Science! Psuedo-science! Nature! Art! Nonsense!
September 5, 2022
nature, river, who knows gem, kayak, nature, photography, river, romey, shenandoah, shenandoah river, skaggs, video Leave a comment
We are way too busy. During COVID the river was a key respite for us. Time to get back to our roots.
A run in September is just what the doctor ordered.
Honestly, they did answer…
Boyle’s boat looking grand.
A run of the class 0 rapids (with one hand).
Here’s to more Fall runs during 2022.
July 20, 2022
art, dance, film, photography, river, who knows april, April Claggett, art, art museum, art space, biella, gem, italy, rhine, river, sleestaks, sogol shirazi, terzo paradiso, travel, video Leave a comment
You might die, but if anything is noted as the cause of death, it will be loneliness.
There are no people doing art or even visiting Terzo Paradiso unless you count our unruly bunch. Here’s what we saw (and what we did).
First we explored random spaces.
And then we found some art to see (but only after getting lucky).
After a short nap in the hammocks near the circles, we found the projector and those glowy rocks from Land of the Lost.
There were no Sleestaks. So here are two for good measure. They covet the glowy rocks.
There was dirt.
There was also very silly science. But it was arty.
Not surprisingly, the room was better than the dirt.
Watch this video. Really.
Rhine took pics too. It was hard not to.
We got lucky and found another human who told us how to cross the highway, go down the stairs and find even more art. Or rather more art places with not much art. Something like that.
Rhine woke up from his long nap, dreaming of Sleestaks and late 1970s TV.
The space rang a long cool echo of lost civilizations and the empty planet to come.
So there was dance.
And reflection
We climbed back down to reality using a ladder that was too short to reach the sky.
And then we left.
October 29, 2021
farm, nature, river Allen Kitselman, bald eagles, bindi, ceremony, cheeto, consecration, food, ganesh, Ganesh Chaturti, gem, hinduism, immersion, indian food, karthik, nature, river, river run, romey, shenandoah, shenandoah river, skaggs, the shrine Leave a comment
Sometime last summer (during the height of the pandemic), “the shrine” on my property was designed by Allen Kitselman and implemented by Claudio and his brother. On 9/12 it was properly initiated with a Ganesh Chaturi ceremony led by Karthik.
Here’s how that went down.
First, Karthik shared the significance of Ganesh Chaturti, read some ancient text, and made an offering.
Ready for the ceremony
Karthik leads the reading
Incense
Ganesh at the shrine (and everywhere else in the universe too)
In the verdant woods of Virginia
A gift for the mantle
Then it was off to the river for part two of the ceremony, a small prayer with an earthen Ganesha moorti which Jackie immersed in the Shenandoah river in a traditional way (plus kayaks).
We kayaked several miles together. Had lunch. Saw eagles. Reveled in nature. There was a cheeto sighting.
When we were getting ready to depart, the truck failed to start. But we persevered (with some help from Skaggs and a trusty hammer).
And then some fabulous food and conversation.
All in all, an excellent day. The shrine is consecrated and new friendships blossom.
Bindi people
January 2, 2020
dogs, farm, hiking, mountain, photography blue ridge, dogs, gem, hiking, nature, photography, river, shenandoah, shenandoah river Leave a comment
Three views from the corner.
Trio one
Trio two
Trio three
The walk.
Mogli blends
Shenandoah
Light
Tree fire
April 10, 2019
farm, flowers, hiking, photography, river bluebells, nature, photography, river, shenadoah river, shenandoah, Spring Leave a comment
The bluebells are peaking in mid-April this year (a bit early), so we are outta here, headed to Norway for more winter. Because we, um, actually we think we’re nuts.
Here are some pictures from the daily walk.
Willie likes Spring
Bluebells by the river (this is our home loop)
The dogs have lost the trail!
The greening of the Blue Ridge has begun
This field smells like honey
Pollen leg is a thing
Footbridge on Wheat Spring Branch
July 9, 2018
nature, river eagles, econoline, econoline 360, kayak, nature, river, river float, shenandoah, shenandoah river, tc boyle, video 1 Comment
Back in May we paid a visit to the eagles lining the Shenandoah just north of our house. They’ve all grown up and are now flying around. On our latest trip down the river (it flows north, so just how to put that is kinda tricky), we saw 7 eagles. A few of them were captured on film.
The day itself was majestic and crystal clear.
The Shenandoah River
All of the eagles’ nests we know how to find along the route (three) were empty this trip, but there were lots of eagles flying around up and down the river.
spot the eagle
the view
spot the eagle
Oh and we ran across an Econoline 360 too. No doubt left by the big 2018 flood. This is perfect for our friend TC Boyle.
Econoline in the river
Amy paddled over to check it out
But really, the eagles.
turns out there were two in this tree
fly away
June 4, 2018
nature, photography, river cars, environment, flood, garden, kayak, nature, photography, river, shenandoah, shenandoah river, video 5 Comments
Puck senses danger. Tail up!
We started flood preparation in earnest the day before the flood crested (assuming that it crests today, that is). Fortunately, the great people at NOAA have a hydrograph that is extremely helpful for flood preparation. Here is the sensor nearest us at Millville.
The Millville hydrograph was wrong this time
Predictions said that the river would crest at 7am on June 4th at 15.6 feet. The prediction was off by 2 feet so far, but as far as we can tell from observation, the crest will happen soon.
We moved the boats up and rescued the submerged tables.
prep time minor flooding
the garden still above water
river peninsula already under water
truck full of table
Amy took out her kayak. The dogs followed.
Then it was time for a cocktail. The Last Word…hmm.
Last Word, hopefully not appropriately named
mogli got a workout in the flood
The flood in earnest started overnight. First major indication of prediction error was that the car bridge submerged around 10pm. Jack and Eli arrived from DC (Jack came down from NY) around 11. We ignored the road closed signs, drove in the back way to our car bridge and forded the now lake-like creek in the dark.
In the morning, we woke up to discover that the crest had not yet happened. Time to move the cars!
getting close to the cars
The river is getting very close to the house now. About 2-3 feet of vertical elevation left before the basement floods. This calls for some kayaking.
the new lake house
garden down
solstice fire spared
driveway or boat ramp?
road sign
visiting the neighbors by kayak
solstice fire, from the new lake
checking the fence line
garden swampland
the house
the new driveway
December 4, 2017
animals, hiking, nature, photography, plants, river, trees, who knows blue sky, eagle's nest, eagles, environment, moon, nature, photography, river, shenandoah river, sunset, sycamore Leave a comment
On this day I knew the shot, the reason I brought my camera on the expedition. The day before there was a magnificent scene of the moon high over an eagles nest along the river. I wanted to capture it on “film.” This next day, I got that shot, but did not. Over the 24 hours the moon had moved more than I knew, and was beyond the nest when I arrived at the spot shown in the last photo here. That was good luck! I took photos of this and more, and as I headed home an eagle soared over me, and as I turned to watch, did 3 large 360’s over the *other* nest mounted along the river nearby. The eagle drew me back to a high perch above the nest and tree to take the first 2 photos here. It’s in there!
moon moving to super, eagle nest 90′ high
November 6, 2016
birds, nature, river blue heron, fall, great blue heron, nature, photography, river, shenandoah, shenandoah river Leave a comment
Posted without commentary.
October 29, 2016
farm, nature, photography fall, fall color, gem, helicopter, hollis, home, nature, photography, river, shenandoah, shenandoah river 3 Comments
Today was a good day for a helicopter ride.
Morning field with amy
It was all Hollis’s idea. His helicopter too.
Control console
Sycamore Ghost
Beautiful day for flying
Visibility high
Shenandoah River
Fall colors from the sky
Incredibly fun. Now we want a helicopter again for the first time since 1993. Thanks Hollis!
