Artichoke Bliss 7/27/07

Artichokes are one of my favorite California plants and this one just came into the lovely lavender of it's downy fleece. Some cousins* of mine and I had dinner tonight and they brought artichokes. Being raised on the meat and potatoes of Ohi-O, I had never really eaten an artichoke until I lived in the Greenhouse on Jones Gulch Road my first fall here in the greater La Honda-Pescadero-San Gregorio triangle back in 1989. Shortly thereafter, I started eating them on a regular basis. Around these parts, you can get them in bread, pesto , and even ice cream , though the latter might just be a rumor from Castroville, and the former ( from Norm's Market in Pescadero), I can never pass up. There is definitely a method to imbibing this flower's buttery insides , and mayonnaise is an essential element of the whole process. If you've never done it, get a Californian to show you.

* and beautiful , kindred spirits who I hope to write about. They drove up from Desert Hot Springs to see me. We met for the first time at a family reunion 2 years ago, they were sort of catalysts for helping to nudge me out of Columbus and back "on the road"....back out into the uncertainty of nowness. For the next week or so , I hope to show them the Redwoods, the San Gregorio Store, parts of Santa Cruz and Big Basin...maybe Castle Rock...who knows? what fun it will be.
This is the second summer that I have been able to see this flower bloom. Thanks to Teresa for planting it!
Medicinally, artichokes are good for your liver, stimulating bile flow and reducing cholesterol, among other things. more info at www.botanical.com

Jugtown Pirates of Lake Champlain !!!

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The Lens Room clearer,perhaps a reflection

Fog overtakes Lighthouse 5:40 pm 7/17/07

This was just a few minutes ago. I went straight down to the cove after work today and just played and layed (laid, lie ....at 40 something, I am starting to forget...help me editors at heart) in the sun , on the rocks enjoying being off and midsummer energy everywhere. I watched a beautiful greenish crab with turqouise sides come in and out from a crack and heard and watched oystercatchers protecting their brood. I had not been down in the cove prior to this, DURING the coming of the fog. I was standing in the sun and it comes pouring past the Lighthouse from nowhere and it looks like smoke as it follows the curve of the land and falls down the cliffs in a spray over the coves soft sandy beach. I looked up and the Lighthouse was completely gone ( but it's really not that far away, that's how thick the fog is). You can see a little nub in the center of the fog that is what I think are the windows of the Fresnel Lens room of the Lighthouse.
Pretty cool eh?

Frank Waters

HOW DID I MISS THIS BOOK? or the Recommended Reading part of the Eddy

So we all find great books in a myriad of ways and I have found one that I could have read 26 years ago but didn't know about. Oh yes, everything is happening exactly as it should.
A guy I know at work is always shooting off book titles, and sent me on a goosechase looking for this one under the title of "Sacred Mountains of the World "(which is actually a title of a chapter in the book, but thanks Michael for being the catalyst for this one).
Well I had read Frank Waters "Book of the Hopi" way back in 1985. It's one of the books that I will always keep and read parts of from time to time and wonder, "How did I miss that the ---time ( or all those other times) I read it"...but there's always something new.
Now I am completely mesmerized by one he wrote in 1981 correctly titled "Mountain Dialogues".
"The Circle of the Law Belt "is a pretty cool chapter. But it's all good and all -ALL.

I tend to read in waves and read a few books at once. I am also reading one by
Maxine Hong Kingston entitled "The Fifth Book of Peace" and have checked out another of hers from the library called " Tripmaster Monkey" that I have renewed a few times, but not started reading yet.
I lust after alot of new books, but I see that Barbara Kingsolver has a new one ,
" Animal,Vegetable,Miracle: A Year of Food Life" that I will have to save my pennies for.
My dream would be to win a shopping spree at Bookshop Santa Cruz or Half Price Books

surreal sunday morning...

There's something really surreal about this place in the early morning, any morning and I awake today giving Thanks to be here. Here's a random postcard that I found in the Capitol-of-all-great-postcards, The San Gregorio Store. I always seem to find the right word at the right time and this was one of those serendipitous days.
Surrealism n.1 the youthful expression of dreamlike spontaneity which daily life conspires to suppress. 2 a state of mind embracing unconscious, poetic juxtaposition which is eroded by responsibility. 3 You pursue the terrible beauties of fear and hope. Your friends cannot help you

100 feet above it all....

A Reunion with an Old Friend...Friday the 13th of July, 2007

Clear Blue at the Lighthouse

reblogged from 7/10/07

The Fog Returneth....

So we have been soooo very lucky this spring/summer that we have had very little fog. Now that the rest of the country is inundated with heat, there is no chance for a blue sky here at Pigeon Point. Recent highlights: Seeing Kate Isenberg and her magical band ( GO see her in San Francisco) at Women in the Redwood's last weekend in little ole Loma Mar on June 30. Next year folks, make it to this lineup and this event. Small crowd and amazing free music. Loma Mar has been the "inspiration ground" for many a local musician. Other favorites Kelly and the Lighthouse Band and the Lisa Kelly Band were alot of fun to sit in the sun and listen to. Thanks to Kelly Barrett and her and hers "key rescuing skills" atop Haskins Hill post show. Amazing sunset and I slept up there for the first time in 14 years last Saturday night. This place is a true paradise on Earth. The "Tactile Table" mosaic is nearly finished. I will grout it later this evening and will probably fill in the gaps with Abalone chips. Above see a sneak peek.

July 4th sunset reposted....

Sunset Fourth of July

These are some shots of the back porch Nasturtium jungle. This is the first time in over 13 years that I do not have a whole bunch of different kinds of Sunflowers growing in one of the many gardens that I have left behind. So here's one from the Santa Cruz Farmers Market on my windowsill in a vase.