A Treasure to Behold

During the holidays, it is nice to visit with old friends. One particular friend of mine is a Holy Man with a penchant for collections. He has a nutcracker collection,

And a collection of christmas village houses, which in it's amazement, can only be trumped by the manificence of his studio that he dug by hand,

and he poured each block and placed them one by one, over time until his studio resonated with the richness,

that only this particular Artisan could impress upon the place that he had seen so clearly in his mind, even at that first shovelful. (You see his studio is underground.)

The walls are comprised with his collections. It is remarkable, that each block has a story, and each rock it's significance by person, place or time.

Richness exemplified and resonate.

Each block is numbered and logged in a directory listing it's collection.

And in addition to stones, there were other items added to the molds.

And as you look, it keeps unfolding with more and more treasure,

And then you must find your favorite collection as this happens to be mine, with it's clear quartz, lapis lazuli, shells and fossils.

But then those huge chucks of colored glass and rich vermillion are so enticing,

So for this holiday season, I wish for you to be surrounded with old friends and family, and rich tradition, and delightful memories and may your holidays be joyous and may you be surrounded with simple treasure! Merry Christmas!

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!

David J. West's Photography

Michael and I met a remarkable photographer in Springdale, UT just outside of Zion National Park and his name is David J. West. For three years we have been following his work and we look forward to visiting him when we travel there.

The pieces in his gallery take your breath away, and it is a very popular gallery with people waiting to buy things when you arrive, and then of course we did too. When we left, the people before us were headed back in, and of course we couldn't decide so we walked out with two prints, so I totally get them. He has a website and also sells his fine art photography online. There you will see the splendor, but it is in having the large pieces before you that you can really feel the magic. Here is the link to his website http://www.davidjwest.com/. The website is interactive and it's kind of fun to try to choose the photos you would like to view. It made me laugh because it is unpredictable. We also signed up for David's newsletter.

David and his wife also have a blog http://davidjwest.blogspot.com/, so please enjoy the sites and let him know you appreciate fine art and his spectacular pieces!

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!

Hold On

We headed out to Zion National Park in southern Utah in time to see the fall foliage.

The Pioneer Lodge is great place to stay in the center of Springdale, the town located at the entrance to the park.

The town is overflowing with shops filled with beautiful Zion inspired artwork.

The following morning we headed out to conquer Angel's Landing which is what I consider to be a phenomenal feat as you will soon see.

The scenery is breathtaking as the elevation continues to rise on our ascent.

The change in vegetation evokes different senses. Take note, you will see this again.

Is it just around the corner?

There are about 5 or 6 switchbacks in this photo that take you a great vertical distance.

We reached Scouts Landing, where you can see the line of people ascend the ridge of Angels Landing. (The light dot in the center of the photo is a person, and they are headed up to that higher tree, and to the top ridge.)

This crevice allows a view of the height and the shear face of the mountain.

Here is Scout's Landing again. The line of hikers to Angel's point are hidden behind the pine tree located above the hikers in this photo.

We headed atop Scout's Landing to another ridge and could see the trail to Angel's Landing, and the valley down below.

Here is a view from the top.

Michael takes in the view from over the side.

A bonsai moment.

A fellow hiker offered to take our picture.

It is best not to think too much ahead, but to concentrate on what is at foot.(Least you need to be talked down from high places.)

Remember the green vegetation from before?

Back at the entrance to the park.

Springdale is a lovely place surrounded by all of the mountains.

And seated outside at a restaurant there is beauty all around you.

As evening falls, the landscape changes, and all of the mountains take on new appearances.

Fall in Zion is spectacular. We visited a local photographer, David J. West at his gallery, and his work is stellar. I will share a few of his pieces with you in an upcoming post.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!