Opening Shot Dissected…

Regarding the July 2013 Opening Shot of Pat Garrett and crew sitting on the dock: This building is new, the corners of the adobe have not rounded off with time, they’re crisp. The sign is not faded. Judging from the shadows, the picture was taken in the later afternoon.

It was in the early fall, and crisp. Garrett is wearing a heavy coat that he brought with him, telling me when he left home, he knew the days got cool in the evenings. The leaves on the small tree are full; it had bloomed all summer. The wind was blowing, the leaves are blurred and the guy sitting next to Garrett is holding onto his hat. Were these guys fixing a screw-up that day? We know Garret built Martin Corn’s adobe house about this time. Did he build this building?

If he did, he had problems. When the building was built, the door was put in at the right height to back a wagon up to it. However, when they built the loading dock, they screwed up. The first time they put in the dock, there was a six-inch step down. They didn’t take into account they’d want to roll the hand dolly out onto the dock (the hand dolly is to the left, on the dock). They were forced to rip out the dock and raise it. Look at the beams, under their feet, holding the dock. They notched the beams, nailed the floor joists into the notch, then built the dock. I know they finished building the dock before they caught the screw-up. Then they ripped it out to raise it. How can you tell? Look at the steps on the right side of the picture. They’re upside down. They built the whole thing, tore it out and raised the dock!

—Steve Sederwall, Lincoln, New Mexico

Original Letter from Steve Sederwall of Lincoln, New Mexico:

I love the pictures you put in TW. I’ve seen most a number of times but when you have them on two pages and blown up they come alive. On page 5 of the July issue with Garrett on the loading dock is just cool. Was the picture taken after these guys fixed a screw-up?

This building is new, the corners of the adobe have not rounded off with time, they’re crisp, The sign is not faded. Judging from the shadows the picture was taken in the later afternoon. It was in the early fall, and crisp, Garrett is wearing a heavy coat that he brought with him, telling me when he left home he know the days get cool in the evenings. The leaves on the small tree are full, it had bloomed all summer. The wind was blowing, the leaves are blurred and the guy sitting next to Garrett is holding onto his hat.

Were these guy fixing a screw-up that day? We know Garret build Martin Corn’s adobe house about this time. Did he build this building? If he did he had problems. When the building was build the door was put in at the right height to back a wagon up to it. However, when they build the loading dock, they screwed up. The first time they put the dock in, there was a 6 inch step down. They didn’t take into account they’d want to roll the hand dolly out onto the dock. The hand dolly is to the left, on the dock. They were forced to rip the dock out and raise it. Look at the beams, under their feet, holding the dock. They notched the beams, nailed the Floor Joyce into the notch, then build the dock. I know they finished building the dock before they caught the screw-up. Then they ripped it out to raise it. How can you tell? Look at the steps on the right side of the picture. They’re upside down. It’s a half-ass fit. They build the whole thing, got an ass-chewing and tore it out and raised the dock. Look at the scab work on the front and side of the Floor Joyce, that says the had the dock build and raised it. They had to scab on to it to make up the 6 inches they raised the dock. You can also tell the building is not that old because the notch in the beams is still real light and has not weathered with time, also the steps are a makeshift fix and none of the boards on the deck are turned up on the end or bowed as will happen after a season.

I wonder if these guys are the ones that raised the dock. It would have taken about this many men to lift it up, set it aside and replace it. The steps are just leaned up against the dock, the bottom of them have not worked into the ground as would have happened had they been used much. The are not nailed into place. Do you thing tomorrow, someone is there building a new set? The building more then likely was was put up that past summer, these guys raised the dock and then had their picture taken? Hoping we would not see the dock screw-up. It looks like a fresh construction site, notice the can that could be a coffee can laying in front of the guy working on the buggy.

I love the opening shot.

Thanks,

Steve

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