golden willow over calm water
This weekend will be unseasonably warm for November, so I am taking advantage of it! I’ve been reading India Flint’s fascinating book on natural dyeing this week, and now I will look at every carpet of leaves with new eyes! (see if you can spot the dog paws…)
willow bark and leaves
I spotted this eagle twice earlier this week, and today I had my camera along! Even though Bald Eagles are common in this part of the world, I am still thrilled to the bone every time I see one!
Bald Eagle surveying the territory
Yesterday I went on a walk with my Nordic Walking group. I’m always thrilled when I learn about wonderful parks so near my home! The trail, used by both walkers and bicyclists, is part of Lilydale Regional Park, on the south bank of the Mississippi River a bit upstream from downtown St. Paul. (The Mississippi flows towards the NE as is passes downtown St. Paul.) The trail led past an old brickyard, around the base of a fossil bed, and past caves that were once used for mushroom-growing and cheese-making. According to one of my walking companions, it was also a swell place for gangsters to hide in the 1930′s. I was on the lookout for textures … and fascinated by the geological as well as human history of this area. There are 3 primary geological layers here — St. Peter Sandstone at the bottom, Platteville Limestone above that, and then Decorah Shale on top where the fossils are. NOTE: (added 8/12) An optional ingredient in rice paste resist is calcium hydroxide, or lime. A small amount of this highly alkaline ingredient can help give the paste a bit more elasticity. John Marshall notes that if you live on large limestone deposits you probably don’t need to use it because it comes out of the tap. I wonder how far beyond the banks of the river the Platteville Limestone extends…
cave in sandstone bluff
St. Peter sandstone
old brick oven around the corner from the cave
waterfall up the trail from the cave
over the edge into the waterfall pool
old brick
once upon a time...
I’ve been working on katazome for the upcoming Art at St. Kate’s show on July 25th. Meanwhile I want to share a few amazing images sent to me by my brother Joe, who is an anatomy professor and world-famous ichthyologist (I have always enjoyed bragging about my siblings). He and my sister-in-law captured these images of sea creatures and garden flowers in the lab using soft radiographic (x-ray) technology. In his words, “soft radiographic imaging (X-rays produced at low kilovoltage) can be used to document differences in structural density in a variety of organisms. When used in conjunction with extremely fine grained film, it is especially well suited to displaying details in vertebrae bone, invertebrate exoskeletons and the leaves and flowers of plants. Conventional high voltage X-ray technology is not capable of producing such highly resolved images.” Beautiful!
Seahorse
Bee Balm (Monarda)
Remind you of anything?
Skate/Ray
Thistle
