Beautiful Jill-o-lantern in Osaka, Japan
Dia De Los Muertos was passed today with shopping, good food and time spent perusing old photographs of our ancestors. Hope your day was wonderful too.
This post inspired by Marsha’s PPAC # 69
Til next time ~ Blessing ~JP
Our Sunday Stills color challenge this week is apricot so I thought we’d take a stroll through some apricotty spots around the world
North Rim Grand Canyon, North Rim, Arizona. One of the many trails we hiked during our visits, we spotted this little fellow atop an apricot boulder having a little snack.
Apricot-colored skies are an ill omen in Westfir, Oregon. The color is created by the sun brightly shining behind a column of wild fire smoke We were evacuated the next day.
As we travel farther west, we find this beautiful apricot tipped bromeliad at the Dole Plantation garden on Oahu, Hawaii.
Next we go a bit farther afield to Osaka, Japan where we visited the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum. Fascinating museum where you can have a sake tasting, or prowl about the museum and gift shot, or both. We particularly noted the apricot toned painting depicting the sake brewers at work.
Traveling on we come to Queenstown Botanical Garden in Queenstown, New Zealand. Here we see an apricot-colored support pole for a branch of a massive old oak tree. The pole is hand carved with ferns depicted on all sides. A beautiful combination of form and function.
As we cross Lake Wakatipu we come upon a bit of apricot poetry artistically mounted in the retaining wall, again in Queenstown, NZ
“Days releasing meteorological balloons into a delicate apricot sky in this landscape we invent as it invents us – from rock, flake and springwater, from a skiff of froth tumbling over a weir into the afterglow of the aurora.”
That’s my apricots around the world for today
This post inspired by Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge – Apricot and Marsha’s PPAC # 63
Til next time ~color my world with hope and apricots ~JP
“If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle ’em with bullsh*t” ~unknown
A look at some Not Bulls from my travels
Buffalo anatomy in Custer, SD
Sacred Bull statue at Kodai-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Peahorse? Horse statue with peacock written all over it 😉 Shelbyville, KY
Inspired by Marsha’s PPAC #62
Til next time ~ Stay Trippy Hippies ~JP
Our Sunday Stills prompt this week is “under construction” and I must admit, I’m not one to take pictures of construction much. It is seldom appropriate to photograph road construction between rants and building construction is generally driven right by without stopping to investigate, so I found myself somewhat stymied, until I realized that, heck, my WHOLE LIFE is under construction, or maybe re-construction, but you get the point.
On August 27, 2021 a catastrophic hail storm hit Rapid City, SD. For 20 minutes fist sized hail stones pummeled our lives. The financial loss was significant but paled in comparison to loss of our entire way of life. It became clear that we could no longer live full-time RVing and that massive rebuilding was required. So, we repaired what we could, sold what we could, wrote off the rest and started to reconstruct our lives.
We turned the page and began a new adventure. A few years ago “adventure” meant traveling overseas to work with factories while the sporting goods lines we developed were under construction.
These days it’s all about those mundane adventures. Sitting on the deck and watching the goslings grow oh so fast.
or scoring pirate booty at our local farmer’s market, fresh, beautiful bargains.
Or reminiscing about our travels while exploring the Asian Grocery store in our new home town. Ahhh pineapple cake, how I have missed you my old friend.
Checking out the art at our local library. Here an exhibit of Fanell Scudder an 83-year-old local resident.
Of course, there are also family bonds under construction. Here one exhausted wanderer with son and two of the grandsons. For fifteen years they’ve seen me no more than twice a year and yet we take to each other like the geese to water. I do adore my boys.
And, as always, I watch the moon.
This post inspired by
Terri’s Sunday Stills – Under Construction
and Marsha’s PPAC # 61
Til next time ~Would you like to have an adventure now or would you like to finish your tea first? ~JP
Welcome to another walkabout. Today we’ll be taking an oh-so-short trip via the boardwalk around Grand Prismatic Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park.
Located in the Midway Geyser Basic in Yellowstone National Park, it is the largest hot spring in the United States. It was named for the prismatic colors ranging out from the central pool.
The bright, vivid colors are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The mats produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll and temperature of the runoff.
In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green.
Other beauty abounds nearby including some tiny little wild flowers in a mustardy hue.
Although the surrounding area is covered with pines and prairies, the Midway Geyser Basin itself it barren of trees for obvious reasons. We came across this painting in a coffee shop which reminded me of the stark dichotomy of the abundant life and barren landscape.
There you have it, I said it was quick! This post was inspired by:
Terri’s Sunday Stills where our monthly color challenge in Mustard
and Marsha’s PPAC #60 where we can always find diverse artistic expression
Til next time ~ stop, look around, be amazed ~JP
In the Eastern Panyu district of Guangzhou, China, lies the Lotus Hill Resort. Famous for its temple and numerous scenic sites and, you guessed it, public art.
The first thing that catches the eye is, of course the Lotus Pagoda at the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. The pagoda itself is one of the oldest landmarks in Guangzhou, carrying nearly 1500 years of history. This octangular pagoda stands 57.6 meters tall, the tallest pagoda in Guangzhou.
The pagoda towers above the grounds but my eye wanders to the gilded rabbit statues. Rabbits are considered the luckiest of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac symbolizing mercy, elegance and beauty.
Ahhh, my old nemesis … stairs. Lots and lots of stairs, but worth the climb looking out over the Pearl River delta.
At the top of the hill, we find the largest statue of Guan Yin, Goddess of Mercy in the world. Standing over 130 feet tall, the statue was originally cast in 1994 using over 120 tonnes of bronze and 180 taels (that’s about 230 ounces) of gold in the coating.
And finally we make our way to the lotus ponds, their gentle serenity and exquisite beauty marking the end of our walkabout.
This post inspired this week by Marsha’s PPAC #59
Til next time ~Have the courage to be kind ~JP
I have a confession to make. I am NOT a summer kind of person. I do so prefer the crisp cold air of winter, the gleam of new snow, the smell of apples and cinnamon. That said, there are good things to summer, so let’s take a little Walkabout of Summer Good Things.
Swimming Pools, blessed relief and beauty too. I love the water feature.
Bar-B-Ques, here DS mans the grill at the park for the family reunion.
Butterflies and Buddleia even in the striking heat of summer they provide a bit of color and whimsy.
Found art among the flower beds.
And a stroll along the creek trail. Here in Rapid City, a memorial to our fallen officers.
This post inspired by:
Terri’s Sunday Stills where our theme is Summer
Marsha’s PPAC 58
That’s it for today, til next time
~ Fall’s coming baby ~JP
Greetings sentient life forms! Today I thought we’d take a tiny (and I do mean tiny) walk about Rachel Nevada, take in some high desert scenery and art.
Welcome to Rachel, Nevada, elevation 4,840 feet. Above, an exhausted Rver stands beside the Time Capsule Beacon.
In case you can’t make it out, the plaque reads:
On the eighteenth day of April, AD 1996
Twentieth Century Fox dedicates
this time capsule and beacon
for visitors from distant stars,
to the state of Nevada and the
“Extraterrestrial Highway”
This time capsule will serve as a beacon
to be opened in the year A.D., 2050
by which time interplanetary travelers
should be regular guests of our planet earth.
Alien face mosaic of local stone at the base of the time capsule.
Side of the restaurant/gift shop/motel check-in building. Rachel’s population was 48 as of the 2020 census and I think most of them worked here at the A’Le’Inn.
Rachel is the nearest “human” habitation to Nellis Air Force Range and Area 51, located along the scenic(?) Extraterrestrial Highway where, apparently, parking rules are strictly enforced. And, Yes, there is an “Area 51 Do Not Cross Use of Deadly Force Authorized” sign and NO I did not hike out into the desert to take a picture of it.
This post inspired by:
Sunday Stills – Deserts or Desserts
Marsha’s PPAC # 57 – where we find that Aliens are everywhere
Til next time remember:
“There is no unknown, only that which is temporarily hidden.” ~James T. Kirk
~Peace ~JP
Speaking of road trips, we were speaking of road trips weren’t we? We didn’t make one this year. We had plans to take a road trip to Paradise and tiny hamlet on Lake Michigan with BIL and his family, no RV, just car and motels. Shortly before our scheduled departure date, Superhubs’ diabetes went brittle, again. Our destination resort is some distance from medical care and I was uneasy about the trip so we ended up canceling reservations and deciding on a “staycation” instead. Then, lo and behold, the day before our intended departure date, Hubs tested positive for COVID and 3 days later your truly followed suit. So, no road trips or even staycations this year. I thought perhaps we’d take a short trip down the old memory lane to last fall.
We left South Dakota and our beloved Optimus Lite (our 5th wheel) along with 15 years of life on the road as full-time RVers behind with a grateful prayer and a thankful heart on October 31, 2021.
Our first stop was Sturgis, SD where we (OK I) indulged in a final taste of that South Dakota delicacy known as “cactus bread.” The next morning Superhubs had his annual cerebral MRI and we headed out.
In all honesty, about the only stops we made or pictures we took were at roadside rests and restaurants. We made the entire 1325 mile trip in 3 days (which is a LOT of driving for a couple of spoonies). Above a quick stop at a rest area in “quilt country” I’m sorry I’ve forgotten what state it was in. There were quilts and quilt art everywhere including this tile display on the exterior walls which I found fabulous enough to warrant a quick pic.
Ahhhh FALL!
Along the way I was graphically reminded what I have missed so much the past 15 years – FALL! I am such a fall kind of person and it’s such an incredibly short season in most of the states we’ve lived in over the past decade and a half. WOW, I so totally needed that.
Finally, we entered the Bourbon State. I always thought Kentucky was the Bluegrass State but apparently, they’ve kind of changed their marketing focus. *insert rolling eyes*
It is, thankfully, still known as the “Front Porch of the South” and possibly the “horse statue and reference” capital of something I’m sure.
Finally, after many long months of waiting and working, the plans all finally came together and we watched our first sunset on our new porch.
This week’s walkabout inspired by:
Sunday Stills – Road Trippin – do pop over for some great virtual sightseeing
Marsha’s PPAC #56 where things are going full circle
Til next time ~ Keep you feet on the ground, but keep reaching for the stars ~JP
Today I’m taking us back to River Rock Roasters in Laverkin, Utah. We saw examples of tabletop art last week, and today we’ll take another look.
Heading into the building, we are greeted by some fun whirlygig wind sculptures. Fascinating to watch and really appropriate for an area where the wind blows every day. The adjacent town, just about a mile south is named “Hurricane” for good reason.
The place is half coffee shop, half art gallery for local artists. Nearly everything on the walls is “for sale.” Here two epoxy pour paintings. They reflect light very well (see the ceiling light in the “blue marble”) and have intricate designs and depth.
And, of course a quote from Royden Card a favorite local artist
Heading out, we must stop and admire the view. I always make it a point to admire a daytime moon and in the crystal clear skies of southern Utah it’s so worth it.
And so, we head on out, leaving the River Rock Roasting Company behind as we resume our travel.
Passing through the Virgin River Gorge the walls of the gorge are massive and steep, prime public land for rock climbers. Captured this little slice of gorge wall looking out of the car window as we went by at 60 mph. 😉
Linking up to Marsha’s PPAC # 55 do pop over and enjoy a bit of horsing around. 🙂
Til next time
~May your Mondays be short and your weekends be long
May your memories be sweet, and your coffee be strong ~JP
Wide Eyed Wonderings 