State Capitol, Little Rock, Arkansas . . . . .

. . . . and what a beautiful place.  The gorgeous grounds, stately building, friendly staffing and exquisite interior all contributed to a wonderful and memorable experience.

The scale of it all is quite remarkable as when you look up close there is actually a person on the front steps getting the columns all decked out for Christmas. The front entrance doors are made of bronze, were highly polished, and flanked by huge columns.  The doors themselves are 10 feet tall, four inches thick and were purchased from Tiffany's in New York for $10,000.  They are truly spectacular.


I did a little research on this building . . . it was designed by St. Louis architect George R. Mann.  Drawings were presented in 1899 and construction took 16 years with completion being in 1915.  It was built on the site of the State Penitentiary and prisoners helped with the construction. The exterior is made of limestone which was quarried at Batesville, Arkansas.  Construction costs came in at $2.2 million dollars and today's value is $320 million.

Beautiful bronze reflecting the fall foliage

We were warmly met by the guards and given a great Arkansas welcome.  Upon walking into the interior I just said WOW . . .. the marble and design reminded me of European palaces.  We spent quite awhile there and just soaked in the ambiance.  It was truly breathtaking and one of the nicest Capitol buildings we visited during our journey.  The light changed many times when we were there and thus the colouration of the marble is different depending upon what angle I was shooting from.

Lower level, bathed in light from above

The eye of the chandelier, looking up from the ground floor . . . exquisite detail

Second floor detail

There were three levels of marble staircases with a huge dome over the top letting in light all the way to the entrance level.  Everyone in the building who came in contact with us, stopped and asked if there was anything they could help us find.  We indicated that we were visitors from Canada and that we and my camera were enjoying the scenery immensely.  Kudos to everyone for being so friendly and helpful.

Looking down . . . note the ceiling and column detail

Looking up to the Senate

Farewell to Arkansas . . . . we hope to visit again

Stop, Listen . . .

Received this profound piece today from my friend Carolyn D.  It just sums up how I felt about the recent journey . . . . that one must take the time to appreciate what is around them.  What an eye opener . . art is everywhere . . we rarely take the time to appreciate it.  We all have an expiry date . . . when the last chapter is written I don`t want to have any regrets about not taking time to savour all of life`s beauty.

THE SITUATION

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.


About 4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.


At 6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.


At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.


At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.


This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?


One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?


Enjoy life NOW!
It has an Expiration Date!

 

Jasmine and Tony . . .

 . . . . . today I hand delivered a wedding album that I created for a friend.  I did not take most of the photos in the book, although did take the foodie ones and their engagement photos.  However, the creation of the album was completely my design and I did all the polishing of the photos for presentation in a professional manner.


We felt very privileged to attend this very traditional Chinese wedding and it was the first Asian wedding that we have been to.  Loved the traditions surrounding a marriage in their culture . . . and the Tea Ceremony is an especially delightful part of their wedding culture.  Western culture could certainly take a page from the book of the Eastern culture when it comes to the respect that is given the elders.  They do not take their grandparents and elders for granted, but genuinely give them respect for their wisdom and for paving a path for the next generation.


Take a peek . . . Jasmine loved it.  I always think that the recipient of such a piece should see it before the rest of the world . .. now that she has it in her hands. . .  I will share this artistic creation with you.

A Bridge to the Future . . . . .

I would highly recommend that if you are in the vicinity of a Presidential Library, no matter what your political stripe is and what his was . . . . . that you take the time to peek into that period of history.  If they all are as good as the one in Little Rock, then they should be "must sees" along with the White House, etc. 



Presidential Library in Little Rock



This was our first visit to a Presidential Library . . . and it was sorta accidental 'cause it happened to be where we landed after a day's drive  . . . .  I now would seek these buildings out and make them a destination in themselves.

What a fabulous way to preserve history. I found the architecture of this building to be so unique, very avant garde, contemporary and visionary. It is also one of the greenest buildings in the USA, leaving virtually a zero footprint on the planet.




A Bridge to the Future

 

The above photo was taken from the rear of the structure to showcase how the building was designed.  The vision for this library was "A Bridge to the Future" . . . the thinking being that his term of office ended at the end of one century and bridged the entrance of another.

It is also directly adjacent to the old bridge that has now been retrofitted, which is also part of the symbolic nature of the new building.

Retrofitted railway bridge

The photo below I have named "Turning a Sow's Ear into a Silk Purse".  Prior to the erection of the Library, this particular area was full of debris and extremely unsightly.  The placement of the Library in Little Rock has literally changed the landscape.  The wetlands were not just restored, but became a beautiful oasis with walking bridges, etc.  The Old Railway Bridge across the Arkansas River was restored to a pedestrian bridge and has been beautified with flower pots etc.  There has also been a tremendous amount of corporate investment in Little Rock since the Presidential Library has been situated there, as evidenced by the office towers in the background.

Silk Purse

These libraries make no political statement at all . . they house the records of the President which are looked after by the National Archives. Inside there is a replica down to the finest detail of how the Oval Office was set up during that President`s term of office. There was also a duplicate of the cabinet room.

Clinton White House Oval Office

Don't think I am going to be invited to the White House anytime soon, so it was fabulous to be this up close and personal.  Every President can choose their colour scheme . .. apparently the Bushs chose colours from the green palette and the Obamas have chosen very neutral ivory tones.

The Presidential Seal

Detail of Oval Office Rug 
Clinton administration

Part of a Chihuly glass sculpture

Dinner table depicting the china etc., and the clothing worn by the Presidential couple

The rest of the library devotes itself to showcasing memorabilia from that President`s tenure and you get to visit the timelines of history during that era.

By law no federal monies can fund the building of a Presidential Library, however, if you wish the National Archives to be involved, you must turn over all your records from your Administration. 

Interestingly enough, some Presidential Libraries have elected not to do this. 

In a perfect world,  I would have had unfettered access with my camera and a tripod without hordes of peoples milling about.  It was very difficult to get even these photos when there are roped off areas . . . . . what little gymnastic skills I have, (none, except when it comes to getting a photo I want) had to be employed to achieve this depiction. I happen to like to capture detail photos, not people photos!!!

Monument Avenue 3 . . . . Lee and Stuart

The one statue I really wanted to see was that of Robert E. Lee.  Although I do not agree with the side he fought for, I do have admiration for his character and dignity.  I truly believe he was a gentleman soldier.  He also paid a very high price for having fought for the South . . . he had to forfeit his family Estate which was Arlington and is now the site of the National Cemetery.  Such are the spoils of war. Robert E. Lee was married to Martha Custis, a relative of George Washington.  The following excerpt was taken from the web.

Arlington House was the home of Robert E. Lee and his family for 30 years and is uniquely associated with the Washington and Custis families. George Washington Parke Custis built the house to be his home and a memorial to George Washington, his step-grandfather. It is now preserved as a memorial to General Lee, who gained the respect of Americans in both the North and the South.

Gentleman Soldier and General . ..  Robert E. Lee

There is a lot more information on this, and it is not my intent to give a history lesson, however I found it all very fascinating and there were some nuggets of history that I did not know.
 

The last monument on the boulevard was that of Major General J. E. B. Stuart. Pretty impressive, as were all of them actually.

Major General JEB Stuart

 Lynn spied this vantage point for me.  Loved the backdrop of the church and the autumn foliage.  A beautiful day with a gorgeous sky doesn't hurt either.

The red door on the church was very unique . . . . . can't recall seeing that on a church before.  Definitely made you sit up and take notice.

After all this early morning exercise and fresh air, it was time for lunch.  We went to the Marriott where they had the most unique sport's bar . . . . and of course there was some sort of game on . . . and each individual booth had a TV . . . now that is personalized service. 

Key Lime Pie . .. .to die for actually

It was a marvellous day . . . communing with nature, history and family . . . that's about as good as it gets.  

Monument Avenue 2 . . . . Jefferson Davis

The monuments are plentiful and I can't begin to showcase them all here, however will most likely put them in the book I do.

Memorial to Jefferson Davis . . President of the Confederacy

As you can see, they sure know how to build a monument.  I spent a good deal of time trying to get good photos and to capture the vastness and some close up detail of it all.  Showing some details from this massive monument to Jefferson Davis.

Firm in his beliefs

I felt that showcasing the firm foot of the statue was symbolic of how strongly he felt about his beliefs.


Had to use a telephoto lens to capture the top part of the statue.  In order to take the whole thing in one had to stand quite aways back, even using a 24 mm lens.

Detail from the top

Corner Detail

Monument Avenue 1 . . . .

. . . . in Richmond, Virgina.  My goodness, the sculptures and statues were unbelievable in detail and stature.  We arrived in Richmond around nine in the morning . .. just in time to witness the mist burning off.  It was magical . . . autumn colours, green grass, blue sky and the morning mist lifting.

Morning Mist Lifting

We walked the mile long boulevard paying homage to the heroes of the Civil War . . . for the Confederacy that is.  This road trip taught me another lesson in geography . . .. Richmond is only about a hundred miles south from Washington, DC and was the Capitol of the Confederacy, the Capitol part I knew, however in my mind I had it much further south.  I suppose in those days the distances seemed much more vast, however today it is of little consequence.  My sister and her husband had joined us in Savannah, that will be a whole 'nother posting or two . . . .  she is a camera buff like me.  Thankfully we both have very patient husbands who are very willing to let us "do our thing" . . . and even scouting spots for us.  We are so blessed.

Lucille and Jon strolling down Monument Avenue

 My sister-in-law Mildred had told me I would fall in love with this area and the history.  I had high expectations and they were all met and surpassed. As we were walking down the Avenue, I couldn't help but notice that there was almost a carbon copy of their home in Calgary.  The one difference is the front portico.

This house would look good on me too

I am Just Friendly . . . .

. . I have always viewed myself as a friendly, outgoing and inquisitive person.  I usually don't have any problem going up to strangers and asking a question or engaging in a conversation about what we are looking at or camera gear, etc.

We were en-route to Monticello and  stopped into Richmond to drive around  the City and especially  to visit the Robert E. Lee Memorial.  Couldn't find the memorial, but we did find the Capitol Building.  These folks should know . .. they look like they are grounds keepers for the Capitol and obviously should know the area.

They were busy working away getting the grounds manicured as Stephen Spielberg was shooting a movie in Richmond and the whole City was in chaos.  The Capitol especially was getting some special attention due to some of the requirements of the time period of the movie shoot.

Sooo I marched, with a fair amount of purpose, right up to the grounds keepers who were all working diligently away at manicuring the flower beds.

Virginia State Capitol Building . .. . Richmond, Virginia

Good Morning gentlemen . . . . would any of you happen to know where the Robert E. Lee memorial is?


     Oh ma'am you can't walk there . . you have to go to such and such an intersection and the place is all tore up 'cause of this movie. But while you are here, there is a marvelous statue of George Washington just behind the Capitol Building and with yo' big camera yo' should like that.

Off I ran to go and find this nugget as George Washington is special too.  Wouldn't you know it, my blasted battery died, so I had to quit shooting way sooner than I intended. 



Here's George . .. .Washington that is





I came back down the walkway and down the many steps and stopped again and spoke with the gentlemen . . . told them thank you for pointing me to the statue and to have a nice day.  As I get to the bottom of the steps, there is a lady sitting there in something like a golf cart and dressed in a uniform.  Gave her a big smile and she made a lovely comment about my wedding rings.  At that moment Lynn strolled over and asked her if she was about to arrest me . . . I then noticed that her badge said "Department of Corrections" . . .. looked up at the men working and noticed that they were indeed all dressed alike . . . blue with orange suspenders.  That would most likely be a uniform . . . . .

LIGHT BULB GOES ON . . . I had just been having a lovely conversation with the incarcerated and the lady in the cart was their guard.  


No wonder they looked so surprised when I actually stopped and talked to them.


Told ya' . . .. I am just friendly.
 

Reluctantly . . . .

. . . we are home.  It was a marathon drive from San Diego to Edmonton . . . . just four days.  I found the scenery on I-15 north of Vegas just breathtaking.  Next time I travel down that road, I am going by myself and if it takes me a month to get to Vegas, so be it.   Love the wide valleys and Big Sky of Montana and the rock formations in Utah and Nevada are so colourful  There are so many photos I could have taken, however at the speed we were driving they would only have been good for the "panning" technique.

Montana

Sooo we are home to some snow and not so bad cold.  However I am in no mood to have anything to do with Christmas this year, so Lynn will be spared the usual hauling in of all the decorations. The fact of the matter is that I still wasn't ready to come home.  I have also decided I want to be where it is warm.  Surprised as heck about being so cold as far south as New Mexico so I guess I am going to have to go tropical.  Should be lots to photograph in any tropical setting. 

Will get some rest, can't believe how tired I am, and then post jottings about the first part of this journey that transpired pre-blogging days.


Have mounds of laundry to do and even larger amounts of mail to sort through.  Have filled 1 large green garbage bag already . . . 


Loved being on a road trip . . . . so much to see . . . . need to extend my expiry date or I am going to run out of time.

White stuff . . . .

. . . . not ready for this yet.  I guess this is one way of getting us conditioned for what we are going to get when we get home.  Made it through Salt Lake City with little to no stopping . .. there was construction at Provo but we were never actually ground to a halt.  We are now in Pocatello, Idaho . . .. had a pizza brought in and it was actually one of the best pizzas I have ever had . .. chicken, Alfredo sauce, Romano tomatoes,  Parmesan cheese on a thin crust . . .. just fabulous.

This kinda looks like snow . . would like to make that a distant memory

Could still turn on a dime and head south . . . . not ready for this white stuff or the cold.

Homeward Bound . . .

. . . . sad to say we are making our way north.  I have never been this reluctant to return home.  Love the vagabond lifestyle, seeing the world, the warmth and no snow.  

Left San Diego fairly early and deposited our vehicle in Las Vegas . . . drove through the Mojave Desert . . . now that is just one desolate place.  The turnoff to Death Valley is along that route . . . . . no desire to go there at any time of the year actually.

This was pretty much our scenery most of the way.  The area north of Mesquite that cuts across the corner of Arizona before you get to Utah is actually quite breathtaking . . it was getting dark by them so the light was completely wrong.  Guess we will just have to drive down them again . . .need to visit Bryce Canyon again anyway.


Soo, tonight we are in St. George, Utah and having have a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers together, we are all ready to hit the hay.  


Hoping to get past Salt Lake City tomorrow.


I feel like Forest Gump . .. I am not ready to quit walking yet.

SeaWorld . . . .

. . . I am glad we went, however would give it a miss the next time.  The best part of it was the Shamu (whale) show and that was just awesome.  The rest of it is really quite devoted to a more juvenile audience (not that I can't be juvenile at times!!!)

We were actually quite lucky to catch two performances . . one was about the history of the aquarium and the other was pure acrobatics which were actually very impressive.  The relationship between the trainers and the whales is very personal.  This is most likely the closest we will ever be to whales, so I am really glad we did this and learned about their history as well.

We also went on the the tower that spirals around and up so that you get an amazing view of both the park and the bay . . . . it was just as smooth as silk and only took 6 minutes to go all the way up and down.  Also took the sky tram across the park and got a good bird`s eye view of the whole bay.


Of course we saw many sea animals, but I hate taking photos through glass due to the distortion and reflection . . . but we did manage to catch some of the animals just frolicking about.

You can both smell and hear the seals long before you ever see them.  And then of course there are birds everywhere and I have to say that I am not at all fussy about them brushing my face or landing on me.  I did overhear one lady saying that a `damn bird just peed on me` . . ..  glad that didn`t happen to me.

Snowy Egret

I don`t know a whole lot about Snowy Egrets other than that they are very beautiful when in flight and with their full wing span spread out . . however one of the trainers said that they were birds of opportunity and that they didn`t do a whole lot for themselves, but just hung out where they could forage for food with no work.


The park was starting to get decked out for Christmas . . . I believe the unveiling for the Christmas programs was this weekend.  It still seems so odd to see all this glitz and hear Christmas Carols and everything is green and the flowers are blooming.

At first I thought this fellow might be a carving . .. he appeared to not be even breathing.

Turtle taking a nap

Sooo . . . one more item crossed off the bucket list.

The San Diego Zoo . . .

Fern Detail

. . . is amazing . . . everything anyone has ever said about it is true.  We spent the whole day there and could probably spend three in order to properly take it all in.  In addition to all the animals, the foliage is amazing and different climate zones are replicated.

After taking the overall tour on a double decker trolley, we then went exploring on our own.  It is acres and acres and acres and miles and miles and miles of walking.  Good thing I have my good running shoes. 


One of the photos that I really wanted to take was of pink flamingos, seeing as how we were going to Florida and all.  Soooo, the ones we saw in Florida were quite pathetic, especially at Flamingo Gardens . . if you are in the vicinity of this particular establishment, just keep driving . . it is not worth the price of admission.  However, I digress . . the flamingos at the zoo were amazing, and plentiful . . . . in fact so much so that it was hard to isolate just one to get a cameo photo.

 If I could turn myself into a pretzel like this bird does, i would be quite proud of myself.

From a photography perspective, I find it hard to capture the photos I would like to and not show evidence of captivity.  I hate the cages and things showing in the photos and would prefer to have the photos reflect a more natural setting.  Guess I should go on a safari for that scenario . . . . .  big sigh.

Thus the detail of the elephant is from quite a narrow perspective and only what I could get without the fencing showing.  Think he needs some anti-aging cream for all the wrinkles!!

There are so many more photos I could show, and will do so as I have time to process them.  I thought this one of the panda was neat . . what yellow teeth he has . . needs some whitening/brightening toothpaste methinks.


Another great day . . . . at the zoo.

La Jolla . . . . .

Surf's Up

. . . . and the seaside are magical for me.  We went to this spot 5 years ago and just had to return.  Walking along the seawall is therapeutic.  I have absolutely no idea why I live in land locked Alberta when the first place I visit anywhere I go is the wharf area.  The sea especially, holds a special magnetic draw for me. 

Perfect photo . . white tipped waves, interesting rocks, tide pools, beautiful sky and a bird flying in the sky.


Now my photography friends will immediately recognize that to get this photo one actually has to be on the wet and slippery rocks and down at sea level.  You should all be very proud of me . .. jus' sayin'.

We could hear the seals long before we saw them.  Suffering cats they are noisy and they don't exactly smell like a French perfume shop either.  They were all over the bay and barking/squawking/talking to each other from every part of it.


Happened to catch a bit of wildlife . . . not that I ever go searching them out . . .but if they want to pose for me, then I will give it a shot, pun intended.  Not being a bird person . . my mother would be sooo disappointed in that one . . . I was having a heck of a time figuring out why they only had one leg . . . seemed a bit odd to me.  However, today, when sitting and watching the flamingos, I saw what actually happened to the one leg . . they tuck it under a wing . . . and here I thought this poor bird had had his leg nipped off by some nasty creature and was still surviving in the wild.

Just goes to show what you can learn from a road trip.

Telling Tales . . .

I am not that impressed

. . . out of school. 

Our drive from Downtown at the wharf San Diego in pitch black darkness . . gets pitch black at 5 p.m. here . . . was quite interesting.  Traffic was rush hour volume with 5, 6 and 7 lanes going in one direction and at a mighty fine clip I might add.  It got very curvy, narrow and hilly the further we got into the country.  Lynnwood was keeping up with traffic . . . Brenda was not impressed . . . and felt she needed a triple banger when she arrived back at the suite.   I know I have a very warped sense of humour, however this photo that I took of a dog in the next vehicle whilst we were at a stop light today, I thought best described how Brenda feels about Lynnwood's driving. 

 

It feels good to have a good belly laugh once in awhile.

Dear God . . .

. . . my prayer for 2012 is for a fat bank account and a thin body.  Please do not mix them up like you did last year.

Amen

San Diego . . .

Iguanas at Shadow Ridge

. . . well actually Ramona . . that is where we are staying . .. which is about 50 miles east of San Diego.  We traveled from Palm Springs, after checking on our spot at Shadow Ridge . . . .the iguanas are doing just fine.


We were driving along Indian Canyon Road yesterday and I spied this scene which to me looked light something you would see in Europe . . . screeech . . stop and take this photo . . . . oops in the wrong lane of traffic so came back this morning to catch it in the morning light.  I thought it was breathtaking.

Wonder what is behind this wall??

Took Scenic Highway 74 . . . Brenda still has white knuckles . . . see that little black ribbon . . .. well we travelled that to the peak which was about 11 miles sorta straight up . . . steep enough that there is a sign telling you to turn off your air conditioning so that your vehicle doesn't overheat.  Trust me, I have never seen that sign in the Rocky Mountains in Canada.

The valley below

The oasis of green at the bottom of the valley is Palm Springs/Palm Desert and a whole lot of other communities that just sorta run into each other.  Just beautiful . . . . . .  could spend a lot more time there.

Did I mention that it was 78 degrees today . . . yesssssssss.  Tomorrow off to walk the ocean wall at La Jolla and then go and see the USS Midway.

Life is good.