Happy Frank
Sorting through my photos (ie deleting, labelling, cropping and the like) I came across this
shot of Frank which I took two years ago in a bar in the middle of nowhere Nevada. The town,
Beatty, is at the end, or the beginning, of the road which takes you through Death Valley. I have
posted about it before, way back in the early days where the cobwebs have now settled and I am
too lazy to find the link and post you back to it but it's here/there somewhere . . .
I haven't always lived in New York. I have lived in many places, some of which can safely be
described as the middle of nowhere. Yet Frank is everywhere. We are all of us everywhere
and, truth be told, anywhere is only as exciting as we choose to make it.
New York, New Jersey, Nevada, places far and wide and in between, it's sort of all the same to me.
I take my hat off to Frank, one of the happiest people it has been my pleasure to know. That a
simple photograph should bring back a lifetime of memories . . .
If you are ever out that way you can find Frank, and his friend, in the Happy Burritos Chili Bar!
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EDIT: Courtesy of www and Flickr sharing, where would I be without it when I am too lazy to
toddle into Google for checking up loose memories, but the place to go in Beatty is -
HAPPY BURRO CHILI & BEER!
Rumour has it Frank is now with his daughter in another town. Rumour also sent a salute from Frank,
see Comments below for link, another view of Frank in fine form!
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Nice shot. A story that makes us meet Frank and imagine. Thanks for sharing it is always nice to know what happens in other parts of the world.
Adiós
Carlos
Thank you dear Carlos and one day I hope to make it to your wonderful part of the world, Cruz del Sur!
Super duper post Patti! Loved it. Margie
Thank you Margie, it was great fun!
Loads of character. Great shot!
Hasn’t he just! Many thanks Elena!
Good shot. How was the UK? There I was thinking Nevada was a hot and dusty place. They are all well rugged up even wearing beanies. I love the kind of nuggetty characters shown in this photo. It reminded me of ” No Country for Old Men. It takes a good eye to have taken this shot..
The chill in the air came from the bitter cold and heavy snows up in nearby Yosemite, and this was in March! Frank was such a gregarious character but then every bar needs a Frank. His friend, in the middle of the shot, is a deaf mute.
Still here in the UK, all fine and back to overcast sky and fine drizzle after days (!) of beautiful, intoxicating sunshine!
What a rich photograph. There’s as much character in the room as there is in the faces of Frank and his mate. Nicely seen Patti.
That bar sure does have some layers to it, thank you so much Geoff!
(Love the embrace of Aquarius in your new shot!)
I love black and white, Patti, especially when the photograph is gritty. Been out that way myself, but not Beatty. Coming down from Mammoth Mountain on the way to Vegas, we stopped in Lone .Pine, before crossing Death Valley. Mount Whitney restaurant has loads of old black and white photographs of movie stars who filmed westerns nearby.
Wow, Mike that’s a fabulous journey and I am sure you have some great shots! I will put Mount Witney on the list as I do hope to be out that way again. We stayed at Panamint Springs which had loads of old-time photos all over their walls, it is fascinating country and not difficult to imagine the stories that became Hollywood westerns.
What did you think of Vegas?
Brash, highly commercial, expensive. Second time we’ve been there. First time we were taken in by all the garish lights. Second time we used it as a base. Grand Canyon, Boulder Dam, the desert. Went to see several shows and only went in the casinos to get to the car or get out in the street…
Vegas certainly exists in a world of its own doesn’t it! It has a fascinating history.
What a great character. You just gotta love this guy. Would love to hear his stories. For some reason Joseph Mitchell’s stories of Joe Gould come to mind.
This is where strangers in town come in handy, particularly when the locals know all the stories! 🙂
Now that’s a grand memory to have and to share!
Blessings to you, Patti!
My pleasure, thank you so much Annie. I’m sure you must be collecting quite a few stories on your travels!
Like click don’t work. Picture is America. It could be Nowhere Anywhere.
Nowhere and everywhere, we take our pick! 🙂
‘anywhere is only as exciting as we choose to make it.’…..words to live by. I will look out for Frank next time I am at the Happy B Chili Bar, or at my local for that matter. Have a great day.
Thank you MBL, I look forward to hearing tales from your local!
Simply wonderful, Patti!
Thank you Anette, he has the “happy” touch!
An authentic bit of Americana – wonderful.
It’s still out there, beyond the malls and car parks! Thank you so much Alessandro!
Frank looks like a great character. Bet he’d be fun to share a beer with. Very nice shot – the composition’s brilliant.
He was great fun, he even gave us a guided tour of the establishment – the mens’ room has a Harley handlebar set up on the wall, just in case you’ve had too much to drink and need to get a grip. He was well chuffed with it! I have pictures but really, you have to be there to experience it for yourself!
Great photo. It also makes me wonder what the person in the back is looking at. It seems like there’s something going on outside the frame.
Thank you Cardinal! I think she was talking to some people just outside the frame, there was quite a crowd but then it is a small bar!
Such wise comments, Patti – we are all of us everywhere and anywhere is only a exciting as we choose to make it – so true and well put. You do seem to bring out people’s best – Thank you.
BB, that’s very kind of you to say! I have to admit though, the bar on my excitement level isn’t terribly high, it doesn’t take much!
A good thing, that you are easily interested, hence not terribly jaded, hence open and responsive, hence your creativity. OK, enough!
What a wonderful face – I can picture him panhandling in the past – came out west for the gold and never left. Great portrait Patti 🙂
The places we end up! Frank came out to Beatty over 30 years ago from St Louis, Missourri and never made it back – I think he prefers the Nevada sunshine, good for his health! 🙂
It’s a wonderful portrait, Ms. K! I love how you’ve included a bit of the environment of the Chili Bar… I love those additional little clues it provides about / into the world of Frank and his friend…
🙂
Thank you SiG, a little PBR sure does go a long way! This reminds me of the house we bought years ago in London from an old Scotsman who decorated the house in his favourite pub style, nicotine stains and all! A little nostalgia sure does go a long way . . . 🙂
That’s a wonderful portrait, Patti. I love your description.
You are very kind, thank you Karen!
lovely portrait 🙂
Learning from you Joshi! 🙂
love everything about this character and the background surrounding the image – so glad you found and shared this moment !!
Pat, don’t you just love the internet, Flickr etc etc? Someone sent me a salute from Frank – more to love!
love it !!! Frank says it all in that one shot ;-{)
Your extraordinary openness, Patti, is what makes anywhere, everywhere, equally exciting. I guarantee you, if I’d been in Beatty that day, I wouldn’t have seen Happy Frank. (I might have seen Frank, maybe not.)
Like all your viewers, I thank you for these gifts.
(The followup (via your link) is pretty interesting. More like what I might have seen.)
Patti, Frank’s picture and story are all your senses in rhythm, great presentation, I love your work.
A delightful portrait. You have really captured the spirit of Frank, and the black and white adds character to the image.
An unforgettable face for sure Patti! And perfectly captured.Thank you for sharing him with us 🙂
What a great character, and I love your words..some sadness in those eyes somehow too..
Great portrait anddown to earth story.
I don’t drink but if I did, I’d raise a glass to Frank.
You captured a hard lived life …. Super …
I bet he has a contagious laugh … this is a wonderful and honest portrait, Patti 🙂 You made a valid point in this post about us being everywhere, and anywhere being as interesting as we choose it to be 🙂 Thank you *hugs*