December 2021
**Message to my Friends.**
I was never a very good student. In fact my first day of school ever I was boinking the kid in front of me on the head with my pencil, and I got spanked. I was the sacrificial lamb for the teacher to show she was not going to put up with any shenanigans from us little twits. Of course, now I would have been diagnosed with A-D-D and Ritalined down to an apparition of myself. And yet, I rarely missed a day of school, and never thought of cutting class until my junior year. I did enjoy the comradery of my peers. I just don’t think that was the setting for a guy like me to learn much. When I was in high school, Tom Witts seemed so smart, and I wondered how he could know so much about so many things at our age. I am fascinated by and attracted to academics and people who are masters of their passion. Years ago I was hiking with Clif, and he picked up a piece of dried poop, and told me what kind of bird it came from as well as its gender. My doctor friend, Bill has one of the most brilliant minds I know. He can explain things thoroughly and in a way to make a guy like me comprehend it, then on a molecular level and watch my eyes get little X's in them. Plus, he has the memory of multi terabyte hard drive. Alan and Dan, my two bike riding buddies and closest male friends, who live in the area, have taught me more than I ever could have learned in school. Marci, my sweet wife, is an architect. She can’t walk in to a space without redesigning it in her head. Oh, I mentioned this to her, and she said it wasn’t true, Frank Gehry’s Disney Hall in L.A. is perfect. She has built a home that is as custom as a hand made glove for us and the cats. We all can’t stop purring.
In my youth I was envious of highly intelligent individuals, but I’ve learned to embrace it, and let them help and guide me in my life. In an obscure way my friends have made me a better photographer and human being because I felt like I could compete with their intelligence on an artistic level. I can’t imagine the kind of brain to come up with E = mc2, but can you believe how beautiful this print is? So thank you my friends. Thank you for making me a better person and a master of my passion.
I hope you all and everyone you love has a great Christmas and a healthy and happy new year.
December 28th is my 33rd anniversary living in Marathon.
Feel free to contact me. I appreciate the feedback.
Follow me on Instagram, bigbendpictures or jameshevans should get you there.
Happy Full Moon. Get Outside.**Maise Lee**
Maise Lee was a painter and sculptor. If you've ever been to the hot springs in Big Bend National Park and viewed the murals in Maggie Smith's place, they were painted by Maise when she lived there years ago. In Marathon she sculpted the doors for all the churches. I made this image in front of one of her doors at Russ Tidwell's house.
**Klemie and Tom**
You could always see Klemie and Tom walking up Iron Mountain Ranch Road near sunset. I think the whole town was shocked when Klemie suddenly passed away. She worked for me for a while and very conscientious. She had the sweetest demeanor. Very honest and very thoughtful. She would write me emails in response to my full moon postings, and I had to really sit with them before responding. We all really miss her.
**Manual Hernandez**
Manual has always been very quiet to me. He is the sweetest man. When his father Pedro passed away he invited me to make photographs. I was truly honored. During the construction of our house we asked him to teach us how to build a rock wall. I really wanted him to build the wall because I wanted his art in my home forever.
**Image of the Month_Marathon Motel**
The big thrill of the evening was the lighting of the first neon sign in Marathon. Monte, Klemie and Tom, and a few other townsfolk went over to watch. Evan Voyles was doing the work, but it started to rain and he had to stop. So Monte gets this idea and he lays down in front, arms stretched, and the light for the cactus lighting him. I open the shutter to start the exposure and lightning strike on the left goes off, and this freaks Monte out a little bit, and he gets up. As he does the lighting strike on the right goes off and it is much closer and works like a strobe light to create this ghostly image, looking like Monte's soul is leaving his body. I couldn't have been more fortunate. Monte and I made two amazing images. This is one of them.