A Little Respect

Speaking of Arizona Highways magazine, most folks around here can’t figure out why the editor (Robert Stieve)or those before him haven't assigned a writer to do a story on Nowhere. It is the most often asked question I get from my fellow Nowherians when I am in town. Now, Nowhere may not be a destination spot, but a whole lotta people pass through Nowhere on their way to somewhere. Anyway, Maybell McLaurey, the town’s historian and great great aunt of mine, started a campaign last week to get every family in town to subscribe to Arizona Highways in hopes of getting the editor's attention (editor@arizonahighways.com) ;-} We’ll see. Actually, years before I even picked up a camera, one of the magazine’s photographers once stopped in Nowhere. Oldtimers swear it was Ansel Adams, but no one in Nowhere can be absolutely certain. As the stories go, word spread like watered down pancake mix. Real fast. But, by the time folks could gather at the Pump and Dump (our version of a 7-11), he’d already used the toilet and secured directions for Ajo, Arizona... Ajo?!

Life is good.

Something's Fishy

Stopped to pick up my mail and bumped into friends Remi and Rosie. They were on their way back from an ice fishing trip in Arizona's White Mountains where they caught only three rainbow trout. Rosie sheepishly volunteered, "I tink eech fesh cost us 400 dollar." I looked at Remi for a resonse."Es good we deed not catch any more." These guys crack me up.

Life is good.

On The Road Again

As you might have gathered by now, I am a photographer for Arizona’s best promotional piece bar none, Arizona Highways magazine. I was on the phone recently with the Director of Photography Peter Ensenberger and garnered some interesting statistics about this internationally acclaimed publication. It was first published on April 15, 1925 (see original cover at right) by the engineers in the old Arizona Highway Department (now the Arizona Department of Transportation). From the very beginning the magazine contained travel stories and scenic photographs, although in the early years the photos were black and white. The first issue had 26 pages. One thousand copies were printed and they sold for 10 cents each. The first color photograph wasn't published until 13 years later - July 1938. The most incredible statistic? It has subscribers in 122 countries around the world. For ANY publication, that is amazing! Well, I'm on the road again, this time Mexico.

Life is good.

On The Map

Old timers say Nowhere used to be on state maps, but one year someone with the department of transportation over there in Phoenix left it off and it’s never gotten back on. Arizona Highways Magazine, a division of the state transportation department, used to print these wonderfully designed and handy state maps but stopped a few years back. Too bad. It was the best map of Arizona and I would hand them out to folks I photographed for the magazine. I spoke with the magazine's Director of Photographer Peter Ensenberger just the other day at his office and he tells me that those great maps are kaput because the state government outright dumped the mapping department all together. Geez. Luckily, that Rand(y) McNally fellow didn’t forget about Arizona. That reminds me, I should send him a note to see if he can get Nowhere back on the map. Most people ‘round here just tell folks that Nowhere is somewhere south of Nothing and just west of Hell, but that’s just not right.

Nonetheless, life is good.