I got off the bus from the Strip today and for the first time I actually looked at the building.

Dan Dee’s Dry Cleaning

We got a new dog - god help us - on Saturday morning, and a new van on Saturday evening. Not too bad. On Saturday morning we went to Sunset park, which was frankly an Interesting experience. I hate Geese of all kinds with a passion. After arousing their hunger, they took it upon themselves to mob both mob us and chase us around the lake until some other poor bastard decided to feed them. We saw, I kid you not, this blancmange with a pair of limbs sticking out of it, failing desperately.

We survived, made our appointed rendezvous, and came home with Spenser, a chipper little Poodle/Terrier mix. He’s Mariah’s pet, and you can ask her if you’d like to know more.

On Saturday evening, we bought a new van. I can’t help but somehow feeling vaguely screwed over by the dealership. I’ve spent years around retail financing, and I don’t know…some of the terms seemed onerous or just strange to me. It’s a tidy little van, and I don’t doubt that we’re going to put it to good use in years coming.

Lastly, we went up to Mount Charleston on Sunday and spent the evening dodging drivers who’ve never been in anything but a five-lane freeway in their lives. It was frightening and exhilarating all at once, watching asshole dodge and weave in and out of their lanes, randomly slam on their breaks and generally make the trip Interesting. I didn’t shoot much except for a really beautiful tree stump behind the local primary school:

Mazie Canyon

Kinda.

Disclaimer: Traipsing around any kind of ruined structure can be incredibly dangerous unless you keep an eye on precisely what you’re doing.

Anyways.

Some young vagabond(s) had forced open the door of Doughiska Castle in Merlin Park forest, which for me turned it into a veritable wonderland. The keep is wonderfully intact, to the point that I was able to make it up onto the roof of the castle, explore most of the rooms and cells and even go down into the cellar. A manifest lack of torch and flashgun, combined with a very short time limit put me off getting more photos, although I really want to get back into the castle before I leave on Wednesday.

Mayhap I can bug out of work early on Sunday and make a beeline for this magnificent building.

All I really got from the castle were some excellent infrared photos:

Doughiska Castle

The Keep

Doughiska closeup

Looking down

Untitled

I paid a visit to them on Saturday evening, but the light was shit, frankly. Way too bright and flat for any kind of interesting shooting. If we get a dull overcast or bright sunny light tomorrow I’ll go back and shoot more.

The works were honestly fascinating for all of that, with many interesting old and battered things to photograph and gawk over. There was a row of wonderful old and rusted tanks to one side of the building, that made for great photos:

Not the first thing you expect to find..

Just a bit rusty…

There’s more on my Flickr.

16 days. I can’t believe it. It’s not just that 210 days of waiting will be over. It’s also a whole new dammed chapter in my life and I’m in turns terrified and excited by it. Will I turn out like dad? Will I go above and beyond?

I tell myself there’s no point in worrying, that I’ve made my choices and I will see them through to the end. They worrying part of me scoffs and raises another point. I smack myself in the head at this point.

Ah well. Want all, lose all.