Theme this week is: HIGH

The Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay is a beautiful, unique pedestrian bridge that crosses the Sacramento River and connects the Nationally-designated trail system in Redding, California, with the Turtle Bay Exploration Park and McConnell Arboretum.

The Sundial Bridge is beautiful because of its aqua green, opaque glass deck; strips of granite; and smooth, white imported Spanish tile. The bridge is unique because of its design. The 217-foot high pylon acts as a sundial, telling time on a tile covered garden border on the north side of the bridge. The designer of the bridge, world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, has said that, to him, the bridge resembles a bird in flight, and symbolizes the overcoming of adversity. The bridge is also environmentally sensitive to its river setting. The tall pylon and cable stays allow this unique suspension bridge to avoid the nearby salmon-spawning habitat. Several fly fishing publications and professional guides have rated this area of the Sacramento River as being in the top 10 tail water fisheries in the world!

P.S. I thought about showing a "funny cigarette", (ha, ha)

Patrick Dougherty's Willow Creations

The following is from the Redding newspaper the "Record Searchlight".

Make what you will of the large, weird, whimsical willow sculpture at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding. Patrick Dougherty’s task is to make it.

Environmental artist Dougherty started working on the piece early this month. It rises some 20 feet into the sky and encircles a valley oak at Turtle Bay’s McConnell Arboretum & Gardens. Dougherty, 62, of Chapel Hill, N.C., has created more than 150 large-scale branch pieces for display throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

And now Redding. The sculpture here is being made entirely from willow branches. Dougherty uses thick limbs as well as thin, supple branchlets. Bending and weaving this plant material is a time-consuming, intricate process. With the thick branches, it can require a certain oomph. Volunteers come in handy too. Dougherty is getting help from Turtle Bay staff and community volunteers. They’ve cut and gathered branches and are helping build the structure.

Each of Dougherty’s creations is different. The oak tree is driving the design of this project — and providing structural support. When the three-week project is done, there will be three woven-willow towers with doors and windows around the oak.

Here is a website to see him work and speak:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4107342194345173919

Thought of the day: Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all"?

A Little Bunny Tale

Bright sun shone down warmly adding a glow to Easter Sunday morning. Decorating was finished with bunnies, baskets, eggs and flowers all around. So I scurried around and did the last cleaning up touches and began to prepare the dinner.


Before I knew it, the day had flown by and family was arriving. There was my son, Chris, my late husband’s brother, my niece, her two youngest children and their dad. Of course, it is all about the kids, Emma 4 and Billy 2. They enjoyed their baskets of treats and we enjoyed the wonderful dinner. A good time was share by all.

Thought for the day: C D E D B D bunnies? M R not E D B D bunnies!
O S A R ! C D E D B D fluffy cottontails?
L I B ! M R 2 E D B D bunnies!

This week's theme is METAL:

This is a sculpture in front of one of our performing arts centers.
I cropped it close because of background distractions.
Below however, are two shots showing more.
The title on the sculpture is "The Dancer".

This week's theme is "I Spy".

So, can you find the deer in the this picture? How about the
swimming turtle? Click on the photo to enlarge. This is
part of a mosaic bench in the "kids" part of the Turtle Bay
Arboretum in Redding, California.

Weekly Theme Different

UPDATE:

Today, I'm doing better emotionally, my girlfriends helped to cheer
me up. I'll just try to concentrate on today and not anticipate what
I know lays ahead. No one knows the cause and there is no
permanent cure, only remission. Last remission was 4-5 years!
So I hope I have that to look forward to. I caught it really early
this time.

Thank you for your understanding and concern!

thought for the day: "Whine? no. Wine? yes!

IT'S BACK!!

I have a miserable skin disease called "Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris"
(PRP). It awful! I had it in 2001 and 2003, both times is took 9
months to get rid of it and I had to take "accutane", which is a
medicine whose side effects are horrid! No one knows what
causes it. I am so F@#king unhappy that I have to go through
this again.

thought of the day: "life's a bitch and then you die"