Roseate Spoonbills on Big Slough

Roseate Spoonbills on Big Slough
Roseate Spoonbills on Big Slough
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Boundary Waters

I wrote the following during my solo time in  Quetico- the Canadian side of the Lake Area.  But it applies equally to all the protected lands that have been dimpled by glaciers leaving chains of lakes. And the pictures are from this trip since I wasn't taking pictures on that long-ago trip.

Boundary waters - waters of marshy streams playing with the unending tresses of grass as they wind sensuously through the pike's grassland home and past the beaver's lodge.



Boundary waters - blackwater lakes where the walleye play and the water is deep and cold, giving rise to the mist mares of morning and the clouds of evening.



Boundary waters - whitewater eruptions within placid streams or at the juncture of lake and stream - boiling, hissing, rising, falling.



 Boundary waters - singing waters - tiny melodies against the grass, exuberant concerts of the waterfalls, smaller chorus of the rock gardens, the chant of waves on rocks - carrying the song of the white throated and song sparrow, the melody of the hermit thrush, the eerie call of the loon, the foghorn bellow of the moose; then filled with an almost perfect silence, interrupted only by the whisper of wind or splashing of water along the shore.



Boundary waters - reflecting the pewter bark of birches, dark green spruces, light green, pink, silver, and golden moss, pale green ferns, grey, black, reddish rocks, and pink and white clouds, somehow more than doubling their loveliness.  Reflecting white gulls, the black and white of loons, the red and gray of the mergansers flying only feet above its surface.


Boundary waters dimpling with fish feeding, water striders striding, dented by fishing gulls, rent by diving beaver, osprey, otter and loon.


Boundary waters - from liquid to vapor to liquid again on my tent and on the trees and mossy earth which soaks them up to hold against the drying time.



Boundary waters - the stuff of life; the stuff of dreams.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Best City for Senior Health?

We are learning that seniors can modify their brain heath by eating the right foods, getting aerobic exercise, and changing their activities and environments. I think that if cities competed for the best locale for seniors, Santa Fe just might win.

I thought this while on my early morning walk through the area surrounding the plaza, and then on a second, early afternoon walk along Canyon Road. The walks completely engaged my mind, and I anticipated finding another jewel around every turn.  And the jewels included art, architecture, and gardens. I also passed the oldest church in the United States as well as the oldest house, at least in Santa Fe, and stopped to learn a little about their history.  If I lived in Santa Fe, I would want to go to a different locale every day and walk until I couldn't put one foot in front of the other. And if I was rich, I'd want to stop at a different eatery every day and try out an entree I'd never had before. The city offers all sorts of cuisine, including that based on Indian foods,  and hotel chefs that compete to be the most famous. And I'd take shorts trips out into the countryside for even more stimulating activities.


Great mix of art and architecture 

Great Egrets

Statuary for sale

Street Art - just add water

Steel Art

Beautiful arch with view

Head from building blocks
San Miquel Church - build in 1610 by Talxcalan Indians
Oldest House
Artful arrangement
Apache Plume beauty

Graphic art as building detail

Leaf art

Architectural detail

Puma with geraniums
Statues for sale
Artful fountain
Resting rabbit
Storefront beauty
Scissors wins
Because of all the art, beautiful views, and wonderful food, I left Santa Fe felling exhilarated.  Now if I could find a spring, summer of fall job near this wonderful city, I'd be able to visit more of it. Past visits have made me want to see more of the surrounding area as well as other parts of the city. The railroad area is another place where one can spend an entire day when the farmer's market is open. And on one trip, I got to go to the International Folk Art Market, which was a wonderful experience. Then there must be hundreds of museums, galleries, and churches to visit. (We tried to visit the Native American Museum just across the street from our hotel, but it was closed on Tuesdays.) Several pueblos and archeological sites are nearby. A ride to Sandia Peak by the sky tram is a thrilling, scenic way to access the trails. There is hiking and biking in summer and skiing in winter.  Heck, I could move here in ten years and never run out of things to do before I die. And I bet my mind would stay healthy until the end of my life.

I've scheduled this and the next blog to come out while I'm traveling, mostly off the Internet.  I'll be visiting campsites and interesting places in Eastern Montana, northeastern Wyoming, South Dakota, and Minnesota for two weeks before paddling in the Boundary Waters for eight days.