Trains!

...Yes, it was eventually going to happen. The boys were packed with Dad and Grandpa (and lots of sun-screen) and we'all headed West to Golden! Both of the boys were very sleepy in the car and didn't awake until we actually got inside to the parking lot. The photo below is one of the first things they saw. Blanden said, "Yeah! We're at the Train Museum!" From then, the day was off and running...

Entrance to the Colorado Railroad Museum. In the not so distant past, this was a functional train stop used to control traffic to- and fro- Denver. Today, it's primary purpose is to separate cash from the pockets of parents. Inside is a gift shop loaded with tons of "Thomas the Tank Engine" paraphernalia and assorted other train-related articles of various worth and utility. 



The first stop on our tour was the large, black train located just past the entrance. The particular attraction of this train is that it has functional bell! Every child (and adult for that matter) must climb onto this train and display their musical skills. What Blanden and Ellis's Dad lacks in musical talents he surely makes up in sheer determination and reckless abandon. ;-)

(Photo Courtesy of Grandpa)





The boys with Grandpa...notice the T-Shirts and Shorts on this First Day of April. It was in the mid-80s on this Sunday. A couple of days later, Denverites were back to scrapping a few inches inches of snow off the windsheilds of their cars.

This photo was taken just outside the shed that houses a massive (and still operational) turntable. I like to tell Blanden that this is the "Tidmouth Sheds of Colorado".

I really like this picture of Blanden. It is obvious that B is quite at ease in this environment. It seems that he spends a lot of time touching and climbing onto these enormous iron beasts to perhaps gain an appreciation of their scale. It's easy to forgot the size of trains when watching them on television or seeing them outside a car window. It's best to get upfront and personal with these wonders of the Industrial Age!



This shot is all about SCALE. Look at Blanden and his newly acquired girlfriend against the backdrop of this snow plow. I played with the exposure to give this photo an "other worldliness" feel about it. I wanted to seem as if they were on some distant planet. Yep...Dad is a Dork!



The Wensuc Family plans to have a collective celebration of Jeremy's, Gretchen's, and Uncle Nick's birthdays this upcoming weekend. However, today is Jeremy's official Birthday (...and No, it's not a April Fool's Day joke). Blanden and Ellis wanted to give Jeremy and Gretchen balloons so that they would have something special on their actual birthdays. This is clearly an instance where it's the thought that matters. When you're 14 and 11 years old, the luster of a balloon has lost a bit of its shine. But when you're and 1 and 3 years old, there is absolutely nothing more special than to get "balloons and ice cream" on your birthday. Blanden and Ellis saw to it that their Cousins got the best birthday possible according to their own understanding. May each of us be so giving of our affections.



Garden with the Grandparents (Part Deux)

Okay, today would be the day we would all go to the Train Museum!

Mom dressed the boys with Thomas the Tank Engine Sweatshirts and Fireman's Helmuts (alright, this does sound like a strange combination, but during Thomas's last stop in Colorado, there were helpful fire-fighters giving tours of their engines and passing out official Fireman's Helmuts).

After a quick stop at Dad's local coffee shop, the trek to Golden was about to begin. What? I can't believe what I am hearing! Another trip to Botantical Gardens. Twice in one weekend? It was true, with Grandpa close in tow, the Wensuc family now takes the familiar route back to the Gardens.

The day started off a little cooler and significantly more cloudy than yesterday. After a stop at the little cafe for hot chocolate and frozen fruit bars (yea! it strangely made sense at the time), the whole family embarked upon its own informal (and rather errantic) tour of the Gardens. The lawn area of the Amphitheatre was a big hit! There was just so much fresh grass to roam. The perfect place to take in the whole of a beautiful Sunday Morning.

With the Grandparents present and actively involved with the boys, I began to think of the generational aspects of family. We are all born into a family. Vestiges of this family are both inherited and passed-down.  We are both simultaneously the benefactors and recipients of our family's hertiage. We are indebted to those who perceded us and struggled to provide a better life, and obligated to our children to ensure this tradition is passed down.

I tried to think of an image that would symbolize the above sentiment. The first thought that came to mind was those cheesey double exposure shots that were popular in the 70s and 80s. I couldn't do that. (well, technically it is pretty easy to set that up), but I wanted something that presented a more organic and less contrived sensibility. Ellis's photos with both Grandpa and Grandma were taken completely spontaneously. Absolutely no staging or design employed in these shots whatsoever. For me to pull off the desired affect, the photos had to be authentic. I think it generally worked.

"The Mandatory Family-Shot While Sitting on the Bench" photo. Pretty much everything about this shot was contrived...with the notable exception that the smiles were real. Just because it is standard doesn't mean that it's bad (other than my choice of exposure..Grandma's face is a bit bright). Doesn't matter, I still like it.

On a previous visit and post involving the Botantical Gardens, I got some great photos of Blanden rolling down the hill. I wanted to document his remarkable physical growth; and well as his advanced acumen and prowess as an Olympic Downhill Roller ;)

In complete stark contrast to Blanden's delight in rolling, Ellis wanted no part of these Shenanigans. Clearly, Dad was not going to allow Ellis to roll down the entire course of the hill, but I wanted to see if he liked just a few tumbles. Nope! that wasn't going to happen. Ellis much preferred running around the gardens with his Fireman's Helmut "Tackling Dad'.

I have to credit Blanden for the design of this photo. As Blanden and I was walking through the Japanese section of the gardens, Blanden stopped and said, "Hey, Dad! That bridge would make a great shot! I was shocked! First, because of the tone and inflection of his voice. Second, because he freely offered to have his photo taken. And lastly, because we was absolutely right. This shot has great composition. I wished that Dad would have wiped off that last bit of running-nose, I suppose that I could always fix that piece later in Photoshop if it bothers me. Currently it doesn't.

Because this photo has so much blue, Blanden seems a little sad. In reality, Blanden's sentiment at the time could be no further from the truth. I caught this photo as Blanden was taking a brief rest from joyfully running up and down the stairs. Blanden was laughing most of the time. I missed the shot because I playing with the right angles of the stone Blanden was sitting on. You win some and lose some.

Again, this picture has an unintended solitary and sedate feel to it. I thought I would like this shot more than I do. The colors blend great, but this photo doesn't capture anything truthfully about B. After the shot..Blanden tackled Dad and unfortunately scrunched this sunglasses. Now, that's the B we all know!

Another great weekend!