We live on a heavily wooded peninsula. It is nearly surrounded by the sea except for a small land mass on the South/Central end. We are connected to “modern times” by ferries and bridges. It’s a different, but special, life style that we have chosen for retirement. We enjoy the geography and wildlife here. We look for a new trail to hike each week. Sometimes the trails are recommended by friends or guide books, other times we find them by poking around on our own.
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A Sign of the Times, Vacationing in Coachella Valley
We love spending time visiting Coachella Valley in December, visiting friends and family. Only no one was going in 2020. We had to get out, so we packed up the car and headed west for a two week road trip anyway. In our planning for the trip, we knew some of the things we normally do would not be open. However, our favorite thing to do wherever we vacation, is visit National and State parks. This was still an option.
We stopped in West Texas and Arizona for rest and to visit friends, but our ultimate destination was a vacation rental in Indio central to several parks. Shortly after we arrived, California went on a serious lock-down. We even got an emergency alert on our first hike. That night, we had a nice dinner at one of our favorite outdoor dining spots, then stocked up on groceries. We would spend the rest of our time hiking and picnicking during the day, then cooking meals hunkered down at “home” each night.
The Art of Trees: Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island
“Nature can live without man, but man cannot live without nature.” Prentice Bloedel has been refered to as the reluctant inheritor of his family’s timber industry. After making his living in it, he spent a lot of time and money making up for it. He believed that nature improves lives and created this lovely reserve to be shared.
The Art of Trees – Orcas Island Madronas
I love trees and artful expression of trees. If I’ve had no recent revelations to blog about, I can always express myself through the art of trees. I was recently travelling with these arty folks again. We all love photography, painting and looking at art. Per chance, we rented a house on East Sound, right next door to Leo Lambiel’s home and art museum.
We arrived in time to experience our first sunset on the pines and madronas on our bluff. Even though my Mom’s family is from and still lives in Washington, I don’t recall noticing madronas on earlier visits. I wasn’t familiar with their curvy branches and stunningly red bark. They always look like the sun is setting on them. Here on Orcas Island, we were constantly reminded of their presence in natural settings as well as in the community’s artwork. Continue reading
The Art of Trees – Santa Fe
My holiday road trip on and off Route 66 took me to Santa Fe for a couple of days. It was a week into the new year and crowds were thin. We were able to wander the town square and other areas taking pictures without waiting on people and cars to exit the frame. We stayed just off the square at La Posada de Santa Fe, also known as the art hotel of Santa Fe. Filled with original works of art for sale, it was perfect. Also perfect, was the Georgia O’Keeffe museum. Here are some “tree-full” memories from the Santa Fe art scene and landscape.
Triptych in the lobby of the hotel by Kim Barrick.
The Art of Trees – Arizona
I recently spent a week driving from Southern California to Houston Texas with a photographer friend. We drove from Indio, CA, through Sedona, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon South Rim, Santa Fe, Amarillo, and finally home over the period of a week. Along the way we travelled through the Navajo Indian Reservation and intermittently on Route 66. Our primary mission was to photograph rock formations and Route 66 memorabilia, but then there were also trees. Not as many trees as we were used to (living in The Woodlands, TX) but still beautiful trees. These are my favorites from Arizona.
A lone tree near The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona.
The Art of Trees – Painting on the Go
One of my readers challenged me to do a travel blog. When I travel, I prefer to enjoy the experiences and not be considering how I will write about it. Integrating a travel blog with my love of art and trees was the solution. Continue reading
The Art of Trees – Part 2
As I mentioned before, I love trees. I didn’t really know this about my self until after I retired, had more time to look around, and noticed the theme of art and photography in my home. I’m not sure how or why it started, but…trees. Here are some of my favorite artistic images of trees.
Joichi Hoshi (1911-1979) was a Japanese wood block print artist. I learned about him from my Mom. She gave me a couple of his pieces as gifts and had a few in her own collection. This particular print was produced and purchased in 1973 when we were living in Japan.
The Art of Trees – Part 1
European Black Pine in Sapporo, Japan
Creative Pension Payment: More Time to Appreciate Nature Continue reading
ARTISTIC PENSION 
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