Our Grateful Long Weekend May 23-26

It has been so long since I have blogged, I'm not sure I can remember how. Since getting a different cel phone, it has been quite a learning curve to figure out how to get the photos downloaded to my computer. But I am grateful for the new phone... and I'm grateful to finally be getting used to it.

We are always grateful to spend time with family. Shelby, Kim, Maizy and Lucy came for the long weekend... now a week ago.  We went down to the light house at Georgina Point to check out the starfish.

Shirley heard that the starfish on the west coast had some kind of plight... so we wanted to check them out.  We usually see more than a couple starfish... so maybe she was right.  Only two left!

It was fun walking around on the rocks.  Most of us kept dry... but the dogs loved getting into the water.

Beatrice and Dante also love chasing the tennis ball and bringing it back to Shelby. Beatrice usually wins the catch.

Some of the rocks on the beach reminded me of some sculptures we often see in art museums. This is sculpture evolving in nature.

I love taking photos and then looking at them to try to figure out what they might be.  Can you see a face with two eyes, a turned up nose with a moustache on one side? ...and the hair swirl back around the ear?  Isn't that fun?

There were lots of creatures clinging on for dear life to the side of the crack between two rocks.

And there was lots of driftwood randomly left on the beach. Storms have a way of leaving the logs in a hap hazard design. I was reading in the book, "The Golden Spruce," that huge waves pounding against the rocks on the coast of the Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) would send driftwood logs a top of cliffs a hundred feet high.  Pretty wild stuff!

Lucy posed for me under the edge of this storm worn rock.  She could be a model... or an actor?

I also asked Maizy to let me take her photo by the rock.  Rocks always look better with people.  This grand daughter has surpassed her grandmother by almost an inch already... and I don't think that she is done growing yet!

A candid shot of Shirley with Maizy, Lucy, Kim and Shelby.  Lucy saw me taking photos so stood up to give me a few more creative poses.

I am grateful for spring flowers. Walking to the car to leave the lighthouse park this iris bagged me to take her photo.

Lucy was having some fun with her food at supper that evening.  There is more than one way to get a golden cap on your tooth.

We are grateful to have our first guests use the loft.  The day the kids arrived I finished the carpet and helped Shirley put some beds up for the girls.  They so loved being able to finally sleep in the loft!

Shelby and Kim went to Victoria Sabbath afternoon after our visit to the lighthouse park to enjoy some time at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel... and we got to enjoy Lucy and Maizy. Shirley found some bird houses that the girls could paint. Fun, fin, fun... serious fun.

When Shelby and Kim returned on Sunday afternoon Shelb and I played some meadow golf.  We set up a golf course using rounds of firewood as the target to hit.  Shirley pointed out how similar father and son walk.  The fruit doesn't fall very far from the tree.

Our tenant Chris joined us at the fire pit for some hot dogs and potato salad... the kids always enjoy roasting marshmallows and making smokes.  (-Photo credits to Shirley for the last four photos.)

On Monday after the kids left to go home, we went to Victoria to run some errands and to celebrate Mother's Day at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Our kids got us the most gorgeous jackets for Mother's and Father's day.  We both wore them to town.

I don't know what Shirley was taking a picture of... but let's say it was this sea gull.

An Asian girl saw Shirley and I taking a selfie so came and asked if she could take a photo of us... What could we say?

The next morning I got this early morning sunrise shot of Mt. Baker from our hotel room. This photos has not been altered... this is the colour that morning. Shirley was still sawing logs. Later after a wonderful breakfast in the dining room, Shirley had a pedicure at the Spa... and I had a massage. It was one of our best Mother/Father's Days I can remember.  Where is it written that you can only celebrate special occasions only on designated days?

"All the I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." 
-Abraham Lincoln

Shelby told us that we cannot always trust quotes on the internet... and to prove it he shared his favourite quote.

"The problem with internet quotes is that you can't always depend on their accuracy" -Abraham Lincoln, 1864

St. Anthony's Monastery

With our friends Lorne and Gail Booth we did a day trip to St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery near Florence, Arizona.

At the front entry gatehouse we paused for this photo.

They have a strict dress code... and the ladies here went to great effort to comply, changing in the car... only to get called over by a kind monk.  As usual Shirley's skirt was too short, so they gave her one to borrow that she slipped on over.  And Gail got called on her top, which was far too tight and revealing. Really!

Before visiting it would be prudent to visit their website and check out their dress code.

We had a glorious sunny, blue sky day... and the first building we visited was St. Anthony's Church.  It was the largest of the many chapels we toured.

In the courtyard a monk handed out an outlined map with notes on the back for a self guided tour.  This was really great as we were on our own to spend as much time as we wanted to get photos.

And get photos we did!  This handsome lion guarded the main entrance to the church.

There are only two electric lights in the sanctuary.  Candles in the big brass chandelier are lit on major feast days.

There are no pews in the church as they usually stand.  Tall seats around the walls are used when they get tired.  (I think I would have to start out in the pews most days.)

This church was full of iconic art... most of it is copies of famous pieces... original copies!

While we were there a monk came in and made a systematic walk thru, stopping to pray and kiss each and every painting.  It was amazing to watch him. I would guess there is 40 to 50 iconic paintings.

The inlaid wood on this alter was amazing.

Check out the fine detail... all inlaid wood... and so tiny!

Those two ladies coming down the steps are Shirley and Gail, now in proper attire.

It would be interesting to see the fashion statement this would make in our own church!

In the main courtyard.  The brickwork here is amazing.

Check out the angled bricks.  We saw this detail used in several places after seeing it here.

I don't recall ever seeing this detail in brick used anywhere else.

St. Nicholas' Chapel.  As we moved around the loop each succesive chapel was smaller than the previous one... until the last one which was no bigger than my woodshed in Canada.

The rock work and brick details are very interesting.

This chapel was very bright... all with natural light.  It would be interesting to be here when they meet for services at midnight.  That's right... they get up at at 11:00 PM so they can meet here for worship at 12:00 PM.

Shirley and I each took over 200 photos in this monastery. That's my sweetheart!

See the fan wood carving on the bench behind.

Here is my closeup of one of those bench backs.  Nice wood carving... but not conducive to napping.

Leaving St. Anthony's Chapel we walked past a citrus groove of oranges and grapefruit.  They also had a section of olive trees that they harvest and share with other monasteries that do not have room to grow their own.

As I was capturing this floor tile detail, I got this selfie.

We captured several interesting tile and brick details.

It is a joy to see thoughtful design... and effort spent to make things interesting and beautiful.

There are numerous fountains on the property.

But none was larger than this fountain of the stone cross. 

This traditional Orthodox cross, also called the Russian cross, has a lower slanted cross bar for a foot rest. The reason it is slanted is this: the thief crucified on the right of Christ was saved and went up to heaven... the other theif want down to Hell.

Towards the end of our walking tour we saw several more chapels with the Russian influence.

I will conclude this post with a cool graphic symbol incorporated into a perimeter fence and Saguaro's in the background.

It was truly an amazing accomplishment to have transformed this property into this monastery since 1995.  What a delight to see the attention to detail everywhere you look... and to see a people who are totally committed to what they believe, starting their day at midnight to worship together.

To see more of our day check out Shirley's blog.

Ansel Adams... a Great Photographer

Since Christmas and our Canadian friends the Albrecht's visit I have been doing a 3000 piece jigsaw puzzle... it took 30 days! I got a few hours help from my friend Lorne a couple of times... and Shirley would stop and help find a problem piece for me from time to time. Feels good to have this one done!

The result is that every free moment has been spent finding just one more piece in the puzzle... no time to blog.

We did however have a few very inspirational adventures.  I tagged along with our Del Webb photo club to on field trip to the U of Arizona campus to see several exhibits.

Apart from this photo outside the Charles Harbutt exhibit I photographed nothing inside... I was totally enjoying his work, watched a 30 minuted movie and looked at hundreds of photos.  It was great.

The John P Schaefer Center for Creative Photography was no small building. When we got home I did a little google search to learn more about Dr. John P. Schaefer and learned he was an interesting man. His major study was in chemistry... which lead him to come to this university  as a chemistry professor... and later to become president of the university for 11 years between 1971-1982.

I liked this YouTube video where he tells how the idea for the Center for Creative Photography evolved... and how he became good friends with Ansel Adams, who played a role in it all. It was an idea whose time was right, and Schaefer made the most of his friendship with Adams in his last years before he died in 1984.

Schaefer is an avid photographer and has published several books with his photography... he loves the cactus and the desert.

I like to learn about the people who have played a part in making the City of Tucson a better place... and Dr. John Schaefer is one of them.  The newspaper did a great piece on him when he was given a Founders Award in 2010. Click on his name to learn more.  I like this man.

When we tour a gallery Shirley and I often play the game, "If you could have just one piece from this exhibit, which one would you want?"  For me it would would be this one.

They asked us not to take photos of Ansel Adams exhibition... but that was not a problem, since much of his work is easily copied off the internet.  There were I believe 21 or 22 of his original photos that we saw that day.

Adams was well known for his photography in the National Parks.

Without any comment I have included several of his photos.

I recognize the Hoover Dam... but today there is a new bridge that goes above it.  We have stopped to look around... but never got down to the spot where Adams took this great shot.

We have a poster print of this framed and in our home here... Half Dome in Yosemite.

 If you are fan of Ansel Adams you might enjoy this documentary... a film by Ric Burns.

This is one of my most favourite photographers. Ansel Adams, Feb. 20, 1902 - Apr. 22, 1984.

A life well spent.

And a most enjoyable and inspirational day with the Photo Club.

You may also enjoy the blog post that Shirley did on this same day... check it out!