Channel Islands National Park

How can you live in a state your whole entire life and not know about a fascinating, secluded, national park right at your doorstep? Off the coast of California is the least visited national park in the United States, Channel Islands National Park.

We were trying to think of something new and interesting to do during our few days we had down the coast and this came up and we decided to take a chance and go out to the islands. We caught this boat in Ventura, California early in the morning.

As we started out of the harbor, we saw this whole flock of pelicans sitting on the rocks of the jetty. If you have never seen a pelican close up....they are huge and wonderful to watch as they fly.

We chose to go to the largest of the Channel Islands to do some day hiking. Santa Cruz Island is about an hour's trip by boat from the coast.

As we cruised out to the island, we were happy to learn that a park naturalist was on board and would be giving a talk once we got to the island. The naturalist came around and introduced himself to our family and I told him that we were taking the trip to the island as a way to build interest in marine biology since we were going to be studying it this school year. He was so thrilled to have interested listeners and he gave us his special whale lecture as we rode along on the boat. He knew his whales and we were interested to know that we could actually see whales during their migration from the island at certain times of the year. (I see another "field trip" later in the year.)

Once on the island I realized that it was a wildflower paradise. Check out the size of these morning glories, unique to the islands.

How about this beauty of a flower....I haven't identified it yet.

And this is the remnants of a wild cucumber. See the seed inside?

We hiked about five miles from one part of the island to another. We started at Scorpion Ranch and then went to Scorpion Point and then went over to Potato Harbor.

Look at the color of that water and I wish you could have audio from this place. We could hear sea lions barking from the rocks at the entrance to the harbor.

There were many sea birds but the one bird that I never got tired of seeing was the raven. Their flight is so graceful and lovely to watch. Here is one raven that actually stayed in my camera's line of vision long enough to get captured.

Back at the cove on the dock where we waited for the boat to pick us up at the end of the afternoon, we were interested in watching the kelp as it swayed in the water. It was truly like an underwater ballet.

You can also see if you look closely in this photo, purple sea urchins under the water....lots of them.


Then at just as the boat was due to pick us up, this sea lion came to give us a show.

This was a fantastic place for nature study and you can camp on the island...a little primitive but Santa Cruz Island has potable water. I highly recommend a visit to the Channel Islands National Park if you are ever in California.

We are going to go back and spend a few days sometime in the next year. I would love to go whale watching and sea kayaking.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Zimbabwe Election

"We were just told to go and vote, so we had to. All night they were singing in the street, revolutionary songs, and chanting that we must go and vote. We were intimidated to vote." --Stella, 35

This group of pictures from Saturday’s New York Times showed Zimbabweans on their election day where they were forced to vote for the only candidate, President Robert Mugabe, for fear of punishment unless they could produce a finger colored by red ink as evidence they had cast their ballot.

According to the newspaper, the subjects agreed to be photographed and interviewed on the condition that their faces not be fully visible while the pictures ran uncredited for fear of reprisal against the photographer.

Given the information provided - the first name and age of each subject as well as in many cases, enough of the person pictured to make them identifiable - I'm not sure the story holds together in quite the way the front page treatment suggests. However, as testimonial to the freedom we often take for granted, as well as a creative use of photography, they were a striking group of pictures.

"I put an X on both candidates to spoil my ballot because the result will be the same. M.D.C. has withdrawn, so the result is obvious: ZANU will win. I just wanted ink for security reasons. I fear victimization from the ZANU-PF militia. It is obvious they will come door to door. If they see you don't have ink, they will know you are M.D.C." --MacDonald, 33

"I'm not voting at all because the outcome is still the same. Mugabe still wins. I'm not worried about having ink on my finger. Ink or not, it is the same -- they will beat us." --Agnes, 25

"I spoilt my ballot because I wanted to vote for Tsvangirai. I went to vote because I fear victimization if I don't have ink." --David, 32

"I'm registered in Chitingwiza, but there is no use in spending money on transport to get there when the result will be the same." --Loraine, 27

"I spoilt my ballot because this election is not free and fair. It is a one-horse race." --Sidwell, 34

"We have no choice; we must vote. It doesn't matter who I vote for, the result will be the same." --Mary, 43

"I just wanted to finish the process which was started. I don't want to say who I voted for. I just wanted ink on my finger." --Judith, 65

"I did not register. I moved into town recently. This is a one-man race. It is a waste of time." --Edna, 25

Feel the wind in your hair

Prince Heinrich benz. Manufactured in 1910. One of only seven produced, capable of 135kph.
I found on display in the lobby of the St James hotel. (don't ask what I was doing there). Can just see myself in all the finery of the period speeding down the highway in this.

First Sunflower Blooming For the Year

I was surprised to find this sunflower starting to bloom today. It just burst open with this beautiful, bright yellow blossom. The textures are unbelievable. This particular sunflower was not one that I planted but it decided to sprout up near the birdfeeder, I'm assuming from spilled seed.


Sometimes we cannot plan for the little joys in life, they come to us.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Raccoon Visitor

Amanda caught this raccoon on our deck a few nights ago. She said he was sitting in the doorway watching them in the house. We knew this creature had been around the backyard for a long time but this was the first time the raccoon showed itself.

There is a section in the Handbook of Nature Study on raccoons starting on page 247.

"None other of our little brothers of the forest has such a mischievous countenance as the coon. The black patch across the face and surrounding the eyes like large goggles, and the black line extending from the long, inquisitive nose directly up the forehead give the coon's face an anxious expression; and the keenness of the big, beady, black eyes and the alert, "sassy" looking, broadly triangular ears, convince one that the anxiety depicted in the face is anxiety lest something that should not be done be left undone..."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 248

We have seen the little muddy footprints where he washes his food in our watering can. We hear him rustling in the bushes under our bedroom window at night. I have heard him chatter as he crosses the yard in the dark. Now we know exactly what creature is roaming our yard at night while we sleep, or at least one of them. :)

I just don't want to see him in our doorway or inside the house any time soon.

Great job taking the photo Amanda.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Carnival de Cuba

Southwark Park is a mini Havana all weekend. Family fun through to late night partying. Fly a ballon or dance the salsa.

Social Comment

I recently read an academics paper that graffiti plays a role in telling us that the world is not a beautiful place. Can't get much louder than this one.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #20 Summer Tree Study

“Besides appreciating the world, observing nature develops other mental powers-ability to focus, to tell things apart, to patiently seek answers. These things are useful in every facet of life.”
Charlotte Mason in Modern English, volume 1 page 61

With each new season we learn more about the natural world and the wonderful cycles we find in it. The seasons are a way to measure time and to learn to understand the subtle changes we find in the plants and animals that live close to home. (Gen. 1:14) We started a year-long tree study nine challenges ago and it should be a good time to make our next seasonal observation.

“And what about those six trees that the children were watching since winter? Now children will see that they also flower, although those flowers may be as green as the leaves. …This is old news to grown-ups, but a good teacher will present all knowledge as new and exciting by imagining himself in the place of the child and being amazed with him.”
Charlotte Mason in Modern English, volume 1 page 53

Your tree should have leaves for this season's observation and if you were not able to identify your tree before, this should help you do so at this time. If you are just starting your year-long tree study, consult the Handbook of Nature Study’s table of contents for trees and see if you can find a tree that you have close by your home. Turn to the corresponding section and it will give you lots of ideas for learning about your tree. You are not limited to the trees covered in the Handbook of Nature Study but if you choose a tree not listed, you will need to find your information either at your local library or on the internet.


Outdoor Challenge #20 Seasonal Tree Observation-Summer

1. We started a tree study project way back in challenge #11 and make our first observations of our tree. If you would like to review this section in the Handbook of Nature Study, you will find it on pages 622-626. This week the challenge includes making the next seasonal observation of your tree. If your first observation was in spring, you are now into summer and your tree should look a little different. If you are just joining the challenges, pick a tree from your yard, your street, or a near-by park to observe over the course of the next year. Check in the Handbook of Nature Study to see if your tree is listed there and then do the reading about that particular tree. There should be some suggestions for observations that you can follow. You can use the prepared seasonal tree study page to record your observations.

2. Take your 10-15 minute outdoor time to study the tree you are going to observe over the next year. You can take photos of your tree to put in your nature journal or you can sketch the tree in your journal. If you need help with tree sketching you can use this resource.
Clare Walkers Leslie's Guide to Sketching Trees

3. If you have additional time this week, you could complete another small square activity from Challenge #9.

4. After your outdoor time, complete your Seasonal Tree Study notebook page sheet or record your tree observations in your nature journal. Take a few minutes to talk about your time outdoors to see if there is anything that your child wants to learn more about. Follow up any interest shown.

5. Post an entry on your blog sharing your experiences and then come back to the Outdoor Hour Challenge post and add your blog link to Mr. Linky. All the challenges are listed on the sidebar of the Handbook of Nature Study blog.

Mini-Challenge #20 Year-Long Tree Study
This challenge can be done with or without the Seasonal Tree Study notebook page. If you have limited time or are trying to combine challenges, pick your tree and make a few short observations. Spend the balance of your time reading about your tree so that during the next season you can review what you have already learned and compare your observations from season to season.

Here is a link to the challenge in PDF format for you to print out.
Outdoor Hour Challenge #20- Summer Tree Study

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Weekend Video - Flashdance

For some reason, the 25th anniversary of the film “Flashdance” is passing by without the usual fanfare accorded to such decade defining films. So to redress the balance a montage of scenes set to the film's Oscar-winning Best Song “What a Feeling” (music by Giorgio Moroder, lyrics by Keith Forsey and Irene Cara).

For those in need of narrative assistance, a brief re-cap: “Flashdance” featured Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel-mill welder by day, and exotic dancer by night. Harboring dreams of a career in ballet, she is supported by her hunky but kind-hearted boss Nick (Michael Nouri) and her tough but big-hearted instructor Hanna Long (Lilia Skala). Will Alex get in to the prestigious dance academy? Will true love bloom? Will leg-warmers stay in fashion?

Controversy ensued when it was revealed that many of the film's signature dance scenes were largely performed by Beals' dance double Marine Jahan, but the film went on to dominate the summer box-office.

Can we start talking revival here?

Bollywood in London

You saw it here first! This is an action shot in a Bollywood movie being filmed in Covent garden on Wednesday. The movie will be released around December. The story is a romance (of course, this is Bollywood), between a boy from India and a girl from London. Unfortunately I can't tell you what role these 3 women play in the movie. The name of the movie? seems it hasn't been decided yet.

Our Bean Germination Results and Garden Update

Outdoor Hour Challenge #19-Germination


Here are our beans after germination. You can see the roots clearly and the stem and then the first leaves at the very top.


Another shot where you can see all the parts.


Here you can see the roots clearly and the plant trying to reach up out of the bag.

This was so easy and very rewarding. I hope everyone tries it at some time during their nature study.

Now for our garden report.

More tomatoes growing a bush.

Pumpkins starting to really put on the leaves.

Green bean blossoms.

Bean vines growing into the walnut tree....which is loaded with nuts (or seeds).

Pretty daylilies starting to bloom all over the yard. First a pink one.

Now a dark red and yellow one.

And finally my roses and sunflowers.


That's my garden update for this week. There are so many interesting things going on around the yard that it is taking me a long time to make my rounds in the mornings. This is what makes a gardener's heart happy.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival-New Edition

Here is the link to the latest edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival posted on Makita's blog, Twinkling Stars Family School.

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

There are quite a few entries in the nature section that you may be interested in reading.

Enjoy,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Found and Lost

Many years ago, I was in the bookshop at MoMA and came across a French book on the history of motion in photography with the above picture by Eadweard Muybridge on the cover. I loved the contrast of the romantic moment captured with such scientific treatment and also the obscurity of the image. I had seen and handled lots of Muybridge, but never this particular image and I couldn’t get it out of mind.

(Muybridge famously developed a precursor to motion pictures when he rigged up a set of cameras to settle a bet as to whether a horse's four legs ever leave the ground at the same moment.. They do - but not in the outstretched position that artists had assumed until then. The only time they leave the ground simultaneously is when they are tucked under.)

Anyway, when I went back to MoMA to buy the book it was nowhere to be found. So I began to call everyone connected to Muybridge to see if they had the image. No-one. It was as though I had dreamed it up.

A number of years later, I was at Photo LA and speaking to some dealers who had Muybridge on their walls and everyone thought they had seen it at the fair but couldn’t remember where. Eventually I tracked the picture down at Michael Dawson’s booth and bought it!

This should have provided it a happy ending but instead of taking it to the framers it went into one of my various storage places and somehow getting lost. This is an extremely rare occurrence as in 18 years of dealing photographs, I have only lost one other print (the Manuel Alvarez Bravo photograph “Good Reputation Sleeping”).

Anyway, going through old j-pegs yesterday, I came across this snap of the Muybridge and thought I would share it. If you come across a print, it’s probably mine so let me know!

My other lost photograph.

A year!

Where did it go? A Glimpse of London began 1 year ago!
Thanks to all my visitors. A special thanks to those who have taken the time to leave comments.
I guess I will continue on for another year and try and produce better photos and more interesting sights.

Anglomania!

Tim Walker’s show at The Design Museum in London is the exhibition that’s got everybody talking. It’s terribly British in a whimsical, fantastical way - full of oversize props, references to childhood and dressing up, and lots of good cheer. If Lewis Carroll was a contemporary fashion photographer, these are the pictures he’d be taking.

Walker’s involvement with photography began at Condé Nast where he helped organize the Cecil Beaton archive. Next stop was a job in New York working as one of Richard Avedon’s assistants, and then back to England where a prize in the Independent (newspaper's) Young Photographer of the Year competition opened the door to a professional career.

While Walker has shot advertising campaigns for clients including Barneys, Comme des Garcons, Gap, and Kate Spade, these uncredited campaigns have meant that he is not that well known in the States, but this is likely to change with the publication of “Tim Walker – Pictures”, the new ($125) book of his work just published by Taschen.