Last year I worked on a project that I can finally share: 3 of my large Medley photographs have been printed on plexiglass panels, illuminated from behind. If you’re visiting the Grand Cascades Hotel in New Jersey you can see these in person!
March Madness continues!
We’ve had 4 rainless days, everyone’s been outside working on projects! More terraced garden beds at my place, helping neighbors raise the walls on their house build, burning a brush pile at another neighbors… I’m actually relieved it’s raining this morning so I can take a break from physical labor. Time to get some seeds going though!
Busy March Day
This morning I helped a neighbor cut wood on his saw mill.
In two hours we went through 3 logs, cutting and stickering cedar siding boards for his upcoming house build. I’ve made a short video that I posted on my telegram channel, since videos don’t seem to post well here.
He’s been letting me forage through his off-cuts for a few years now each spring to make more garden beds. My garden is on a slope, so each year I’ve added another row of terraced beds.
This year I’m making a 40’ long bed for berries. Most of my berries have been in pots for a few years, waiting for me to decide where to put them permanently.
My land is pie-shaped, so some of the beds end up being odd-shaped. This new bed will be for squash and pumpkins. I’m filling the new beds permaculture-lasagna style: cardboard collected from neighbors, wood scraps, not-quite-done compost, screened dirt, then top dressed with purchased soil.
How’s your garden going this year?
It's March!
I’ve been a busy bee working on updating the webstore with new goodies! I’m loving these ultra medley hoodies. I ran into a neighbor at the island mail shack yesterday who spontaneously modeled this one for me. What do you think?
Home Again!
Still recuperating and catching up. It was very exciting to return home to a pile of samples for new spring goodies coming soon! I’m excited to show them off in the coming weeks. If you’re not on my email newsletter list to be the first to know about these, sign up at the bottom of this page (or any page on my website!)
SO EXCITED!
Last day in Mexico!
Heading north in the morning. I’ve been absent here on the blog while recovering from a horse riding injury (sciatica)! Here’s some videos I made while recuperating… Enjoy the colors!
Sea of Cortes Video!
My first video I’ve made since college. It was a lot more complicated then. What do you think? Should I make more?
Green Beach Day
Another overcast morning yesterday and low tide, exposing the mossy-green rocks. These are the treasures I found with Jasper dog while a fishing boat went by and a local fished from shore.
Shells among broken shells, next to the swells
Incognito Beach Medley
Another one from the other cloudy morning! And a video of my bird friends when another person arrived on the beach and disturbed them….
Another Medley from Yesterday
On the lava beach boulders with the birds and Jasper. And, how beach sand is made:
On the beach
Storm Morning
Last night it poured rain off and on, a rarity here in the Sonoran desert but familiar to me visiting from the Pacific Northwest. The power went out before first light, we made drip coffee by headlamp and went down to the beach to watch the sunrise. Because of the dense cloud cover, there was no colored light show to demarcate night from morning, just a gradual fade of night.
Overcast lighting conditions are my favorite for photographing my medleys, so Jasper and I returned to the beach with my pile of save special shells to get down to work. It was a glorious morning spent with the gulls and pelicans on the beach.
Storm Treasures
A cluster of pink barnacles and a wee sea salp!
Storm Rolling In
The wind kicked up yesterday, so I wandered down to the beach to see what washed in. Nothing spectacular to report at sunset, will check again in the morning!
A circle of Turkey Wing and Mossy Ark shells. The most prevalent shell on one of the beaches here on the Sea of Cortes, but not a type we have back home in the islands of the Salish Sea.
Different Here
Internet research led me to the website of the National Shell Museum in Florida. It appears these types of shells are also found in the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Sea of Cortes. There’s also an awesome local Shell Museum I visited yesterday. More on that tomorrow!
Succulent-like ground cover plant - I wonder if animals and insects here take advantage of this stored moisture?
Desert Plants
Having studied the function/role of many plants within my own ecosystem back home helps me decipher each desert plant’s role here, although I don’t know their names. Maybe a Sonoran desert local is reading this and can help?
A bush-type plant with woody stems and moisture-capturing leaves, now-dried blooms that have presumably dropped their seeds.
Desert tumbleweeds! These grow on a type of cactus here, fall off and then roll to a new location to take root elsewhere.
These are immature desert tumbleweeds still on the mother plant.
Plentiful small leaves on a woody stemmed bush, big spikes possibly discourage animal foraging.
Desert Bees & Flowers
These are common “weeds” I see along the sides of the streets here in town. Flora and fauna going about their business as usual where the Sonoral desert meets the Sea of Cortes.
Working next to the pool, under the shade of the palapa roof.
Shady Work
The sun here creates harsh shadows when I’m making medleys. I’ve found I have to seek shade in order to photograph these well!
Found treasures of the Sonoran desert and the Sea of Cortes.
Learning Lots
This is my first vacation and time away from the Salish Sea in several years. I’m resting and learning more about the Sonoran desert and myself in the process. Apparently I prefer to make my medleys in quiet solitude with nature, which is almost impossible here with a constant stream of people and dogs aorund! I’m working on cultivating the stillness I need despite the distractions. I laugh because compared to my younger years spent in NYC and SF, there really aren’t that many people here in this Mexican town. But then when I compare it to home on my small island where I can go days without seeing more than 3 other people, this town is crowded!
Today I sent a newsletter to my subscribers full of photos and descriptions of my trip so far. If you’d like to see the next one, subscribe at the bottom of any page on my website!
Interview conducted via email now up!
New Mini Interview Online
India-based “Outlook Traveller” recently contacted me to learn more about my work and my life. Check out the interview here. Thanks Antara!
When in Rome, er, the Sea of Cortes
Hola desde el mar de Cortes!
Ola! There are no mushrooms or moss here on the Sea of Cortes in Mexico, but there are plenty of shells and occasional pieces of washed up seaweed to play with.