Although it is true that I have begun to tolerate the taste (and texture) of poutine, all good things must come to an end. With the frozen tundra of the Great White North in my rearview mirror, I headed to warmer climes to thaw. Having been as far west as I could go in the U S of A, it was time to head south. I drove for hours, passing through the Heartland of America and into the Sunshine State. Riding down Route 75, I pulled into Tampa just as the sun was setting over the Gulf of Mexico. As it was getting dark, it took me a while to navigate through the town as I made my way to the white rancher with the corrugated red roof. Dee was sitting on the porch swing, waiting patiently for me to arrive.

I stepped onto the porch, she got up, shook my hand, and held the door for me to enter her home. As I walked into the living room, I must confess, not a little fear and concern passed through me. It was as if I had entered an abattoir or a medieval torture chamber. As I looked around me, there were all sorts of instruments of death hanging from the walls, a sickle (reminding me of sadder days in Washington), a scythe (reminding me of the Grim Reaper), crossed swords (reminding me of knights), and an old gun (reminding me of the Civil War), which I later learned was an 1862 Tower Musket. Completely out of place in this macabre setting sat a saddle and a horse collar. When she offered me a seat, I thought for one brief moment she was expecting me to sit in the saddle. Fortunately, she was offering me the rather comfortable La-Z-Boy. As I sat down and pulled my notebook out of my sack, I noticed the largest set of longhorns I’d ever seen outside of UT-Austin’s stadium hanging on the wall over the door that we had come through.

Once my nerves settled from my eerie surroundings, we got underway with the interview.

JC: So, Dee, let’s start with what is becoming my standard opening question. Could you describe yourself in 15 words or less?

Dee: Opinionated, stubborn, funny, kind, caring, uni-tasker (hey! I invented a word!), ditsy, goofy. My real name is Dori, anyone see the movie Finding Nemo????

JC: OK, so that didn’t work so well. Let’s try something different. How about the cliché that best describes you?

Dee: Oh, sorry. I suppose that was more than 15 words. OK, how about this one: Illegitimi Non Carborundum…“Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”

JC: I like that one a lot. I wish I knew that when I was taking Latin 101 in high school. What food do you consider yourself to be like?

Dee: Peanut Butter. I tend to stick around.

JC: So, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from and if you have a family.

Dee: I was born/hatched in Germany. in Munich. I grew up in Liberty Hill, TX, where I met my wonderful husband. He is from Minnesota so we moved up there. He then was transferred down here to Florida. We’ve been married for 20 years. He adopted our oldest who was mine from a previous marriage, and we had two more: Jeni, 22; Shelli, 18; and Sammy, 15. Jen just made us grandparents!!!!!!

JC: Mazel Tov! My parents are about to be grandparents, too. So, I know all too well the excitement that comes with that. I guess since you were born in Texas and then moved to Minnesota, that’s where the term “Texasotan” comes from?

Dee: Well....Ah waz raized in Teksus an met mah huzband thar. Then we moooved tooo Minnesoooota wheerrr he grew up, dooon’ cha nooo, eyyy wat? My accent tends to drive people nuts. Unless I get mad then I am ‘Pure Texun’!

JC: And what do you do for a living?

Dee: Up until 2003, I worked in the steel industry, manufacturing structural hangers and connectors. I did CNC programming for presses and drove a killer forklift. I was forced/chose to quit because I was diagnosed with Epilepsy and had to forfeit my driver’s license. Right now, I am a clerk in a dry cleaner. It isn’t too bad except when these stupid customers walk in wanting their clothes when I am trying to shoot something.

JC: If some distant cousin died and left you enough money that you never had to work again, what would you do?

Dee: Well, traveling around finding things to photograph would be great!

JC: Yea, that would be great. OK, that’s a nice segue. Tell us how you got into photography.

Dee: My Dad. He was always taking photos of anything and everything. He started a small business in the late 70s after he retired from the Army. Sadly, it didn’t work out for him.

JC: And what was your first camera?

Dee: A Kodak Instamatic! I photographed my first sunrise with it!!!

JC: What is in your camera bag right now?

Dee: My Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-125, Nikkor 50mm prime, Nikkor 100-300. I also have my Dad’s Canon AE-1, A-1 and numerous lenses, ‘pods and filters! I wonder if he is upset that I defected from Canon?

JC: If you could go anywhere in the world to take your ideal shot, where would it be?

Dee: Panama. Dad took me when he was stationed there in ‘73. I got some cool photos of the lock gates from an LCM. It would be fun to get some more.

JC: What’s your all-time, hands-down favorite picture that you took?

Dee: This photo I took of my son in the penalty box. It is not the best technically, but I like the emotion I captured without him knowing it at the time.

JC: What’s the craziest/stupidest/most dangerous thing you’ve ever done to take a picture?

Dee: Standing on a small island in the middle of a busy road trying to take a shot of a kid on a skateboard. The shot didn’t come out.

JC: What’s your favorite thing to take pics of?

Dee: Anything in nature.

JC: What’s the one thing in photography that you’ve never done, but would love to try?

Dee: Infrared! I have always thought it so awesome!

JC: Tell how you found this little forum we call YPF?

Dee: On a search engine. After lurking for a bit, I noticed that all threads are answered in some way or other. No one is allowed to rule, all are made to feel important regardless of skill level. In other words YPF is a level playing field.

JC: OK, here’s were we play some games. Let’s start with word association and the obvious: Photography

Dee: Nut

JC: NASA

Dee: Space

JC: Apple

Dee: Core

JC: Water

Dee: Fall

JC: Pin

Dee: Cushion

JC: Camera

Dee: Shutter

JC: Sepia

Dee: Aged

JC: Beans

Dee: Are not allowed in Texas Chili!

JC: YPF

Dee: RULES!

JC: Nikon

Dee: Sorry Dad!

JC: How about favorites? Movie?

Dee: Harold and Maude

JC: Book?

Dee: Anything by Stephen King

JC: Fruit?

Dee: Bananna

JC: Song?

Dee: “Hey Jude”

JC: Camera?

Dee: My Nikon

JC: Website?

Dee: The Website for The Schnitt Show, from a local AM radio show

JC: Historical figure?

Dee: Abraham Lincoln

JC: Historical time period?

Dee: Renaissance

JC: Ice cream flavor?

Dee: Vanilla

JC: And choices: Stick or automatic?

Dee: Stick

JC: Digital or film?

Dee: Digital

JC: CD or LP?

Dee: LP!

JC: Disco or Punk?

Dee: Disco! Showing my age here.

JC: Opera or Musical?

Dee: Musical

JC: Ben or Jerry?

Dee: Huh?

JC: Pen or pencil?

Dee: Pencil, I can erase my boo boo’s

JC: Beer or wine?

Dee: Beer

JC: Excellent. Who would you say has had the biggest influence on you in your life?

Dee: My Dad. When he would come home on leave he would take me everywhere with him. He never seemed to tire of my endless questions and would answer them honestly.

JC: Where do you get you inspiration when taking pictures?

Dee: From what others have done.

JC: What’s your advice to people new to photography?

Dee: Never compare your work to someone else’s in a negative way, learn from them. Never think you can’t do what another does. Keep asking the same question until you understand the answer. If you honestly look at it, my photos are not as good as many others. All that really means is that I need to try harder and learn more.

JC: And finally, what’s your greatest piece of advice?

Dee: Don’t ever think you know everything. If you do, then you know nothing.

Night had set on this coastal town. As I stepped back out onto the porch, I could hear the ocean crashing on the surf, could smell the brine in the air and taste the saltiness. They say that smell is the sense most closely tied to memory, and it is little wonder that nostalgia for my days working on the water tugged so strongly at my soul. I drove down to the beach and just sat there on the sand, watching the waves as the water was illuminated by the phosphorescence. Before I knew it, the back of my neck was being warmed by the morning rays. I roused myself back to the present, got into the car, and headed to my next destination.