Moonlight Sentinel

Last Friday night my friend Roger and I went out in search of the northern lights. The space weather forecast looked promising for a good showing of the Aurora, however nature had other plans. We watched and waited until almost 3:00 AM but never saw any lights. We did, however, experience some incredible moonlight. Almost the entire night there were these low-altitude, fast-moving clouds drifting by overhead. When we came upon this pine tree with the moon directly behind it, we knew we had to photograph the scene. This photo was made at 1:25 AM and was a 30 second exposure taken with a Canon EF 17-40mm lens.

Exploring Ocean Springs … the City of Discovery

Saturday, 20 April (Part I)
Shields RV Park — NCBC Gulfport, Mississippi
Temps: Lo 42F / Hi 71F (5.5C / 22C)

After a soggy Friday, having the forecast hold true for sunshine and comfy temperatures on the first day of the weekend was a boon.

We initially considered taking the once-daily (this time of year) boat trip out to Ship Island, which is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. With the temp at only 50F (10C) when we set out, it was just a bit too cold to be on the water, however, so we jiggled our “jello plans” and settled on exploring nearby Ocean Springs instead. Located on the east side of Biloxi Bay, the City of Discovery is about a 25-minute drive from Gulfport. The GPS routed us there via I-10 … probably because it was faster, but I would suggest the scenic Beach Boulevard/US-90 route if you’re coming from the west. That way, you’ll be welcomed to Ocean Springs by the little red caboose, and Crooked Feather.

Crooked Feather is a 30-foot (9m) sculpture depicting Ocean Springs’ origins as a colony of the American Indian. carved by Thomas King in 1999, the sculpture replaces the original one created in the 1940's by Peter Toth; it survived Hurricane Katrina.

Coming in from I-10, however, worked to our advantage as a minor mis-direction led us to the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is off the beaten path of the walking tour we had planned for ourselves.

Also on the grounds of the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial (on the right) is
a UH-1H "HUEY” Helicopter, the base for which was constructed by the Navy SeaBees.
Sharing space here is also the mast from the USS Mississippi CGN-40 (on the left).

The Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built in 1996 as a tribute to the men and women who served in that long and horrific war. Two black granite walls face each other. Engraved on the walls are the names of the 668 Mississippians killed in the war. The photographic images of many of the GI’s listed are laser-etched into the granite as well. Limestone and concrete walls surround the memorial.

The flags of the allied nations (Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, and South Vietnam)
who fought in the Vietnam War alongside American troops are flown at the memorial.

While all 50 states have memorials to the Vietnam War, the one in Mississippi is
unique in that engraved photographs from those memorialized are also displayed.

As we strolled around the grounds, we came upon the Tullibee Memorial, installed in recognition of the sacrifices of the nation’s submarine veterans. The Tullibee was lost after leaving Midway on 26 March 1944. The sole survivor and witness reported that the boat sank as a result of “a circular run by one of Tullibee’s torpedoes.” (If you’d like to read the story of the Tullibee, click here for the words etched in the center panel of the memorial.)

79 submariners lost their lives when the USS Tullibee went down in 1944.

Detail from elements of the Tullibee Memorial.

Left: The main mast from the retired Nuclear Cruiser USS Mississippi (CGN-40) honors Navy veterans.

Right: Memorial dedicated to the submariner’s wife. On the back are etched the words:
”This Memorial is dedicated to our wives and the hardships they went through
as they served with us.”

Our next stop took us to the L&N Depot. Formerly a passenger train station built in 1907, the building now houses the Chamber of Commerce. Our stop here was two-fold: to browse the weekly “Fresh Market” and also get tips on not-to-miss places on the walking tour. Turns out the market didn’t hold much of interest for us, but we did get to park at the Depot for free while we went on our self-guided walk around town.

“rusty art” is always good for a shutter click!

The handy-dandy walking tour map of Ocean Springs focuses on the many shops and restaurants that line the streets. There’s something to cater to every taste. But we weren’t there to eat … or to shop. We were there so Mui could get his “people-fix” and I was there to search out and photograph murals.

We must be “dope’s” since we didn’t buy any of the soaps sold at Queen’s Bath!

This post will go on forever if I don’t split it into two segments, so I am going to skip the murals — at least most of them — and the cultural center where we ended up spending far more time than we thought we would, and continue on with our post-lunch touring.

A quiet spot on the grounds of the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center makes a
great spot to rest and enjoy our packed-from-home lunch.

In researching things to see in Ocean Springs, I had come across mention of the not-to-be-missed murals at the Community Center. These are no ordinary murals, mind you. Painted by Walter Anderson, they cover an entire room. The one-page brochure describes them as “…completed in 1951 and valued at more than $30 million, cover nearly 3000 square feet [278 m²]. The images depict the discovery of Ocean Springs and the beauty of the coast’s flora and fauna.” These I had to see!

Turns out that we almost didn’t get to see them. The Community Center, and the adjacent Walter Anderson Art Museum, were being set up for a fundraiser and no visitors were being allowed in. Luckily, we were given a chance to take a peek and a couple of quick snapshots. All I can say is WOW! What a place!

Sorry about the bar running through the bottom half of the photos. There was a protective barrier in front of the murals. Bad for photography, but I can understand why it’s there.

Too bad the restroom door wasn’t incorporated into the mural.

After leaving these priceless murals behind, we returned to the L&N Depot, picked up the car, and drove over to the Biloxi Bay Bridge. But before we crossed over the bay, we detoured to Front Beach Road for a look see. The locals had come out to enjoy the sunshine and warm afternoon on the beach. Deciding to take a page out of their book, we parked the car near Fort Maurepaus Park and strolled towards the pier at the far end of the road. A wide pedestrian/bike path made for a leisurely 30-minute walk. Our reward — a couple of fearless great blue herons that were perched on the railings hoping one of the fishermen would drop them a little snack!

Of course, I could have stayed on the pier for the rest of the afternoon, never tiring of the photographer-friendly GBH. But Mui convinced me that I had enough photos already. When we drove away this time, we did go over the bridge and across the bay to Biloxi.

The plan was to drive straight home … but that was before I spied a tree sculpture on the Biloxi Town Green. Of course I had to stop and photograph it. We’ve seen quite a few tree sculptures on the US-90 median between Gulfport and Biloxi, but I have to say that these varnished/painted sculptures carved from trees destroyed by Hurricane Katrina did not have the same impact on me as the Katrina Angels did (post here).

Tree sculpture carved in July by Marlin Miller; painted by his wife.
The turtle's shell carving utilizes concrete that was poured into the
trunk years ago to minimize water damage to the tree.

As I wandered around, looking for the best angle to photograph the tree sculpture, my eye was caught by a mosaic mural and a black granite wall. Curious, I walked over to check it out and scored another bonus for the day by stumbling on the Biloxi Katrina Memorial. It was built in partnership with Roy Anderson Corp and the ABC reality TV show, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

The Katrina Memorial consists of a mosaic wave, a granite wall, and a sculpture
encased in glass. The granite wall is 12 feet (3.5 m) high, about the height of
the water during Hurricane Katrina's storm surge at the Town Green.

The names of the Katrina victims are etched on the wall.
The glass-encased sculpture consists of personal keepsakes donated by Katrina Victims.

When we got in the car this time, we really did head home ... arriving just in time to gobble down a sandwich and head to a free screening of Zero Dark Thirty in the temporary theater set up in the SeaBees Museum. The movie is the story of events leading to the capture of Osama Bin Laden. Probably not everyone's cup of tea — and I could have done without the four letter words bandied about — but we found the movie interesting. And to boot, we finally got to see the one-room museum that we'd tried to visit earlier during our stay!

A Little Birdie

I sat down at the piano at dusk tonight to play my troubles away.  As I was playing Bach, I heard this little bird outside the front porch window just singing its little heart out.  It was perched on the top of the porch swing with its head thrown back just singing away.
The phone rang, and while I was walking to answer it, I was fussing about our duet being interrupted and figuring that the bird probably wouldn't come back.  
Conversation over, I sat back down and began playing again.  After a minute or two, it again started singing to my accompaniment.  Another of life's grace notes; a gift from God.  

Sun Rays at Stairway Falls

Earlier this week Jessica and I did some hiking within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness just off the Gunflint Trail in northeast Minnesota. We did the Caribou Rock Trail all the way to where it intersects with the Border Route Trail at Rose Lake. This is NOT an easy hike! We were prepared for a tough hike, as all the guide books say it is a difficult hike and takes much more time than you would expect. Even so, the trail was much more rugged than we were expecting! You are pretty much always hiking either uphill or downhill and the hills are often very steep. So steep, in fact, that this time of year with the majority of the leaves already blanketing the ground, it can be very difficult to tell where the trail goes. Several of the slopes along the trail were more like goat trails than people trails. It's hard to believe that a trail was constructed through such demanding terrain.



The difficulty is worth it, though, as the sights along the trail are spectacular. You pass by 4 different lakes, 2 just outside the BWCA (West Bearskin and Moss) on the first half of the hike and 2 within the boundary waters (Duncan and Rose) on the second half. There are magnificent views of each lake as you hike past them on the surrounding hilltops. The last overlook of the hike is arguably the most dramatic as you sit on an open rock ledge high above Rose Lake overlooking the vast U.S./Canada border country that surrounds you.



The final reward of the hike is a visit to Stairway Falls on Stairway Portage, which connects Duncan Lake to Rose Lake. Stairway Falls is located within a beautiful rocky gorge lined with moss and cedar trees. We were there at just the right time of day to see some amazing sun rays penetrating down into the gorge from above the waterfall. According to the guide book, the hike was 4 miles from the parking area to the Rose Lake overlook, making this an 8-mile round-trip hike. According to our GPS unit, it was just over 5 miles from the parking area to Rose Lake, which would make for just over 10 miles round-trip. Whichever was right, the guide book or the GPS, one thing is for certain: this was a strenuous hike with rewards that made it well worth the effort to get there!

Know What You Want

I found a great article on a blog called Helen Jane. Here's the link:http://helenjane.com/../05/23/know-what-you-want/">
I made a list of what I DON'T want. :
THINGS I DON'T WANT IN MY LIFE
IN GENERAL
1. Negative people and/or people telling me I can't do something
2. Frantic activities
3. No margins
4. Being gone from home too much
5. No time for creativity
6. Being overweight
7. Sickness/Weakness
8. Spending too much time on minutia
9. Spreading myself too thin in time and/or relationships
10. Ungratefulness
What do I WANT in my life? The opposite of the above plus some.

Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium, part one

We just returned from the second annual Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium and we're still processing the experience and the photos. This was an unusual symposium for us because we attended as students, not as instructors. Alec took the BCU four-star training with Gordon Brown and Tom Burgh, while Sharon chose courses that would give her more experience paddling Pacific coast features like rock gardens and tidal races.

We've always loved Marin County, where the symposium was based. Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, the Marin Headlands were almost developed in the 1960s but saved by a lawsuit and protected instead as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Coaches and participants stayed at the Marin Headlands Hostel, a former US Army base now converted into a hostel and arts center, and classes were based in Horseshoe Cove near Sausalito.

An aerial view of Horseshoe Cove.We've visited this area more than a dozen times over the past two decades to hike the hills, explore the historic fortifications, and collect driftwood from the beaches. It's long been a favorite vacation destination, but we never paddled in the Pacific ocean or the San Francisco Bay. Until now.

Sharon, gearing up for a day on the water.

The symposium featured an all-star cast of coaches from around the world. (Check the website for the complete list.) But we were also drawn by the opportunity to meet many of the excellent but lesser-known west coast coaches who were the backbone of this successful event. We weren't disappointed.

Cindy Scherrer isn't a lesser-known west coast coach, but she is one of our favorites.

Ironically, we also spent considerable time with midwestern coaches Kelly Blades (an old friend) and Mark Pecot (a new friend). How odd to go 2,000 miles to hang with your home team. Kelly Blades, always on.Check back tomorrow for more about the courses we took and the things we learned.

Promises of Spring

My book review of Two Gardeners is in progress, and it's been perfect weather for digging – today's post will be photos and short notes: To prove that spring is coming, here’s a White-winged Dove perched among the swelling buds of my neighbor’s Saucer Magnolia. I didn't touch the color in the photo - the sky really was that blue today.
Mrs Quad posted photos of a fun Mardi Gras dinner at a restaurant on her blog – mine may not have been quite so authentic as hers, but our homemade version of Chicken Gumbo tasted fine, the Sweet Potato pie [infused with Southern Comfort] was pretty darned good, and a few of the camellia buds were open, so I floated them in a bowl on the table.
Northern gardeners have been asking for flower photos – before their gardens thaw out and we are taunted with a zillion pictures of lovely, unattainable tulips -my small bunch of Ice Follies daffodils are now open!
Amy Stewart managed to avoid the ice and arrive with the daffodils… I’m planning on going down to Book People this Friday night and hope to meet her. Flower Confidential has been getting great reviews everywhere. More information can be found on Amy's Garden Blog. Of course I have nothing to wear.

Mount Catherine ..

Scott had the day off and wanted to ski before Thanksgiving. I wanted to burn the calories that I was about to consume, so I happily obliged. The plan if there was good snow was to go yo-yo somewhere and have fun in the powder. However, it looks like we have hit the El Nino segment of our dark months with higher temps. This meant rain at the passes the day previous and a 10000' freezing level on the day of our trip.
Skinning up the slopes of Hyak
So we headed for Mount Catherine with the hopes of a summit. Chad joined us at the Mercer Island Park and Ride and we were on our way. The weather was clear and we saw a beautiful sunrise before arriving at Snoqualmie Pass to low clouds and fog. Instead of taking the Sno Park and forest road in as it seemed tedious. We opted for the skin up Hyak and over the other side. We followed forest roads (Nordic ski trails) down the other side a bit before leaving on a bearing across the North Face. After endless traversing through trees, we got to an open area which we confirmed with the map was the east end of the summit ridge. There were cliffs and no obvious way up, so we traversed more and more which reminded Scott and I about the Ski Patrol Race we had done back in February.
Heading into the trees
We occasionally crossed open slopes and contemplated trying to gain the ridge to the summit but we were having little luck. Our difficulties were exacerbated by the constant fog which made seeing ahead not easy and gave us little incentive to try and head up only to be confronted by cliffs. So we maintained a fairly level traverse and then we started seeing flatter terrain. We finally made it near Windy Pass and eventually saw a sign with an arrow pointing in that direction. There was a weather monitoring station there too, and some blue diamond trail markers. We stopped for lunch. (It was around 1pm.) The sun just barely came out briefly enough for us to see our shadows. Then we deskinned for a short ski down to another road. At this point we had forsaken our summit attempt and were content with a circumnavigation.
A more open area
Unfortunately due to the poor sloppy snow conditions and the ungroomed state of the road, going downhill on the road took almost as much effort as going uphill. We worked hard to make our way out and after it seemed like there would be no more downhill, I gave up on the skinless skis and stopped to put my skins back on as it seemed they would offer me better propulsion. They did, but Scott and Chad were out of site, and I did not catch up with them until the final downhill to the parking lot in the Hyak ski area. (Which was in more disappointing slop.)
Boulder field
Overall, I was happy to get out. The weather wasn't great, but that wasn't really a big deal. We knew going into it that the snow wasn't going to be so good for skiing, but it was more about the journey. Even though the road out was tiring and tedious, it was still better than being on snowshoes. Plus I think this is the first time I have circumnavigated a peak. Cool.
The road out

Spring Lightning

Last night saw the first lightning storm of the year come over Grand Portage Bay... at least, the first one that produced lightning strong enough to photograph. These images were captured from the beach in front of my house on Grand Portage Bay at about 1:30 a.m.

Rewards of the Simple Life

"To find the universal elements enough;
to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be
refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter;
to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated
over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring...
these are some of the rewards
of the simple life."
John Burroughs

X-Stitch: Pull Up a Chair and Relax

It’s cold here in Virginia today.  In fact, at 32F, it’s downright freezing.  But it is winter, and we’ve been lucky thus far with our temperatures, so we can’t really complain much.  That’s not to say that we can’t dream of a warm seaside location where a couple of Adirondack chairs invite us to sit down and relax.

Aaaah, yes … those chairs sure do look inviting.

Maybe I should go see if I can find an Internet special for a flight to somewhere warm :-)

(P.S.  For those who might have missed the earlier posts, this is a continuation of the series featuring my counted cross stitch art … most of which is now packed away in preparation for full-timing.)