Oil spill has become a dirty word these past 30 years. The term conjures up videos of seals and shore birds being rescued from a sticky black, death-dealing stuff our civilization depends upon.
Yet, as a child, I always enjoyed the sight of very, very minor oil "spills"; more likely a few drops of gasoline or oil spread on the pavement, preferably wet.
I guess the automotive designers are doing a reasonably good job of sealing leaks these days, as I don't often see these little rainbow scenes on a driveway or at a gas station.
Of course, the reason may simply be our dry climate. We are, after all, warned that a rainstorm following an extended dry period may result in very slick and dangerous driving conditions.
In any event, when I see such a patch, I can't avoid photographing all those colors. But: where did the red go?
Oil spill has become a dirty word these past 30 years. The term conjures up videos of seals and shore birds being rescued from a sticky black, death-dealing stuff our civilization depends upon.
Yet, as a child, I always enjoyed the sight of very, very minor oil "spills"; more likely a few drops of gasoline or oil spread on the pavement, preferably wet.
I guess the automotive designers are doing a reasonably good job of sealing leaks these days, as I don't often see these little rainbow scenes on a driveway or at a gas station.
Of course, the reason may simply be our dry climate. We are, after all, warned that a rainstorm following an extended dry period may result in very slick and dangerous driving conditions.
In any event, when I see such a patch, I can't avoid photographing all those colors. But: where did the red go?
Great pictures, with the textures that you captured they remind me of melted dichroic glass.
ReplyDeleteAh, why I love your blog, GJ!
ReplyDeleteYou find beauty in every day things.
~Anon in AV.
Maybe that which delivers 'red' has wafted away due to volatility???
ReplyDeleteHermano
You know what I miss? The smell of gas before all the additives, when I was a kid (back in the 50's) I though gas smelled wonderful, I would crane my neck out the truck window to get a good sniff, now it just smells funky.
ReplyDeleteSuper shots. Like snow flakes, no two will ever be the same.
ReplyDeleteYou ain't just a kiddin' about how slippery roads are in a dry climate when they finally get rain.
ReplyDeleteOnce I was executing a routine right turn in Sin City after a dry spell of six months duration. My trailer started sliding sideways half way around. Very scary.
Oh yes, I used to love the oil slick rainbows as a child too...but I don't remember there ever being red in them.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos.
windy -- the colors also remind me of abalone shells and dark mother of pearl (same thing?)
ReplyDeleteanon av -- everyday things fascinate me, as does kitsch!
bro -- Strange business, the red, huh? Now that i think about it, I don't recall any strong red in those abalone shells, either.
az -- hey -- now that you mention it, I recall absolutely loving that gas smell when I was a kid. If I remember correctly, people used to get high on that. Way back when!
steve -- and, if there's the least bit of movement in the air, the patterns shift again and again.
boonie -- scary! We started to slide across the pavement on SR9 heading toward Phoenix one day during a monsoon storm.
jarvenpa -- welcome! I think rainbows where not expected are true magic for kids!
A bit late...you are very observant to see this beauty in an oil spill!
ReplyDeletePetrol sniffing is and has been a real problem dominantly with aboriginals in the bush. So much so that a special additive is used in these areas.
ReplyDeleteHermano
diana -- let's just say that I look for rainbows in all the usual places...
ReplyDeletebro -- I wonder just what it is about gasoline fumes that is so attractive...