Photo Of The Week - April 26, 2026

 Where I display a particular photo (taken by me) and provide some additional information about it (just because).

This week's photo: WHAT DON'T STARE ME ALWAYS

One of a number of photos of Turkey Vultures that I've taken at Castlewood Canyon State Park in Colorado - surely the best place in the state to observe the birds, and one of the best places that I know of, period. I believe this vulture was perched (appropriately) in a dead, desiccated tree growing out of the canyon rim. Ordinarily Turkey Vultures don't take much notice of people as long as they stay at a safe distance; but this bird, for reasons known only to itself, took a moment to gaze straight into my camera and looked rather perturbed while doing so - hence the title.

Been Listening This Week - April 26, 2026

Where I let you, the discerning music lover, know a little about what I've been listening to over the past week, presumably so you can sneer in self-righteous disgust about it. 

Kudos to the artists, though; music can be very helpful.

The not-quite-comprehensive List:

• Parklands by Hiatus
• Opening by Superpoze
• Diamond Among The Coal by Hateful
• Forever Rules by Radiots
• Illuminations by Carlos Santana and Alice Coltrane

Artwork Of The Week - April 26, 2026

Where I post an artwork (by me) that I'd like to draw attention to (for a week), and write a little extra information about it.

This week's artwork: Quetzalcoatl Fighting The Pope

Dating all the way back to 2004, this was one of my earliest attempts to combine watercolors and ink in a single artwork. (There would be many, many later attempts, some more successful than others.) The subject matter of the painting is an admittedly silly allegory about the role of the Catholic Church (symbolized by the heavily-tattooed Pope) in the conquest of the native cultures of the Americas (symbolized by Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god of the Aztecs).

It appears that Quetzalcoatl has the upper hand here, but that's artistic license on my part; we all know what really happened. As a deliberate allegory, this is an outlier among my paintings; I've mostly kept (conscious) allegory in poetry and other media, and avoided outright socio-political commentary with a paintbrush. (Exceptions can be found here, here, and here.)