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Archive for August, 2012

Favorite Places: Lake Walcott

Posted in Art, Birds, Favorite Places, Lakes, Nature, Travel, Travels With Maggie, Uncategorized, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 31, 2012| 5 Comments »

            “To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” George Santayana

            The above quote fit my blog, but the one below made me laugh.  I couldn’t decide which one to post with my column, so I’m sharing both.

            “A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing and the lawn mower is broken.”—James Dent.

The sage brush in an area adjacent to the Lake Walcott campground is beginning to think it’s already autumn. — Photo by .Pat Bean

Summer Comes, Summer Goes

The brown-headed cowbirds that earlier thronged my bird feeders have already migrated elsewhere — Sketch by Pat Bean

            I can’t believe my summer at Lake Walcott State Park in Southern Idaho is coming to an end. But then they do say time flies when you’re having fun.This green, manicured park that sits beside the lake and the Snake River is an oasis in a dry high desert region that this year has been plagued by wildfires. While it was a hotter summer here than last, it was still heaven compared to central and south Texas weather, where I usually spend the winters. There, they not only have the heat but high humidity as well.

I have three children in those regions who frequently remind me how lucky I am not to be there.

But the house sparrows, as noted from the ones feeding beneath my bird feeder just this morning, are still sticking around. — Photo by Pat Bean

Last year when I arrived at the park, it was still winter and the trees were bare. This year, on the exact same day, May 15th, it was 90 degrees when I arrived and the trees were already full of leaves. It cooled off, however, and it was almost July before I had to start using my RV’s air conditioner daily.

Now, I’m seeing signs of fall creep into the park. Many of the park’s birds, like the colorful Bullock’s orioles and the American goldfinch are already migrating south. Most robins, as well. Instead of seeing dozens of these birds on my walks through the park, I’m now lucky to see one.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie, 41,820 re-edited words. Not much progress but I’m hoping to spend all afternoon working on the book. I decided to blog earlier today and clear my decks. A young blogger asked today what was the best writing advice his readers had ever received. I told him, it’s “Write! Write! Write!”  

The wondering wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

          Bean’s Pat: Lifescapes: The Texas Hill Country http://dld.bz/bJNbr The sounds of summer. This is a blog for nature lovers written by Susan Wittig Albert, author of the China Bayles mystery series written for herb and plant lovers. .

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Favorite Things: Babbling Creeks

Posted in Books, Favorite Places, Nature, Travel, Travels With Maggie, Writing, tagged , , , , , on August 30, 2012| 4 Comments »

“Don’t taunt the alligator until after you’ve crossed the creek. – Dan Rather

Wheeler Creek, up Wheeler Creek Canyon near Huntsville, Utah. — Photo by Pat Bean

And a Shady Spot to Sit 

Burch Creek as it flows down from the mountains above Ogden,Utah. — Photo by Pat Bean

I like nothing better than to find a shady spot next to a frisky stream. It brightens even the best of days.

And I’ve found dozens of just such places in Utah, where this native Texan was fortunate to live for almost a third of her life. I thought I would share a couple with you.

I hope you enjoy the photos. But it would be better yet, if you would find your own babbling stream where you sit and let it talk to you for a while.

Book Report: Blogging late and quick because I spent the morning writing on Travels with Maggie, which is now up to 41,639 words.

The wondering wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Eric Murtaugh http://tinyurl.com/9lhy3as Who do you think you are anyway? I love this blog, and this blogger. But he names himself properly in this column when he calls himself an intelligent donkey’s behind. One of my models for my travels was Frank Tatchel, author of the 1923 book, “The Happy Traveler,” who said: “The real fun of traveling can only be got by one who is content to go as a comparatively poor man. In fact, it is not money which travel demands so much as leisure and anyone with a small, fixed income can travel all the time.”  Eric sounds to me like a modern-day Tatchel.

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Favorite Places: New York State Parks

Posted in Books, Favorite Places, Lakes, Travels With Maggie, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 29, 2012| 6 Comments »

“Memory … is the diary we all carry around with us.” – Oscar Wilde

Everyone was off watching the Revolutionary War reenactment so I had the beach to myself when I visited Hamblin Beach State Park on Lake Ontario in upper New York. — Photo by Pat Bean

One Brought Memories, One Created Them

Once upon a time, I pictured the state of New York as being one Big Apple. That picture changed the day I drove the parkway that runs along the south shore of Lake Ontario. Upper New York, I discovered this region is quite rural – with fantastic parks.

The board game, Krull, which my young grandson and I played often during his six-month stay with me.

I passed at least a half-dozen of them during the 75 mile drive from Niagara Falls to Hamblin Beach State Park,” a day that is remembered in the travel book I’m writing.

One of these awesome public recreation areas, the Joseph Davis State Park that sits on the Niagara River near its mouth with Lake Ontario, was the setting for the end of the 2005 Amazing Race. I didn’t know it at the time, however, and so didn’t stop. The Amazing Race is my all-time favorite Television Show.

I also didn’t stop at Krull Park, which came in second in Coca Cola’s search for America’s Favorite State Park. But just passing by this park and seeing its name brought back pleasant memories that had nothing to do with parks.

 

A poster from the 1983 movie, Krull. — Wikipedia photo

During the 1980s, my young grandson, David, lived with me for six months. We played endless games of Krull, a popular board game created from the movie “Krull,” which we went to see together. There’s now a video version of Krull out, while the original board game is selling for up to $75 on eBay.

While the name of Krull Park sparked pleasant memories from the past, Hamblin Beach State Park, where I camped for the night, created new memories for my brain bank. These included a walk along the beach and taking in a Revolutionary War reenactment that was taking place at the time.

Pat Conroy explains this side benefit of travel best: “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends.”

            Book Report: I took a day off from all writing yesterday and did nothing but read. I think this is something I simply have to do every once in a while. A stormy day is best, but a hot day, as it was here at Lake Walcott, worked well, too, as I read in air-conditioned comfort. But I was back at work this morning and “Travels with Maggie” is now up to 40,322 words, some of which describe my visit to upper New York.

The wondering wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Writing in the Water http://tinyurl.com/9334rbwThe case of the “you shoulds.” Perhaps you shouldn’t. A blog for writers.

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A Giant Leap for Mankind

Posted in Journeys, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , on August 27, 2012| 9 Comments »

 “I think we’re going to the moon because it’s in the nature of the human being to face challenges It’s by the nature of his deep inner soul … we’re required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream.” – Neil Armstrong

Taking a Step Back to the Past

This sunset is my favorite shot of the moon. It just seemed appropriate to run it as part of my tribute to Neil Armstrong. — Photo by Pat Bean

I doubt if there are many Americans my age out there who weren’t glued in front of the television on July 21, 1969, when Neil Armstrong put the first human footprint on the moon.

I watched it with my five children, who then ranged in age from four to 13. In my opinion, that was the most significant event that’s happened in my life time.

Flowers for Neil — Photo by Pat Bean

The moon landing was especially sweet to me because of a geometry teacher I had in junior high school who said man would never get to the moon.  He was the same macho piece of manure who didn’t want girls taking his class, and said so in class, because they would never need to use geometry.

My granddaughters don’t know what they missed.

The words Armstrong spoke when he bounded on the surface of the moon – I can still see that grainy black and white image — are probably familiar even to those who aren’t my age:

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” If ever someone said the perfect thing at the perfect time, those were the words.

But he also said these words as well: “I think we’re going to the moon because it’s in the nature of the human being to face challenges It’s by the nature of his deep inner soul … we’re required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream.”

I hope these are words we will not just never forget, but will also take to heart and act upon.

We’ll miss you Neil Armstrong. May there still be challenges ahead for you in the afterlife.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie is now at 39,592 words. Things are going so much slower than I expected, but it’s going good. Part of the slowness is because of some extra research I’ve been doing to add a bit more depth to the book, and because I’ve been double checking facts.

The wondering wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat Uprooted Magnolia http://tinyurl.com/9tc5pcd Photos of a monarch butterfly to brighten your day. These beauties go through several stages before turning into butterflies. I wonder how many stages we humans get to improve ourselves.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban

Posted in Art, Favorite Places, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge, tagged , , , , on August 25, 2012| 7 Comments »

            “I adore Chicago. It is the Pulse of America.” Sarah Bernharndt

Chicago

I prefer Mother Nature over big cities, but every time I’ve visited Chicago over the years, I’ve always had a great time. –Photo by Pat Bean

“Maybe we can show government how to operate better as a result of better architecture. Eventually, I think Chicago will be the most beautiful great city left in the world.” Frank Lloyd Wright

This photo was taken shortly after exiting the Chicago Museum of Art, which I had spent the afternoon exploring earlier this year during a visit with a son who lives in Chicago.

   “I live and die with the Chicago Cubs.” – Sara Paretsky

Paretsky is the author of the V.I. Warshawski mysteries that are set in Chicago. She’s one of my favorite authors.  I love her tough-gal PI, and her descriptive images of Chicago. Perhaps her books should be displayed in the travel section of a book store and well as in the mystery section.

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Favorite Places: Niagara Falls

Posted in Art, Birds, Favorite Places, Nature, Travel, Travels With Maggie, Writing, tagged , , , , on August 24, 2012| 3 Comments »

“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.” – Frederick Douglass

The Hurricane Deck

On the way up to the Hurricane Deck and the full fury of Niagara Falls. I loved it. — Photo by Pat Bean

During my 2006 visit to Niagara Falls, I braved a claustrophobic elevator ride down through rock so I could view the falls up close and personal from the vantage point of what is known as the Hurricane Deck.

This bright orange wooden platform, reached by a looping series of walkways and steps leading to and from it, sits only 20 feet from the full force of the mighty falls.

The Fisherman by Joseph Mallard William Turner

As I stood on the deck in the useless yellow rain poncho handed out to tourists, being pummeled by the force of the water and deafened by its roar, I thought about J. M. William Turner. This artist, best known for the fantastic light he brought to his paintings, once had himself tied to a mast so he could both experience and observe a storm’s fury.

I once wrote an essay about Turner for a college art class. I wondered how much better the paper might have been if I had experienced the Hurricane Deck before doing so.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie is now up to 38,744 words. My blog today is a short blurb from the chapter that talks about my virgin visit to Niagara Falls. It was a good writing morning, especially since I only worked on the book for half an hour.  I have a busy day ahead. I’m doing the 100-mile round trip to Twin Falls from Lake Walcott to visit friends and stock up.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Green Herons http://tinyurl.com/8fehyzw If only we were all as smart as green herons. This one’s for all my fellow bird watchers. It includes a short You Tube video of one smart fishing bird.

 

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Ride of the Valkyries Aha Moment

Posted in Journeys, Writing, tagged , , , , , on August 23, 2012| 2 Comments »

“Everything that is new or uncommon raises a pleasure in the imagination because it fills the soul with an agreeable surprise, gratifies its curiosity, and gives it an idea of which it was not before possessed.” – Joseph Addison

I Always Knew I was Doing Something Wrong           

Arthur Rackham’s illustration for Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” –Courtesy of Wikipedia

I came across a blog yesterday that listed five things to do. On that list was “Listen to Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries.” Thanks to You Tube I was able to do just that.            It’s a stirring piece of music that got my heart beating faster, and made the rest of my day more energetic. I hadn’t heard this piece in years. I listened to the six-minute recording twice, because once wasn’t enough. I gave the music 100 percent of my attention.

Then suddenly – as visions of Odin’s legendary female attendants, the Valkyries, riding to battle to bring dead warriors to Valhalla danced in my head – I had one of those rare aha moments.

I had always thought of myself as not interested in music because I seldom listened to it. Days can go by without a musical sound pinging in my ear.

But as I listened to Wagner’s rousing notes, I realized I actually did enjoy music, and also knew why I didn’t listen to it daily. It was a distraction, and I wasn’t a multi-tasker.

The aha was that I thought I was a multi-tasker.

That assumption probably began when I had four children under the age of five to take care of, and continued when I became a working mother with five children at home. In those days I had to be a multi-tasker whether it suited me or not.

But this false assumption continued into my writing life, encouraged by the fact that my head was always full of writing projects battling for dominance: Write a mystery, no wait write that travel article for a magazine and earn some money; No you know how you enjoy fantasy. Wouldn’t it be fun to create your own world; You should enter that short-story contest. No, it’s the travel book I should be working on.

My downfall is that I tried to do them all at once, and nothing was ever finished — because, I wasn’t a multi-tasker.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie is now up to 38,002 words. It might progress a little faster from here on out, since I’m shoving all the other writing projects on my agenda into the clouds for now.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: 5thingstodotoday http://tinyurl.com/8juyt6c A blog for all who want to take a step out of their ruts. And perhaps find their own aha moment. I just subscribed to this blog and suspect it’s going to e one of my favorites. No telling what other aha moments are out there waiting for me to do something different to shake up my brain.

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Dreams Change

Posted in Favorite Places, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on August 22, 2012| 8 Comments »

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

Many were the years I dreamed of living on the road in this VW van that’s now on exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. — Photo by Pat Bean

Visions to Reality           

And then along came Charles Kuralt’s “On the Road” vehicle, and my dreams got bigger. — Photo by Pat Bean

When I was in Ypsilanti, I visited the Henry Ford Museum in nearby Dearborn, Michigan. It’s a fantastic place, but one that left my wondering brain scattered all over the place.

One of these places focused on my dreams of living my life on the road, as I have been doing for the past eight years.

But it was Gypsy Lee, shown here shortly after I purchased her in 2004, that turned my dreams into reality. — Photo by Pat Bean

The modes of travel that I envisioned — from the green van of William Least Heat Moon’s “Blue Highways,” to the glorified Volkswagen van that has been revived (two of these camped at Lake Walcott in the past week),  to Charles Kuralt’s “On the Road” RV — were all there.

Gypsy Lee finally became my reality. And I love her.

Book Report: Leave out all the boring parts is good writing advice. I’ve heard it often.  But it sure takes a hit on word count. I did a complete read through of Travels with Maggie as rewritten so far last night and my 37,833 words to date dropped to 36,616.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day

Bean’s Pat: The Open Suitcase http://tinyurl.com/8jc42k8 This one’s for wanderers. It’s simply a long list of travel blogs. And hey, even mine is listed.

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Travel Oddities

Posted in Favorite Places, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , on August 21, 2012| 2 Comments »

There are two sorts of curiosity – the momentary and the permanent. The momentary is concerned with the odd appearance of the surface of things. The permanent is attracted by the amazing and consecutive life that flows on beneath the surface of things” – Robert Wilson Lynn.

Ypsilanti: Home of The Brick Dick

The Ypsilanti water tower, more commonly known as the Brick Dick. This photo is courtesy of Wikipedia. For some reason I didn’t think to take one when I was in Ypsilanti.

When I travel, I try to find out something — the odder the better — about each town I visit. Often it’s as simple as observing a town’s welcome sign,

Such billboards say everything from “The Town Where Everybody is Somebody” (Hico, Texas), to “The Biggest Little City in the World” (Reno, Nevada.)

Ypsilanti, Michigan, which just happens to be named after an 1800s Greek Hero of the country’s war for independence against the Ottoman Empire, is known as home of the Brick Dick.

Its 147-foot limestone water tower won Cabinet magazine’s 2003 contest search for the “World’s Most Phallic Structure.”

One look at the tower, built in 1890 by someone either with a macho bent or a sense of humor, and I could see why it easily won the contest.

Locals call it the “Dick Brick.” It’s said that if an Eastern Michigan University student graduates while still a virgin the tower will fall down.

Travel is so enlightening, although I’m still wondering why Ypsilanti, which is located on the outskirts of Detroit, was named after a Greek hero. Do you know?

Book Report: Travels with Maggie: 37, 833 words. The above little ditty about Ypsilanti was in the section of my travel book that underwent rewriting today. It made me laugh, again, and so I thought I would share.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Another Header:  http://tinyurl.com/9824e9r Visit a couple of Istanbul bazaars. This one’s great for armchair travelers and lovers of bright colors.

Thank you Kay at http://funandmorebykay.wordpress.com for nominating me for the Super Sweet blog award. I’m not sure my blog qualifies as “sweet” but I’m grateful for any recognition a reader chooses to give me.

Super-Sweet Blogging Award

To answer your questions I prefer cookies over cake, chocolate over vanilla, and ice cream over any other kind of dessert. I want sweets mostly when I’m tired or stressed and I’ve actually been called Jelly Bean. My Bean’s Pat is my daily way of paying back very kind readers like yourself.

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Idaho Wildfires

Posted in Lakes, Nature, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on August 20, 2012| 8 Comments »

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream Discover.” – Mark Twain.

A Safe Refuge is an Impossible Dream 

Yesterday’s sunrise here at Lake Walcott taken from my camp site. Smoke from Idaho’s wildfires has turned the sun quite red. — Photo by Pat Bean

I’ve been asked three times this morning if I’m safe from the wildfires that are currently ravaging Idaho. I am. Lake Walcott is an oasis surrounded by a very dry high desert.

But the fires are on everyone’s mind. The park’s flags flew at half-mast Saturday for the 20-year-old female firefighter who was killed by a falling tree while fighting a wildfire near Orofino.  And the news this morning was that the small town of Featherville, Idaho, which sits between the Boise and Sawtooth national forests, is being evacuated because a wildfire there is out of control.

I’ve watched a fire-fighting helicopter fill up its water bucket out of the lake here to fight some nearby fires started by lightning strikes, while firefighters turned the park’s boat dock area into a staging front for those earlier fires.

But so far, no wildfires have threatened the park. Lake Walcott has even attracted campers whose favorite camping spots elsewhere have burned or been evacuated.

The same sunrise a few minutes later. — Photo by Pat Bean

Meanwhile the morning sunrises and sunsets here at the lake have been red because of all the smoke in the air. I captured the two photos included here of yesterday’s sunrise.

As much as I love Mother Nature, I must say she is not playing nice right now. High temperatures and little moisture have left the landscapes a sitting target for lightning strikes. Idaho has been hit extremely hard, with over one million acres burned so far this year.

I long ago realized that safety is a fantasy. Hurricanes strike those who live next to the oceans, tornadoes strike those who live on the plains, avalanches strike those who live in the mountains, fires, earthquakes and evil humans can cause havoc everywhere. While it’s wise to take precautions to protect oneself from both nature and evil, it’s also foolish not to continue living life to the fullness of one’s dreams.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie, 36,372 words. Lot of editing and cutting here, so this is more impressive than it looks, since at last report I was up to 35,726 words. Besides which, I worked in the visitor kiosk here at Lake Walcott on Saturday and Sunday, and had very enjoyable company Saturday evening. The good news is that the rewrite of my travel book is still progressing.

Bean’s Pat: Turtles at Dawn http://tinyurl.com/cn34ftj Despite the fires, life goes on, and these tiny turtles headed out to sea cheer me.

This new illustration for Bean’s Pat is courtesy of Laura Hulka, who like me is a member of Story Circle Network, an organization of female writers which has enriched my life. Check it out at: www.storycircle.org Thank you Laura.

I encourage recipients of the Bean’s Pat to copy and paste it on their blogs. The Pat is this wondering wanderer’s choice for best blog of the day. I created it to play it back for the awards readers have given me.

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