Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Kenya: Part 4

Soon after Amboseli we drove to a new area in the Rift Valley, north of Nairobi.  There, we stayed at a lodge in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.  This area had the coolest, literally and figuratively, accommodations we experienced, in my opinion.  We had tents, but they were tricked out with flushing toilets and running water for sink and shower use.  We still had to be wary of drinking any of the tap water.  Since we were in an elevation it got cool at night.  I was so delighted!  After all the heat of the previous accommodations and no relief at night I can tell you I slept like a baby while we were here.  Yes, still hot during the day, but it was glorious sleeping and so beautiful!
This is the name of our camp.


On our first game drive we saw a lioness laying on the side of the road, complete unperturbed about our presence.  We soon discovered she was hanging out because the male was out of the enclosure on the opposite side of the game fence.  We saw him peeking through the bushes!



We also saw our first jackals....

elephant family at a watering hold.  I was fascinated with all the circadian pathways across the land.
I hope I can find a better shot of them.  They were beautiful in their seeming randomness.

Inside details of our tent.


The sky was beyond gorgeous each night!

On our "front porch"!

We did feel like we were having such a great, authentically African experience here!

We drove to Laikipia to visit a women's weaving collective.
They demonstrated how they take the wool from pelt, to carding, spinning, dyeing, and weaving.
We were able to purchase wall-hangings and scarves.  
I'm posting their business card here.




my purchases..

Later, we visited a Rhino rescue sanctuary.
This black rhino (above) is blind.

These two rhinos are the LAST of the known Northern white rhinos.
They are poached almost to the brink of extinction for their horns, 
falsely believed to enhance sexual performance by certain groups of
very misguided people.  It is horrifying. 
As our guides said:  Until there is no market there will be poaching.
They work tirelessly to prevent it but that is the bottom line.


I stood on the equator! (here with my traveling companion)

The nights we were in the Rift Valley were among the most beautiful I've ever seen.

But this early morning sky (below)....

looking through a low and widespread acacia tree.

Gasp!

These were taken with my iPhone, no filter.
I'm pretty sure I cried.

We visited the Jane Goodall chimpanzee rescue facility located near us.  
Despite the fact that chimpanzees are not indigenous to this area, Ms. Goodall established
this facility to rescue from surrounding places.
It is a tragedy when you hear the stories of how these animals were living prior to their rescue.
Now they roam freely in the conservatory and their health is closely monitored.


Time to move again.  Now, we are off to Samburu!





Saturday, March 25, 2017

It's My "Blog-iversary"

I began this blog on March 1, 2009.
Lately, I've been a bit lax in writing and I hope to return my focus to posting more frequently.  I love to write and yet I allow other things to get priority of my time.  At the beginning of the year I vowed to do a couple of new things to add to my studio practice:  a daily spot of time for meditation, writing in a journal "app" each day, and I began an online "strength training" course along with a close friend.   My friend isn't a practicing artist but this course is designate to have a broader scope than simply art-making.  It is really about establishing some daily and weekly habits to improve focus and a depth of meaning in daily life.  This course, called "Creative Strength Training", is facilitated by Jane Dunnewold and her daughter, Zenna Duke.  *Enrollment is still open until 4/1/17 FYI.  So far, so good.

I have had a busy start to the year and (gasp) the first quarter is about to wind down.  January was spent teaching at Craft Napa at the second annual event, work on my 2nd line of fabric for RJR, and finally a week-long independent study at Jane's studio.  This particular week has become such an important component of each year for me.  So much work I make is inspired by the independent study!  I celebrated year # 15 in January.
February I continued my work on fabric line #2, and took a break to travel to Savannah for the first time for QuiltCon.  I met a friend there and we rented an airbnb right downtown.   Wandering around this charming town was such fun and the show was great!
 Everyone loved "Bling", by Katherine Jones from Tasmania 


It was really fun to spot "Boulder Field", by Kathy York!
She created this beauty from Urban Artifacts fabric and RJR's lovely solids for 
Quilt Market 2016.

I loved walking around in Savannah.  What a beautiful city!  The best part of it was discovering all the small "squares" scattered throughout the city.  I loved stumbling onto them and was delighted to see how much people enjoyed using them.






Yikes!  They were steep, too!

Okay, I'll try...!


Old headstones.  I guess they move them to this wall after they topple on their site? 
I dunno.

The Spanish Moss!
I loved getting a feel for this beautiful city.  Afterward, I drove up the coastline to stay with a friend on Wrightsville Beach for a few days.  
In addition to walking in the sand every day we dyed a bunch of fabric!
...and witnessed several breath-taking sunsets!



March brought a tight focus on finishing up my samples for my second line of fabrics for RJR.
I thought a little visit to RJR might be good.  It also gave me the opportunity to visit friends and relatives in the Los Angeles area.

Lunch and shopping with Jamie



Here is the RJR warehouse.

Spotted:  bundles of Urban Artifacts fat quarters!!

I visited my wonderful aunt.
I got to feed Tank, the Desert Tortoise.
The first time I did this I was 10 years old.
the beautiful texture of a palm tree.
A train ride from Anaheim up to Sierra Madre through LA 
brought me to another friend's house.
I was lucky enough to be designated an honorary grandmother to 
several beautiful little girls.  I was doubly-honored to read this one her 
bedtime story.

I got a tour of her pre-school.
Since it was St. Patrick's day they had several leprechaun "traps" set!

We spent the afternoon exploring the American Gallery & the Chinese/Japanese gardens at the Huntington Library & Gardens.  What a beautiful place (my 2nd time there) and so close to my friends' house!
Protea in bloom

An enormous Calder that I had forgotten about...

One of my favorite painters, Mary Cassatt.

I have a "thing" for lotus pods..

Look at the beautiful paved patio.

A California Juniper bonsai.
I wonder if this is what the ghost trees near Point Lobos are?

I arrived home to this copy of Quilting Arts in which I am the 
author of the "Last Word".

If you have the opportunity to read it I would love to know what you think.

and now it is spring!  The time has changed.
What does springtime bring for you?