Bob Bobarazzi Ryan (Thirstydog) Pastel of 2008 Athens to Atlanta (A2A) based on Roadskater.net Photo

I finally got around to asking the thirstydog himself, Bob "Bobarazzi" Ryan if I could upload his pastel of one of my photos (see the bottom of the article for the pastel). He explained that it is one of his favorite spots but not one where he usually has his camera out (I agree and until this year with a smaller camera, I think it was the same for me). Bob said...

Thanks for all the great pictures over the years. You have one in particular that I have tried to capture each year I've skated A2A and always seem to have the camera put away for. I love the sense of the hills so I did a little chalk pastel of it in my sketch book. I thought you might be interested in how it came out. It's picture number 081005083106.jpg.

I don't know if the pics from my small Sony DSC-W120 are better or worse (sometime one or the other I think) but I get more good chances since the smaller camera is comfortable to carry most of the day without putting it away as often. It's also easier to get high and low angles. As with PDA's (remember those?), notebook PCs, and other gadgets, the smaller one is the one you often use, better or not.

Anyway, regarding the pastel... Great job, Bob, and I am honored that one photo meant something to someone who loves A2A like you do. I like the tire tracks and oil spill marks, whatever they are, especially.

As I recall I zoomed in to collapse the distance and make things look more undulating and a bit jumbled together. I noticed the white vertical tree trunks and poles and the light hitting the right side of the road there, the left looking cool and comfortable.

I also remember thinking while skating that those telephone poles looked like the crosses they used to hang criminals on around 33 AD or so. Images of painful death are often mixed with dreams of glory on the road from Athens to Atlanta. I note from the photo title that this was only an hour into the skate. Had I been asked to guess I would have said it was closer to Dacula. 

The original photo is here...click for a larger view... (c) roadskater.net 2008 and all that...

The photo is from this page and set...

http://roadskater.net/photos/athens-to-atlanta-roadskate-a2a-2008-87-mile-road-inline-skate/081005083106.htm

http://roadskater.net/photos/athens-to-atlanta-roadskate-a2a-2008-87-mile-road-inline-skate/index2.htm

...and it is geolocated as item 178 in this 3D Google Earth photo set so you can see where it is on the route...

http://roadskater.net/photos/athens-to-atlanta-roadskate-a2a-2008-87-mile-road-inline-skate/20081005-a2a.kmz

Coordinates: 34.00327802; -83.55582110
Altitude: 257.0m
Country Code: USA
State/Province: Georgia
City: Statham
Sublocation: Talasee (historical)
Copyright: (c) 2008 Roadskater.net. All rights reserved.
Keywords: geo:lat=34.00327802; geo:lon=-83.55582110; Georgia; geotagged; Statham; Talasee (historical); United States
Taken Date: 10/5/2008 8:31:10 AM-04:00

 

Don't forget to check out Bob's website at http://thirstydog.net. It a gateway into skating in the Chicago area from beginner to racer level, as he want to share skating and help people learn and grow in the land of little wheels like we do here.

Pastel Image ©2008, Bob "Bobarazzi" Ryan, All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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