Another interesting Fresno street to photojournal would be Van Ness Ave, from downtown to the bluffs. The only socioeconomic group under-represented on that long street is the middle class, which I’ve always found sort of interesting.

“Life if the Valley” A photographic exploration by Anthony Velez. Sounds like a book to me mate!

Thanks for sharing. Cool to see where you are at now. You’re a long way from Wheaton, IL!

The Talking Heads reference made me giggle.

I really like this, Anthony!

And ‘ya know what? Just a few hours ago I was mentioning the very thing you’d written about to some strangers with whom I was speaking at a nearby corner market.

Yeah! Seriously! It was the grid thing – the N/S, E/W grid pattern of Fresno, that is, and how the roads’ll just keep on going until…

Yesterday evening, the Iron Bowl – THE NCAA’s gridiron rivalry – was played on “The Plains” in Auburn. The final score about which you may have heard, was 26-21 – Alabama over Auburn. Though they were given the annual invitation, ‘Bama didn’t show up and start playing football until the second half.

Of course, I owe my life to Auburn – LITERALLY – so I know on which side my bread is buttered. You see, that’s where Dad met Mom after he served during the Korean War aboard the USS Juneau.

It’s been so wet in these parts that some farmers have had difficulty bringing in their crops, and some have failed, including sweet potatoes, which rotted in the ground. Cotton, though it’s been defoliated for weeks, has just recently been harvested. And soybeans are in, and corn… well, the jury’s still out on it whether this year’s crop will be considered an overall failure.

The machinery is quite heavy, you see, so their concern has been being mired in the field. We needed about 10 dry days before they could start harvesting.

Yesterday after the game, I went and caroled with St. Mary’s of the Visitation Catholic Church (where I’m attending RCIA) as entertainment for Santa’s Village, a local Christmas season go-see kids event. Today, I felt like a Shetland pony… a little hoarse. It was the hooping and hollerin’ followed up with about 3+ hours of singing – in 30 minute sets w 15 min breaks in ~50°F weather.

Be sure and check out the pics I took afterwards. Some are abstract, thought not all. Artsy-fartsy is good… but not a steady diet. Today, I shot a bunch more for a set I’ll entitle “Stuff in the Backyard.” It’s a bit abstract, too – though not in the weirded out sense.

For your readers’ benefit, that’d be Flickr.com/SouthernBreeze.

Oh yeah… I thought the “This is not my house” shot was cute!