Today was a day of being overwhelmed. Team New Zealand lost in the America’s Cup after building a lead and needing only one last win. Oracle simply overwhelmed.
Today we visited Bryce Canyon and even though I have seen photographs, I could not believe what I was seeing; neither could Dean Barker.
I have been waiting for several years to make this drive. Really, as I have been reminded it would best be done over two days. It is, from Santa Rosa, a 4 hour drive to garberville. Then to drive slowly up the Avenue of the Giants, takes time, and now of course you are several hours further north. A healthy drive back.
This road which is the old route 101 is a rare opportunity to see the Redwoods easily and be awed by their majesty.
The return trip had an interesting moment when a wildfire alert was posted. By the time we arrived, it was well under control.
I report earlier in the week of my whirlwind tour of Acadia national park and Bar Harbor Maine. I was struck by the true beauty of the place. Curiously it reminded me of Yosemite. The same rock formations and evergreens. Clearly no Redwoods, but somehow the structure of the parks seemed familiar.
We all love a natural mystery; even if it is not.
Having grown up with the legend of Jacques Cousteau, the Marianas Trench, Stories of Giant Squid And Sperm Whales, I cannot wait to see the footage on the discovery channel on Jan 27, 2013.
I did see a piece of a giant squid in the ocean in 1968. The presumption was that it must have been torn up by a sperm whale. We were sailing and I did not have an opportunity to grab my camera.
I have been fascinated and amazed by the patterns nature creates. I sometimes feel that we are only trying to keep up. Fabrics, textures, colors are all just mimicking what already exists.
The colors of Fall must be one of the compensations of impending winter, the ever shortening days. The myth of Persephone, like all the myths is an ambiguous story of sadness and joy.
There are some very practical events that must occur to have brilliant colors. Plenty of rain mixed with sun in the summer in order to have rich leaves. A brisk cooling to kill the chlorophyll, then cool dry weather thereafter.
The rain was pouring down all day followed by strong wind, which blew most of the leaves off the trees.Not the best leaf peeping season. but a pleasure non-the-less.
The rain moved through during the night. The wind took most of the leaves from the trees. Cool, crisp fall air greeted us in the morning. I thought a photograph from the top of Mount Greylock of the fall colors would be nice. No sooner did we start up the mountain than the weather started to change. Light rain with a rainbow, the fog, or low clouds depending on your definition closed off the view. But most surprising of all was the snowstorm at the top. So much for making plans. Once back on the lowlands, the sun filled the day.
The stories of Naumkeag, The Mount, Walker Brook, will follow.
