Gnome House
by Ralf Rohner
Title
Gnome House
Artist
Ralf Rohner
Medium
Photograph
Description
I discovered this burnt tree stump while scouting for nightscape compositions along the Big Sur coast.
After shooting some other compositions, I returned to this spot after nightfall and immediately started setting up my tracker. During polar alignment, I heared a voice behind me: "What are you doing here?"
"I am the astrophotographer you met in the afternoon and as I told you, I came back to capture the Milky Way."
"I haven't spoken with anyone for quite some time and you certainly didn't tell me anything!"
"Huh? Aren't you the camper I talked with in the afternoon?" I turned towards the voice, but I didn't see anybody in the dark. "Where are you???"
"Here"
As I still couldn't see anything, I switched on my headlamp.
"Stop blinding me you clodhopper!" the voice growled.
Now I noticed a tiny manikin in the dry grass in front of my feet. I switched off my light and almost tripped over my tripod behind me. "What the hell!"
"No reason to be rude!" I heard.
"I... I didn't mean you..." I stammered.
"Yes, you did."
"OK, maybe... but what the heck... sorry... what... umm... I mean, who are you???"
"Never seen a gnome or what?"
"Huh? No way!"
"Now how have." the little guy said laconically.
"I guess so... pleasure to meet you. I am Ralf."
"We will see... You can call me Adan. Once again: What are you doing in my backyard?"
"Backyard??? I am a landscape astrophotographer and I am trying to photograph the Milky Way above the burnt tree stump over there."
"That's not a tree stump, that's my house!" Adan snapped, but after a while he accepted my apologies for trespassing and we started to talk about the beauty of the starry sky and I showed him some of my images on my phone.
Finally, he allowed me to photograph his home, but when I asked him to pose for one my images, he said: "Dream on... and don't complain about the light in my window!" After that, he stomped away.
I finished my shots and called it a night.
The next morning, I wondered whether this encounter had been real or just a bad dream after inhaling too much 'fumes' coming for those nearby campers. I hiked back to the gnome house, but all I found was a burnt tree stump...
Uploaded
October 26th, 2021
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