Cause I'm done. Not the most inspired shot I could have crafted, but I'm bringing this thing in for a landing with no fuel and busted landing gear, and I'm setting her down in one piece, Hell or high water.  Special thanks to my good friends Sol, Kun, and Ryan for the hand modelling, and Joe for taking this picture for me. I'd also like to thank my beautiful wife for helping me more than anyone else, all year, and understanding me when I'm being real D-Bag.

Wow, that was a measurement of a year that I haven't experienced before. I'd love to craft a nice essay on what I've learned, mistakes I've made, successes, etc. but I am exhausted from filming last night, and about to do it again tonight. I didn't quite accomplish all that I set out to this year, and I left some questions unanswered about certain recurring characters, but dammitall, I did it, and I have to tell ya, it feels good. And of course, this isn't the end by any measure. I'm done posting everyday (like I even did that), but I will be making some changes to the blog and adding some features soon enough, and there may be bound paper in my future...once the New Year is in full swing. But for now, I will rest, or rather, tomorrow.

Happy New Year to all of you, and thank you, thank you, thank you for all the support, comments, forwards, questions, yada yada. Much love, and happiness, to all of you. Please drop a quick comment if you've been following along at any point during the year.

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My very first shot on the blog, January 1st, was of the Avett Brothers, playing New Year's Eve of 2009/2010. I'm at the Asheville Civic Center again this year, but mainly shooting timelapse footage this time. Two days ago, the boys played a show at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, to a sold-out crowd. It was a great, great show, and I was able to shoot stills all night. Thought this would be an appropriate second-to-last shot for the blog.

Plus one extra:

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Walking around town the other day, I was poking my head into the windows of old, interesting buildings, and this caught my eye.

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Not often that Eastern North Carolina gets 10 inches of snow in 24 hours. Christmas Day at 11:15 pm, we saw the first flakes by the bonfire. This shot is two days later, as we got our sled on in the only hills that the coastal plains can offer, the slow slump from farmland down to the river. B-E-A-utiful! Click the pano to view a larger version in a new window.

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The Meeting of Raven and Coyote was tense, at first anyway, and I thought there would be some serious scrappin' to be seen. My instincts weren't off...but I'm getting ahead of myself. Hit the jump to see the whole story.

It happened on the eve of the Winter Solstice. Raven and Coyote, face to face once again, after untold years; Raven out for blood, and Coyote on the defensive. Instead of a fight, they set up a table and pull out...a backgammon board. I guess the rules of engagement between our animalistic demigods dictate something less climactic than all-out war. Well, it made sense, actually. A Gentleman's Game, on the Winter Solstice, under a full moon? I can see how these two old pagans would be into that, but still. Watching the game, I was hoping for more action, and soon found myself bored to tears.

355/365: A Clear Victory.

But as I watched, I witnessed nothing less than the total annihilation of Raven, by Coyote. The dog was kicking the bird's ass. Victory was close at hand, and I started to think that with the defeat, Raven would have to be on his merry way, and I'd be stuck with Coyote till spring break, at least. Crazy, never knew Coyote could play so well, but then again, it's really just how the dice roll, right?

356/365: Cheaters Never Win.

Whoops. I spoke too soon. Apparently Coyote, that old Trickster, can't help but cheat if he thinks he can get away with it. Not sure if it was animal spirit magic, or just a pair of loaded dice, but Raven called him out on it before the game was over by abruptly tossing the whole board in his face, and standing up to reveal that he was indeed packing some heat. His sword was out in a flash of moonlight...wait, the moon. The moon seems to be darkening on us...

357/365: Sword of Raven.

Holy shit! Raven pulls out this freaking blade and starts slicing the air like the Samurai Chef. After this quick warmup, he starts moving in on his opponent. I back way up, certain that we're about to have a headless Coyote on our hands. Note to self: don't cheat against Raven.

358/365: A Good Defense.

Again, I spoke too soon. Where he kept them till that moment, I do not know, but all of a sudden Coyote is wielding some shit straight out of Teenage Mutant Ninja Dogs. Is this how they used to roll? Feels more like feudal Japan than ancient North America. Ok, now we have some action on our hands...but damn, something is going on here, it's getting darker and the light is turning funny. I'm starting to get the creeps.

359/365: Battle Royale.

What started as a simple game of backgammon has now escalated into an all-out ninja slicefest. I'm watching this transpire, my mouth agape, looking around for some other witness to start placing bets with. The night has turned bloody red, the moon darker and darker...

360/365: Locked in Embrace.

Raven came down on Coyote like a lighting bolt. Throwing up an x-block to stop his skull from being cloven in two, it sounded like thunder as they clashed. He stopped the killing blow, but Raven was bearing down, and had the high ground...and then, just as and it was looking like Coyote was about to break, and it would be ended, they finally saw what they had missed as the battle ensued...

361/365: A Rare Event.

The eclipse had reached it's peak, as had the battle, and as both the demigods saw it and knew it for what it was, they released their death lock and dropped their weapons. Call us old-fashioned, but like me, they apparently believe in omens. There hasn't been a full lunar eclipse on the Northern Winter Solstice since 1638 AD, and they both were around for that one. Seeing it, they instantly knew that they were not meant to come together to spill each other's blood, not this night. They stood and watched the ruddy glow till it began to lighten again, then they walked together, into the forest, without another word. Since that night, I haven't seen them, and we had a party the next day, and they never showed up. Very strange though, I think I can hear music coming from deep in the woods...no, that's gotta be the wind. Right?

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Well, they finally come face to face, once again. I say 'once again,' because Raven and Coyote have a history, surely. Both tricksters in various mythologies around the world, they've played many a practical joke on each other over the years, even teamed up on more a few. I hear they once even had a band together, but I don't think there's any bootleg demos left floating around. Now, like John and Paul, the animosity appears to be too great for reconciliation...Raven is here for blood.

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Looks like Raven finally has a bead on Coyote. With all the swiftness that 750cc's can bring, he's on his way. To my house, I guess. Man, this better not get ugly. I've been minding my own shit, and now I got a war coming to me. I don't even know, is he staying over? Do I have to entertain my coming guest? What's a Raven drink, anyway? Probably...Guinness.

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Not sure if Coyote knows what's coming, but I'd get the hell outta dodge if I were him. The very sky seems to be darkening with Raven's approach. Oh, wait, the sun just went down. My bad. I always forget how early it gets dark this time of year.

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We had ourselves a wintery mix in NC last night and today, and it gave me the opportunity to catch up here with a little series of shots. Hope you like.

346/365: Wintery Mix #2.

347/365: Wintery Mix #3.

348/365: Wintery Mix #4.

349/365: Wintery Mix #5.

350/365: Wintery Mix #6.

I knew Coyote's antics would bring down the pain somehow. Of course it would be his old frenemy, Raven, who may indeed be the original Trickster, depending on who's mythology you subscribe to. He may have even created the world, or freed mankind from a clamshell, or at least given us the sun. Yes, I think that was it, he stole the sun and gave it to Man, or something to that effect...Whatever his original claim to fame, it must have been a mighty long time ago, because his aspirations seem a little less lofty nowadays. These days, he's content to ride a fell Nordic wind around the earth, or maybe an old Triumph, looking to right minor wrongs as he encounters them. Drought got your crops limp? Raven brings the rain-pain. Stop light on the fritz downtown? Old Crow directs traffic till they get'er working again. Splinter in your foot? Jesus, man, the guy can only be in one place at a time. Quit whining.

But it looks like Coyote has ruffled the feathers of Raven with an old .22 and an overly aggressive sense of Fowlitcide. Now, like Washington, he's coming. I know as animal spirits and  fellow denizens of the shadow world, they have a certain responsibility to be cordial with one another, and indeed, they have been friends before.  But all past loyalties aside, Coyote seems to have really pissed off the Bird, and it looks cloudy on the horizon, not a good sign. Demigod versus demigod in a...what, fight to the death? I dunno, never seen how these cats roll. Huh, cats. I guess that's one thing they'd probably agree on...that I shouldn't refer to them as cats.

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