Fiddling & Whiling Away Time
In that past century and for 15 years in this one when boredom hit I would tell my Rosemary, “I am going to the darkroom to fiddle.” I would make myself a large mug of very strong tea, mix and pour the chemicals and then to my photo files which were in another room.
There was the excitement of the routine (a paradox in a way) of the smells of fixer and the selenium toner I used to make my negatives and photographic prints archival. Sometimes I used sepia toner which had a strong smell of bathroom sulphur.
This was a welcome routine in those days best written here in Spanish , días de ocio.
That was taken away with our move to our present Kitsilano duplex. My oficina and studio fotógrafico used to be the garage. It is warm, well it and behind this monitor or to the door to my right I can see the garden and in this gray day there is my Rosemary putting plants away for the winter.
Behind me and on the sides are my files. I picked two that you see here just because I can. There is no ulterior motive for placing the photograph of Jessi McMath with those of Caitlin Legault except to state that I am fiddling and I have been trying to fill empty blog holes in October (that’s done) and now to November.
Jessi McMath
As for fiddling my grandmother used to tell me, “Cuando el diablo no tiene nada que hacer, con el rabo espanta moscas.” That translates to, “When the devil is bores he swats flies with his tail.” This is a tad better than when I told my abuelita that I was bored she would say, “Chúpate el codo,” or, “Suck your elbow”. That would keep me busy for many minutes.
At this point I no longer miss the chemical smells and I enjoy the warmth of my oficina as I sit facing my monitor.
