen to twenty years and he would be a extremely wealthy man. What would I then do with all my money he asked? Well then you would retire of course. Fair enough said the fisherman but then what would I do? Well you would proberbly buy a small cottage at the coast somewhere and sleep till late and of course spend quality time with your family and take afternoon siesta's or possibly go fishing when ever you wanted, play cards with your friends....

The fisherman waved over his shoulder as he smiled to himself and strolled away .....

Does that not encapsulate the false images we live under and live by. Sure it is not all roses and sweet water but life is only hard because we make it so.