While in Florida, we checked out a Sugar Sand Festival exhibit, “Sandimals,” while on Clearwater Beach.
These incredible sculptures were made from the beach’s white sand. It was held in a huge tent, shaded from the sun, and cool inside.
A for Aardvark.
Mr. Beaver.
An eagle.
We meandered through the one-way path observing this amazing and unique artwork. The sculptures were arranged according to the alphabet…like many children’s books: A for aardvark, B for bear, C for cat, etc…and the displays were all different animal types.
These two reminded me of Frog and Toad – beloved children’s book characters.
It was fascinating.
My favorite: the leopard…his spots were holes in the sand.
A wise old owl.
A fun creature: the platypus.
There was one artist working silently on a dog sculpture, putting on the last touches. It would be fun to watch the whole process…starting from the top down. I’m sure it takes a long time. It definitely takes talent.
One artist working on a dog sculpture.
The peacock was extraordinary.
R for rabbit and rhinoceros’.
It’s hard to remember these are all sculpted using fine sand.
S for sloth.
U for unicorn.
Y for Yeti.
It was really fun to walk through this display of sand animals…an unusual “walk on the beach” experience.
We were in Florida last week, on the gulf side, close to Clearwater Beach. It was beautiful. Sunny… every day, temperatures in the 80’s…every day.
Sunset over Clearwater Beach.
We spent time near the water, and submerged ourselves in the water once. It felt wonderful. We walked along beaches and enjoyed the fine, white, sugar sand, and seeing the awesome shades of turquoise water, beautiful blue skies, shore birds, sea shells, sail boats. We “soaked” it all in…sun, waves, sea air, warm temps.
We didn’t know the name of these interesting shorebirds.
Usually when I am on the water’s edge I look for sea shells…(or rocks if I’m on Lake Superior’s rocky shore). I can’t help myself. As I walked along looking for shells I thought about a poem I wrote several years ago. I looked it up after we returned home and am sharing it below.
Shells found along the sea in Florida.
Along the Sea (2010)
Here I go again...
Walking along the beach,
Tides go out, tides come in,
I’m open to what it’ll teach.
Water rolling over the toes,
Sun sparkling across the sea,
The gentle sound of waves,
All soothes the core of me.
I walk along and sing psalms
As the pulsing waves repeat,
I feel a sense of calm
As my eyes draw to my feet.
I reach down for a token
From the bounty of the sea.
And check to see if it’s broken,
If so, I toss it back quickly.
I can’t resist, so I pick up more
Searching for one without mars,
Noting what likeness to people they bore,
Broken, wounded, with scars.
So, I start being less selective
And find new beauty in these...
My mind gently corrected
As I choose shells along the sea.
As we hear the horrible news of the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine, my thoughts go out to the people I met there on three separate trips in 2004, 2005, and 2008. The main purpose of the trips were to facilitate small groups of young students in an English Language Camp. Our days were busy and tiring, but fun. We also had free time to explore the area, and socialize with adults, after the camp day ended in the afternoon.
The set up for a lovely meal together in Cherkasy, Ukraine.
One of my fondest memories is a gathering at one of the leader’s home. There were many Ukranians present to be with our team of eight Americans. We shared a picnic-style meal together, outdoors. As the sun was setting and we were sitting around visiting, one of the Ukrainians got out his guitar and we started to sing hymns. We were singing and harmonizing the same lyrics in two different languages. I remember tearing up and thinking what a beautiful sound we were making, blending our voices together and creating sweet music. It was an emotional experience, which today elicits a peaceful and serene memory of my time with the many wonderful folks I met in the Ukraine; a beautiful and peaceful people.
My heart breaks when I think of all the destruction of lives that is ongoing. I pray for an end to the violence in Ukraine and that peace can be restored.
We walked along the Atlanta Ocean in January, and five weeks later we walked along the Pacific Ocean. We spent some time with our older son and his wife and two children on the California Coast. It was lovely, sunny, and in the 60-70’s. Here are some photos from our time there.
We grabbed a blanket, with coffee in hand, to watch the sunrise every morning.
Sunrise, our first morning.
We walked to the playground with an ocean view to let the grandchildren play.
The playground.
We would see dolphins swimming off shore, and picturesque sailboats sailing by.
A mosaic tile art piece mounted on a cement fence.
A lone sailboat.
A sailboat race.
We went on a sunset cruise and saw sea lions, and another beautiful sunset.
Lil’ Toot: our boat, and captain, for our sunset cruse.
Sea lions.
Sunset, our third evening, from Lil’ Toot.
My granddaughter and I made fresh lemonade from the lemons off a lemon tree.
Fresh lemons!
Beautiful Bird-of-Paradise in bloom.
Gary and I walked along the beach, in my fancy boot (for my injured foot)!
150 concrete steps down to the beach (and back up!)
The beach and rocky shoreline – low tide rising.
The waves.
We sat by the firepit and watched the sun set every night.
Sunset, our first evening.
Lingering light from a sunset.
Sunset, the second evening.
The colors of the sunset reflecting in the east.
We enjoyed our time together, and making memories.
And once again, it was hard to come back to Minnesota’s cold weather, but spring is coming.
Jones Street is touted to be the “prettiest street” in Savannah (in America, some say). We learned it was within walking distance of our hotel. The Crystal Beer Parlor, a recommended restaurant we wanted to try, was also on one end of Jones Street.
Cobblestone walk…
Jones Street
So late one afternoon we took off to walk along Jones Street, all the while the song “On the street where you live” from the movie My Fair Lady kept playing in my mind. That, too, was a pretty street, if I recall.
Quaint, antique looking light fixtures on front porches.
Live oaks on Jones Street.
Jones Street was lined with colorful row houses and beautiful architecture, attractive stairways, cobblestone sidewalks, inviting rod-iron gates to gaze into patio gardens, live oak trees with branches hanging over the sidewalks and streets, dripping with Spanish moss…it was very picturesque.
Lots of rod iron…
A peek into a patio garden….
Color…
We walked up and down Jones Street before going to eat at the Crystal Beer Parlor, another gem in Savannah. The beer parlor has history in Savannah. It originally was a corner grocery store. Then, during prohibition, it made moonshine in the cellar and became a “speakeasy”. When prohibition ended it became one of the first restaurants in Savannah to serve liquor, and has been doing so ever since, along with delicious food.
The Crystal Beer Parlor.
We had a wonderful time at the Crystal Beer Parlor. We had a fun and competent waiter, we split the night’s special of shrimp and grits, which was unbelievably tasty, and we shared a yummy peach cobbler for dessert.
It seemed apropos that we end our time in Savannah on the prettiest street and with a great dining experience.
A beautiful building, not a home, near Jones Street. Maybe apartments?
As I mentioned in my previous post, we stopped at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky on our way home from North Carolina. I had heard about this museum, and, since it was not too far off our route, we decided to stop and check it out.
This forest scene is probably my favorite quilt.
It did not disappoint, however I thought it would be larger and Gary thought it would be smaller, but it was just right.
Another favorite quilt….
This national museum displays, and collects, contemporary quilts…made within the last thirty years. There are no antique or restored quilts here.
And another…
In the main gallery there are several astonishing quilts to peruse. What craftsmanship…
What artistic ability…
What creativity…
We learned a few quilts are changed out every few weeks in the main gallery, so the exhibit is constantly changing.
There were various quilts on display. All lovely…
All intricate…
Another favorite…
All interesting…
All spectacular…
All different…
There were temporary exhibits too, which were interesting and fun to see. One was an exhibit of quilts students K-12 had made, as their first attempt at quilting.
There was an exhibit of miniature quilts.
This is a miniature quilt. A miniature quilt has to be 24″x24″ or less. I think most were 12″x12″.
There were two temporary exhibits by two different textile artists.
Special exhibit: Valerie C. White “Roots and Refuge”
Another piece by Valerie C. White. I liked this one because we saw Guinea Fowl in Africa and I loved their polka dot feathers.
Quilts are truly works of art. We both enjoyed this stop. It was worth our time to stretch our legs, relax, and enjoy exquisite artistry of quilt making.
We left North Carolina early Thursday morning to start our journey back to Minnesota. We planned a new route home, because we wanted to see a part of Mississippi.
Welcome to Mississippi.
We wanted to stop there because there are only two states I do not recall having been in…Idaho and Mississippi. Since Mississippi seemed a reasonable distance to include on our trip home (Idaho, of course, was not!) we decided it would be fun to stay overnight in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Road maps.
Therefore, on Thursday we drove from North Carolina, through South Carolina, through Georgia and through Alabama to Mississippi. We stopped at the birthplace of Elvis, a must-see attraction in Tupelo, before checking into our hotel…then we went out for dinner. It was a pleasant day.
The house where Elvis Presley was born, in Tupelo, Mississippi.
The clouds put on a pretty display for a pleasant evening in Mississippi.
The next morning we drove on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444 mile national scenic byway, that goes through three states.
Directional sign.
The road roughly follows the “Old Natchez Trace” a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, European settlers, slave traders, soldiers and a few presidents. It has a lot of history to tell, dating back to the late 1700’s.
A scenic two-way parkway, with little traffic.
Natchez Trace Parkway.
We drove on the parkway for thirty miles before getting off to head towards Kentucky. There was another attraction we wanted to see on our way back to Minnesota…the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky.
A wonderful museum in Paducah, Kentucky.
A step inside the quilt museum.
The quilt museum was interesting. I have more thoughts and photos to share in an upcoming post.
Our third morning was a bit different than the others. We spent the night near St. Louis, Missouri, and woke up to a snowstorm (unusual amounts expected for this part of the country). We got an early start, but it was slow going the first few hours, until we drove out of the storm and the roads cleared up.
Snow-packed road conditions as we traveled north through Missouri. Fortunately there was not a lot of traffic.
As we checked out that morning in St. Louis, the clerk at our hotel gave us a blessing for our safety while traveling through the snow…she was a kind-hearted woman and a delight. It felt right, and special, to start our journey that day with her blessing.
Heavy snow-cover along the side of the road.
A Minnesota winter scene.
We were thankful we made it back to Minnesota safely.
It was hard leaving North Carolina Thursday morning. We arrived in North Carolina before Christmas, to visit our son, his wife and their two children.
Santa’s reindeer.
Making Christmas cookies.
Together, we celebrated Christmas. We were there for the new year, and the grandkid’s winter break from school, and also for a time after they returned to school. We had a lot of fun together.
A picnic at the nature preserve.
At the nature preserve.
Hedgehog craft project from pinecones we found at the nature preserve.
It was so good to be there, to catch up with our son and daughter-in-love, and to see our grandchildren so happy in their new home, and thriving.
Playing on playgrounds.
Polishing toenails.
It was difficult to say good-bye as they headed out for school and we headed out for our three-day journey back to Minnesota. We already miss them…their excitement and smiling faces.
We’ve had some fun adventures on this lengthy (for us) time away from our home in Minnesota. We took a road trip to North Carolina and are staying with our son and his family. The time is going by fast; maybe because it started over the Christmas holidays, and is extending into the New Year. Or maybe because we’re visiting family and grandchildren – that is always special. I always anticipate having all kinds of time to write, but that never proves true for me. I get distracted with the days activities. We are still here, but I’m taking time to write now.
On the front porch at our son’s home in North Carolina.
Initially we had some warm days in North Carolina. We were able to sit on the front porch and drink our morning coffee, and go to a park on a sunny, 75* day and play with the new Stomp Rocket.
Having fun in the park.
We also had a couple warm and sunny days in Georgia, and I wore my sandals while walking along Savannah’s Riverwalk, but now a cold front has come through and it’s a bit chilly…but not as cold as it is back home in Minnesota.
The Riverwalk along the Savannah River.
We did take a mini road trip to Savannah, Georgia (a road trip within a road trip!) and enjoyed exploring that lovely, southern city. We had four wonderful days there. One, of many, interesting tidbits from our time in Savannah is from our first afternoon when we drove through the beautiful, historic Bonaventure Cemetery, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and located on a scenic bluff on the Wilmington River.
The cemetery has acres of old, interesting tombstones and monuments with mature southern live oak trees with Spanish moss dripping from them, and rough gravel roads that create a very mystical place.
This was not your typical manicured cemetery, but it was eerily peaceful in the late afternoon as we drove around.
Sun rays lighting up some Spanish moss.
Rod iron gates around clusters of marble and granite tombstones, large and tall monuments, cement angel and crosses, and all manner of cemetery props are within its gates with mature trees and other greenery.
On our way out we stopped at the info center just outside the cemetery where someone commented on our Minnesota license plates. He stated we’re a long way from home and asked what part of Minnesota we were from? “Northfield,” I said. And he said, “we are too!” Two couples from our hometown had just toured the cemetery. It was a fun moment.
Visiting Olbrich Gardens has become a tradition for me and my friend from Indiana, every time we meet in Madison, Wisconsin.
An overview of Lake Monona in the distance, from the climbing tower in Olbrich Gardens.
This botanical garden has an indoor, tropical conservatory, 16 acres of gardens in the outdoor area, and an interesting gift shop. The admission is free if you stay outside, and that is where we always want to be! Some years, when we have visited Olbrich in late October, there has been snow on the ground, but even then, it’s a pleasant walk.
A stone pot with overflowing green grass and a wooden stick ball in the center makes for a beautiful visual display.
This year when we visited, there was no snow, an above normal temperature, and the sky was a beautiful blue with bright sunshine. Although it was later in the season, we did find a few lingering blooms before winter brings it to a halt.
The sunlight on this pink rose blossom made it even more stunning.
A lone wild geranium bloom.
A sweet red rosebud.
A couple years ago we discovered an interesting tree called the Full Moon Maple. We enjoy its fringed leaves and the vibrant red/orange color it turns at this time of year…and we like the name!
Full Moon Maple. Photo October 2020
Frances and me near the Full Moon Maple. 2021
There is a permanent display with a kaleidoscope to look through onto a pot of colorful greens and flowers you can spin around. I always enjoy looking at the geometric patterns through a kaleidoscope, especially when focusing on plants at botanical gardens. I’ve seen these displays at other gardens. What a creative idea someone had.
The kaleidoscope focused on a pot of grasses and flowers.
The gardens are open to enjoy all year. There is a special event in December, “Holiday Express” that would be fun to go back and see…model trains, poinsettias and fresh greens.
Four blooming red roses.
It’s an easy drive to Madison from Northfield, and Madison always feels welcoming and is easy to get around. It seems to have many interesting things to do and see, including many bike trails. We have more exploring to do!
Another trio of fall blooming crocuses. I saw these for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was interesting to see more in another place, never having seen them before this year.
But, it’s good to know we can revisit Olbrich Gardens to find respite, and a peaceful place to enjoy nature, every time.
