The alarm rang at 5.30am and shocked me into reality.

I stretched my legs, were they still hurting from walking for hours on that hard cement floor the previous day. That darn floor always jumps up and grabs me.

“No, they are still attached” I mumbled so I figured I’d made it through to today.

A little numb from sleep saturation, I dressed hurriedly. The clothes were ironed and hanging from the wardrobe door, (even down to the compulsory scarf)  in anticipation of an early start.

Lisa had woken through the night and had written a list of things we needed to take with us for the day and I had made a mental note, so we both sanctimoniously congratulated ourselves on our organisational skills (that later fell in a heap)

The 12 mile drive to the city of Alamogordo was accompanied by Mozart, the sun tipped the mountains to the right and the sky was mellow and the shadows long.

We picked up Ricky and headed to the Old water tower in the centre of the city. The light was perfect, the traffic minimal and it was cool, about 70 degrees.

We shot images with great delight, relishing in the direction of the long shadows, the blue sky and the interesting structure held together by huge bolts.

The waterpower was used to service the steam trains that powered through the town. The track sits just in front of the tower now and it sits  in the middle of a road forcing the cars to ride either side of it, and is a better icon than any hand made statue.

It’s metal corrodes in a spectacular way and there is amazing symmetry in the rows of bolts holding the panels in place.

One wonders what stories wind through the stark metal properties that provide such wonderful images.

I’ve photographed the tower many times, but these are this mornings photos.

And that was just till 7.30 am. then we continued on for the rest of the day teaching, talking, and doing what we do best.