Robert is in town. He spent New Year’s Eve in Dallas with his lovely girlfriend Katie at a concert by his favorite band and personal friends Brave Combo, whose career and music he has followed for nearly 20 years.

Robert’s just passing through, but even for short periods it’s fun for us to make pictures, which we did all day. In the afternoon we took Abby’s truck to town to gas it up and wash it, and at sunset we drove around downtown Ada looking for the light.

Tonight after dark we made our way to the back yard for one of my favorite country-life chores, burning the brush pile by the garden. We got it going very nicely, then of course had to photograph it. Robert was particularly instrumental in orchestrating our imagery.

It was a perfect clear, cold and still night, and by the end of the evening, a summer’s worth of elm and mimosa was up in smoke, complex and elegant conversation had taken place, and many photographs had been recorded.