Ten Events During Which I Remember Where I was

1- First Space Shuttle launch 2- The death of Elvis 3- Nixon's resignation 4- Elway's first game 5- Jim Jones mass suicide 6- Chernyobol 7- Reagan's assasination attempt 8- The storming of the U.S. Embassy in Iran 9- Lennon's assasination 10- The death of Jerry Garcia do you remember where you were ?

Ten Ways I Could Have Torn the Ligaments in My Knee While Kayaking on the Lake that Would Have Made a Better Story

1- Rescuing a drowning infant 2- Battling a rabid gator 3- Getting caught in the middle of a high speed police/drug trafficker watercraft chase 4- Being run into by a drunk and angry Russell Crow on his jetski 5- Getting caught in the middle of a water spout 6- Out paddling a school of flying piranha 7- Somehow thwarting the next big terrorist attack 8- While giving rollover lessons to a bikini clad Nicole Kidman 9- Struggling to photograph the elusive sea monster that lives in the depths of the lake 10- Tripping face down into the mud while getting into the kayak (Yes, that STILL would have been a better story than what really happened)

Simple Pleasures

the faces of the hands that pick your coffee.

Some Enchanted Evening?

How Many Violations Did We Just Break?

Not That Theres Anything Wrong With That

i convinced miguel to come down to the lake and go yakin in the evening hours with some beers and what have you. after the sunset and beer miguel remembered he had recently received a paper fortune (from a cookie of all places!) i knew with little doubt that the evening was indeed a full moon because he and i just spent the last 30 minutes motionless in our respective boats staring at it through the clouds. my thinking was immediate: even IF you DO get this as your fortune and even IF in your mind it slightly resembles in some loose translation the events of that very evening, the proper etiquette is to keep it to yourself and let its potential validity and significance torment you ALONE over the coming years. DO NOT choose to share your warped perspective with a naive bystander who unwittingly extends a totally innocent invite. i need another beer!

Where? Down in my heart. Where?

and if the doggie doesnt like it...

Ten Ways I Wouldn't Want to Die

1- At the hands of my enemies 2- In such a fashion that would make Freddie Kruger say "That was a little disturbing" 3- Being locked in a casing of frozen carbonate 4- Getting my head stuck in a tiny opening on a bet 5- Trying to outswim a school of piranha 6- Being mistaken for a prison snitch while on the inside 7- By erotic asphyxiation 8- In any manner that would make the crime scene investigator vomit uncontrollably 9- That Vietnamese Buddhist monk way 10- Via a series of events that would make the opening scenario of the next 'Faces of Death' movie thanks to GOAG for the subject idea

Watching a Sunset

no woman is an island unto herself. even when shes alone on one.

Ten Situations I Try to Avoid at All Costs

1- Being the subject of a national news break 2- Evoking the statement "I've never seen the condition this severe before" from my doctor 3- Getting put back onto the Terrorist Watch List 4- Needing to say to someone "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ALMIGHTY DONT LET ME FALL!!" 5- Having a disease named after me 6- Having to explain my actions and/or whereabouts to a judge in Istanbul 7- Me gasping desperately for air 8- Having to follow the tower's directions "Now lower the rear flaps by slowly pulling the large center lever toward you until the altimeter readout says 18,500 " 9-Trying to convince the guard at The Louvre that the 'Vierge Du Jube' was already broken when I got there. 10- Being on the wrong side of the quarantined area door where the word EBOLIS is printed prominently

Two to Three Inches Expected

my first published photo. taken in December 1993 Boulder, CO

Ten Things I Wouldn't Say to Mike Tyson's Face

1- Hey man, your girlfriend was all over me last night 2- Wanna go hang out at the beauty pageant? 3- Dude, youre an idiot!! 4- We dont serve your kind here (convicted rapists) 5- Theres NO WAY you could knock me down with one punch 6- What are your thoughts on Plato's 'The Republic'? 7- Do you mind babysitting my daughter a few minutes while I run to the store? 8- Thats the stoopidist tattoo Ive ever seen! 9- You cant tell me Buster Douglas didnt take a dive in that rematch! 10- YOU WANNA PIECE OF THIS?!

Ten People I wouldnt Want to Wake Up Next To

1- Michael Jackson 2- Another Dead Hooker 3- Billy Mays 4- Anyone Living on This Street 5-Any Member of the Boston Diocese 6- The Olson Twins (no wait! wrong list!) 7- Tom Cruise ('cause thats one rumor i believe) 8- Mr. Hat ('cause we know who's cleaning up in the bathroom) 9- my ex 10- actually, anyone at all. i'd prefer they be far gone by the time i wake up.

911 and a 2 Hour Ordeal

miguel: Youre high! You cant fit down there. brico: You got a buck that says i cant fit down there?!! miguel: Man, i got FIVE bucks saying you cant fit down there! brico: Oh youre ON! Here hold my drink and camera, you just bought me dinner!!

Water Wheel

the wheel is turning and it wont slow down... actually it WAS going pretty slow. jerry was wrong afterall

Ten Tunes That I Cannot NOT Sing Along To

1- Wanted Man (Johnny Cash) 2- Dear Mister Fantasy (Traffic) 3- Soulshine (Allman Brothers) 4- My Sweet Lord (George Harrison) 5- Plush (Stone Temple Pilots) 6- Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh) 7- Southern Cross (C,S,N&Y) 8- Burn You Up, Burn You Down (Peter Gabriel) 9- Avalon (Roxy Music) 10- Hey Jude (Beatles)... I mean C'MON!! sometimes coming up with ten items is a challenge, in this case limiting the list to ten was the challenge (at least let me give Promised Land (Chuck Berry/Elvis/Grateful Dead) an honorable mention!)

Potter's Cabin

a few viewers have asked about the various desaturation and other treatment processes i put some of my shots through. to respond: yes, many of my pics on display are altered in Photoshop CS (a tool i use daily in my graphic design work). this one, for instance, i cropped, increased the contrast then dropped out all colors except for the green. in the photog world there is a heated debate as to the 'fairness' and 'honesty' in such practices. my opinion: certainly there is an art to taking a great shot that needs NO alterations whatsoever. and it is a GREAT photog'er who makes that their art successfully. but philosophically there is no difference between altering a pic to improve it with digital means than what ansel adams did in the dark room. few people consider him to have been deceptive in his art. as for my work, i aint trying to put one over on anyone, enjoy the end result for what it is. and thanks for the interest.

Dont Fence Me In

another shot off the side of the blue ridge parkway. a photoger's paradise

Ten Things I'd Buy if I Had ALOT More $$$$

1- a college education for Aspen 2- acting lessons for Keanu Reeves (ALOT of them) 3- my mom & john their dream house 4- a boat 5- the new Beck cd 6- an island with a tiki bar on the beach 7- a lightbulb for my lava lamp 8- a big ring for Nicky 9-Tibet back from china (not capitalized purposefully) 10- antibiotics for this... thing

im told by a friend these are tiger lillys. i know she likes them, so as a good friend i shall post another just for her.

Ten Things I'm a Sucker For

1- a redhead with a warm smile (if you fit this description dont hesitate to contact me at bricotrout@hotmail.com) 2- "Hurry! Supplies are limited!" pitch 3- Hitting on soft seventeen (blackjack & otherwise) 4- "For only .75 more you can step up to the super jumbo enormous size with free refills" pitch 5- Girls who drive Jeeps 6-"But wait! Call in the next ten minutes and youll also receive..." pitch 7- Double or Nothin' bets 8- A good veggie chili 9- Vicadin 10- Ten more minutes of sleep

Scabby Hasp

a fitting sequel to rusty nuts and limp widget. thanks go out to the ever knowledgeable Miguel for informing me of the difference between a hasp and a hinge. thats why i tolerate you man!

Years of Moldy Buildup

that reminds me: i need to go to the dentist

Ten Things I Would Do Well to Change About Myself

1- Act less impulsively (adult ADD) 2- Watch less T.V. 3- Read more (Maxim and Calvin & Hobbes dont count) 4- Become more assertive (I suppose) 5- Adhere to a daily stretching regiment 6- Meditate more frequently 7- Put more $ into savings 8- Dedicate time regularly to Habitat for Humanity 9- Stop making stoopid $5 bets with Miguel 10- Make more $5 bets with stoopid Sean

Wine Fest Aftermath

Miguel (left) and I (right) were in NO shape to walk back to the jeep (see background). fortunately we caught a ride with the guy hauling out the portajohns. the fact that i managed to take a well centered and focused pic at this point amazed even the tractor driver. the fact that i was able to successfully use one of those portajohns mid ride amazed everyone.

"if anyone orders merlot, im leaving!"

i got WAY too obliterated at the wine fest. very lucky some bra hating hippie chick didnt take advantage of me. obviously i was ripe for the picking!

Ten Things I Learned the HARD Way

1- motorcycle tailpipes are way too hot to stand on (age 5) 2-when sleeping without a mosquito net in Honduras, the rats that are crawling over your sleeping bag are ALOT bigger than they seemed at the time (age 24) 3-nails hammered into a board will pass effortlessly through skin if stepped on (age 11, 18, 21) 4-baggies can be used in place of proper contraceptives (age 17) 5-pennies take five days to pass through your system (age 4) 6- girlfriends arent impressed with the fact that you can ride a bicycle by standing on the top cross bar with no hands if your dismount results in a broken wrist (age 19) 7-pregnant women do not appreciate having their womb likened to a swimming pool even if the comparison was made solely on a basis of function (age 29) 8-telling your boss to "shut it" is not a good idea (2 weeks ago) 9-getting your jeep stuck in the mud costs $85 for a wrecker to get it unstuck (age 35) 10- a kittens claw stuck in your eyelid hurts about as much as standing on a hot motorcycle tailpipe, but takes alot longer to undo (age 22)

momentary lapse of reason

miguel: brico, i REALLY dont think its a good idea to sit on someone's bike without asking. brico: relax miguel, hog owners are honored that the rest of us are so taken with their toys. they ENCOURAGE it even! here, help me get the kickstand up. no, wait... HOLD IT TO THE RIGHT! HOLD IT TO THE RIGHT...

"Can I Help You?!"

its always a somewhat risky situation leaning in good and close on your knees taking some macro shots of a nice Harley's chrome work from 2 inches away when the the machine's 'daddy' comes around the corner to see you invading his baby's personal space. it doesnt make matters any easier when this image looming over you gives you such a start that you jerk your camera squarely into the polished carburetor. fortunately i used to run track.

actually, Donny was a great guy who bent my ear for 15 minutes on how he acquired a police bike and corresponding plates with his ole' lady's ride. apparently he was quite proud of the kyle petty charity ride. either that or he was a big chick fillet fan.

Mabry Mill, VA

the curators of the mill have done an outstanding job of creating barriers that let observers get quite close to the buildings while preserving pristine shots for photographers uninterrupted. my hat gets tipped to them.

I've Seen This Road Before

many times ive been alone. and many times ive cried.

"But then who built it?"

Miguel was bent on walking down this to locate EXACTLY where the water channel changed from natural dirt ditch to man made aqueduct. i waited an hour and a half. he never returned. i think he was wearing red. let us not speak of the creatures or Miguel again.

for GOAG

Upon The Blue Ridge Mountains

...there i'll make my stand. a rifle on my shoulder, six shooter in my hand. lord, i been all around this world.

we were arriving late to the Wine Down the Music Trail festival in Floyd, VA on Sunday when we passed an old water mill that to say was photogenic would be quite the understatement. i stuck around taking in the atmosphere for about an hour but could have easily thrown away the whole day just being one with the whole scene. this was my type of goldmine indeed.

theres just something inspiring about the way things were done 150 years ago. give me this over a cement slab and vinyl siding anyday.