Appreciating Danger or Yes, we're still moving to Mexico

"We are confronted by a first danger, the destructiveness of applied atomic energy. And then we are confronted by a second danger, that we do not enough appreciate the first danger." -- Raymond Gram Swing

We get a lot of people asking if we're worried about living in Mexico City, what with all of the violence that the news is reporting on the border.   Ariel just returned from 2 weeks in the capital, crawling all over the city, getting a good handle on his job there, and checking out living and eating arrangements. And he came home -- safe and, more importantly, excited about living in this vibrant land.

I happened upon an article in the New York Times about Mexico written by a Mexican (translated from Spanish, no less) that touches lightly upon the drug violence, the US and Mexican media's over-reporting, and the chances that the country will collapse soon (you know, when we're moving in). 

The Mexican Evolution

Rest assured, we are aware of the dangers of living in a big city and the dangers unique to this big city.  We know that our life there will be nothing like pastoral England or suburban DC, and we are preparing to take the necessary measures to safeguard our family.  But we are also thrilled to the point of giggling (all of us) at all of the fascinating and wonderful things we will experience there.  Because we know where we are vulnerable, we can shore up that vulnerability.

And if things go south, we'll get evacuated.  So quit asking if I'm nervous.  I'm not.  I'm about to burst with excitement.  We move in 3 months.

The most dangerous thing is the illusion of safety.

Happy Heart-Attack*

In late January, I called my friend Amy with the jumbled words, "I'm having a happy heart-attack.  I need help with a licensing contract."  You see, I had received an email from John Milbank, the art director of Country Walking magazine asking about using one of my shots -- in a full page spread. 

John had found the photo on my Flickr page (note to self: go back and label all of my good shots so that they are searchable), and after a week of rangling out the little details (renumeration, how the credit line should read, etc), the deal was sealed, and all I had to do was wait 6 weeks until my issue would hit newstands in the UK (where Country Walking is the best-selling outdoors magazine).   To my UK friends, please go out and buy the April issue.

I love this shot.  Ironically, it's featured in the "Only on Foot" section, and I took this picture (technically 10 pictures -- it's a photomerge) during the famous Forced March of 2007.  We had to hike in to see this, and so now I would like to thank my father-in-law for not having a heart-attack on the hike so I could have a happy heart-attack now.

* A happy heart-attack is where you are so happy that the adrenaline is flowing so freely that you feel chest pains.

Red Rock Wilderness Park

Saturday, we had some glorious weather in the 70's, so we couldn't bear to stay home.  This park near our home consists of a lovely deciduous forest bordered by the Potomac River at the bottom of a steep bluff.  Lena had the dog, I had my camera, and Livia had the point and shoot.  Livia took the first three pix here, and then I took out my camera.  Everything that I took a picture of Livia took a picture of.We took the white dog down the white trail.  The girls found this fascinating.  It was good we didn't want to take the green trail.  Where would we find a green dog?!?
And here the shoot-off began.  Can you tell who took what pictures?

Artist in Residence

I wish I could say that this is mine, but it isn't.  This is all Livia.