Follow up on the Brass Ring

[pecunium]

My proposal, (Great Britain on foot, Bridle Path and Barge) is doing well, esp. for just one day's worth of listing.

If I understand what they want, it needs more. I feel guilty (well no, I feel like a beggar, which is different). They want someone who will be read, who can provide something which will have a following. So I'm actually asking for a little more than just a vote.

So if you could follow this link:



and, vote (if you've not already), and leave a comment. Give a suggestion, tell me what you'd like to read about, see pictures of.

When they say, "name your dream", this is one of mine. Toad and his gyspy wagon. The time on the canal.... following the mule. That was what I flashed on. The Wind in the Willows was one of the shaping books of my youth. When I was a kid in Ohio we had a wood behind the house, about four acres. That's a fair chunk of tangled deadfall and mysterious nooks and crannies. It was where I set Badger's House in my mind's eye (there was a patch of fallen branches which was covered in leaves and twigs and snow in the winter. Beneath it was a small bit of dark dryness. The wood-rats Ratty scared off with his brace of pistols and cudgel could have lived in it).

Those are some of the things I would love to catch.

And the morning light, Otter's, "Piper at the Gates of Dawn", which I've always tied into Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" (why yes, my mind is a strange clutter of bizarre free association).

I've got the chops to do the trip. Now I need evidence to show there are people who want to share it with me.

Thanks.

Comments

[pnkrokhockeymom.livejournal.com]

Done.

[stillnotbored.livejournal.com]

Done. :) This sounds wonderful.

[elisem.livejournal.com]

Done. And actually, I might replace your first paragraph with this:


When they say, "name your dream", this is one of mine. Toad and his gyspy wagon. The time on the canal.... following the mule. That was what I flashed on. The Wind in the Willow was one of the shaping books of my youth. When I was a kid in Ohio we had a wood behind the house, about four acres. That's a fair chunk of tangled deadfall and mysterious nooks and crannies. It was where I set Badger's House in my minds eye: there was a patch of fallen branches which was covered in leaves and twigs and snow in the winter. Beneath it was a small bit of dark dryness. The wood-rats Ratty scared off with his brace of pistols and cudgel could have lived in it.

Those are some of the things I would love to catch.

I think it grabs harder. However, I might easily be wrong. Do what seems good to you... but I wanted to say how much I liked this bit.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Three things: I didn't think of it until this morning.

Edits aren't allowed. I'd have to delete it, and upload it again.

I only get 300 characters for the 1st graf.

I don't know if adding comments of my own is kosher. Mostly I have to hope the judges see that comment (and I'll probably repost it, as I continue to encourage people to go and vote, or tell their friends, etc.

Thank you for telling me what you thought of it.

[elisem.livejournal.com]

Ah! Yeah, that's different then.

I still love what you wrote. And I voted for you. Go, go!

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Pic'd, with comment.

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

Done.

Now that you mention it, the association of "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (my favorite chapter for WitW) and "Stairway to Heaven" makes sense to me. I have very strong resonances with that song.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

I've added a comment, since I'd already voted. Good luck. A friend and I used to spend many hours planning the walking tour of Europe to see the castles that we were going to take. Our tour never happened, but it would be so much fun to follow along vicariously as you take yours.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

Er, just to be clear, I voted for you!

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I figured that.

I don't know how many times one may vote. I voted for myself, and still seem able to vote.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

Instead of the "Pic" button, I see the word "Pic'd," so it doesn't seem that I can vote again.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Sorry, not for me. I don't know if you can vote for other projects.

If one can, then I might try to think of another one. If one can't, then that seems counterproductive.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

I was just looking over the competition. At first, I was just paging through. There was even someone who was asking for money for an idea I've had for a while, and never even connected with the contest. The numbers on the voting were small. But, then, I noticed the column to the right, where they give the numbers for the top-ranked ideas. That's a pretty steep slog, methinks. But, then, I don't know how long any of these people have been in the contest.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Voting opened Monday.

The real hurdle is visibility/critical mass. I've made the top fiftyish. But I have friends, and a decent idea of how to get this started.

I'm failing at figuring out Digg, but between Lj, (and what I hope will be a web of friends promoting it) and some other places (Making Light, a listserve I used to frequent, some other blogs of friendly nature). I think I can get up to the top 10, for at least a little while.

Then one just has to keep it up. Finding new people, getting them to sign off on it, that's the key.

Then come the questions of: is the idea practicable? Can you take a decent photo? Can you write? If you can get a few thousand people to vote for you, then maybe you can get that many to follow the trip.

That, at least, is my plan.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

Well, I hope I just helped on the visibility issue; I've just posted about this in my journal. Not that I have as many people visiting my journal as you do yours, but I figure every little bit helps. I'll head over to Twitter and twit my post and your dream there, too.

[lexica510.livejournal.com]

Done.

[soul-diaspora.livejournal.com]

Voted and commented.

I've just finished going through the first ten pages or so of your online album. Based on that (and on the pictures you showed me a few weeks ago), I have the following three reactions:

1. Wow.
   
2. Damn.
   
3. I'm a little embarrassed that commodorified introduced me to you as "the woman who takes beautiful bird photos" :-)
   

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

No need to feel embarassed.

She informs me that you do take beautiful bird pictures. I'd love to see them.

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

Yes, but I only say these things because you take (http://soul-diaspora.livejournal.com/46638.html) beautiful (http://soul-diaspora.livejournal.com/46591.html) bird (http://soul-diaspora.livejournal.com/46272.html) pictures (http://soul-diaspora.livejournal.com/41789.html).

[soul-diaspora.livejournal.com]

Thank you :-)

I didn't mean to put myself down so much as to say that the composition in some of pecunium's pictures took my breath away. They reminded me of where I'm trying to go. See...every now and then as I'm walking along photographing pretty birds, I find some odd unexpected bit of beauty--a heap of snow, sunlight on a puddle, whatever--and try to capture it. I always fail. I don't know why. When I get home and look at the picture, it sucks, and my brain says, "duh, of course it sucks, it was just a puddle/heap of snow!"
But I know my brain is wrong.

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

You should see some of the stuff he doesn't consider fit to post. :-)

Seriously, it'll come, if you keep doing it.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

It's practice. The camera is a harsh mistress. With paint, all things are possible. With "film" there are compromises. Depth of Field, angle of view, color, angle of lens (it affects perspective).

Whats inside the square of the veiwfinder is not what comes out on the paper. As with music, the ability to take the scribbles on the page, and translate them to something else takes skill (which you have, trust me), practice, and some empathy for the medium.

You have the talent, the rest will come.

[soul-diaspora.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I really appreciate the encouragement.

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

Oh, dude! Can I come with? In spirit, at least?

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Girl... if you can scrape together the money for the ticket, we can put you in the wagon train. Can you carry a tripod? :)

Seriously, you can. Even if it weren't part of the deal, I'd be blogging this. How could I not? It's so much more appealing than Iraq, and I blogged that.

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

Give me a couple of months and I might supply the vardo myself. Going along the little lanes and byways? Seriously? I'd love to. Don't know if it's even a possibility at this point, but....I have a Yashica dual lens and a Canon with a 28/300 lens. And a whole bunch of other cameras.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

If this works, I'll be there from what... June to Feb, maybe longer.

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

God, sounds like heaven. I've never been to England. Little towns? Hey, could we do it on horseback?

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Bridle path... yes. Marna will have to learn to ride.

Budget might get funny, but hey... it is what it is. We ask for money, we sell pictures, we'll play penny-whistle in the streets.

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

I have a pennywhistle. And several harmonicas. You might have to carry your own tripod, though: I've got one of my own.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

We can share. Marna can carry it, while we hump the cameras.

:)

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

That's it. I'm taking up the damned bodhran. OR PIPES.

Fine. I'll carry the damned tripods. We live to serve...

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

Oh, boy, you are in so much trouble now.

Also? ambitious_wench might want to wrestle you for it.

I love dreaming about this. Given my limitations, it probably wouldn't happen, but I can dream, right? In which case I have a weightless vardo which has a little stove, and a Vanner horse. And there's wifi. Don't ask about the details.

Pipes? A beginning piper? People will pay us to go away. YOu better have a fast shutter.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

For the tripod? :)

Vardo? The logisitical problem (as I've learned from doing photo-safaris) is the gear. Stripped down the camera and computer still add up to about 25 lbs.

Which leaves not much for tentage, clothes, sleeping bag and gear.

That's why I need a "sherpa". That, or a mule; which has it's own hassles. I know how to pack (hrmnf... maybe I need to link to the Utah posts).

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

Link to the Utah posts.

Or what about a teensy Teardrop trailer? Wait, it's a teensy, magical Vardo. My computer weighs less than two pounds. What you need is a Vanner horse. They're gorgeous and they're tough.

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

A beginning piper? People will pay us to go away.

Hey, if I start now I have a year, or most of one.

And I was thinking Northumbrian Smallpipes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFYyVj6he_g&feature=related), anyway.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

If this works, I think you have about three months.

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

Actualy, I just failed to parse that this could be as early as June 09...

[lothie.livejournal.com]

Found you via a friend. You mention the Piper and you have my vote!