October Photo Wrap Up

Today is day number 364 out of 365 days! One more day and then this project is technically over. Yet, this year was a leap year, so that means….366 days! I can either end tomorrow and call it a wrap or I can celebrate the leap year and complete the whole. Guess which one I’m doing? Yep, 366 days.

Taking a year to cull through my digital photos gave me a unique opportunity to review and remind me of the photos I have. Many photos elicited a smile while others upset me. Some photos tell a universal story while others are personal. Some photos are actually pretty decent by adhering to photographic/artistic standards, while others are a mess. I chose photos based on what I want to include in a coffee table book, so there are many photos I included that have meaning to me and many photos I excluded because I didn’t want to be reminded of the event.

I started out excited and maintained that for the most part, but then August came along and I just wanted it over. Life became stressful for me in August, and I had to let go of some activities in order to alleviate the stress. I moved this project over to Flickr and modified the process in order to help me complete the goal. I’m sad that it’s almost over. Two more days.

Here’s October’s photos:

Day 334, October 01

Day 335, October 02

Day 336, October 03

Day 337, October 04

Day 338, October 05

Day 339, October 06

Day 340, October 07

Day 341, October 08

Day 342, October 09

Day 343, October 10

Day 344, October 11

Day 345, October 12

Day 346, October 13

Day 347, October 14

Day 348, October 15

Day 349, October 16

Day 350, October 17

Day 351, October 18

Day 352, October 19

Day 353, October 20

Day 354, October 21

Day 355, October 22

Day 356, October 23

Day 357, October 24

Day 358, October 25

Day 359, October 26

Day 360, October 27

Day 361, October 28

Day 362, October 29

Day 363, October 30

Day 364, October 31

Life Cycle of the Ink Cap Mushroom

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Fascinated by the inky substance produced by these mushrooms, I wandered through their moist world to capture their various stages of growth and deterioration. These are ink cap mushrooms; coprinus comatus (for the shaggy-looking ones) or coprinus atramentarius (for the smoother-looking ones).

They are edible, but be cautious because they do not interact well with alcohol. The best time to pick them is before they begin opening their gills and secreting the ink. If these interest you at all to eat, then you must do so within hours of picking because they will continue to degrade even after picked. Alcohol should not be consumed within 48-72 hours before and after eating. Doing so causes vomiting, stomach irritation, reddening of face, agitation, and palpitations (and I’m sure other symptoms). Flavor is bland, from what I’ve read. Frankly, I don’t know why I’d eat them when there are friendlier mushrooms out there. But I loved watching them curl up on themselves and turn into an ink-like substance.

The Rocky Horror Show Highlights

The Rocky Horror Show.

♫ It’s just a jump to the left, ♪ and then a step to the right. ♫ Put your hands on your hips. ♪ You bring your knees in tight. ♫ But it’s the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane. Let’s do the Time Warp again…♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♪”

I hope you’re singing! Because if you are, you’ve seen the show!!

But if you aren’t, here’s a really quick synopsis: Brad and Janet accidentally leave their innocent world and enter into the strange, alien world of transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who initiates them into a world of absolute pleasure, and where Frank introduces his Frankenstein-ish (albeit beautiful and strong) creation, Rocky. In the end, Frank-N-Furter and Rocky are killed (spoiler alert! haha, too late but it doesn’t matter, really) and Brad and Janet are released back into the real world with a deeper understanding of life while the rest of the transvestites (aliens) return home to their planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania. (A more detailed plot summary can be found on IMDB.)

It is pure camp. And psychological thriller, but that’s just my opinion, apparently, since no other review sees it like that. I can’t help but see the psychological process it portrays, which will be another post for another day.

Anyway, I just want to share some of my favorite photos I took while I worked on this production. Keep in mind that I worked stage right, so all my photos are from stage right, which limited my view. On the other hand, I was able to capture perspectives not available to the audience. I felt like a voyeur, peeking in from the right when no one is looking.

Frank-N-Furter wouldn’t care. Not at all.

Rocky steps out of his pod. We used a pod to represent the place Frank-N-Furter created Rocky. I watched the audience when Rocky was revealed and there were audible gasps that even I could hear above Rocky’s soaring voice as he steps out of the pod.

We had a sheet set up between the actors and the audience so the audience doesn’t see them. Frank, Janet, and Brad played out their indiscretions behind the sheet as silhouettes. I have stage right photos of them in-focus (something the audience can’t see), but this really captures what the scene is all about. It’s all left up to the imagination….

This is my favorite photo of the whole show. Only stage right can see it because of the lighting. At this point there are only four of us on stage right, and out of all four of us, I’m the only one aware this is even happening. Shannon, who plays Frank, readies himself to go onstage for the floor show. When Shannon saw this photo, he called it his “Judy moment.”

The song “I’m Going Home” is my absolute favorite song. For me, it explains Frank’s motives for his egotistic debauchery. I can almost feel his need to return home, and the sadness knowing that he doesn’t get to.

Here are other photos I liked:

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Note: The Rocky Horror Show was first staged on June 19, 1973 in London. Then they made it into a movie they called The Rocky Horror PICTURE Show, which became a cult classic. I’m sure you remember seeing midnight showings of the movie over the years. What I really like is how it became interactive, with devoted followers yelling out lines that can both shock and delight. It’s a cultural phenomenon that needs to be experienced to truly…um…understand it? (I about wrote “appreciate” but I’m sure there are those who will not appreciate it.)