Science! Psuedo-science! Nature! Art! Nonsense!
March 18, 2019
hiking, nature, trees amy, armstrong redwoods, armstrong redwoods state natural reserve, california, california coast, gem, giant redwoods, guerneville, hiking, nature, photography, redwood, trees, video 1 Comment
Whatever you do, make sure you visit the amphitheater (though this time of year it might have better been called the “amphibian-theater”). Also visit a winery and catch a buzz before you park the car.
The posse
Amy dwarfed by a giant redwood
The band at the crest
Crown
More crown
March 18, 2019
hiking, nature, ocean, Photography, trees california, california coast, David Joseph State Park, hiking, nature, pacific ocean, photography, Russian River, shell beach, sonoma, travel, video 1 Comment
On a beautiful Spring day (one of the first for months) we went to the edge of the continent with Uncle Jim and Chloe. Just south of the Russian river is Shell Beach and across Highway 1 from that is a nice set of trails traversing the coastal hills.
All told, we may have hiked 3.5 or 4 miles.
From the Pacific
Vernal mud on the trail
Spring mushrooms were everywhere (irises too)
To the fern forest
Then it was back down to the ocean.
December 24, 2018
mixology, nature, party, Photography fire, full moon, music, party, solstice, solstice fire, solstice party, turn the sun, video, violin sword fight 3 Comments
The weather cooperated spectacularly for the 2018 solstice party. The rain cleared for a day or two. The moon was full. It was a crisp cold night with a beautiful sky.
Our ritual of gathering good friends from all walks of life every six months took place again without a hitch. Thanks to all who came to help us turn the sun.
Sunset before the party
This year, the fire lighting was cheered on by a rising full moon. The fire caught quickly and burned hard and fast.
Full moon and unlit pile
Lighting (time to run away)
Lots of people arrived for the lighting this year
Every solstice party is different in interesting ways. This year lots of people showed up for the lighting at 5:45. Then the BOILO got the party rocking. The lighting is always a sight to see.
The fire gets going
2018 solstice fire
The moon was incredible and lent a silver tinge to everything.
The barn was alight in party mode
This year the unplanned potluck food supply was great with chilli, meatballs, sloppy joes, fried chicken, and even krispy kreme donuts. The barn bar took a licking. Gonna need some serious restocking before summer!
Sorry about the terrible Christmas music in the barn. That’s just how it goes. At least there is a disco ball.
Marco. BOILO! There’s nothing quite like extremely local product.
A violin burns
Possibly the most ridiculous and surprising part of the evening was the violin sword fight instigated by Josh Henry (my trusty and talented violin and bow repair guy). Unbeknownst to everyone, Josh brought three dead rental violins to the party. So when we got them out and started sword fighting vigorously with them and then threw their remains into the fire, the 20 somethings who were already wondering just what those old people across the fire were all about, freaked out. They thought just for the smallest moment that I was destroying my actual violin.
LOL! Got you.
There was lots of music this year. It started early and went late. Thanks music makers! We love playing with you all.
Late night the music continues
Ember glow
I know, lets do it again this summer!!
Moonglow (picture by Amy Barley)
December 3, 2018
nature australia, beaching, ferry, ocean, picnic, point lookout, sharks, stradbroke, straddie, water taxi 1 Comment
Part of the fun of the Yow Conference circuit in Australia is the days in between sessions. We were slated to sail a huge catamaran in the ocean, but the seas were too high. So we refactored with a visit to Stradbroke Island.
Here’s how that went.
Ferry from the mainland to the island on a bus!
A picnic lunch with the fellow geeks and beer.
A walk on the Point Lookout trail
Spectacular cliffs (and a couple of sharks)
Kangaroos in the wild
Gelato in “town,” followed by a dip in the (pretty damn cold) ocean. The swim was wild.
Beaches
Water taxi back to mainland.
The seas were rough on the way back as the sun was setting.
Amy, leader of geeks made us all get wet!
Instigator
A warm shower back at the hotel was welcome indeed!
December 1, 2018
flowers, hiking, mountain, nature, Photography, plants amy, australia, blue mountains, day trip, gem, hiking, katoomba, nature, photography, sydney, train, video 1 Comment
A two hour train ride outside of Sydney, you can find the tourist hamlet of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Tourists have been coming here since the turn of the century (1900). Katoomba itself reminds me of West Virginia in its old coal town turned bust turned tourist vibe. You can now find hipsters and artists in residence.
We took the train out in the morning and spent several hours walking from the train station to a trailhead, down the cliff face, and back up again.
Highlights on the mountain visit include the three sisters, the giant stairway (976 steps!), waterfalls, and the steepest railroad in Australia.
We started our morning at Sydney central
The two hour train ride is a little long. The tourist center by the train station is well worth a visit. That is where we finalized our plan.
8things cafe. Great food and super service
Cassiopia coffee (recommended)
We walked from the station to Echo point (2.3 km).
The Echo Point visitors center
This is where we first caught sight of the famed three sisters. Which we saw many times throughout the day.
Three sisters from Echo Point visitor center
Three sisters from the echo point trail
Three sisters from the trail
Three sisters from just above
Honeycomb cave (at the three sisters)
Three sisters from below on the Federal trail
Three sisters from Scenic World gondola
Here’s what happened in between. After honeycomb cave, we entered the giant stairway. Lots of stairs down (976 in fact). Amy did not do them all.
This is an alternative way to get down the stairs (not recommended by our attorney)
Not here
Here
Flowers and bromiliads
Amy
AMY
A tiny fiddlehead against the mountains
Down
Flowers on the mountain
Looking down 500 feet
The blue mountains
Amy contemplates
Cliff hangers
Amy takes the stairs with a monk
Cliff hangers and rare species
Eventually, we entered the rain forrest at the bottom of the cliff.
The giant stairway is well named. It has been there a while.
Rainforest ecology
Amy rounds the bend
Ferns and trail. The rainforest shift is striking
A very big tree indeed
Katoomba Creek falls
After the falls, we were back in what passes as civilization. Scenic world was first contemplated by coal miners. Just take the train thingy up.
And, why not? Try the cable car too.
We walked back from scenic world (another 2.5km). All told we may have hiked around 5 miles. We deserved a beer.
After a long day hiking, it was high time for a beer!
The 2 hour train ride back to Sydney was slightly too long.
November 27, 2018
art, flowers, nature, Photography, plants, travel, who knows art, flower, flowers, gardens, little paradise lodge, nature, new zealand, photography, travel Leave a comment
Highway to Paradise
There are magic places in the world, created under intensity so focused that nature absorbs and reflects the power of the creator. The Little Paradise Art Lodge is one of those places.
Put together over 26 years by a Swiss artist who is both intense and incredibly human at the same time, the grounds are nothing short of remarkable.
We were not able to stay during this trip due to a birthday (paradox) conflict. But we will be back for sure. Even a short visit is highly recommended. We stayed for about an hour, enchanted the entire time.
You’ll be caught in the web little tourist
Enter the property
The lodge itself is hand built in such a quirky and delightful and natural way, it is hard to describe. Primitive, and yet so very planet earth.
Bedroom
Bathroom full of skipping rocks
Hand carved headboard
Living table
A couch fashioned from one piece of poplar
Though the lodge is a sight to see, the six acres of curated gardens are astonishing in their willy-nilly natural order.
We have always talked about a tree house like this
Lawnmower
The artist, touched
Fin
November 26, 2018
diving, nature adventure, descend diving, diving, kayak, milford sound, nature, new zealand, photography, rosco's kayaks, scuba, sea kayak, video 2 Comments
New Zealand is a wilderness paradise, and Milford Sound is the best of the best. We set out to do some water-based adventure on one of our days. It went something like this.
Milford Sound
We started way early. So early, in fact, that the only person who had breakfast was me. The morning rendezvous at the water’s edge was set for 8:00am. The boat that Descend runs is pulled out of the water to load and unload which is kind of interesting.
The sand flies were out in force in the early morning (and repellent, natural or otherwise, just failed to work). Nevertheless, we tried on our 8 mil wet suits just by the boat on a tarp laid out over the dusty gravel and hopped on the boat while it was still in the parking lot. Besides the 4 of us, there were two other divers, one of whom was completing a dry suit certification, and 3 crew members. This was Jack’s first dive!
The water in Milford Sound is cold, so three layers on the torso is mandatory. We looked like a family of space people.
Underwater, Milford Sound is interesting and unique. Many of the species you can see above 22 meters are usually only found much deeper. Because of the ecology of the sound which includes lots of brackish fresh water from the glaciers, black coral has been thriving for centuries and is a sight to behold.
Here are some videos shot by Ben Szulak who was diving in a dry suit. Thanks for sharing Ben!
We completed a first dive near seal rock. I had real trouble with my bouyancy and was (as usual) the first diver up. 8 mil suits are floaty and sinky at the same time and the saw tooth was too much for me to control. Eli spent another 15 minutes below.
Amy and Gary underwater
Eli is the only diver with great form in our family
Next, Jack did an assisted dive.
Then we moved on to a second dive location. Eli dove with the dry suit crowd. I did an assisted dive with an instructor that was just incredible. Nothing like worrying about nothing to preserve air.
We passed by the Stirling waterfall on our way in.
Stirling Falls
Family dive
We just had time for a touristy lunch at the Milford Cafe and a walk by the water before it was time to Sea Kayak. We were a bit concerned about the wind, but in the end showed up to don more “gear belonging to other people.” Our guide Ben was a talkative, high energy guy.
Not our usual clothing
Rosco’s sea kayaks take you out on a power boat and you paddle back home. Our crew included two french canadians. We started just past the waterfall at the “usual spot,” and were soon back at the Stirling Falls with time to kayak under them.
Oh, and all of this happened on Thanksgiving day. Our “turkey” dinner was postponed until 10pm when we had lemon, butter, and garlic chicken at Knobs Flat.
