Ansel Adams Adventure Begins

Today I began to think about this trip in earnest.  Came up with a great idea for either renting a minivan or an SUV, that way my old truck doesn't have to add on a bunch of miles and the dog would be more comfortable.  

Chase and I walked one of his favorite walks today.  We call it Lake Wagatail.  But its real name is Wapato Park (http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=285).  Beautiful little lake with tons of birds.  They are upgrading the trail around the lake so that it is all paved.  This is the lake where I have gotten wonderful pictures of eagles landing and sitting and screaming back at the crows who are trying to dive bomb them.  

The lake is surrounded by trees, some of which are deciduous and are in full color right now.  It was a beautiful walk.  As we were leaving the house to get there, I thought about different ways to walk the dog so that my hands are free to take pictures (when we get to Yellowstone), so I ran one leash around my waist, then attached that to a short leash (2 ft) that was attached to his collar.  This worked remarkably well and we managed to stay hooked together that way the whole walk.  This idea is a keeper.  No shoulders were pulled against, no arms tugged.  A few times I was pulled a little off my feet towards something he wanted to investigate.  But not bad for a first try.

After our walk,  about a mile, we got back in the truck and headed for the main Tacoma library.  I wanted to do a little research into the Yellowstone project.  I wasn't sure if Ansel Adams had even gone to Yellowstone. 

Nor was I even sure that reference librarians even existed anymore. 

They do.  On the 2^nd floor of the library.  There were three women behind a circular desk over by a bank of computers that were in use, must have been about 50 of them, didn’t realize that libraries had increased like that.  My own pet peeve about the new modern library has been the death of the card catalog.  I have found so many cool books and ideas by just browsing the card catalogs of different libraries.  Very sad that now you are only given what you ask for.  Which is why I want to the human librarians to start my search. 

“I am looking to start a research project, I want to put the dog in my truck, head out to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, and recreate Ansel Adams trips and photography.  I am not even sure that he went there.”

A burst of energy erupted from my three little librarians.  There was the older woman, who was clearly the head librarian.  A middle aged (as I am) woman, who got excited because she had been there three times and thought this was a great idea, and a younger woman, who it seemed was being trained in how to research.  I could be wrong about that, but older woman looked over her shoulder and directed the search inquiries. 

“This is the first time you are looking at this?  You haven’t googled this?”  Was the first reaction from them. 

“No, this is my first stop.”

More excited research goes on, tiny notations are being developed on old card catalog index cards.  My sadness about the old card catalog reared its head and I look over to the stack they are using for scratch paper and see an old entry for a book on the FCC, an Economic History.  Ugh.  Well, they can’t all be winners.

But I realize as I talk to middle aged woman, that the other two are not quite getting it.  Older woman has co-opted the line of thinking and she has gone off on a tangent that I don’t want.  So I pay more attention to her, and realize that she is doing some odd search that requires 4 words.  Now why she needs 4 words is a mystery.  And why the word “and” has to be in this search is beyond me.  She has come up with “Adams and Yellowstone Park”.  This is not helpful to me, as Adams is such a common name.  So I ask, “Why don’t you replace Adams with Ansel, it is much more unique and will a more directed search.” 

The looks I got were priceless.  You could see the thought appear, who does she think she is?  WE are the reference librarians and WE know how to research.  But then the content of what I have said sinks in, and it is acknowledged that Ansel might be a better search term.  I still haven’t figured out why they need the word ‘And” since in a Boolean search you just use the ampersand.  But when I bring up the word Boolean I get blank stares.  Sad.

Then the idea of going to the special collection comes up and they are off to the races about me getting the “Morgan book”.  I will have to ask for it, it is in a locked collection.  I take a look at their notes and I see that there are a bunch of call numbers all written down, with almost no notes other than the numbers, and they are just chicken scratched all over the tiny page. 

They hand me the tiny page and start talking about how unique this search was, what fun it would be.  I look at them and ask, “Are you serious?  No one has done this before?”  “Nope, never been done. You should write this book, we would love to buy it!”  I get very excited about this.  “Let us know how it is going!” they call after me as I head out on my adventure!

Off I go to the special collections area.  I have never been there, didn’t even know it existed.  And there is another set of librarians sitting up there.  Who have no idea what I am asking, as there is an entire room devoted to Morgan, and archived stuff down in the basement that might have to be brought up.  So I give up on that idea and am guided over to the section on Northwest exploration.  Very cool.

The special collections room is beautiful.  It is a rotunda with large glass windows, marble floors and gold colored handrails.  The books are arranged in radiating shelving and there is a plaque thanking Carnegie for donating the money for the library.  I had known that Carnegie had donated a huge amount to public libraries and knew about the one on Greenlake in Seattle, but didn’t realize that the main library in Tacoma was also one.  I had only ever been in the new section of the library to look for mystery books and browse the new books sections. 

As I wander around the 979 area, I find a section on Yellowstone (about 5 books).  Eureka!  But it is in the 978 section.  Hmmm.  My little librarian friends have neglected to add this to my list. 

And I find a book called “Death in Yellowstone.”  Interesting.  So I take it out and read through the introduction.  The author is a former park ranger who then goes to law school and is fascinated by the personal injury law suits that arise from the park.  So he starts a research project into death by nature and death by mankind.  And gets his gruesome findings published.  I start to read the first chapter.  It is an horrific story of a man whose dog got loose, jumped in a hot spring, and the man goes in after the dog.  I will not related the details here.  Suffice it to say, yuk!  And I am taken aback.  Should I not bring the dog with me????  But my dog is not that stupid.  The dog in question was a great Dane, NOT known for their acumen.  And my dog doesn’t like the water. 

I reshelve that one.  And go down to the first floor to look at the other numbers the librarians have given me.

I go to the photography section first, and find 4 books on Ansel Adams.  I take all 4 out and go and sit down to look at them.   I find by flipping through the pictures, that indeed Ansel has gone to both Yellowstone and Grand Tetons!  Excellent, my idea has merit!  I also find a timeline in the back of one of them, detailing when he has gone.  Woo Hoo! 

My tummy is starting to feel odd. I slept very hard last night, having had two bad nights in a row previously.  And am slightly fuzzy today, can’t seem to wake up all the way.  And my tummy has been odd for two weeks now.  Very rumbly and um, active.  I have been spending a great deal of time in the bathroom.  Sigh.  I never know whether these things are side effects of the drugs, or that I am sick.  But since I just started on the antibiotics two days ago, this could also be push back on that.  Sigh.

I want to look up all the numbers they have given me, but I am running out of time before I must lay down.  So I walk back towards the 508 numbers (supposedly a road itinerary for Yellowstone) when I pass by the section on US Travel.  I stop, this isn’t on my page.  But right there on the end is a section on travel guides for get this, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons by Lonely Planet.  Yippee!  I take that out and notice that there are LOTS of books on the two right here.  Very colorful spines.  Except for this one old looking spine.  No pictures, no words.  I pull it out.

‘GRAND TETONS AND THE YELLOWSTONE PARKS”  by………you guessed it, Ansel Adams. 

My mouth drops open.  Why haven’t my three birdies found this one?  It is completely on point. 

I start to march up to the second floor to let them know about it.  I mean, they told me to let them know.   As I get to the top of the stairs, who is coming down, but the oldest birdie. 

“How is your search going?” she asks. 

I hold up my treasure and show her.  “This was not on your list and it is the holy grail.”

“Oh my, how wonderful that you can go off on your own and don’t rely on teachers for all your information. I shall let Shelly know.” 

I give up.  Walk back down the stairs and check out my three books.  Two on his photography and the travel book by him. 

Time for my nap now.  Tomorrow is my 3 month onc visit.  Blood draw at 12:30, dr. visit at 1:30.  I am somewhat nervous, but hope that nothing new is found.  That I am still holding steady with my numbers.


Later that same day:  I was playing with some of my photos and turned this one into a black and white.  I am amazed.  It looked good in color, but in black and white, it is stunning.