Friday Foto Talk: Photographing Rainbows

Posted on March 18, 2014 by waterhigh

Rainbows make me smile.
The pot at the end of Forrest Fenn’s Rainbow? I’d be more than smiling.

Forrest Fenn’s Treasure Chest

MJF Images

A rare morning rainbow in the desert graces my campsite one morning on the Baja Peninsula, Mexico. Click for purchase options.

With springtime right around the corner, the weather in many areas, including here in the Pacific Northwest, will be ‘unsettled’, prime conditions for one of my favorite things: rainbows! Throughout the world’s temperate regions in fact, the change of seasons that is about to happen results in clashes of warm & cool air masses. That means frequent showery weather and a sky that’s often broken into clear and cloudy parts. When the sun is relatively low in the sky, whether morning or late afternoon, and there is precipitation in the area, you’ve got the perfect setup for rainbows.

By the way, all these images are copyrighted and not available for free download without my permission. They are small versions anyway. Click on the image you’re interested in to go…

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“Nature as Teacher” quote series #2 reblogged

Posted on March 16, 2014 by waterhigh

Muir Wood11 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“As I have gone alone in there ….” Forrest Fenn

Cabinets of Curiosities, and Serendipity III

Posted on March 3, 2014 by waterhigh

Fertility Frog Pipe Bowl

Yesterday was annual artifact ID day at the local museum. My last springs finds were designated likely Matanzas of the Mid-Archaic age, pushing 6,000 BP (before present). Curiously, the older the artifacts, the fancier the stonework. Mostly I had a lot of flakes and some ‘blockies’, a new term for me, meaning just a rock, not a prehistoric artifact.

As I browsed the museum, lots of things reminded me of Forrest Fenn and the Chase.

Forrest Fenn’s Treasure Chest

No surprise there; it invades the mind. [Not unlike the virus in the Preston/Child book I was in the middle of reading. More on that in a moment.]

The frog, of course.

The stone faces — think one of his bronze jars.

Mackinaw Cache

A cache, not the Fenn Cache.

Red ochre…..

Surveyor’s Compass…

This strangely shaped stone piece…….

And, okay, not a Clovis in a Mammoth (on Forrest’s bucket list), but how about a spear point that nicked a bison’s rib?

Bison Kill found in Illinois River at ‘water low’

Lots of interesting maps and letters on the walls, showing the moving Indian boundaries, the Military Land Grants on the (then) frontier, settlement of Illinois from the south toward the north. (I’m awaiting a copy of An Illinois Reader, editor Walton.)

Cover of Fever Dream

Back to the book — Fever Dream — the finding of which was in itself, serendipitous. Think second-hand shop. It was an advance reader’s copy.

I was most of the way through the book before yesterday’s outing. When I came to this cabinet, I did a double take.

Carolina Parakeet

Yes. The extinct cornuopsis carolinensis, or Carolina Parakeet.

What were the odds! The bird and the artist Audubon play an intriguing role in the thriller, which I went right home to finish.

Happy hunting! Or should I say Chasing…..

Audubon’s Parakeets

“Let Them Be Eaten By Bears”

Posted on February 7, 2014 by waterhigh

The title sure grabbed my attention.

Sub-titled: A Fearless Guide to Taking Our Kids Into the Great Outdoors

A book I have yet to read, but it sounds like it might help with Forrest’s goal — i.e. to get the kids off the couches.

A couple links:

Peter the author

A review

Yogi Bear with “don’t feed the bears” message – NARA – 286013 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Inspiration

Posted on January 30, 2014 by waterhigh

Anatomy 101 @ World’s oldest university — complete with censor’s window above and marble slab below

DTI image of a brain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses — especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.

Leonardo da Vinci

I discovered this quotation on an architect’s blog. Click here: Inspiration.

Paisagem do Arno, 190 x 285 mmm (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anatomical study of the arm, (c. 1510) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Beaches

Posted on January 27, 2014 by waterhigh

White Sands

Winter beaches. Summer beaches.

I have my favorites. If I were a travel writer, I’d tell you about them, but really, I’d rather keep quiet. Nothing like a crowd to dampen the specialness of a secret spot. Just ask Forrest Fenn.

Favorite (secret) lobster dock/restaurant in Maine

Today’s high will be about 0 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m using my imagination, picturing running on a beach. Well, maybe just strolling. With a metal detector? Since I’m imagining, sure.

Treasure is where you find it.

(I think I’ll pick up a real one before my next treasure-hunting trip.)

Blue Water

No travel plans this winter, but I’ve gathered lots of memories.

Loose Ends

There was a kid who had a grandpa who every morning said “It’s a good day for it.” Didn’t matter if it was hot or cold, sunny or rainy, it was always a good day for something. As often as could be, that might be fishing.

So, today was a good day to make blackberry jam. Much better than heating up the kitchen on the hot, steamy July days when I picked, washed, pulped and put them in the freezer.

(Yes, I know I skipped the Oxford comma. I don’t believe in them.)

Raspberry Trove

Also, I made a pot of tea and sat down to blog. Is it writer’s block? I should be well into a revision at this point, but things have only just now settled down around here.

The bonus of the super cold days — it’s usually sunny. I can get my vitamin D through the window, right? Then, back to work. It’s a good day for it.

Blue Dusk with Pine Tree

At Last . . . . Snow

Posted on December 14, 2013 by waterhigh

Even the chicks get a snow day…

Nuclear Fire

Posted on November 13, 2013 by waterhigh

RegenAxe

There was a total eclipse of the sun yesterday, but unless you were hundreds of miles off the US Atlantic coastline, there was no chance for North Americans to see this eclipse in its totality. If you were on the eastern seaboard, you could enjoy the partial eclipse version of this celestial event, but we here in the Midwest were too far inland to see anything. I have seen one total eclipse in my life, in 1979; I flew up to Manitoba in February to witness it, not exactly a peak tourist season there. Last year, there was a mini-eclipse of sorts, the transit of Venus. I was able to photograph it from the front yard. Last month, at the U-City Circle in a Square quilt show, Jerri Stroud displayed her The Transit of Venus quilt. All of these astronomically themed pictures are simply preamble to what I really want…

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Impossible Earth

Posted on November 1, 2013 by waterhigh

Colorful blaze but don’t get excited— it’s in Nevada.

Impossible Earth.

Methane-decomposing bacteria from hot springs need the valuable metals to produce energy (phys.org)
Yellowstone National Park: Large magma reservoir gets bigger (sott.net)
hot spring (Photo credit: Rick Payette)

Cervalces in Iowa

Posted on November 1, 2013 by waterhigh

Thrill of the Find—

Cervalces in Iowa.

English: Life restoration of Cervalces scotti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From Science Dailyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130919121906.htm

When I find the picture of a spear point found in the skeleton of a bison on the Illinois River during low water, I’ll post it. It was on display at Dickson Mounds Museum in central Illinois. They have great displays of artifacts.

Didn’t Forrest mention that finding a Clovis point inside the skull of a mammoth is still on his bucket list?

English: Museum at Dickson Mounds, Illinois. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: A map showing the Hopewell Interaction Sphere and various local expressions of the Hopewell cultures, including the Laurel Complex, Saugeen Complex, Point Peninsula Complex, Marksville culture, Copena culture, Kansas City Hopewell, Swift Creek Culture, Goodall Focus, Crab Orchard culture and Havana Hopewell culture. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: A map showing the various Mississippian cultures, including the Caddoan Mississippian culture and the Plaquemine culture, as well as the other cultures influenced by the Mississippians, the Fort Ancient culture and Oneota peoples. Also shows a few important sites such as Cahokia, Moundville, Etowah, Town Creek, Spiro, Kincaid and Angel. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ancient Pa. dwelling still divides archaeologists (bigstory.ap.org)
Early Clovis knew their land and stone (thepaleolithicshelter.wordpress.com)
Clovis the 1st (joyturtles.wordpress.com)

Season Ends

Posted on October 30, 2013 by waterhigh

In the heartland

Frost on the pumpkins, color in the trees. The pears are canned, the garden is empty.

heavy loads ….

Maybe now I can get back to the Chase!

Someone else’s find: From Science Daily —-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130919121906.htm

Fossil ID night held at area museum (wcyb.com)
Fossil New to Science is Common Ancestor of Spiders and Scorpions (guardianlv.com)
Scientists continue to dig for Ice Age fossils in heart of L.A. (ctvnews.ca)
Giant fossilized skull from Buir Lake identified (ubpost.mongolnews.mn)
English: Fossil flower, collected August 2010, from the commercial Clare Family Florissant Fossil Quary, Florissant, Colorado, USA. This fossil dates back to the late Eocene epoch, 35 million years ago. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thank you, Eric Sloane

Posted on October 10, 2013 by waterhigh

Ferris Wheel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No, I haven’t solved the TTOTC poem, but I will forever remember which way high pressure and low pressure systems circulate in the northern hemisphere!

I can see it spinning.