F. P. Dorchak

Speculative Fiction Author

Road Trips

The WYO Road Trip

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Road Trippin' Through The WYO. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Road Trippin’ Through The WYO. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

This past week, my wife and I took a road trip up to God’s Country. Well, at least that’s what Wyoming and my wife think (and I may have slightly overstated my wife’s position, however…). As much as I love trees, Wyoming really doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Wide open spaces. Wind. Pronghorn. Wind. Cool rocks. Wind. Eagles. Wind. Snow fences. Wind. Wind River Canyon. Wind. Wind River Mountains. Wind….

As we drove up, along I-25 we counted 11 overturned campers and 18-wheelers—yes, 18-wheelers. A gnarly windstorm the previous day had actually closed down sections of roadways, and we were getting tossed about pretty good in spots (sections of Wyoming roads were still closed to light, high-profile vehicles). But on the way up and back, I took pictures. I love taking pictures! Some of those images are in this blog.

NOTE: Not all of these images are great quality (i.e., sharp), because we were moving, but I did stop and get out for a few of them. I’m still learning the ins and outs of the camera. Most of the images in this post have also been compressed, so click on them for better views.

Wyoming Golden Eagle. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Wyoming Golden Eagle. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)

The first time I whipped out the camera was well into Wyoming, somewhere between Casper and Shoshoni. We’d come upon a large bird feeding on a carcass along the road. You’ll also find lots of carcasses along near every road you travel up there. And wind. anyway, we slowed down, turned around, and I got out my camera and tried to get a shot or two before the winged beast took off. Didn’t get very many good shots because the bird was spooked by our presence and had flown way out and I had to crank my 300mm telephoto and didn’t use a tripod. I initially thought it was a hawk…then had the funny thought that its shape also strangely reminded me of a pheasant—though I knew it wasn’t, it’s just what its profile body reminded me of at one point—but as we later looked at the photos on my laptop, my Wyoming cousin-in-law, Phil, blurted out that it was an eagle. It must have been a young one, because of its size. We’ve seen plenty of eagles before, so it was surprising it didn’t register on us that was what it was at the time! Anywho, back at our eagle/carcass visitation, we waited for a few minutes for the eagle to return but it didn’t. It just sat on its fence post and watched us. We continued on.

As we drove toward Riverton, we drove past some really cool rock formations. I love WYO (this is how the WYO’s abbrev their state name on signs) rock. They’re not Adirondack rock (or maybe they are, I just haven’t researched them—they’re in Wyoming v. my beloved upstate NY), but I still like em. They’re wicked looking.

Wyoming Rock. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Wyoming Rock. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Wyoming Rock. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Wyoming Rock. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
If Wyoming Were Antarctica. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
If Wyoming Were Antarctica. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)

There’re also lots and lots and lots of wide open spaces (and wind), and The WYO had just come out of a gnarly spell of snow, like a couple foot of it (have to sound “local”), so there were lots of “white caps.” That’s what all the remnants of snow reminded me of, all around the terrain. And as I watched the desolate landscape roll past, I noticed in the growing twilight how a light blue cast was falling upon the “white-capped” terrain. It looked très cool. Reminded me of the Antarctic (had I been there). So, I snapped off some shots as we sped by at some 80 mph—that’s The WYO’s speed limit (not stopping, just taking some “hip shots” out the windows, which is what a lot of what these images are). When I noticed this blue cast, I began messing with the camera settings until I got the blue I was shooting for (pardon the pun). Doesn’t the blue image remind you of the Antarctic (had you been there)? Took some more rock shots and sunset images…loving how the fading, golden light hit the rock faces. As we entered Riverton, Wyoming I took a couple of sky shots of aircraft.

The Approaching WYO Sunset. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Riverton Skies. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Riverton Skies. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Wyoming Americana. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Wyoming Americana. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

After we left Riverton Saturday morning, we drove out by way of Highway 135, towards Sweetwater Station. As you leave Riverton this way, you crest a high mesa with a breathtaking view of the Wind River Mountain Range that is part of the Rocky Mountains. It was somewhere south and past the Gas Hills Road (Route 136) where I spotted a weathered and abandoned (?) trailer. So, I hopped out and took a couple of shots. When I got back in the vehicle, my wife spotted…

The carcass.

Wow, all bones, no meat, a little connective tissue. I’m no expert, but it was probably a pronghorn, since they are so prevalent here. They are everywhere. Along with the wind. By comparison, we only saw two deer, up and back. So, of course, I had to take some shots of that. Don’t mess with Texas? Don’t mess with Wyoming.

Don’t Mess With Wyoming. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Don’t Mess With Wyoming. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Don’t Mess With Wyoming. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

After we peaked the mesa (the name of which I either do not know or have forgotten…the Wind River Basin and its overlook?) I snapped some cool views of the Wind River Mountain Range and surrounding rocks. I wished I could adequately convey the depth-of-field of some of these images that looked cooler to the naked eye. If you look closely you’ll see there’s a ledge. And that it was really, really high. With lots of wind.

Wind River Basin Overlook? (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Wind River Basin Overlook? (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Wind River Basin Overlook? (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)
Wind River Basin Overlook? (© F. P. Dorchak, March 7, 2017)

We continued on. Stopped at Sweetwater Station, which is at the intersection of 135 and 287/789. Hung a left. Just over the rise there, is this long-assed snow fence. Had to get an image or two of that. There are a lot of snow fences in The WYO.

Sweetwater Station, Wyoming (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Sweetwater Station, Wyoming (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Snow Fence, Outside Sweetwater Station, Wyoming (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Snow Fence, Outside Sweetwater Station, Wyoming (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

Long story short, there were lots more open spaces, wind, and pronghorn…but another really cool photo op presented itself, and I blurted to my wife to Stop-stop-stop! (she was driving so I could shoot photos) as I sighted something really neat: a pronghorn sitting pretty-as-you-please atop a hill! At first as we came up on this hill, I was wondering if what I was seeing was one of those many sheet metal hilltop silhouettes—elk, jackalope, cowboy-on-bucking-bronco—but, nope, it was the real deal! We hooked a u-y and came back around. I managed to get a couple of shots as it remained “reclined,” but it spotted us and got up, showing me its white ass. For quite a while, actually. Its white ass. It just stood there…its white butt pointed toward me. I’m thinking this must be a pronghorn thing…showing your displeasure at being disturbed by showing the object-of-your-displeasure your white ass. After a while, it sauntered off.

King of the Hill. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
King of the Hill. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

The miles and the scenery rolled by…and as I looked out the side, my wife remarked about the beautiful clouds before us—and they were gorgeous! I switched to my 18-55mm lens and caught the images embedded. It looked so incredible! The pictures kinda capture it, but no picture can adequately capture what the naked eyes see….

Gorgeous! (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Gorgeous! (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

And this brings up a cool point: since I’d gotten back into taking “serious” pictures with my Nikon, my wife has also become more aware (or perhaps vocal is the better term) of photo ops. We were taking about this as we were driving. How photography has you look at life differently. I know I’ve always loved to just watch the scenery go by on road trips, but now, also getting back into photography with a really nice camera has changed how I look at the world. Besides all the “standard beauty” to be viewed, I’m now looking at picture composition and capture, and it was cool my wife was doing the same thing!

After the cloud shots, I then just started messing around…and took some monochrome (B&W) shots. It’s amazing how monochrome changes the whole “tone” (ummm, pardon the pun…) of an image!

Gorgeous! (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Wyoming Noir. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Wyoming Windmills Sans Quixote. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Wyoming Windmills Sans Quixote. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

We then came upon a bunch of windmills. Yeah. The WYO. Wind. We eventually crossed the WYO/COLO border. A little bit inside Colorado, we passed this dual rock formation that we think must be part of a residence or something. Or a Colorado Rapa Nui cousin connection to Easter Island? As we drove on and through Fort Collins, I attempted an artsy shot or two. You be the judge. Or not. In any case, we were both back into heavily trafficed civilization.

Sigh.

THAT is something I do miss from The WYO…their drivers are nowhere near as stupid and in-a-hurry as they are in Colorado. And there are far fewer of them.

Colorado Rapa Nui. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
Colorado Rapa Nui. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

Urban artsy:

Fort Collins Building. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
513 Riverside, Fort Collins. (© F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

So, hello, home, it’s good to be back. We had a good family visit…and a good road trip. Hope y’all enjoy the photos. It was fun taking them!

The Photographer, Sweetwater Station, Wyoming (© Laura and F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)
The Photographer, Sweetwater Station, Wyoming (© Laura and F. P. Dorchak, March 11, 2017)

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Kirschner Cover Art: Looking For Przybylski, by K.C. Frederick

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Looking For Przybylski, by K.C. Frederick, ©2012
Looking For Przybylski, by K.C. Frederick, ©2012

In looking for the next of Lon Kirschner’s cover art I wanted to review, I came upon one I’d been looking at for a while: Looking For Przybylski, by K.C. Frederick. Now, I don’t read all these books as I review their cover art…I just don’t have that kind of time, right now…so I look at the cover art in-and-of themselves. How the covers affect me. How Lon’s work “hits” me. Sometimes I’ll look at reviews, and once, like with A Long Cold Fall, by Sam Reaves, I even got to interview the author (thanks, Lon, for putting us in touch!). On this shot, I looked at some of the reviews. One review in particular talked about the “…difficulty of writing about race with moral integrity.” There were one or more references in the review of the book dealing with or not properly dealing with being a “goddamn Detroit Polack” (the reviewer, oddly enough, was also a “Przybylski,” J.J. Przybylski). This reminded me of when I was growing up and “used to be Polack.”

All through my formative years I’d thought—well, our family thought—that my mom’s side had Polish in the bloodline. So I’d valiantly defended all the Polack jokes. But after graduating high school we’d all come to find out that that line of her family we’d thought had been Polish…had actually been Austrian.

Sonofa….

Really, Mom? You couldn’t have done a little research a few years earlier?

Sigh.

If I remember all that had been discovered right, the family-member-in-question had been Austrian during WWII and had fled Austria on the basis of claiming to have been Polish to avoid being drafted into the Austrian army…hence, the lineage fabrication.

What does this have to do with the book?

Well, apparently nothing…except that J.J. Przybylski’s review reminded me of the whole “Polack thing” of my youth, and, well, apparently, this book deals-or-not-properly-deals-with that “whole Polack thing.”

Back to the cover: I picked this cover this time around because I love road trips and being on the road, and well, that is what this cover is all about!

It’s portraying a road trip into the night. And what does the night typically symbolize? Mystery. The unknown. “Darkness” of some kind beyond the obvious. But there is a light being shone (“shined”? “Shone” works for what’s coming next…) into that darkness, as is (pardon the pun) shown at the bottom of the cover. And that is what this book seems to be about: Przybylski is an undertaker who has taken down a one-time Detroit criminal, named Ziggy Czarnecki. Ziggy hears about Przybylski and goes in search of him cross-country. On a bus. Weird things happen. Interesting people are met. And according to J. J. Przybylski’s review, “It’s a good book…written with a gentleman’s reserve.” Now, if something supernatural was involved, I be tempted to take a read….

I also love the artistic perspective of the road, vanishing not only into the distance, but also into the night. And sometimes…sometimes I feel it’s better to leave such musings there…and not actually discover what is actually found there…in the night…in the “vanishing point” that is at the end of that road, this novel. I’m sure given the plot and characters, nasty things will happen, and I don’t necessarily want to know those nasty things. But I like the mystery that this cover implies. Love the imagery.

Here is what Lon Kirschner has to say about his work in designing this cover:

“When I first received the manuscript I remember thinking, Hmmm…I can’t even pronounce the title of this book. That led me to thinking that it should somehow become part of the cover in a very clean way. For the uninitiated in Polish names, I kept the typography simple and pretty straight forward with a color that evokes the flecks in the road.

“Yes, this is a road trip and it does take the form of a bus ride through lonely country. I remembered long bus trips when I was a teenager in upstate NY going to visit my sister at college and a certain sadness I felt traveling home alone on the bus at night when the weekend visit was over. It was that feeling of riding a bus alone that inspired this. The trip in the book is odd as bus trips often are when you are closed in with people you don’t know but somehow manage to form some kind of bond with the person next to you. Things seem accelerated in the small amount of time you get to know (or choose not to know) your fellow travelers.

“You are right, this book does have a supernatural quality to it, but nothing terrible happens. In fact you actually don’t know if something does happen out of the ordinary, because it is the ordinary that somehow becomes extraordinary.

“The cover does represent the bus trip in a literal sense, but more importantly it represents someone getting closer to a knowledge about themselves that they never would have discovered had they not gotten on the bus and made the journey.”

Thanks, Lon. I also used to ride buses during my teenaged years. My parents had divorced and I had taken the Trailways line down from Saranac Lake, NY to Glens Falls and Albany to visit my mother. As Lon says, I also felt “a certain sadness” upon my return trip from seeing my mom. I found the Trailways trips cozy. I don’t recall if I traveled alone or with my brother, Chris (my other two siblings stayed with my mom), but since those bus rides involved a bit of distance, buses stop every few miles, the night was always involved. And, as I’ve already mentioned, I love driving, being on the road, and night drives…so I liked the nocturnal atmosphere of the drives, and being in a big comfy bus. I don’t recall too much interaction on these bus rides. Just lots of pleasant smiles and politeness…and intense reflection about how our family had fractured and life would never be the same.

Perhaps not too far from how this story unfolds….

Lon Kirschner may be contacted at:

Phone: 518/392-3823

E-mail: info@kirschnercaroff.com

Book Cover Site: http://www.lonkirschner.com/

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You-Turns

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You-Turn. (By Eric Kilby from USA (Confusing Sign Uploaded by xnatedawgx) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
You-Turn. (By Eric Kilby from USA [Confusing Sign Uploaded by xnatedawgx] [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
I always used to say “I hate regurgitating myself.”

And this is a true statement…I really haven’t liked redoing my work or, well, anything. I’ve figured once I’d done something, it’s done…time to move on.

Then reality would intervene.

Never say never.

It doesn’t mean that everything I’ve done was perfect and not to be trifled with…what it means was that I’m done with whatever I’ve done, either a job or a manuscript; whatever: got that T-shirt. Time to move forward. But as my life progresses and I get older I find that the energy behind my life seems to beg to differ. It seems much of my life bears repeating.

My writing. Job hunts. TV reruns. Reincarnation.

I posted a list of my writing projects over the years…and how I’ve gone back and reworked several of them to publish. Most of my published history (all of my novels) is work I’d done years ago. Maybe this is nothing new to authors in general…but to me, well, it’s the subject of this post.

Take a look at this post: I did one about my short-lived modeling career. Retrospective.

And there’s my current work in progress (WIP) that I’m looking to publish in the coming months. More retro.

Oh, and in my daily life…my day job…there’s a certain line of energy that seems to have me revisiting the past. Returning to that which I’ve “come from” in a certain fashion. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the work I’m doing or have done in the past…it’s just that I’ve returned to it a couple times over the years.  It’s the whole “retro argument” I’m making here….

However and curiously…as I’ve grown older I don’t seem to have as much “against” going retro in and of itself anymore…I guess it’s only natural that after you’ve lived “some life” and gone down all those roads paved-and-otherwise it’s only natural to revisit some of those journeys as all the roads you’ve traveled cross and weave in and out. When you’re younger you’re afire with boundless energy and ready to frickin’ carve (not just carve, but frickin’ carve…) your name into the world…but after a while (if you live long enough) you come upon those carved-names in the strangest of places…places you’d never dreamed of every seeing again….

Life has a way of getting you to reflect.

Everything changes.

And eventually those changes transition the physical world…so enjoy life while it’s happening. There are far worse things that can befall a soul than having to, you know, redo a thing or two.

Enjoy life. Enjoy the journey.

Enjoy your You-turns.

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