Ms. Deux, Shadows and Ojito Wilderness Area

Ms. Deux was supposed to get up with me this morning for a 'reconnaissance' trip to the Ojito Wilderness Area. But no, too sleepy! She couldn't get out of bed. "Do I have to go?" she says. Heaving a heavy sigh, I let her stay home and went alone and had a great trip. When I got back, I found Ms. Deux in the back yard on our tire swing! I had to take a photo of her as there was this really gigantic shadow cast by the fruitless mulberry tree that it was tied to.

She had a great time on that tire swing. She was out there for hours!

I'll share with you what she missed out on.

I call this monolith the Boulder Guard. I didn't notice then, but here at home, I got a better look at the profile of this boulder and I'll be damned! Do you see a face there?

I drove about a total of ten miles on this dirt road out here. This cropping reminded me of this sphinx. Since I was alone, after my third stop for pictures, I decided that staying in the car was better. It felt a little creepy and I also felt very vulnerable being out there alone. The rest of the images are all done from the comfort of the driver's seat! Sounds lame, but it seemed safer. This place is only a half an hour from my doorstep, but isolated nonetheless and absolutely no cell service.

I couldn't figure out why this fence on a cattle guard had this really cool number one on it. This would make a great macro shot. Maybe I'll remember when I come back again (soon) to do sunset shots.

Waaaaay out there where those mountains are there is a highway called the NM550 that goes up to the four corners area. I've traveled it a lot and it is my favorite highway as it is picturesque the entire way. It's kinda odd to be on the other side of a vantage point which is where this shot is. On the highway, my back is to the mountains and I'm looking out at this vast stretch of wilderness area.

On my way out, I stopped to photograph this young calf and it got nervous about my doing so. Then comes this other animal and positions herself like this. It was then that I realized that this was the mama coming to the rescue of her calf!

So, that was my Saturday morning this weekend. How was yours?

To see more fabulous shadow shots, please hop on over to Tracy's place at Hey Harriet!

Michele Deux

Monica sent me a picture from her cell phone of Michele creating Michele.

I was lamenting to my cousin Monica (Michele's mom) about the name, Flat Michele. She said that Michele's older sister's doll (she did this project when she was in the 2nd grade with the same teacher) got renamed to Rachael 2. Yeah, Michele 2, that's what I'll call her (see the previous post for an explanation of this project)! From there, I went to Michele Deux. And, in more formal occasions, she'll be referred to as, 'Ms. Deux'! And, that's Michele spelled with one 'l', not 2 as I had previously posted. Oops! Sorry!

Tonight's big adventure is that we joined Ms. Linda at the Banana Leaf restaurant here in Rio Rancho for dinner. It was yummy! They serve Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food. It's a well decorated restaurant (with a modern edge to it). We both had a spicy scallop dish followed by ice cream and fried bananas for dessert. Linda had the ginger ice cream and I had the green tea ice cream. The ginger ice cream was out of bounds! 'Broke da mouth' as they say in Hawaii when the food is beyond delicious. The green tea ice cream was good too and not too sweet. Next time, though, I will have to have the ginger.

Ooooh! Aaah!

Here's a close up of one of the really trendy cool lights that they had there. I wonder what the other patrons thought of this woman doing a macro shot of the light fixture...oh, wait AND she had her picture taken with this flat doll!

OK, so Michele will be reading this blog when I post things in regards to her double, Michele Deux. Please, please put a comment so she can see others who are keeping track of her doll. Tell her where you're from too. I think she and her classmates and teacher will all get a kick out of it! Thanks!

So, what'll you think we'll do tomorrow??? Stay tuned!

The Arrival of the Flat Doll

She's here!!!

Flat Michelle is here!

She arrived in today's mail. This is a 'replica' of my cousin's daughter, Michelle. They live in California.

Michelle's class is doing this Flat Doll project where their doll gets sent somewhere and the recipient documents the doll's stay here. I am the lucky recipient. I figured that 'Flat Michelle' (ooo, I need another name, but this is the name she came with) was hungry. Here she is anxiously awaiting her first meal here in New Mexico.

And you know, it was a very long trip in the mail. Those USPS workers can be really rough with the merchandise! After a good meal, we sit in the living room, relax and tell each other stories about ourselves.

This is what she arrived in! Flat Michelle does have a 'passport' for me to sign. Sigh....everyone mistakes New Mexico for a country instead of a state. : )

Stay tuned for further adventures of NT Paula and Flat Michelle. You never know where the two of us will show up!

Going Home

You hear them before you see them.

That's how it happened today.

I came out of Bed and Bath and was loading up my purchases in the car. I hear this raucous and honking up above. What's that noise? It was a familiar sound.

Searching the sky above, I finally see them. Cranes. Headed north. Going home. In droves. I must've seen at least several hundred in the time span that I leaned against my car and watched in awe.

Other people in the parking lot coming and going. How can they not notice? Don't they want to stop and watch this miracle of flight up above? I wanted to accost them all and make them watch. But, they were too far away.

I so wanted to share the experience with another human being. To enjoy it alone didn't seem right.

Their wintering is over here. I wonder where they live. What their spring and summer adventures will be before they are back again in November.

All I know for now is, they are going home.

Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday (to find out more, click on the word Fat Tuesday!)

Purple for justice, green for faith, gold for power. Did you know that carnival is from the word, carne and vale which means farewell to the flesh? Hence what we know today as Carnival that begins after the Epiphany and ends at midnight on Ash Wednesday. Odd to have the secular revolving around the sacred if you know what I mean. Or, if you're a ancient Roman, you could say that the sacred revolved around the secular.

Food

Figs

Or in this case, shriveled figs!

Want to see more postings for the letter "F"? Go visit everyone over at ABC Wednesday.

Evening Shadows

There is nothing like the quiet that comes when the evening desends upon us.

These are the shadows cast by the rails of a viewing deck at Bosque Del Apache bird refuge here in New Mexico.

Enjoy more lovely shadows cast by people from around the world at Hey Harriet's place.

Anime Characters

These are from a photo shoot I did last weekend. To find out more about it (and to see more of these images), visit the Rio Rancho Art Association blog as to the what it was about.

I will say that it involved young ladies dressed as characters from various Anime series.

Mandi striking a pose as Lulu from Final Fantasy X.

Here are all three of them, Mandi, Ashley and Amanda dressed (left to right) as Chii, Yaya, and Tifa. Respectively from the series, Chobits, Othello and Final Fantasy VII.

I loved the details on this dress that Mandi put together. Things that are hard and cold against something soft and warm.

I have to admit that when this gun appeared (an unloaded pellet gun), it kinda took my breath away. Should we have this here? Will we get in trouble? You'll need to click on the first link that explains this photo shoot for these concerns to make sense (too long to explain all over again here). That being said, I got over it and stopped worrying and seized the chance to zoom in on the detail of the femininity of Amanda's hand with this piece of weaponry.

The whole event was a tremendous learning experience. Not just from the technical standpoint, but fascinating in the sense that I had no idea that the younger generation was so into this fantasy world! It sure beats sitting around being bored and wondering what to do with your time.

The Eyes of February

Eye got it!

Ooooh...bad pun, huh? These, dear people, are the real McCoys. Real glass eyeballs that were in use at some point in time a long, long time ago. You can find these in a very strange antique store up in Taos, NM.

My peeps. Altered digitally.

And, another version of glass 'eyes' I used on a round-robin shrine (the lovely Leau is the proud owner of this Shrine that 11 others worked on).

Want to see more of "E"? Visit the ABC Wednesday page! It's a global event!

Proof

Proof

That I did always love,

I bring thee proof:

That till I loved

I did not love enough.

That I shall love always,

I offer thee

That love is life,

And life hath immortality.

This, dost thou doubt, sweet?

Then have I

Nothing to show

But Calvary.

-Emily Dickinson

I hold Emily Dickinson in high regard along with her poetry. Her writing is uncompromising and so very well crafted in how she puts together words. A lot of her writing is so totally over my head though; it would take me a lifetime to understand it, if ever.

These are more enchanting images from the White Sands expedition; being there for the sunrise and the sunset is overwhelming beautiful on so many levels! This is from the sunrise series.

The first image are hoof prints of an animal that I have no idea what kind of animal would make these marks in the sand. I thought it looked like a heart with a long tail. The "heart" part of the print is about 2-3 inches across. The second shadow is cast from a lovely indentation in the sand. Both images seem to befit this poem.

Hungry to see more shadow shots? Go visit Tracy's blog at Hey Harriet!

Dancer, Dishes, Door and Doorknob

"The Dancer"

Intaglio, Aquatint, Chine Colle

Dance is my first love. It is like breathing for me.

Plastic bin of dishes for sale (honor system) off the road behind an old caboose on the road between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft. An odd place to have stuff for sale. I really wanted to buy these dishes and take them home. They looked like a complete set of at least 8 and possibly 12.

Doorway in Silver City, NM. Many interesting doors there! Of course, all within the "art district".

This is the doorknob on that caboose I was talking about (where the stuff for sale was off the roadside).

Daunting D's destiny doggedly determined daringly by dozens upon dozens of bloglandia denizens!

Want more D's? Go to ABC Wednesday.

On Finding Your Dharma

"Let The Beauty That You Love Be What You Do."

-Rumi

Oh! To have the wisdom and the ability to pen as Rumi did!

In his book, "Meditations from the Mat", Rolf Gates talks about dharma in a very practical way. He explains that dharma is the recognition that each of us is born with unique gifts, and that it is our path to discover these gifts and share them with others. He says that in sharing our gifts we live most fully, perform maximal service to those around us, and empower them to live out their dharma.

How does one begin to discover what these gifts are that are unique to us? And, if you do happen to figure that part out, how do you begin to share it with others? Is there a moral obligation?

Perhaps you've never heard the word dharma before. Or, heard it but did not understand what it meant. There are several meanings to this word (trust me, I am really oversimplifying here) depending on the context. It is probably known by most as the teachings of Buddha. My reference is within the context of yoga; dharma is one of the four aims of life. Yoga is not just about stretching into pretzel like positions. It is a philosophical and spiritual path. A path to enlightenment (a journey, really).

Literally translated, it means that which upholds or supports. Now, hang onto that thought as I delve a little further.

Let's go back to our unique gifts and figuring out what that is. If you didn't have to worry about your kids, your job, money, a place to live (not insignificant things, but material ones nonetheless), what is it that makes you happy? What is it that you can totally loose yourself in? I would contend that if you are a visual artist, you've already been there many a time when creating art. So, you know what your unique gift is. It is that which defines you, not your job title at work.

There are many ways to share your gifts. Sharing your experience and process with others is one way, as Bridgette often does with her work. Many of us learn from her generous sharing. Debi's writing and imagery is another unique example of what I think dharma is. You can share by teaching. Trust me, local libraries are reaching out to their community to provide more services. I'm sure they would love to have you come in and do a two hour program for them in regards to your art. It can be as simple as a demonstration. More and more people are home schooling their children and providing an art curriculum can be a challenge. Even within the public school system, many parents recognize their child's passion for art but can't afford to enroll them in art classes. They are at the mercy of what the school district deems important. You can become a resource within your community. By sharing your gift, you empower others, and then they too can live out their dharma.

The gifts we are given is that which upholds and supports us. To deny that within ourselves is a form of self destruction.

Quoting again from Rolf Gates, he says that dharma is a gift from God inscribed upon the heart. Once we begin to recognize it, we realize that it has been with us all our lives. Dharma is what makes you you.

Thanks Rolf, for sharing your dharma!

Image posted is of the dune shadows at White Sands Desert. Want to see more shadows from others? Click here.

My Whole World Is Hurt

Time to have some fun!

I've never heard this song before. Never. But, now I've been introduced to it. Somewhat.

It was on the ground on the road between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft. That stop in itself is ANOTHER story! If don't get too addle-brained, I'll do that story later.

I'm thinking that maybe most of you haven't heard this song before? Well, even if you did, you might want to play this game.

The game is to make up some lyrics or speculate on what this song might be about. Leave your story, speculations, etc. in the comment section for this post. Hey, even if you've heard it and know the lyrics, the invite to play is there!

I'm not sure I even know the artist. My guess (by the achey breaky title) that it is Country Western? And now I've given my CW ignorance away!

Make up something fun! Something Ridiculous!

"My whole world is hurt. I can't find my skirt; and don't even smirk! You'll sit with the Turk."

OK, I've made a fool out of myself unabashedly.

Wanna play???

Sunrise at White Sands Monument

Sunrise at the White Sands Monument

7 a.m.

Die hards we are. At the park gate at 6:55 a.m. waiting for the ranger to open up shop. Eager, but patient. We quickly scouted out where we wanted to park, got out with our gear and without speaking, my friend Linda and I went our separate ways, completely absorbed and bathed in the glorious light from the morning sun. We didn't mean to split off from each other, but we were both so caught up in the raw beauty before us, that all we could do was to record these moments in time. Magical moments. Quickly unfolding before us.

Yucca Plant

At sunrise and sunset, the light changes rapidly. There is no time to think. This is indeed 'being in the moment'. I was surprised that I didn't come nose to nose with an Oryx, a resident of the White Sands desert. My husband was worried that I would indeed meet up with one of those only to be impaled by its horns; a deadly weapon. Folks have seen them wandering around with a coyote on their horns (how would they get them off once impaled?).

Gosh, doesn't it look like you could ski down this? Well, that is, if you skied. A lot of people bring their snow disks and plastic sleds. Kids have a blast here. Sliding down on your butt is fun too! I'll attest to that. Part of this desert is a National Park. Part of it is known as the White Sands Missle Range. Holloman Air Force Base is the driving economic force behind the nearby town of Alamogordo.

These undulating ripples seem to be alive, dancing across the desert, singing as they go.

Skunkbrush Sumac

And then there are these formations. Linda says they are skunkbrush sumac. On a previous trip, she photographed one of the information signs telling you about these weeds:

The big round sombrero hat is skunkbrush sumac--"When skunkbush sumac is buried by a dune, it sends many stems upward through the sand. The extensive roots produced by the buried stems hold the sand in place, creating a pedestal of gypsum where the plant will continue to grow long after the rest of the dune has moved on. The hoary Rosemary-mint , a fragrant shrub with grayish-green leaves, creates smaller pedestals.

I'll post an even more magnificent one when I do the sunset images. Makes this one look like an infant! The bowled area around it always seem to resemble a sombrero.

There are picnic areas that have these aluminum coverings that remind me of covered wagons. Kinda covered wagon, kinda like Freddie Flintstone's car. Made for great photo abstractions!

It's easy to get caught up in just looking what's directly in front of you, but when you remember to look up and into the distance, this is what you see.

Scenes like this had me totally enraptured!

Did You Know? The white sands dune field is an active dune field. The dunes move from west to east as much as thirty feet per year (from the NPS site).

Cottonwoods. There are little Cottonwood trees trying to grow here. The one that this leaf was on was barely a foot tall. The size of this leaf is about that of a silver dollar.

There is nothing simple about this kind of beauty, and yet there is. It's hard for me to put into words. It's jaw dropping. Breathtaking. Humbling. Immense. Magnificent. It's not listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but perhaps it should be the 8th.

For more info on the White Sands area:

Geology

Mammals

Reptiles

"C" is for...

"2 Crows"

(mixed media painted onto my son's broken skateboard. He has many...)

See (the broken board). He's got quite the collection of broken boards (if you skate a lot, this happens a lot). We decided that it makes for a good substrate for artwork. I painted something I thought he might like.

Curls.

On the head of a statue of Buddha that sits on my front porch. He gets photographed by me a lot.

Catepillar.

For more images of "C" (ABC Wednesday), click here.