Golden Gate Park is a very wonderful place to go. One of my favorite places at this time of year is Strybing Arboretum. Here are some of the flowers we found there. Some are from this week, and some are from past visits. I hope you enjoy them.
Ephemeral art can be found everywhere, but in natural settings, the inspiration and effect does seem more meditative. Using stones, bark, pine cones, twigs and whatever else may be readily available, people assemble compositions ranging from intriguing to wistful or even amusing.
This labyrinth created (and recreated several times) by Eduardo Aguilera at Land’s End is a meditative piece, changing as it does from dawn until dusk. In this particular setting, Aguilera’s “shrine” invites contemplation.
Continue reading “Art in Nature”
In recent months we have made several trips to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, at different times of day, in sunny and rainy weather, you name it. This, to observe blooms in different stages and light conditions.
By contrast to the Conservatory, the Strybing arboretum, also in Golden Gate Park, offers open space, leisurely walks and a few exotic species. I originally expected the Conservatory to be a claustrophobic experience, and to be fair, it should be: passages are narrow, the various sections of the building are compartmentalized by double doors with a plaque reminding visitors to shut them.
As well, each section has its carefully calibrated climate control, with a fairly high level of humidity. Virtually every species in the Conservatory is exotic, and striking in more than just appearance.
On our most recent visit, about a week ago, the blooming orchids brought back a singular feeling and thoughts I remember experiencing only once.
I’ve commented before on visiting a Sphynx cattery and the feeling of inquisitive, playful intelligence I felt looking into the cats’ huge eyes.
Photos do not reveal the elegance of the Sphynx in motion, or their seeming lack of fear.
And the more you know about them, the more orchids fascinate the casual observer into similar a form of reverence.
Consider a species estimated to be 120 million years old, striving in wildly different environments on all continents save Antartica, long after innumerable other species of flora and fauna alike disappeared.
A species having developed pollination methods as varied as stealth, smell and mimicry: the pattern on some orchids’ petals looks attractive to flying insects, the slippery tube-like pouch of others lures insects which fall into the opening, collecting pollen as they brush their way past to the exit…
So far, orchids have even survived man’s exploitation, which led to most species of the plant to be on endangered lists. Today, they are specifically cultivated for commercial ends. While it can seem odd to think of intelligence in such a context, I think there are lessons to draw about adaptability and coping with change, not just from orchids, of course, but from Sphynxes as well. Not to mention the enjoyment of their complex aesthetics.
Both orchids and Sphynxes are very much dependent on humans to provide the environment necessary for their survival and continued development, yet I suspect the nature of this relationship is symbiotic rather than… Parasitic.
We stand to gain so much from them…
Photos by Rudha-an
The hills of San Francisco, with the Bay to the East and Pacific to the West, offer many opportunities to enjoy magical beginnings and ends. As in dreams, many of those locations reveal themselves at the end of winding stairways, as unexpected treasures, often breathtaking.
People who live here share these places and moments with reverence and the instant friendliness of those who respect life in all its forms: their four legged friends abound and welcome newcomers and natives alike.
We took the following pictures at sunrise, a wonderful beginning to yet another day. Bernal Heights is located just south of San Francisco’s Mission District. For more photos and a bit of news about the area, visit Bernalwood, a local blog.
Tiled steps in San Francisco: an instance of a neighborhood bonding
Many times before, driving to and from one of our favorite diners in the city, we found ourselves looking up to a not-too distant hill, a rock outcropping, really, covered in grass and a few trees, which seemed to promise sweeping views of the San Francisco.
Looking closer, there seemed to be long flights of stairs leading to the top.
Continue reading “The Treasure of the Sierra Moraga”
Saratoga is located on the West side of Santa Clara County, due West of San Jose.
According to the Saratoga Historical Society:
Saratoga, it is said, is derived from an Iroquois word, Se-rach-to-que, literally, “floating scum upon the water,” a completely understandable interpretation to be put on the presence of mineral deposits showing up as vari-colored film on the surface of a pond.
We decided to take a trip there to see three different places. We visited Villa Montalvo, now called the Montalvo Arts Center. From there, we went to Hakone Gardens and then finished it off with a trip to Mountain Winery. Follow me below the fold for a bit of history and lots of pictures.
Continue reading “A trip to Beautiful Saratoga, CA”
This is part three. Parts one and two can be fund here.
One morning we woke up to rain. It’s the rainy season in San Francisco. It wasn’t a heavy rain, but it was enough. We had wanted to get out and walk and so we debated. We suddenly realized that we had not been to the Japanese Tea Garden In Golden Gate Park for quite a while and that the rain would keep the crowds down.
Continue reading “The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: Part 3”
This is part two. Part one can be found here.
One morning we woke up to rain. It’s the rainy season in San Francisco. It wasn’t a heavy rain, but it was enough. We had wanted to get out and walk and so we debated. We suddenly realized that we had not been to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park for quite a while and that the rain would keep the crowds down.
Continue reading “The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: Part 2”
The other day, we escaped the apartment and went to Golden Gate Park. While there, we took a stroll around Lloyd Lake. Please join me for some pretty scenery and a bit of history about this small jewel in the park.
Continue reading “Golden Gate Park: Lloyd Lake”
One morning we woke up to rain. It’s the rainy season in San Francisco. It wasn’t a heavy rain, but it was enough. We had wanted to get out and walk and so we debated. We suddenly realized that we had not been to the Japanese Tea Garden In Golden Gate Park for quite a while and that the rain would keep the crowds down.
Continue reading “The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: Part 1”
