Friday, June 27, 2008

Christian the Lion



Some of you may have seen the video below
The top one gives a little bit of history
From 1971
Love those red jeans

Click here for Part 1, and after viewing click the back button on YouTube to return to this page
then
Click here for Part 2



Makes me cry every time

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth


This week marks the 20th anniversary of PBS airing Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth. Bill Moyers conducted conversations with Campbell in the library of George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch. This is very apropos as Campbell's book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces was the main inspiration for Lucas's Star Wars. Ponder that one: it's huge!

I was living about five miles from the ranch in San Rafael, both when the interviews were being conducted, and when the series first aired. I happened to turn on PBS on June 21, 1988 and caught the first episode The Hero's Adventure. Within minutes I was hooked, and I was glued to the following episodes which aired consecutively for four or five nights. INSPIRATION is an understatement. Many other bay area residents were equally affected I think, as that week when I went to the Doubleday bookstore in downtown San Francisco the shelves in the mythology section—particularly Campbell's extensive works—were wiped out. This, as much as the program, was such a thrill to me.


I recently came across this rich compilation of Campbell's thoughts, mostly excerpted from a workshop he did at Esalen, Big Sur years ago. From this I nabbed the quote you can see in the sidebar. I would recommend it highly, and also the dvd (link above) of the original series available in July from WGBH Boston. And there is a wonderful one-hour documentary on Campbell's life, with interviews, called The Hero's Journey. I've had this for years and it is a treasure in my collection. Here's the link for the book of the same title.

Campbell's work has influenced greatly my own journey of the spirit and I'm sure, though I've never thought about it until now, inspired me in part to move to New Mexico in 1995, "because I had to", as I so often respond when asked why. If he had not honored his guidance which led him to a cabin in upstate New York during the depression, funded by money he had made through college playing in a jazz band, to read and study and contemplate; if he had instead accepted the offer from his alma mater Columbia to teach what THEY wanted him to teach, we may never have benefited from the fruits of his labors of love, inspiring so many to indeed, Follow Your Bliss.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Spontaneity



As the mercury sweats past 90º it seems refreshing to show these shots from April after we'd had a blessed spring snow. Parlez for one was excited as he'd had enough of the wind and dust and this moist white stuff could bring about oodles of goodies for him to explore. He was having a ball running left and right along the path, running, stopping, hiding, running, stopping. He was great fun to practice shooting with and I felt I'd gotten a sense of his rhythms. The shot above is all ready for him to run into the right side of the picture. I'd pan and shoot and follow him along as he ran to the right of the frame, which of course he would.

However, he didn't budge. He waited. I was poised. He waited. I waited. He waited. I waited, finger-ready, on the trigger to catch his move.

What I realized later as I saw this image below in close up, was that he was saying, "Mama, you have no idea what I am about to do. So I hope you're ready cuz I'm only gonna do this once."





And instead of zipping to the right, running and screeching to a stop in the snow, he did this.







"No way mama. That was it. Not doing it again cuz the whole idea is spontaneity. If I do it again for you it will ruin the game."

And he was right. So I think of this shot as the one that almost got away. I've been able to put into use the Girl Scout credo I learned so long ago: Be Prepared. And if you want to see this in action, scroll down to the bottom of the blog page and you'll see what I mean. :0)

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Lunchtime at the Bluebird Cafe

Today's Special: bugs of all kinds.


Papa on approach with a little appetizer.




Mama follows quickly after with a really gushy bug...




Let's take a closer look at that thing...what is it? 
Seriously, if you know please post a comment below.




Now here's a nice tasty caterpillar. The menu was very exotic today.




Papa takes flight. I'll call that move 'lift off'. 

They were both very busy fortifying the little ones, readying them 
for their big fledging adventure. Perhaps I will even get a chance to see it. :)

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Papa Western Blue

Well Papa bluebird proved me wrong. He does indeed participate in the housekeeping...




And he outdid himself by finding the choicest bugs for his growing chicks...




(Like a nice cicada, yum)


Their cheeeps are getting stronger by the day and soon they will be ready to fly. 




But for now they are here, and he's being a fabulous father. 
And one hec of a flyer, too. Wow!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Meet the Bluebirds

This year we were very happy to welcome back the Western Bluebirds. One family resides in this house for sure. The jury is still out as to whether the other house (photo and movie coming later) is inhabited, although Parlez seems to think so. Come April time I see the male first. He is stunning with his purple-blue feathered cloak and copper waistcoat, a real dapper dude. Nature chooses the most glorious color combinations and I crane to get a glimpse through the binocs. Not long after, his missus arrives and she is just as lovely although a bit more subdued.

Not only do these birds look gorgeous, their behavior is so precious to watch, especially when the little ones arrive and they are busy hunting and feeding grubs and bugs. Both parents care for the young, and I just read if another couple's nest fails they will help with the raising of their neighbor's chicks. How about that for co-operation? While the male is a great hunter and caregiver not once did I see him exit the house with a piece of poop in his beak. I guess he leaves the housekeeping to mama. I would see her fly in with a tasty morsel—cheep, cheep, cheep, cheeep, cheeeeeeep—then fly out with something quite different and bright white, which I finally figured out was, yes, exactly.

Sitting over the weekend in a lawn chair among the pinon trees, arms up, holding my heavy camera, poised, ready to fire (did I say it was heavy?) I sat and I waited and sat and I sat, and as I sat and waited the benefits of a tripod became increasingly clear. As did the benefits of drinking a lot less iced tea. Suddenly, whoosh! papa was back with a bug, and in a flash popped into the house—cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheepcheepcheepcheepcheep—and emerged very gingerly, as he had spied me upon entry. 



Is the coast clear?  Yeees...




Whooo and away! still keeping his eye on the birdie (me).




And then he landed on a nearby branch to regroup.


This is my first attempt at capturing these beauties. Of course I now want a longer lens, and a stable tripod, and, and, and. But in the meanwhile I'll make do with what I have (lessons from the magpie) and see if I can record any of the chicks' fledging, when they do. Which I hope isn't too soon.  

Click on the images to enlarge. This link will take you to the slide show where you can view them even larger.

Annie Proulx Reading at The Lensic


Another wonderful Lannan-sponsored reading took place last week at the Lensic Theatre in downtown Santa Fe. Michael Silverblatt was on hand to speak with Annie Proulx (The Shipping News, Brokeback Mountain) after she read one of her celebrious short stories from a collection to be published in the fall. To download the podcast click here


Momma Western Blue Bird scoping grubs and bugs for her little ones

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Imagination and the Eye of the Beholder, Part 1

The imagination is like a lantern. It illuminates the inner landscapes of our life and helps us discover their secret archaeologies. When our eyes are graced with wonder, the world reveals its wonders to us. There are people who see only dullness in the world and that is because their eyes have already been dulled. So much depends on how we look at things. The quality of our looking determines what we come to see. Too often we squander the invitations extended to us because our looking has become repetitive and blind. The mystery and beauty is all around us but we never manage to see it. Similarly with the inner world: the imagination is the eye for the inner world. When the imagination awakens, the inner world illuminates. We begin to glimpse things no-one speaks about, that the outer world seems to ignore. When the inner world brightens, we discover a new confidence and a surer grounding in the world.    —John O'Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace



Monday, June 9, 2008

My Idea of a Hummer


"Hummingbird: Tireless Joy and the Nectar of Life. A symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible. It will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances." Excerpted from Animal Speak by Ted Andrews

Click to enlarge
This little one stopped in for a drink. 
I recently learned their wings don't just flap: they rotate in the shape of the infinity symbol or figure 8.
Now that is amazing. No wonder they need so much nectar!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

A Table on the Mesa

Rowe, New Mexico

Friday, June 6, 2008

Ping Pong Ball Salutation

He is off the ground. This boy keeps me on my toes. . .


. . .and looking up.

(Please click on the images to see how they really look.)

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Live Simple Now

As I ponder the ways in which to be guided to help organize my space, and incorporate the just-moved-studio into said space, I am guided to click on Christine Kane's blog to see what she's been up to. And I find this. Some wonderful and inspiring insights, and just plain, good, simple sense. 


I bought one of those young coconuts a few months ago, and after I had drunk the milk I chiseled it open to see what was inside. Nothing but the shape of a lovely house! So I put it on the table outside and let it weather through weather: snow, sun, rain, sun, more sun, wind, more wind—lots of wind—and a bit more high-desert, lip-chappin' sun. And it richened and came to look really interesting. I was nudged to keep it because I had the notion it might be just perfect for something, one day. And wouldn't you know...