where wednesday [caboose]

In early 2003 I was an intern in the education office at Joshua Tree National Park.  I was able to choose between either really nice barrack/dorm housing with the park fire crew, or a caboose. Easy choice! An awesome older couple built their dream house just outside the park entrance near the education office, and on the property they had a refurbished caboose (great for the grandkids!) they rented to me.  

my caboose, the owners' amazing house, and my oldsmobile ♥

I can't find any pics of the interior...but I'll describe it to you. When you walked in the front door (closest to house), there was a bunk bed on the right and a single bed on the left. There was a little table and a nice place to sit, a tv (I got DVD's of The Sopranos at Blockbuster), a space heater, a tiny closet, and a little hot plate.

I was in Joshua Tree February to May, and the caboose wasn't insulated, so at night it was COLD.  Scott came to visit (he was living in Santa Barbara) and we rigged up a blanket curtain to hold the heat in the sleeping area. By the end of April during the day it would be HOT (still cold at night). What do you expect from a big metal box? I could climb into either side of the cupola (the 'second floor') and sit and read and watch the desert for coyotes and tortoises...

In the back of the caboose was a full fridge and a shower stall.  I washed my dishes in the shower!  There was a door at each end so I could open them up and get a little desert breeze moving through.

I would wake up to the sounds of mourning doves and the sight of clear colorful sunrise skies. I would crunch down the driveway to walk up to the office, pausing to let big gopher snakes cross the path. I loved my time in Joshua Tree and I think about it all the time...not only because of the landscape and the cool job I had, but because I lived in an amazing little home. It was so cozy and perfect for me...I loved my little caboose! Thanks for letting me share my memories!

Where Wednesday is    a series       about     places that are  important to us, be they   work  spaces,    outdoor      spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we   visit,  places we    live,  places   we   drink    coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk  about a  place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll  set you  up with a Wednesday!]

wordless where wednesday

Henderson's

Where Wednesday is  a series      about    places that are  important to us, be they  work  spaces,    outdoor      spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we  visit,  places we    live,  places  we  drink    coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk  about a  place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll  set you  up with a Wednesday!]

where wednesday [fritzi marie]

[Today's Where Wednesday is written by my newish bloggy friend Kat from Fritzi Marie.  I like her blog because it's full of heart, poetry, and adventure. She's a sweet, loving soul and I'm glad to know her...AND she's got a purty vintage shop HERE. Have a good Wednesday!]  

I've been thinking about where my favorite place is for the past week or so and I have come to a realization about myself and my life while doing so. You see I first thought about how my hometown; Monrovia, California is my favorite place. Then I thought about my Grandparents farmhouse in Missouri and how much I loved swinging on their porch swing when I would visit my Grandparents in the summertime. 

Then I thought about my life now.

I've been married to my husband Daniel for 5 years now, and we have lived together in California, Mississippi, Washington, and Alabama. During the past five years, the one thing that I have learned is that my favorite place is right where I am (wherever that may be) with my husband/best friend and our ten year old puppy Bono Baby.  Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and this print by Spread The Love have expressed my favorite place in every way.

My favorite place is with my boys.

Since I grew up in Southern California, my favorite place in the whole wide world is Snow White's wishing well at Disneyland. When Dan and I would go together I would always take him to this special place and secretly I would wish that someday we would get married. After a year or so, Daniel surprised me by proposing at my favorite wishing well.  Proving that wishes do come true!

hugs,

Fritzi Marie

p.s. Make a Wish!

Where Wednesday is  a series      about    places that are  important to us, be they work  spaces,    outdoor      spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we visit,  places we    live,  places  we  drink    coffee, etc. etc.

[i'm  looking for guest bloggers for April and May! do you want to talk about a  place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you  up with a Wednesday!]

where wednesday [amberly]

[This week I'm pleased to have Amberly, with whom I have recently reconnected in the land of Facebook. I remember Amberly being thoughtful, kind, and cool in high school, and clearly she still is.  She now lives in Arizona with her beautiful family, running her household and an intriguing practice as an energy therapist...you can keep up with her and her hubby and her kiddos on her BLOG, and learn more about her work HERE.  I really like the subject of her post, and hope you do too!]

When we bought our first home six years ago, one of the first pieces of furniture purchased was a dining room table, complete with six chairs.  I was so excited for them to arrive.  It was as if a table made our home complete though in the decorator’s perspective it was far from it.  Our dining table has hosted many guests and been the setting of many meals.  It has served as the discussion ground for presidency and board meetings as well as small classes and book club conversation.  It moved to the kitchen for a time when we outgrew our kitchen table and has gone from long to short and back to long again often

Growing up I recall regular family dinners around the kitchen table.  Every night we made an effort to eat together as a family.  As I think about how busy we were, and now as a mother how busy my family is, I realize what an achievement that was- that we were able to eat together so often.  I loved gathering there.  It was a place to partake in delicious food and also to engage in stimulating conversation.  It was a place I remember having my thoughts challenged and being introduced to new ideas over dinner conversation.  It was a place we laughed, played games, did homework and worked on projects.  It was a productive, engaging, comforting place to be.

During my first married years we did not have a kitchen table, per se.  We had a folding card table that followed us from southern Utah to New York City and got pulled out when we had company or needed extra work space.  I didn’t realize how much I missed having a table to gather around although we laughed and bonded with friends over student-quality sofas and ikea rugs. 

The same table now sits in a new kitchen.  Well, a kitchen that is new to us but actually about 30 years old.  It is a dark wood table that clashes with the honey oak flooring but it is our space.  It is where my children gather for breakfast and where we do learning time.  It is where they color and draw and where homework gets taken care of.  It is where we spread out projects and sometimes race through dinner.  It is the place where we have gotten to know new friends as they share meals with us.  It has seen play-dough, water color paints, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, grilled shrimp and brownie trifle.  It has had silverware pounded on it and endless crumbs cleaned off of it.  I has had thoughtful elbows lean on it as chess moves are contemplated.  It has had tears shed on it as discussions turn emotional.

While I am not attached to this particular table anymore, I love what it is for our family.  I love the place it provides for learning, conversation and activity.  It is located next to a wall of windows that overlooks our backyard and I can see my children run and play while working on whatever the current project happens to be.  It’s our space.  And I love the memories and experiences it has the potential to provide for my children.

Where Wednesdays are         a  regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk       about     places that are  important to us, be they work spaces,   outdoor      spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we   live,  places   we   drink    coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

where wednesday [you?]

Wednesdays have turned into one of my favorite blog projects!

Where Wednesdays are        a  regular feature here on the Sagebrush Coast where people share the    places that are  important to them, be they work spaces,  outdoor      spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we  live,  places  we  drink    coffee, etc. etc.

I'm looking for guest bloggers for April (and beyond) to write a Where Wednesday post. Pass the word around and send me an email [sara(at)sagebrushcoast(dot)com] if you'd like to participate.  

If you are a past Where Wednesday guest, you are more than welcome to write again...we all have many favorite places! I hope you're in one of your favorite places today ♥ 

where wednesday [petra]

[Where Wednesday comes from across the world again...this week a post direct fromLondon: Petra of Indivisualism. I look forward to finding her 'daily inspiration' posts in my reader, and I find her blog to be unique and refreshing. I'm just getting to know Petra, and was delighted to find out the subject of her post today, imagining spending an afternoon with her there.  Enjoy!]

It took some soul searching to decide which place to share today - there are plenty of places, small ones and big ones, that I love - but in the end I decided to introduce you to the Tate. 'Introduce' may sound a bit grand. The Tate is after all quite a famous museum, and even people who have never been to London may have heard of it. So I rephrase: I will tell you a little bit about why I like the Tate and what it means to me.

The Tate Modern is part of a family of four art museums in England: Tate Britain and Tate Modern here in London, and Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. When I first moved to London about six years ago my boyfriend got me a Tate member card that, aside from letting me see the changing exhibitions for free as often as I wanted, gave me access to the member rooms. These are simply cafés, slightly tucked away, open for members only. At a time when I didn't know anyone in London I spent many days wandering the exhibitions and sitting in those cafés contemplating my new life abroad, with all the excitement and fear that comes with taking such a big step.

Over the years many things have changed, I have met plenty of people, gotten to know London well and at least for now I consider it my home. I renewed my member card many times and took many people to both Tates. But still, every time I go, be it alone or with someone, I am instantly transported back in time and reminded of the person I was when I first arrived. 

I love museums and museum cafés, for the variety of people you see, the snippets of conversations you catch, the multitude of languages you hear. I can spend hours flipping through a magazine, observing what goes on around me and letting my thoughts wander. But among all museums and museum cafés the Tate and its member rooms have a special meaning to me. They remind me of the start of an era, of dreams and fantasies, and of worries and fears. 

Where Wednesdays are        a  regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk      about     places that are  important to us, be they work spaces,  outdoor      spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we  live,  places   we   drink    coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

where wednesday [sara]

You're stuck with me this week...ha ha! It's week 10 of Where Wednesday...enjoy!

There are many ways to arrive at the decision that a place is important to you...maybe you find yourself in a certain spot everyday, maybe a significant event took place there, or maybe you just get a good feeling in a place that makes you glad it exists.  I had one of those good feelings recently at the Green Gulch Farm.

Green Gulch Farm is part of the San Francisco Zen Center. They offer classes in meditation and farming practices, among other things. 

"Our effort at Green Gulch is to awaken in ourselves  and the many people who come here the bodhisattva spirit, the spirit of  kindness and realistic helpfulness. This is how we offer our  understanding of Buddha's Way."

The farm is nestled into the hills just above Muir Beach.  We passed through the farm at the halfway point of a long hike and saw a few winter vegetables growing, but the fields were mostly resting...the farm composing itself for the coming spring. It smelled like green. The adjacent garden area was so beautiful, welcoming, interesting, and peaceful...with trained apple trees, an adobe tool hut, herbs, and lots of little friends to stop and say hello to...

I love places that have so much effort and thought put into them, yet do not feel 'off limits' or fragile. I appreciate their ideas of kindness and helpfulness, and I've been thinking about my quick stroll through there since the moment I left. I'm sure that visiting on another day, in another season, under different conditions, in a different mindset will change the place for me (not necessarily in a negative way)...but on that day of discovery I felt inspired...I felt potential...I wanted to sit and take it all in...I wanted to be a gardener...I wanted to get my hands dirty...I wanted to do yoga in the grass...I felt happy to be there. 

Where Wednesdays are a regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk     about places that are important to us, be they work spaces, outdoor  spaces, sleeping spaces, places we visit, places we live, places we drink coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

where wednesday [natalia]

[We're got our first international Where Wednesday! Natalia from Army of Two is my guest this week. I've known Natalia for a few years now, and she is a remarkable woman...she's always got a story to tell and some kind of adventure in the works.  She's had quite the year...her blog's tagline says it all: From beaches to barracks,  flip-flops to fatigues,  this is my journey from  California to Washington DC, Army Wife to Army Soldier. Catch her on her fabulous blog and wish her luck before she leaves on her next adventure: basic training!]

The Appian Way, Italy

The Appian Way, or Via Appia, was Ancient Rome's earliest and most strategic road. It led from Brindisi, on the southeast coast, to Rome, as all roads did then of course! The road allowed for the efficient movement of trade goods, soldiers and travelers.

To walk the Appian Way is to walk in the foot steps of history, quite literally.  The smooth gray stones are worn down into long grooves where centuries of wooden wagon wheels have passed over them. 

On a summer's afternoon hot enough to melt the city's sidewalks, I walked down a preserved potion of the road just outside Rome.  The dusty road was lined by stately cypress trees, lichen-covered statues, bone-filled catacombs and blood red poppies shimmering in the yellow fields. The air was heavy and still, interrupted only by the buzzing of insect wings.  As I continued to walk down the Appian Way, ancient Rome unfolded before me. I could hear the marching steps of a thousand leather-sandaled feet, the creak of the wagon wheels pulled by braying donkeys and bellowing oxen, the crack of the whip, voices of laughter and frustration, and smell the dirt and sweat of man and animal.

For a student of Roman history and archaeology, walking the Appian Way is a thrilling, almost magical experience: for an afternoon I truly traveled back in time.

Where Wednesdays are      a  regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk    about    places that are  important to us, be they work spaces, outdoor    spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we live, places  we  drink    coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

where wednesday [the dew drop inn]

[For Where Wednesday this week I bring you Diane from the dew drop inn.  Diane shares such interesting and thoughtful ideas and projects on her blog (remember her word project ?), do pay it a visit. I met Diane online through Indie Biz 2.0 and immediately connected over books, art, and life...the expression 'fast friends' comes to mind. Just a few days ago I finally had the pleasure of spending a splendid afternoon with this lovely lady, in person, in her little corner of the world...can't wait to do it again! Without further ado, welcome to the dew drop inn on the sagebrush coast...]

the space i am sharing with you today is my beloved sky chair...

it is my space for relaxing...

meditating...

reading...

hanging out with my pup...

and gazing out at the beautiful trees and hills of sonoma county...

i first sat in a sky chair at a renaissance fair over a decade ago.  i fell instantly in love with the feeling of being in an upright hammock.  it completely relaxed me and brought me such simple joy.  i made a wish then and there that i would someday own one.

in order to have a sky chair, one must have a tree, a strong ceiling beam, or a frame on which to hang it.  because my gypsy lifestyle and various domiciles did not provide any of those things for many years, it took over a decade for my wish to come true.

when my husband and i moved into our current home, we finally had a space where a sky chair could live.  i was surprised and deeply grateful when he gave me the sky chair as a gift.  his thoughtful offering has now become an amazing part of my everyday life.

although there are plenty of trees on the hill where i could have placed the sky chair, my wonderful friend miles built me a frame so that the chair could live on our deck and be used more easily every day.

in my chair, i love to:

* feel calm and at rest.

* meditate...sitting and swinging keeps me awake, alert, and relaxed.

* read while gently swaying in the breeze.

* take spontaneous naps.

* wrap myself in a warm blanket on a foggy morning with a cup of hot coffee.

* drape tapestries overhead in the summer to make shade, read, and sip iced tea.

* cuddle with my best friend's twin babies.

* gaze at my garden and at twinkly star-filled skies.

* engage in deep heartfelt conversations with my sweet love while my pup snoozes next to me.

the sky chair is my place of peace and one of my favorite spaces on earth.

xo

Where Wednesdays are    a  regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk  about    places that are  important to us, be they work spaces, outdoor    spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we live, places  we  drink    coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

where wednesday [andrea]

Where Wednesdays are    a  regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk  about    places that are  important to us, be they work spaces, outdoor  spaces,    sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we live, places we  drink    coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

[Where Wednesday this week features the stylish Andrea from Style Pie, a darling newish fashion and style blog you should definitely check out. Andrea always has a handful of creative and stylish projects up her sleeve. Oh, and she's my beautiful sister-in-law. Please welcome her to Sagebrush Coast!]

My Where Wednesday is a place I have always loved to play in, fill up, clean out, and put my morning creativity to the test: my closet. As a little girl, my basket of dress up clothes was a space I loved digging in for just the right combination of tulle and plastic high heels. The tulle may be long gone, but the thrill of finding just the right outfit for the day ahead fills my mornings.

My closet is a little place of refuge for me. I enjoy standing in front of my closet each morning seeing new possibilities in things I have worn a hundred times. Since I am a girl on a budget, finding those new possibilities makes it a little game testing my creativity with renewing the old. Some of my favorite items were found on sale or in a second-hand shop. Second-hand shops bring about the same feeling I get hunting through my closet, a place so full of possibility where I create the trend or style I want in that moment.

My favorite part of my closet is the jewelry collection hanging inside. I have always loved the look of solid colors and basic t-shirts paired with bold necklaces or large earrings. There is something about making a statement with jewelry that never gets old, pieces just waiting for that right occasion. Sometimes that occasion is buying groceries, but that’s what makes it fun!

I drool over the well-styled pages of Anthropologie and J. Crew when they arrive. I use those bursts of inspiration with my own closet by trying more prints, new textures, and bolder color combinations. My style is best described as bohemian chic. I am not afraid of a thousand layers as long as the fit is great and I look pulled together.

Thanks for having me! Maybe next time I will show you around my favorite street that also happens to have the best second-hand and vintage shops in Portland. xoxo, Andrea

where wednesday [craftyMSP]

Where Wednesdays are    a regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk  about    places that are  important to us, be they work spaces, outdoor  spaces,  sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we live, places we  drink  coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

craftyMSP

[For today's Where Wednesday I'm excited to present Marie...aka CraftyMSP.  Marie was a fellow IndieBiz2.0 student last year and I immediately admired her quilts and crafts, built with great shape and color. Check out her crisp and refreshing guest post here, then head over to her BLOG to see what crafty-ness you can find. Do visit her ETSY shop...she's got some great embroidery art for Valentine's Day ♥]    

Even though I work during the day as a designer of buildings, my most  favorite places in the world aren’t usually the structures that I find  myself in. Instead, I’m drawn to the outdoors. To the magical places  that stop my breath, slow me down and remind me of the beauty of nature.  One of these natural locations is right in the backyard of my home town  - the greatest Great Lake of them all.

I grew up in a tiny town in Northeastern Minnesota and I always go back  to inhale the fresh air and get a glimpse of Lake Superior. And in my  opinion, the best view of this giant body of water in the winter is on  the ski hill – flying down the slopes in a winter wonderland.

So – fresh from the slopes (a most perfect day of skiing last weekend) –  here are some images from one of my favorite places.   

where wednesday [sam]

Where Wednesdays are  a regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk  about  places that are  important to us, be they work spaces, outdoor  spaces,  sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we live, places we  drink  coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

[This  week's Where Wednesday is from Sam, my awesome mama-in-law. I'm pretty darn lucky in the Mother In Law department because we get along great and have a great time hanging out together.  Among other things, Sam is a published scrapbooker & a savvy crafter...it's always fun to see what projects she's up to! Read about Sam's space below, then check out Sam's blog HERE  ]

Where Wednesday? A dozen places come to mind - pick one she asks? Knowing I can change my mind 5 minutes from now, I’ll go with my “all mine space” - my craft/scrapbook/computer studio. I’m Sam and to some known as ScrappySam, Sam’s Amusing World or Sam’Studio. My space is located on the top floor of my home with large windows overlooking the forest we live in on the side of a mountain. I’ve surrounded myself with a desk, a drafting table, a wall of counters, a bulletin board wall, a stuffed closet and family photos.

It’s quiet (except for the headphones I wear listening to the radio or tunes), it’s organized (well, at least I know where everything is or where it’s suppose to be), it’s filled with paper, pens, pencils, die cutting machines, a tall cabinet of die cut forms, buttons, ribbons & string, embellishments, rulers, stamps, inks, punches, glue pot, scissors and other paper cutting devices all within reach.  And my connection to the world - my computer.

If it’s a craft that requires paper - I’m on it. Scrapbooking pages, cards, altered book journals, origami boxes, notecards & more. Give me a photograph and it’ll become a scrapbook page. Give me a holiday and it’ll be a present or card. Give me a booth and it’ll be filled with paper products for sale. Give me an idea and I’ll run with it.

I’m an early riser and head to my space around 4:00 am. I usually know what I want to work on for the day and get started after checking my emails and my daily blog spot visits. Once I get my fingers in the glue pot, I get lost in design & ideas. Being creative is a must for me - to let the artist in me come out to play.  Getting the creative juices flowing is an euphoric sense of freedom. To get messy, try new things, make mistakes, and sometimes get it right. Except for my scrapbooking pages, I either sell or give my creations away. I share. I’ll invite others to come play - but, I admit I’ll hover like the mother I am, letting others play with my toys that I’ve collected for over 10 years.  I love playing in my craft studio - I come alive - I create - I let the artist in me come out to play.  And the best thing is knowing that at 4:00 am tomorrow morning I get to go play in my very own - all mine - crafty studio.

where wednesday [corinne]

Where Wednesdays are  a regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk  about  places that are  important to us, be they work spaces, outdoor  spaces,  sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we live, places we  drink  coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

[This week's Where Wednesday is from Corinne, my mama...I'm happy to have grown up exploring the desert with her.  This is more or less her first blog post, so please give her a warm welcome ♥ Enjoy!]

Where Wednesday.  Desert.  No thought required.  It’s long been a healing place.  A place where I am my most true self; let the layers peel away.  It’s also the place I have the most fun.  It’s the first place I want to go when school lets out in June.  It’s the place I go when I meditate and it’s the imagery I see during a shavasana.

Where this Wednesday?  All American Man?  Chaco Canyon?  Capitol Reef?  Bryce Canyon?  Moab?  The Wave?  Yes, The Wave. This magical place is in the Coyote Buttes area of the Paria Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness on the Utah/Arizona border. 

Scott has already written beautifully about this spot where I was lucky to spend a day with him and Sara.  Walk-in permits are issued by lottery…just ten per day.  We won three permits ON MY BIRTHDAY!  Oops, we were a party of four.  Freddie, being Freddie, gave us the thumbs up to go ahead. 

The trailless hike means looking for landmarks to find our way. The Wave is hidden and remote and feels like an adventure.  A bare rock entrance takes us to another planet; with sandstone walls, swirling striations of yellow, orange, pink and white.  It’s like no other place.  Even here, there is life in small pools.  Just look. 

[sara here...this is an upside down tadpole shrimp my mom and i found in a desert pool...bizarre! tadpole shrimp are little crustaceans with prehistoric origins...they often live in temporary pools, and even after the pool dries up, their eggs can survive up 25 years and will hatch when conditions are right again]

I’m not sure why I feel such a strong affinity for desert environments. After all, I spent my early years in Canada.  Maybe it’s because life there is fragile, yet strong enough to survive.  Life is a gift in the desert.  Sharing time in the desert with Freddie, Sara and Scott is the best gift I’ve ever received.  (I love you guys.)

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread. A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself."

Edward Abbey

(Desert Solitaire)

where wednesday + book report [Sunk Without a Sound|2010 Wrap Up]

Where Wednesdays are a regular feature where I and a series of guest bloggers talk  about places that are  important to us, be they work spaces, outdoor  spaces, sleeping spaces,  places we visit, places we live, places we  drink coffee, etc. etc.

[do you want to talk about a place or space that's important  to you? let me know and I'll set you up with a Wednesday!]

For today's Where Wednesday, I'm cheating a little bit and combining it with a book report (it's been a weird month...cut me some slack).  It makes sense though because one of my favorite places has always been inside a book.  Well, the outside too...when I was 2 I would walk up to my Grandpa's bookshelf and touch all the bookcovers.  Before I could read I was content to flip thru an upside down TV Guide in the backseat of the car.  Okay, the TV Guide isn't really a book...but it used to look like one and I thought I was reading it.  I love love love to read...which definitely carries over into blogs and magazines, but there's nothing like a book.  

The last book I read in 2010 was...

I saw this in the visitors' center at Zion National Park many years ago and couldn't stop thinking about it...I finally grabbed a copy at Powell's this summer.  The author tells the story of Glen and Bessie Hyde, a newlywed couple who decided to raft down the Colorado River in 1928.  The river was still wild then (no dams) and only a handful of people had made the trip (Bessie was aiming to be the first woman to do it). When Glen's father did not hear from them at the expected time, a search was mounted.  Their homemade boat was found fully loaded and intact sitting in the water...but there was no sign of Glen and Bessie.  Glen's father searched for over a year for some clue...and years later the story became legend among river rafters.  Did Bessie kill Glen and start a new life? Did they both get tossed from the boat and drown in the cold November water? Did they try to walk out of the canyon but get lost? The author talks about all the possibilities, and about Glen and Bessie's lives before they met, plus he and his wife build a similar boat to see what the trip was like for the Hydes (that's the author+wife on the cover).  It was an interesting and mysterious story.  There are great photos (the camera and film were in the boat) that were a big part of what drew me into the book.

my hipstamatic pic of a pic

In 2010 I read 17.5 books (a dreadful total for me...I'm aiming for 30 this year. The 0.5 was a book I just couldn't finish). The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie was my favorite for the year...can't wait to read the next in the series!

where wednesday [scott mansfield]

[The first 'Where Wednesday' post comes from an artist...my husband, the incomparable Scott Mansfield.  I've been to his place and it's pretty great. ♥sara]

I am honored to be the first ‘Where Wednesday’ guest blogger on Sagebrush Coast, a project that has been in the creative vault for quite some time.  It looks amazing, don’t you think!  This recurring Wednesday post is interesting because everyone has personal spaces they hold dear.  Following the suggestions given on her opening post, “work spaces, outdoor spaces, sleeping spaces, places we visit, places we live, places we drink coffee, etc” I’m going to talk about a place that fits all these for me.

Deep in the heart of the Colorado Plateau lies a crimson valley stripped with ancient geologic striations that ribbon across it in banded hues of red and blonde, marking the ancient epochs with geologic tidal bands.  It is in this hidden place I find myself one crisp early morning in Spring.  There are no trails here, no man markings, no signs only rock and wind, scattered hearty flora and animals adapted to the seemingly inhospitable environment.  I come as an observer, a recorder.  On this morning the slightest breath of wind dances about, lost in empty tranquility.  I feel the same.  With a compass in one hand and my tripod in the other I continue my walk South over broken Navajo Sandstone, toward a distant point on the horizon.  The East is awash with indigo  light.  The air is still again and a morning thrush sings its awakening call to all those who will listen.  Animals here hunt in the cool of night, but my quarry exists in the light; it is composition, trees and rock that I’m after.  I am a landscape artist, and this is my place.  It gets lighter in the East and my brain starts focusing on the play of shadow and low angled light.  There is no past or future while I’m here.  Timeless interaction is what I’m seeking.  To show the motif that exists between the nature before me and myself.  The weight of the tripod in my hand is comforting, an old trusted amigo, unflinching in its desire to accompany me anywhere.  The camera strapped to my back is loaded with rolls of film, and my eye searches on.  This is why I am alive, to feel nature flow through me.  Peaceful, content, happy I continue on as the light in the East grows.