After getting lost for over an hour, we met him at a restaurant near the campus. We enjoyed lunch and became acquainted with each other. We went to the University but, ultimately, he took us to his home to complete the interview. There, we met his lovely artist wife, Kamillia. During the filming and interview we were pleasantly surprised with the amount of information he had accumulated through the years and the insight he has over the subject of the colonies. It was a pleasure to be in their home. I personally witnessed the care and consideration they have for each other and others, even strangers like us!

They were both such generous and kind individuals. Carmon patiently sat for hours and answered questions under the heat of the lights and the California summer afternoon. Kamillia prepared a light supper for us to enjoy on their patio. Interviews can be tedious, difficult and exhausting, but we found Carmon to be articulate, responsive and insightful, the golden interviewee.

We left feeling like we had been in the presence of sincerely kind souls. Thank you, Carmon and Kamillia, for sharing your home, your life experiences and your authentic selves. It was a joy meeting you. We appreciate you both and wish you the best.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. Yea, that means you will have to create a blog page. Not a hard thing and it kind of falls in the category of “journal writing.” Great, more multi tasking. Hope you have a sense of humor. You all know I do!

3. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. That could be scary. I just might surprise you.

“The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone else he can blame it on.” — Robert Albert Bloch
I really need to smile more.

JUSTIFY: To pronounce free from guilt or blame; to declare or prove to have done that which is just, right, proper, etc.; to absolve; to exonerate; to clear.

“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” — John Burroughs
Stop blaming me because I will never blame you.

“Men use thoughts only to justify their wrongdoings and words only to conceal their thoughts.” — Voltaire
Here I am blathering away with words!

“You never find yourself until you face the truth.” — Pearl Bailey
Hmmm. Finding oneself is so over rated. The heck with the truth. I know there is someone somewhere I can blame.

…if only

I discovered with Ciera Jo the fun of being a parent. I enjoyed Ciera as a baby. I appreciated how short the time was before she was grown and gone. I savored every moment and had fun watching every stage SHE discovered in her own life. I wasn’t in a hurry to get her to walk or talk. Being around older siblings her entire pre-teen life has made her wise beyond her years. The other day she reminded me that she will always be our baby. I want to remind her that she will always be loved. Click on the picture to watch her grow up right before your eyes.

At one library they actually asked me how I felt about acquiring information from their library. I was honest and told her it was a little frustrating. I was the only one who really knew what I was looking for. If you would just let me see the documents it would save you and me a lot of time. Instead I read through reels and reels of microfilm and when I did find a document I wanted they were unable or unwilling to make a copy of it. I had to type it myself. Some of these documents were 12 to 50 pages. At other libraries I was able to photocopy the copied documents in my hand, saving me time and the library staff effort as well. Perhaps libraries should listen to their patrons. We might have ideas that could save everyone time and money. I know they are interested in “b”.

They might argue that the documents are fragile and sensitive. Well Duh! Researching is part of my writing process. I understand the sensitivity of the documents. I protect the information with the wearing of gloves and I do not use flash photography. I found documents that are unreadable. Photographs are fading. How efficient could it be if researchers were given the freedom to research and a cd to save their research that was downloaded to the libraries data base. Then other’s would have easy access to the information. I know, stick to my job and mind my own business.

At the end of the week I felt more comfortable asking for what I wanted. Didn’t mean I got it, but if you don’t ask you’ll never know.

By now Chris had caught up with us. We kept walking … in 101 degree weather … another 2 miles. You might think 2 miles is not a big deal, but it was high noon and we were carrying equipment. Whine, whine whine. The night before we had experienced food poisoning so our hydration levels were pretty low. Ciera was feeling a tad weak, but she tried to be a good sport and kept framing some good shots.

We finally arrived, or at least I thought so. I looked at Ciera and realized as the producer and the mother I needed to get her some liquid and fast. I told everyone we were heading back. Chris apparently thought we needed to keep going. “Just a little bit further, I know there will be more photo opportunities,” he said. I made a command decision and ignored him. We started walking and the funny part is that I actually thought he would follow. After all, I am the producer!

Pretty soon we could not see him. We yelled for him, but no answer. I could not go back to look for him or stop and wait. I needed to get Ciera some water! I realized once Ciera had water I would have to make a return trip with water in hand for the “injured” crew member. Maybe he had been bit by a rattesnake. I hope he didn’t sprain his ankle because I couldn’t carry him out. Then I started thinking that maybe he had a heart attack. He has been experiencing numbness and pain in his arms and legs lately. Maybe he fell in the river. That would be bad. He had my camera! As usual, my imagination ran wild. This only made me even hotter under the collar.

When I got back to the truck, Wistie was not there and the truck was locked with the water inside. I wandered around angrily and finally found her soaking her feet in the cool water! I had retrieved drinking water for Ciera and me when Chris showed back up. I scowled at him and told him he was grounded. “I am the producer! You have to do what I say!” He bowed his arms in mock acquiescence. Then told me about the shots he got.

ARGHHH! Tell me people, where is the respect? We finally had a moment to cool off. The water was FREEZING! How was that possible in this heat?Did I mention that the night before Chris wandered off, we could not find him for an hour … at the Grand Canyon? Oh, another story for another day!

All along this journey, I kept encountering people who were interested and wanted to know when and where they could get the finished product. I kept wondering if there would ever be a finished product. Well, now they know. In addition to wondering if it would every be completed, I have certainly had moments over the last 10 years when I wondered about relevance of all of this. It is just history! Who really cares? I admit there were times I didn’t. Then I would start reading something and the project would haunt me some more and I would get back to work on it.

I think I would have just kept researching for the rest of my life if one day Cyndi didn’t say, “Enough already. Let’s get this thing done!” So after my ten-year incubation period, about 30 days ago, we started compiling all I knew. She took all my books and became absorbed in the history herself. She found the story fascinating. In discussion, we decided the best format for the story. We traveled to local historical libraries and found a wealth of photos to breathe life into the words we had been reading. We found more journals and histories (thank you Uncle Don!) to add even more depth and diversity to the story. In truth, I could keep researching forever because the amount of information about the settlers and their descendants really is endless. We have discussed the possibility of “sequels” for each individual colony because it seems that there are dozens of powerful and inspiring stories in each colony. We hope and invite others to share their stories about this place and time. To help the sharing, we are establishing a “wiki” site for that to occur. (Like Wikipedia, everyone can post stories and photos and movies for others to see and enjoy!)

As for me, I guess I’ve carried this baby long enough. It is time to send this project out into the world. I am ready to let it go so that others can take it in.

INSTRUCTORS:
Pamela Jo Bowman and Cyndi Greening have been teaching 3D animation, filmmaking and media arts to individuals and groups at Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona State University, and Maricopa Community Colleges since 1989. They took a 14-member student crew to Zambia, Africa to make the first dramatic narrative feature film in that country and a documentary about the experience. Their students work in the the film industry, for graphic design firms, advertising agencies, print companies and game manufacturers. Their students also use their skills to make personal histories and commemorative items for their families and friends.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Space is limited. To reserve your space in the class, call or send an email to Pamela Jo Bowman using the information below. Invite your friends and other Mac enthusiasts to participate in this valuable and useful class.

TO REGISTER &
RESERVE YOUR SPACE
Email: pamelabowman2@cox.net OR cynematik@cox.net
Call: 480.577.6380 OR 602.740.1446

DETAILS:
Date: Thursday, June 26
Time: 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Place: Val Vista Club house
Class limited to 20
Cost: only $30.00

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:
Your Macintosh or PC laptop
Your digital camera with photos
Cables for downloading
USB drive

SPEED YOUR SYSTEM
Understand your Macintosh tools
Use your software more effectively
Find your files quickly
Back up your data and free up space

IMPROVE YOUR IMAGES
Download your images from your camera
Set the right resolution
Color correct your photographs
Get better skintones

FIX OLD PHOTOS
Fix scratches and remove spots
Add contrast and snap
Insert or remove people

MAKE MOVIES
Make a movie and export
Make a slideshow and export
Add music