photography and musings from a Midwesterner
From the monthly archives:
Yummy!
Anyone remember (you know – back in the good ol’ days) when homemade goodies were the norm for Halloween treating. I wasn’t allowed to wander too far in my trick-or-treating adventures – just a few neighbors and relatives – but I always came home with taffy apples, orange food-colored popcorn balls, and caramels fresh from someone’s kitchen. Yum!
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Red Maple
A few days ago I spent a long part of the day watching the outside from my window. Framed, there stood my red maple, not a big tree, but not small either. We planted it a decade ago, and maybe then it was 8 feet tall. Now it’s as tall as our two story house.
It was a gloomy day and the wind was twisting the tree every which way. Hard wind, gusty. Gray skies – a taste of what’s soon to come. The darn tree just stood there, and took all nature had to blow her way. Didn’t drop a leaf. Not one. I watched as the leaves all clung tight. I watched that tree for hours – it was that kind of day.
Yesterday the sun was bright, the skies blue and there was barely a whisper of breeze. As I looked at the tree, not a leaf was even rustling. The sun glistened on the leaves, highlighting their cinnamony-red color, and it was quite the resplendent image. But not for long. The leaves began to drop like crazy, gently twirling into a big pile at the foot of the tree.
Was nature offering me a teaching moment? What to make of the fact that with it so beautiful and quiet – now it was time for the tree to start shedding her finery?
Maybe earlier I needed to see an example of strength (the tree holding tight to her leaves) versus adversity (the high winds.)
And yesterday, the time was right to watch the leaves just let go and fall.
Life’s lessons are all around us, if we only pay attention.
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Moon Rock Window, sans Moon Rock
This is the second in a series of posts on the Tribune Tower on the Miraculous Mile in downtown Chicago. The moon rock is supposed to be in this front window facing Michigan Avenue. It is always here, wired to an elaborate security system. But the Friday I happened to be in Chicago, the moon window was filled with promo stuff about the Tribune newspaper “new look.” Unhappily for me, the moon rock was safely ensconsed in the building’s vault, and was not available for public viewing. Agghhh!
But it does give you an example of how the numerous historical stones are placed in the exterior of the building. Some 140 rocks, bricks, and even pieces of coral and metal, are embedded in this architectural wonder.
Coral from Fortress at Cartegena Colombia
This piece of coral is from the walled city of Cartegena, Colombia – one of the oldest cities in the Western Hemisphere. It was founded in 1533. Its walls, built in the 17th Century, are 50-60 feet thick and 40 feet high.
Twisted Metal from World Trade Center
Part of a steel beam from the Twin Tower site, this was added to the building as a permamnent tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 tragedy and their families.
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Queen Anne's Frosty Lace
Here’s the Queen with a bit of decorative hat. There is beauty even in the changes of the seasons, though I am fond of autumn’s color and mildness, and haven’t yet had my fill. I will have to keep autumn’s memory close by being satisfied with the photographs that stay – no matter how wild the weather gets outside.
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Caught
Autumn is definitely upon us. Everywhere I look there is evidence of summer’s long past retreat and autumn’s complete domination. Two of the trees in my yard are totally bare. Brown, crunchy leaves are spread under their empty branches, and while I find it rather satisfying to stomp through the noisy litter, I’m not too thrilled at the prospect of the raking job that is on the agenda for this week-end – that is, if it doesn’t snow as is predicted.
My red maple is still fully dressed, and lovely. Deep reds at the very top meld into bright reds and then orange-reds towards the bottom of the tree. I’ve been waiting for the sun to shine to take a few photos, but without any luck. It’s raining now, and I haven’t the heart to even check the weather report for tomorrow.
Lots of photographers seem to be attracted to the simple leaf this week. I’ve seen a few outstanding examples. A pair of brown leaves here, and here is another favorite, with a great twist, and then one more product of autumn’s touch, and finally one with a foreign flavor.
How soon until we are all taking photos of that white fluffy stuff? Too soon, I’m thinking. Way too soon.
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Painted Desert Inn in Petrified Forest National Park
Driving through the Petrified Forest National Park, one expects to see old rocks and scrub deserts and a lot of open space. But there is another treat of a different sort, right in the middle of the park – the recently restored Painted Desert Inn. The Inn has earned the designation of a National Historical Landmark. This designation was given to the Inn as a significant historic place with exceptional quality, which illustrates the heritage of the United States.
The inn was constructed between 1937 and 1940 in the Spanish-Pueblo Revival style and the interior spaces have an unusually high quality of design. There is a sitting room, dining room, kitchen and tap room in the main part of the building. Rooms were attached to the building, but each had a separate outside entrance. A generator provided electricity, and water was hauled from the closest town, Adanama, which was located 10 miles away.
When I spoke to the park ranger, he said the inn was located in the “absolute middle of nowhere” when it was in operation in the early 1940s, and only attracted a few truckers from nearby Route 66. The rooms – there were only 4 rooms and 2 of them were used by park rangers – were rather primitive, having bunk beds, a dresser, and outdoor facilities. The attached main building, however, was quite elegant.
Murals in Dining Room by Fred Kabobie
The murals throughout the inn are by the late Hopi artist, Fred Kabotie. During the restoration, art conservationists restored the murals using a technique where tiny dots of paint were applied to the design only where the paint had deteriorated. Much of the mural maintains its original integrity.
The inn was restored to its 1940s condition during the last several years, and it is just the type of place where I would love to spend a few nights, maybe even a few weeks. Maybe even a few months. I love this region! Out in the middle of the desert, no lights, a sky full of stars at night, and great vistas during the day.
Unfortunately for me, it no longer operates as an inn, but the building can be toured as part of a visit to the Petrified Forest National Park.
"I'd Like a Desert View, Please!"
If you drive on I-70 across Arizona, you drive right through the center of the park, though I’d recommend taking a break from the interstate because you cannot see the inn (and the really cool parts of the park) unless you drive on the main park road. Spending at least a few hours checking it out “up close and personal” is really a treat.
This building beautifully demonstrates architecture designed to fit into its setting. The simplicity of the lines and the desert color palette used to paint the inn are complementary to the Painted Desert setting. Truly a lovely building to explore if you are planning a trip to the park.
No way is this a “drive-by.”
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Painted Desert in Petrified Forest National Park
No saguaro or organ pipe cacti or other familiar succulents in this desert. The Painted Desert in northeastern Arizona really isn’t a desert at all – you need to go further west and south for real desert – but is located near short grass plains or desert grasslands. The Painted Desert is barren red Chinle mudstone. Various combinations of minerals provide the different coloration – red is iron oxide and the white is gypsum.
These formations were formed 220 to 225 millions of years ago, and though the rocks are not high, they are approximately 800 feet thick. No drilling for water through this stuff.
Badlands in Painted Desert
Unfortunately, we were traveling through the area in early afternoon. I would have liked to have captured the colors nearer sunset when the reds would reflect deeper colors. It is still an amazing drive, though, through an ancient world that is well preserved. An incredible number of fossils and archeological ruins are found throughout the park.
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Balanced Rock in Arches National Park
While Arches National Park in northeastern Utah is best known for its hundreds of red rock arches, many rock formations are almost equally as famous. Balanced Rock is one of the more well known, as it is easily seen from the main road in the park.
The uppermost part of Balanced Rock, a strong type of rock called Slick Rock sandstone, rests on a less stable rock known as Dewey Bridge mudstone. Since the mudstone erodes faster than the Slick Rock, top-heavy formations occur with some frequency. Eventually the weaker pedestals will wear away and Balanced Rock will collapse.
At dusk, the red hues of the rock are intensified, and it is quite impossible to drive past the rocks and not stop for a photograph. I would imagine anyone who has ever visited Arches has a photograph similar to this one.
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Mule Deer at Great Sand Dunes National Park
Crisp, chilly. I would have been cold if I hadn’t prepared for wintry mornings on the high desert. Everything was frosty, shimmery. Pinks and blues, too – a pastel sort of early morning.
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