Life is About Experiences

I read a lot of books.  Mostly on leadership and self-improvement.  (There is much work to be done!)  Anyway, after each book, I try to think of at least one important message I gleaned from the book.  And, although I cannot remember the book, I do remember a message that resonated loudly for me, "Life is not about stuff.  It is about experiences." 

Today we went into a warm and humid greenhouse.  From room to room, there were plants to admire.  Cacti.  Spring bulb plants in brilliant blooming colors.  And then, the butterfly greenhouse.  Walking through a screen curtain, into a vestibule and then another screen curtain, we entered a hot, humid, plant filled room.  With butterflies. 

Standing there mesmerized, it was a somewhat magical experience.  Mind you, it was 16 degrees this morning in Grand Rapids, Michigan!  The big blue hand-sized butterflies flitted here and there.  Their iridescent blue wings darting around peoples' heads, around giant plant leaves, and never seemed to land.  A waterfall cascaded in a corner.  The humidity was thick and the air tropically hot. 

 
And if this wasn't enough for the $14 entrance fee, there was a Ai WeiWei exhibit - his first exhibit in the world of this type.  If you are going to be an artist, make a statement.  WeiWei certainly does! Each piece of his work, unique and unusual, makes a statement.  Check him out at Weiwei  What a bonus, treat, and privilege to the day's experience!  Here are some pictures of his work.

Don't be fooled - these are not plastic crabs - they are individually made of porcelain and represent a  crab feast thrown by Weiwei which he was not able to attend after being taken into custody by the Chinese government.  Seems the government isn't too fond of his political artistic statements. 

 

Another porcelain piece.  Amazing detail. 

 

Last, but certainly NOT least - meet grand niece, Reighlynn.  Although it is the first time I have met this gem, I still feel like I know her, thanks to her enamored contingent of relatives, eager to post pictures, videos, and stories of her entry and growth into the world.  She is tall and squirmy at this stage.  Her mother hauls her around, bouncing and chatting to quell the impatient youth.  This girl is going to be something.  I can feel it!! 

 



We finish our afternoon, weary but content with the day's really neat experience.  I would come back.  And spend a day next time.  They say the outside gardens are amazing.  Next time. 

In closing, a few more images with the reminder - life, my friends, is about experiences.  Not about stuff!

Only on Vacation

I have never spent much time in museums.  Vague memories of standing next to the giant concrete lions in Chicago lace my memory.  Walking in a museum with high ceilings and dinosaur bones.  I just was never interested.

Until I toured the Fundació Joan Miró museum in Barcelona.  Something sparked!  Hanging here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mom, George, and I find two wonderful museums to take refuge from this bitter cold winter/spring day.  The temperature has been around 22 degrees all day with a knife-like wind.  Ugh.  It was good to be in a warm museum. 

The Mercury Fountain floored me in Miro's museum.  Created by Alexander Calder, I became enamored with this man's work.  Turns out, Grand Rapids commissioned a piece from him and we found it today, perched in front of the Grand Rapids Town building.

 

Here, another Calder piece.  Named an "ani-mobile", this piece is in the GRAM (Grand Rapids Art Museum).  They proudly display a Warhol piece in this museum as well. Some other favorites I snapped.

 

 

Check this one out.  What you will see, is a video of two street sweepers moving garbage.  In the form of a clock!  It is actual time too.  Pretty neat to watch!  Now this is modern art!

 

 

Outside this museum a view.  Kind of artistic on its own, if I might say so myself!

 

Next stop, UICA.  Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts.  These folks seem to like acronyms.  A five story concrete, we enjoyed art which was a bit more edgy and provocative. 

Buses pulled up to deposit loud and enthusiastic children in front of the museum. It made me happy to see young kids get this kind of exposure to art.  As Mom noted, I was hunting and fishing instead.  That's not all bad either!

His Name is Moses

If there is such thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a dog that is adopted by Gunk & Di.  Meet Moses.  He is one of those dogs.  A gentle giant, I wasn't sure how it would go when I arrived to their vacated house this morning.  Diana said he was a bit of a watch dog.  And that is what he did.  He watched me.  I spoke softly and introduced myself.  This dog could rip off my arm!  With no further concerns, he allowed me in, elicited no sounds of warning, and we are now big buddies.  What a sweet soul.  

 

The wind is howling again today.  No storm fronts, just threats of 50mph wind.  And so it seems to be happening. This house creaks while the forest around whirs in the wind gusts.  Despite the blue sky day, there is no motivation to want to go outside.  Ugh.  Wind is a four letter word!

 

Thanks Dad and Linda for letting me hang out!  I had a great time.  This is Aiden next to Nana and dad Mark towering off to Aiden's right!  Of course, that's Toby in Dad's arm.  Toby is glad I am gone!!  Thanks again!  Love the Artic Cat sweatshirt too!! 

The Howling Illinois Wind

This is the storm front, headed our way.  The black line indicates Dad's house; my location.  We all settle in to the evening as the weather alarm squalks out its warnings.  There is no basement in the house, only a cellar which one must go outside to crawl into. 

The sound of this wind takes me back to childhood.  There are no other places I have been where wind sounds like this.  I hear the wind in the trees and the bushes outside.  I hear it swish around the house.  But the big wind sound that is unique is the one of  wind as it rolls across the flat, bare land.  There is a pitch to the sound.  Not a low pitch.  Not exactly a high pitch.  I'd call it alto pitched.  It comes and goes in rounds.  Now loud, loud, loud, and suddenly quiet.  Then a wave of loud again.  And all this precedes the real front.  The one shown below, still miles away.  I'm thinking sleep will be difficult tonight. 

Tomorrow will be the one week anniversary for the tornado that hit Ottawa.  I toured the area today, on my way in to Dad's.  A stop by Mom's childhood home with the unhappy report of significant damage to the kitchen area.  Giant oak trees, pulled from the earth, picking up sidewalks and pavement, litter the area.  Roofs were peeled off and hurled about.  A house missing its roof posted a sign at the front door, "For Sale, Roof Leaks".  Humor is good in a mess like this.

The entire town of Naplate is still "closed".  Sheriffs post both ends.  Dad shares pictures of destruction.  This is not a town of great means; many people will find hard times ahead.  Businesses may never reopen. 

Feeling a bit like a looky-lou, I capture a few photos from south Ottawa.  Sleep well and may the winds be kind.

Northern Michigan Tour

It was a nice day to take a trip up north.  Final destination - Jen's house near Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.  Having time, I found a side road when the countryside turned appealing.  Luddington.  Suddenly, there were hills and orchards and pretty red barns.  Unfortunately, even after a drive, I couldn't find the same scene from the main highway.  The side roads were slushy and the promise of spring seems still a ways off.

Thanks to my trusty Garmin, Jen's house was found with success.  Time was granted to check out the small town of Empire.  Later, we would eat at the single bar.  A delicious onion, blue cheese burger with sweet potato fries. Oh my. Delicious!

Beautiful friend, Jen, by the lakeshore.

The lake is beautiful.  There are lots of trees.  Conifers, birch, maple, willow, sumac; trees everywhere.  There was a huge blow down in 2015.  A black locust fell on Jen's black Toyota pickup.  It's never quite been the same.  I should have taken pictures at our breakfast place.  Clean, white walls, with lake-blue trim.  Eggs over easy and corn beef hash.  It was really great!  We spoke of life's challenges and life's wins.  People.  And Time.  Good words to consider and pause in reflection.

Some pictures, see captions and enjoy.  Thank you Jen!  You live in a beautiful house, in a beautiful place, next to a beautiful lake.  You've got the time - go find your People!!  I am honored to be one of your People!!

On the way to Empire.  Big ship at Manistee.  Porch front in Empire.  Lake side.  Jen's house and sweet Bean.  What nice dogs - sweet, kind dogs.

Traveling. Again.

The wonderful thing about the Barcelona trip is it made a new sense of relativity when traveling.  Heading out today to Michigan.  I should touch down a bit after mid night.  Easy peasy!!  Got to the airport in plenty of time (thanks for the ride, Michael), had a bowl of chili and a bloody Mary.  Why not?  It is a beautiful day to fly. 

I have been asked, several times, where I am going.  They expect an answer of somewhere warm and tropical and wonder when I respond, "Michigan".  In my 51 pound suitcase, I have packed winter boots, wool wind break sweater, and tops and bottom Rivers West rain/winter gear.  I am ready for the Michigan winter!  You bet 'cha, I am!  Bring it on - Davinchi's horse in a winter park - also shared property with a Wei exhibit!  Who knew Grand Rapids would have art? I plan to walk the shores of Lake Michigan with Jen at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, go to the park mentioned above, see the Alexander Calder sculpture located somewhere in Grand Rapids, and see the butterflies (clearly, they are located at an inside setting).  And drive.  A lot.  I remembered to bring the GPS unit.

Here is what this place looks like today.  The ski hill is about to hit 500" of snow for the year.  Newspaper headlines predict early water release behind dams.  The day is warm and the promise of spring permeates in all beings.  Spring.  Spring is coming!  This year, we will celebrate with an induced sense of joy after the Winter of 2017.  It has been a remarkable one, indeed. 

Hail in Ottawa

Check out the size of this hail stone found in hometown Ottawa!  Wow!
Hail Stone!!

Thinking of my Hometown

The fire and emergency service was busy last night in Naplate and Ottawa Illinois.  Thinking of my brother, Mike, a volunteer firefighter.  He's been through a tornado before.  It looks like this one was big, caused much damage, and displaced many.  My hearts go out to you all as you work through the mess.  Stay safe.

Big Tornado

Some good video

Thank You Friends, Seth & Alden!

Meet Seth & Alden.  Standing next to the house that Seth built.

 

Sisters Alden & Orley - standing next to the house Seth is now building - Orley's new home.

 

Seth is my "adopted son".  Alden is his soul mate.  Thank you both for having us, putting us up in your beautiful home, crafted by you, and sharing life's travails with us over wine and whiskey.  We are so proud of you two.  The amazing things you have done, the amazing things you do, and the promise of the future.  Hardworking and responsible sums you both up so well.  Creative, ambitious, and caring.  We are so proud.

 

We headed south to Thermopolis and soaked in the spring.  Thank you Orley for telling us how to get that soak in on a budget!  They say they are the biggest mineral hot springs in the world.  At 104 degrees, soaking was really great! 

 

We crawled back into the Honda after a short walk around the park before heading to Riverton.

State Park Hot Springs.

Mineral terraces

Mineral terraces.

 

We landed in Riverton WY for the night.  Steak, wine, and hotel room.  It is 7pm and we are soon to go to bed.  It feels like vacation!!  This has been a very nice get away!!



Another Favorite Museum Picture

Forgot to post this fun picture from the museum.

Today's plan - see Orley's house (Seth is building it), pack up, soak in the Thermopolis hot spring (if we get there in time), wander down to Riverton, spend the night, head into Jackson on Monday. 

Enjoy the long weekend all!

Holiday Weekend Get Away!

Ah, so nice to have a break!  We got out of town and drove six hours to a place that is 60 miles away, as the crow flies!!  Hah - Cody, Wyoming.  Up and over the hills.  Them there hills are covered in lots of snow now, so time for the long drive.  Dubois, Riverton, Shoshoni, Thermopolis, Meteesee, Cody.  Hanging out with Seth and Alden, a few miles up the road from the nation-famous Wapati School and right next to the weird, tall, structure (you would know what I'm talking about if you've been here). 

We got up late, ate fresh eggs, pork sausage, and Alden's cinnamon rolls.  Great start to a wonderful day.  Off to the Cody Buffalo Bill Museum. 

View from the Ballard deck.

Smith Mansion next to Seth's saw mill,

From the museum.

 From the museum.

 Barbed wire art.

 

After a great day at the museum, we went off for a beer at Pat OHara's, shopping at Sierra Trading Post, some amazing drinks at Juniper, and a delicious meal by Alden.  Wonderful day with such great friends!

A Picture is Worth.....

You really have to open this link and check out this cabin in the woods.  Says it all!
Big 2017 Snow

State of Emergency Declared

Yup.  This is a big deal.  Roof collapsing, downed power lines, roads closed continuously due to avalanches - a State of Emergency has been declared.  Read the Declaration Here

It rained all day and most of last night.  The plowed roads are now ice packed with water on top.  Makes for some interesting travel on the side roads. The main roads are clear flooded in some places.  Several areas of the county are simply inaccessible; either due to avalanches or water-covered icy roads.

Mike and I are walking up and down the hill now to our cabin.  No way can we drive up there.  He is working on getting some sand (which will get eaten up by the ice and be of little use in a day or two, ugh!).

And we are a long, long way from this being over.

I am Duty Officer for the weekend.  We'll see what incidents lie ahead.......

Since I've Returned....

Heavy snow loads and down burst winds have created quite a mess here in our little town.  The series of events started when the roof collapsed on the Sears building.  Sears Collapse  The really sad thing is this collapse affects a kids' gymnasium and a just-completed bowling alley (rumor is, they put $3.5 million into its build).  Such a bummer for these businesses.

Next event was a mammoth snow fall.  It snowed and snowed.  By the end of the day, there was about 16" of new snow at our Hoback place.  Mike tried to help the road plow guy get unstuck and by the end of the ordeal his old red truck blew up.  Probably blew the engine.  Now we are without a plow tuck.  That's not good.

Next was the big wind that followed the snow storm.  A downblast of wind sent about 10 metal power poles to their demise along the road to Teton Village.  Power is out for Teton Village, the airport, and several residential areas.  Lower Valley Energy says 5 to 7 days to have power back up.  This is a big, big deal for a tourist town filled with skiers!  Fortunately, no one was hurt as the lines came crashing down.

At home, snow continues to slide off the roof.  This is a good thing, but the mounds are now at window height.  I shoveled the east windows out yesterday, worried about snow pushing them in.  Hopefully, our walls are strong.  Look for pictures to come of the mess around our place.

The weather forecast predicts two days of rain and 6 degree low for Saturday night.  What a mess for all.

Back in Time

Thanks to a low power battery, I was unable to finish the Tour Day adventure story.  After the tour of Park Guell (see more at Tile and Rock ), we drove into town to take a view of Sagrada Familla (see more at Ambitious Project ).  This is such a busy place.  The thought of wading through the throngs of people just did not appeal to any of us.  So we did a good 360, took some pictures and moved on. This place is massive.  The inside must be spectacular.  Gaudi created some monumental works of architecture.  This one is rumored to be completed in 2026!
 

 

We drove on to find two "houses" created by Gaudi next.  The curving lines of the intricate stone work are astonishing.  We marvel at other structures nearby for the ornamentation in design.  Here is an image from each house.  Want to learn more on Gaudi?  Check him out here Talented & Productive Architect

 

 

Guide Thomas then takes us to the old part of Barcelona.  Driving down La Rambla, there are people everywhere!  We park and walk down the narrow alleys, marvel at the old architecture and feel our time with our guide winding down.  There are musicians playing in the open spaces, the notes fit nicely in this old cobblestoned and rock walled space. 

 

 

 

We scurry back to the car and Thomas takes us to our final destination, the Fundacio Joan Miro (see this cool museum at Barcelona Modern Art ).  We walk up to the massive white structure and begin a tour of Joan Miro's unusual work.  Please don't judge - I had no idea who this artist was!  I like modern art, so I was thrilled!!  Hearing his story on the headphones, seeing how the tensions during his time influenced his work, and his curiosity for other medium types was fascinating.  We were allowed to take pictures, so I did!  Here are some sample of Miro's work.

 

 

 

 Man and woman playing with almond blossoms.



 



Last, but by far, NOT least, a gift from friend Alexander Calder, a fountain.  Glassed off and in its own room, the fountain is beautiful.  I like fountains.  I see the troughs, the liquid hits a flapper and circulates around.  Then I read what the liquid was.....mercury!  The surrounding hills have an abundance and it is the liquid contained in this spectacular fountain.  How neat is this?? (Read more about the fountain here )

There is more, there is more!!  But enough for now.  Our day was far from over as we headed to the Open Air Market and found the most unusual bar in Barcelona.