To ring in the new year I’d like to share the following quote:
To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the ap- probation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in oth ers; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a. bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation. To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived – this is to have suc- ceeded. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)
I just finished reading Jon Krakauer’s Where Men Win Glory, which I think is a suitable book to mention on this day. The book gave me a fresh perspective on the events of the past decade as well as the events of the two decades leading up to 911. So much has happened in the past ten years, and one thing I have learned to appreciate is how much the people in my life mean to me. More than money, more than jobs, more than my dreams and aspirations. And in reading the news, I have a deep sorrow for those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. I can only hope that in the years I have remaining I have the courage to stand up and speak the truth, and to work for peace and justice. God help me. I’ve posted a gallery of images of the Flight 93 Memorial in Union City, California. These are photos taken for the landscape architect, Robert Mowat and Associates, that designed the memorial.
To celebrate Earth Day I’m posting a photo I took yesterday on Ring Mountain, one of my favorite open spaces in the Bay Area. Flowers were quite plentiful and it was a great day for a walk. I was hoping to find some Tiburon Mariposa Lillies in bloom, but it seems like I was a bit early. I found a couple of plants with buds in early stages. I found it very refreshing to be out and enjoying a fine spring day, and it was a bit of a challenge getting out the door, with all the demands to keep me tied to my other commitments. I left feeling a bit overwhelmed with the tasks on my to-do list and returned with a sense that I had reset my anxiety level. I always find it refreshing to spend time in nature.
On the morning of February 14 I found myself walking across the Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley National Park. This has become an annual trip. On this morning I was up early looking for opportunities to create photos of the dunes. As the sun started to strike the dunes, this bush came alive as if it were on fire. By the time I got in position to capture the photograph I was after the lighting had changed a bit, but I think it still makes a nice image. What do you think? While I spend a fair amount of my time capturing images of designed environments including buildings and landscaping, I was reminded this morning that Nature always seems to know better than we do when it comes to design.
I’ve been reading the Winter 2010 issue of Desert Call, a publication of the Spiritual Life Institute, and the following quote from an article by Daniel O’Leary is what I would like to share with you as a Christmas meditation:
It is we ourselves, lit from within by the radiance of God, who are called to be those candles of hope.
And the photo I’ve selected was one I captured recently on a family trip to Hope Valley in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. More photos are available in my Photoshelter gallery.
A spire of wood stands over a group of curious people during a walk through the grounds of the Presidio. The spire is the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy, an artist that works with objects he finds in nature to create installations that are somewhat ephemeral. In this case the spire may last for several decades. We encountered this piece, and another piece, Wood Line, on a walk through the Presidio. Starting at the officer’s, club we joined a guided tour that led us on a walk through forests of Monterey Cypress and Eucalyptus to a clearing where Andy had installed the spire. Our tour occurred on a foggy day, which gave the event a sense of mystery, and as people gathered around, I had a sense of some timeless tradition where people are drawn by some monument that points to the heavens. Why is it we are drawn to such places?
The work was funded by the Fore-Site foundation, an organization that has funded several art installations on the grounds of the Presidio, in partnership with the Presidio Trust. The walk took us to a second piece by Goldsworthy, which is still in progress, Wood Line, Wood Line is conceived as a celebration of the Presidio’s historic forest. If you re looking for something to do that is off the beaten track of the usual tourist haunts, visit the Presidio. You can view more photos taken on the walk here.
A few weeks ago I was listening to the radio when I heard the phrase “Don’t Complain, Don’t Explain.” A Google search led to a number of references including a reference attributing the quote to Henry Ford. I thought this was quite profound quote, but perhaps difficult to practice. What are the fruits of complaining? Let’s say I’m stuck in traffic, and I find myself complaining. I end with the attitude that I’m entitled to clear traffic and everybody else on the road is in my way. In essence I’m right and everybody else is wrong. What if I were to choose another way of being in this situation. Complaining has a selfish spin. It puts the focus on me. It makes me the center of attention. What if I can turn it around and make it about the other person, the people around me, the community. What if I can create a position of relationship and partnership and make it about building community? What do you think?
Our fall color trip this year took us to the Eastern side of the Sierra. We started our trip with intentions of driving through Yosemite and over Tioga Pass, but the weather had different plans. We left Berkeley on a the afternoon of Friday, October 22, and once again convinced ourselves that leaving the Bay Area any later than 2 pm is not productive. We arrived in Groveland about 8 pm, staying at the Groveland Hotel, a quaint and comfortable place to stay with a fantastic breakfast spread. We had our dog with us and the Groveland Hotel is pet-friendly. On Saturday morning we made it as far as Crane Flat, where we discovered that Highway 120 was closed. We had taken our time enjoying breakfast and being on vacation, we missed the opportunity to get over the pass by must minutes. Another rule to note while traveling; if winter weather is threatening, get moving while the going is good. Heading back down the mountain and up over highway 108 was a bit sobering. We arrived in Bishop about 5 pm, including a few stops to take in some fall color.
We thought that we had missed much of the fall color, but as we headed over Sonora Pass and down the east side we saw quite a bit of color in the willows, cottonwoods and aspen.
From Bishop we spend a couple of days exploring Rock Creek and Lower Rock Creek, the latter with a few mountain bikers that were happy to model for me as they rode through the aspen trees. I’ve put together a gallery of images.
One of our family favorites for backpacking is the Twenty Lakes Basin in the Hoover Wilderness . What makes this such a great location is that it is a short hike into the basin and you are in some spectacular scenery. You can even cut off a couple of miles by taking a ferry across the lake. We noted that the demographics for hikers seemed to be families with young kids or elderly folks that may not be up to a more strenuous trek. The basin is at about 10,000 feet, putting you in the sub-alpine, with a few groves of pines scattered here and there. We located our camp in a grove of trees above Cascade Lake with easy access to fresh water from a pond near the camp. From our camp we did a five mile hike one day around the lake basin, going clockwise around the loop. When we first discovered this location about 15 years ago it was pretty much off the beaten track, even though it is just outside Yosemite National Park, just a few miles east of Tioga Pass on 120. This trip we did see a few other backpackers and quite a few day hikers doing the loop trail. An overnight visit to the wilderness area require a permit. You can obtain a permit at the Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center (get there before 5pm), or at the Inyo National Forest – Mono Basin Visitor Center in Lee Vining. I’ve posted a few photos from our recent trip in a separate gallery. You can also view a panoramic VR image of North Peak captured near our camp at dusk.
Our drive from Seattle to Mount Rainier gave us a clear view of the mountain against a blue sky. We were traveling on a Saturday afternoon, and rather than risk the campgrounds being full in the park we opted to camp outside the park. We pulled in to the Big Creek campground on Highway 52 and discovered that it was full, so we drove about eight miles down the road and found some dispersed camping. Our campground was in a clear-cut area, the absence of trees gave us a clear view of Mount Rainier. It also had the advantage of downed wood for firewood, so we had a nice campfire and my daughter pulled out her guitar and we sang a few songs by the fire. The next morning found us in the fog, hiking the Skyline Trail, which made for a nice 5.5 mile hike. While the mountain evaded our view, there was something magical about walking through the sub-alpine meadows with wildflowers and elfin forests, with some of the plants looking like something out of a Dr. Seuss Book. Our hike took us back to Paradise by way of Myrtle Falls, Once we were back from our hike we headed to the Paradise Inn for hot coffee and tea, and to admire the architecture of a grand building. A few photos from the trip are posted here.
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