In Search of Robert Service

What a weird year, weather-wise. WAAAY too many fires out West all summer - at one point, we had forty in Idaho alone, and Deb and I were breathing smoke for two weeks in the haze. But now, the snow has finally started to fall in a serious way. It is still slim here in town (Hailey, southern end of the Wood River Valley), but there is 4 feet on Baldy (Sun Valley) and over 5 feet at Galena Lodge (23 miles north - superb groomed cross-county trails and snowshoe routes - and food). For your viusal entertainment: Year 4, our annual visitor.

Deb and I got back from a glorious trip to Arkansas - good friends, people who we care about - beautiful country. Hell of a drive from here. Now, everything is burning up around us. We dodged fires across the West, and came back through an area of Colorado that was smouldering across the ridge. We got ourselves a 12 state dog now, in True North.

In Search of Robert Frank Mashall and Bonnie and I - collaborating on this new postcard website  - were "raised" on "art-education-discover-the fringes for yourself" Robert Franks's photographs in the 50s, 60s and 70s. He published a book mid 90s titled: Titled "Thank You." We'd like to loop him into this project, if he would be most gracious to share some cards on the site, as it is in the spirit of flipping a running super-8 camera up into the air from the backseat of a convertible, or taping polaroids together. Artists sending postcards to artists (much more time-consuming and fun than tweeting) prior to the age of cellphones and phone machines. Look for -  ArtGoesPostal .com (Three of my self-portraits, made into postcards.....the last: with Arnold Newman in his NYC livingroom. You'll have to go to the website to get more information about the others...) Robert, are you listening? Thanks - Mark

Marshall and I went to Alaska together in 2010. The vehicle that we traveled in (Marshall's Sprinter) was so enjoyable that I bought one in late summer 2011, and have begun to make frequent trips around the west. Right now, Marshall and Bonnie are in Marfa, Texas (on Facebook, check out "A Month in Marfa.") Next month, we're going to begin and post a website of postcards between artists, dating back to the early 1970s. I'm probably going to launch a new blog in the next couple of months.....travels around the west, and my work on the archives of photographers L.H. ("Ben") Benschneider, and Robert C. Bishop. Stay tuned.

15 miles south of Salmon Idaho.....November 12.

More from Marshall - Grabbing a shot of the Hand of God touching the landscape, Denali Ceiling of the Salty Dawg, Homer, AK Campground, uh Marshall might have to help on this ID... Uh, this one, too OK, that makes three

Well, not exactly; however, Marshall has just sent me some of his photographs (from on the road, somewhere in Colorado), and I still have a number of my own to wade through.... Bynum, MT - dinosaur country If some of them look familiar, well, duh, we were traveling together. However, they tend to provide something of "the rest of the story." Fort Nelson, B.C. Crossing into Alaska (northern access)  Masonic Lodge, Dawson City  Bradford Washburn photograph of The High One in the Eielson Visior Center, Denali Park