A librarian + a road trip + a library + a camera = a jumpy, or a picture in mid-jump
I've been to hundreds of libraries in various countries. Going there is easy, thanks to my adorable and dedicated husband, who has pulled many (responsible) James Bond maneuvers whenever I squeal at the sight of a library sign on the road. It's the chronicling that's hard.
And now, here's a brief look at a solitary library-- the one in Alpine, Texas.
~~Alpine Public Library
Alpine, TX (06.06.09)
There was clearly something powerful in the desert air. These are the best jumpies I've taken in a long time. My God! I'm gorgeous!
I found the mural on the library wall very special. It's called "Libraries - Windows to the World," which was designed and painted by Carol Fairlie and the Sul Ross State University Fall 2003 student mural class. I find artistic partnerships with the library to be win-win situations. It's enough to inspire anyone.
And yet, I invite you to take a closer look at this detail from the mural:
Am I misled here by interpreting these purple squigglies, upon initial gut reaction, as flamboyant sperm? I'm not sure what is forbidden here-- making babies in the library, or procreating in general, or having the creativity to have these lines represent something entirely ethereal. After all, those squigglies are dead set on hitting that castle. Could it be that the Castle of Despair is going to get a good dose of bright colors, like the tour bus in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert?
Naturally, I kid because I love. It really does make me wonder, though, what the locals-- teens, in particular-- think of this artistic flare. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, when the library was already closed, and we had no one to really ask.
Still, Alpine was very welcoming and at least the library was very clearly marked as such. Yay clear and present libraries!
