Amarillo by Night

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, 2012

                                                       Feedlot off of I-40, Amarillo, 2012

Drove around Amarillo at night and took pictures.  I drove to the feed lot got out of the car and took pictures.  It smelled very bad.  There was fog coming off of the ground from the manure.

I was very nervous because it can be illegal (industry may try to sue) to take pictures of feedlots by food libel laws. In  most cases thus far, people like Oprah Winfrey, exposed feedlots and convinced people not to eat meat.  Therefore, if people knew what they were eating they may not eat it.  Specifically for this project, it is more about the amount of water that feedlots are consuming.  Cows drink about 15-20 gallons of water per day and average feedlots have around 1,000 head of cattle.  The largest feedlots that have over 1,000 head of cattle which make up 5% produce 80% of the beef (Cattlemen's Beef Association).  The cattle are not an efficient  source of food production in this location.  However, ranching is one of the oldest professions in the region and it is a livelihood.

Days of Dust

Totally geeked out by Kens Burns film Days of Dust on PBS tonight @ 8 7central !!!

Dust Bowl

Went to the Amarillo Museum of Art today and viewed the Days of Dust photography exhibit!! amazing and just what I needed to see!

Cotton Gin -Lubbock, Texas

After visiting with my sister in Abilene, Texas I took my time traveling back through Lubbock.  I stopped at a Cotton Gin on the side of the road and went into the office to take some pictures.  There I met a lady who offered to give me a tour of the Cotton Gin.  Sure!!  She gave me free access to roam around the Cotton Gin very awesome.

Environmentalist at Excel Energy

Friday met with a geologist/environmentalist for Xcel Energy which provides energy to Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and most of Colorado.  His job is very awesome.  He uses cameras and sticks them down into the 200-400 foot wells and checks them to see why they are not pumping.  He offered to share the digital video with me which would be an awesome multimedia edition to my project.  He also explained to me the lining of the wells and how they have changed over time.

Ute Lake New Mexico

Ute Lake New Mexico, 2012 

Ute Lake drains into the Canadian river which flows into Texas into Lake Meredith.  New Mexico is said to owe Texas millions of gallons of water because the dams are not allowing the water to flow into Lake Meredith adding to the already existent problem of declining water levels and complete supplementation of Ogallala water.  

This day I was terrified of rattle snakes.  I was on the rocks where you are 100% not supposed to go by yourself.  I was by  myself and watching my every step.  So far it has been worth it.  Anyways, I enjoyed the very hot weather and the 25 mile drive in the middle of nowhere on route 392.  I wish I was an animal photographer (only on this day) because I witnessed a coyote run right out in front of my car.  It was beautiful and standing looking at my stopped car in the golden light.  Unfortunately,  I am no Gary Winogrand.  The coyote crossed my path from south to north so it represents good luck in the Navajo tradition.  Later on that night a herd of Antelope also crossed in front of me.  Again I am not Gary Winogrand, but I wish I could have been for a split second.

 Canadian River, New Mexico between Ute Lake and Lake Meredith, 2012