Jeff Lubeck

Small Film Leaves a Large Footprint – Peanut Butter Falcon

In Hollywood’s drift towards almost complete devotion towards Big, Branded, Franchise type movies, the endearing Slice of Life film has effectively been kicked to the curb. Independent films (and their ilk) reached their peak in the early 1990’s. Frightened, the big studios established (or purchased) firms that appeared to be independent from the Mother Ship. Today, per plan they are long gone.

Peanut Butter Falcon is small yet an extraordinary film that provides its viewer a wonderful escape from the noise of everyday life but operates within it at the same time.

From Lead to the smallest character role the performances are note-worthy if not uncanny. The reason is that top drawer actors appear to have taken smallish roles, but are rewarded with the ability to leverage from a terrific script and show off their skills.

So Long, But Not Good Bye

On Thursday, Linda, Kyle and I said so long to a friend of 15 years, but not good bye.

Shae Dog (SD), the Queen of the current Lubeck Dog Posse – Shae, Merry [Christmas], Valentine, Sage, Willow & Cousin Harper – moved on to Heaven Today.

With assistance from the able and exceptionally considerate crew of Mountain Human, SD moved quietly, graciously, and comfortably from this life to the next. The three of us were with her all the way. We adopted SD from Mountain Humane (previously known as Sun Valley Animal Shelter) 15 years earlier (almost to the week).

Late Wednesday afternoon and into the early evening under the warm cloudless skies of fall-time Idaho, we played with all the dogs in our spacious backyard. Thursday morning we had a final Cup of Joe with SD under the same beautiful conditions on the campus of Mountain Human.

SD was the the second of four dogs we have adopted from Mountain Humane. Sweetie Dog (a female McNab Border Collie) was the first. Maverick Dog (a male McNab Border Collie) was the third. Merry [Christmas] Dog is the fourth.

SD was an exceptional athlete and devoted to her family. SD had a fast twitch and a slow twitch.

Kyle and & SD playing Frisbee

For the fast twitch, SD in her prime could not be out-run by any dog in retrieving a thrown Frisbee. SD held a Frisbee in her mouth last night.

SD at the Summit of Gray’s Peak

For the slow twitch, SD was my training partner (along with the remarkable Andy White and the unequaled Karl Meltzer) for Ultra-Marathon races in the Mountain West. A number of times SD ran a training session of 40 miles with 12,000 vertical feet of gain at my side.

Like other members of the Lubeck Family SD was a movie-a-holic. SD often sat by my side with her head in my lap watching thousand of viewings in our movie theater – only to run up to the 10 foot screen when animals appeared.

Perhaps, best of all, SD was a great communicator. She could signal her intentions or understand mine to an exceptionally high degree.

The namesakes for the MESH Art Gallery are Merry [Christmas] and Shae Dog.

Instead of mourning a loss, I celebrate the gift of having SD in my life.

Linda and Shae Dog at the Grand Mogul.

Linda and SD on Redfish

SD on Top of Lubeck Ridge in Winter.

SD in Goat Greek Meadow at the Cabin.

The First MESH Art Logo.

The Popular Images that were taken with Merry & Shae at my side.

Tall In The Saddle © Jeffrey H. Lubeck – MESH Art LLC

Fall Sunset on The Pioneers from Minebender © Jeffrey H. Lubeck – MESH Art LLC

Farley Lake & Parks Peak from Imogene Peak. © Jeffrey H. Lubeck – MESH Art LLC

Irish Spring on Carbonate © Jeffrey H. Lubeck – MESH Art LLC

First Day of Fall – One For The Books

The truck at the summit of Railroad Ridge as viewed from the top of Peak 10,817

It is about 4:08PM (Mountain Daylight Time) on the First Day of Fall. I look down to my truck from just below Peak 10,817 in the White Cloud Mountains of Idaho. The descent remaining is about 532 vertical feet with the pitch (as measured on the CalTopo relief map) being between 35-45 degrees until the very bottom.

It is a great day to this point, and I do not plan on screwing it up by falling on the descent to my truck. While the valley floor and the Salmon River and additional 5,000+ feet below are sunny and a wonderful 69 degrees, I am currently situated in calf high snow covering a loose talus slope at a steep angle and 45 degree temperatures.

Luckily I planned for these conditions. I have equipment to assist in getting me up and down with 42 lbs. of camera gear on my back.

My goal is to complete a 2nd reconnaissance of the high peaks in the White Clouds and establish if the vantage point of Peak 10,817 will produce shots I desire. The answer is a yes.

My plan is to get sunrise shots in the next week or so and then sunset shots at the height of Summer next year. The angle of the sun at each time year will be perfect.

From the summit of Peak 10,817 the view to the north of the Chinese Wall and down into Crater Lake is pretty compelling

Calkins Peak from Peak 10,817

The view to the south of Peak 10.817 is astounding. Before me is Chinese Peak (11, 238 ft.), Calkins Peak (11,487 ft.) and White Cloud Peak #10 (11,102 ft.) They are the 7th, 2nd, and 10th higest peaks above sea level in the White Clouds. The highest is Castle Peak (11,815 ft.) which I climbed in 2013. Calkins Peak is named after Steven Calkins a Miner who prospected the area.