Bird's Eye View

Winter Rainbows

2012-01-13T05:45:00.000-08:00

Rainbow in January, Chamber's Mountain, near Iron Duff, NC

What does it mean to view a rainbow in winter? Old Man Winter slips the surprise from the long sleeve of his cloud cloak in the blink of an eye. He has a grin on his face. You weren't expecting it were you, he laughs. And if you missed it when it was so clearly bright and bowed, you missed a rare opportunity to lift your winter spirits and transform them into bouquets of bliss.

Having the Greatest Gift

2011-12-22T07:02:00.000-08:00

What could that possibly be? For you, I don't know. But for me it would be ".. a sense of wonder so indestructable that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength...". This quote is from Rachel Carson who wrote, Silent Spring, in 1962. And before she wrote the book that opened our eyes to seeing the interconnectedness of our natural world, she wrote, The Sense of Wonder. Perhaps it was this contemplation of the beauty of the earth around her, that led to her concern with synthetic pesticides being used so carelessly. This sense may have fueled her passion for preserving the environment and for the strength she needed to overcome the discrimination she experienced as a woman scientist. I am wondering what it will fuel in me. Certainly it is gone beyond a spark and has set me on fire many times. The spark is often a quiet one.

Lighting My Way

2011-12-18T05:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all for lighting my way this year. My journey was glowing so much that I never saw the darkness that surrounds all things. But without it there is no way to experience the moving spark scripting our lives in love each and every moment. I took these photos last night in beautiful downtown Clyde, NC. The pear trees are a blooming mass in spring and a seasonal sensation illuminating my way into a new year. May your new year be flashing with love and light!

Real December on Hap Mountain

2011-12-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

The scenes of December can be wild with saturated color or silent and bluish in tone. And this transformation often happens from one day to the next. The wonderful thing is I don't have to go anywhere to see this slide show. It projects itself all around my little cabin on Hap mountain. And the winds howling nonstop provide the sound effects that would scare the pants off an Eskimo!

Lanterns, Pots and Planters

2011-11-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

For the holidays you can have fun forcing a few paper whites, amaryllis bulbs, or buy red bromiliads instead of poinsettias. Put them in one of my new pots or planters, to make a one of a kind gift.

Or light up someones life with a LED candle lantern. I have two that are made from rice bags saved for me by Masami. So if you want one, show up at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, NC this Friday, Nov. 18 through Sunday, Nov. 20 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 pm. I will be demonstating how I make these.

Soaking In It/Soaking it in

2011-11-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

I am immersed in a vat of copper, gold foil, and persimmon and raking papery leaves gingerly over emerald patches, trying to get back home. It takes more than the moving of leaves from one place to another to settle into my nest. Two weeks is not enough to let my travel motions and memories simmer. This is going to be a long process and just like The Turtle, slow. So I wait while planting poets daffodils and wood hyacinths. I wait while cleaning out my pond where my purple elephant ear has taken a dive. I visit fellow artists at the Southern Highlands Guild Fall Fair,drive to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned and to the hairdresser to cut the locks I let grow on my trip. I shared some of my journey in person instead of on this blog. But somehow it isn't the same. I perhaps can't go home again unless I am blogging! For that is the home I created while away from home. But, I am fortunate to have many homes. The mountains draped in dappled dreams in front of me are very compelling and comforting. They have dyed me my favorite shade, Carolina Blue. "Twenty thousand roads I've been on and they all lead me right home to you"..Gram Parsons

Tractor Pull

2011-10-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you know it, it had to happen within a mile of home, but what a great place to have it happen! My neighbor Charles Sams, down by the row of mailboxes (which were moved while I was gone), had to get the tractor from his barn (that was recently rebuilt after a 2010 snowstorm sent a tree tumbling on top) and pull The Turtle away from the bank that her driver slid her up against because of a very wet, gravelly road with a big hump. It took him about 5 min. to get the tractor, hook it up to the front towing bar and pull us out. With great neighbors with tractors, one doesn't need a cell phone (mine does not get reception this far out) or AAA. That is one reason Spring Creek, NC is such a super place to come home to. Everyone, please thank Charles.

PS---I think the Turtle was spooked because the mailboxes weren't on the other side of the road where they had always been.

And there was no snow as the photo shows, but the forecast is for possible light snow tonight and the winds are already whirling in from over the mountain. It is true that the road up here is about that scary looking...good for a Halloween fright.

The Only One

2011-10-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

I never saw another Turtle or anything like her. And I never saw another woman traveling in a motor home by herself. Neither had anyone I met along the way. But I know there are some. I was expecting there to be more single women (married or not) or at least single men (not that I was looking for one). I did meet several women who wanted to do what I was doing. One of them did not want her husband to know this, so she pulled me aside and whispered, "This is something I have always wanted to do!" I hope I have paved (a road term) the way for those who perhaps don't have partners to get out on the road, but mostly I would be tickled pink to inspire others to follow their dream, no matter how impossible it may seem. Or how low their bank accounts might sink! I am sure a lot of you wondered what I thought I was doing traveling eight thousand miles in a 30 year old motor home by myself. But you were either kind enough not to say so, or you had faith that I could do it. I mean even John Steinbeck had his dog, Charley! I had you.

Who could ask for more? John was in search of America. I was in search of me. That search is endless. Is it the little me, or the bigger me that is part of it all.

End of the Road

2011-10-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

Are these photos of the sunrise or the sunset? Is coming home the beginning or the end? And does it really matter anyway? It is all beautiful. But I must confess to the lure of being on the road. I have forgotten how to be a homebody, but it will return. Being out on the road in all that spaciousness and excitement of new scenery and destinations, then bedding down for the night in my tortoise shell. Then up and out again. Somewhere along the way I lost the fear of the Turtle breaking down or of not finding a place to stay for the night. Or of getting lost. Or the greatest fear of being lonely, for I was never alone. I enjoyed making photos and sharing my thoughts and feelings on this blog that automatically goes to Facebook, visiting friends and family, getting more intimate with America's varied landscapes, meeting new people, waking up every day in a different place, hearing trains in the night, the state parks, national parks, even Corps of Engineer parks, recreation areas, pay showers, historical roads, scenic roads, interstates, rest areas, KOA's yellow shirted Komforts, monuments, icons, the internet, my cell phone, my Canon Powershot SD1100, my coffeepot, and most of all The Turtle. I have been blessed. So many times, something led me to the right spot at just the right time. Can't say what it was. Might have been all your good wishes and prayers! Thanks for the memories. I will be home Wednesday, October 19th to witness that blaze of color that I haven't seen anywhere along my route. There is no place like home!

Horse Sense of Humor

2011-10-15T18:21:00.001-07:00

Good Gob! Let's git outta here fast...

Something to hold on two

The new hybrid...

The fast ones don't need a sign..

Moby Dick meets Killer Whale. They name their first child, Killer Dick.

Picasso's Dawg...

Git along little doggie...what cowboys are doing these days

Not all Black and White

2011-10-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

My shadow might suggest that I gained about 100 pounds on this trip. What made the dog-look alike shadow? Are those sand dunes near a body of water? Is that a cotton plant in Texas? A photo of the old Rt. 66 up close? The most recent lava flow in the US? The largest gypsum field in the world? Did I visit both the White Sands rocket lands and the Valley of Fires in the same day and get inspired to do a blog on opposites, on the elusiveness of truth?

Joy Riding on Desolation Row

2011-10-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

From Barstow to Needles, CA on Rt. 66 was one of the most joyful rides. Joy among the relics of happy motoring. I was sailing on waves of bumpy concrete while savoring the past and sniffing nostalgia with the Mojave Desert as a backdrop. Earlier on I40 East, I sped by a sloppily painted sign in the sagebrush, a football field away, that read Bagdad Cafe(without the "h"). I remembered my favorite movie, The Bagdad Cafe, was set in some desolate place. But I had no idea, I was passing so close to it until I saw that sign. I didn't backtrack to Bagdad. I kept on going on 40 until I found my planned 66 escape at Ludlow. I was regretting my decision to not visit Bagdad when I discovered the town of Amboy, a few miles away. It looked and felt like the setting in the movie. Across the way a huge chunk of tin was being rattled about by hot winds. I remember things blowing in the wind, the sad sack scenery and that this 1987 flick had the same mysterious and magical power that The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly held for me in 1964. A couple of days later I googled a Rt. 66 site and found that the town of Bagdad no longer existed. It was destroyed four years after the movie was released so that the space could be used for storing pipeline.

All the buildings fit the setting, except for the Juan Pollo Chicken Shack. I thought some Mexican was trying to make a few bucks by selling his wares on The Mother Road. But I found out later (also on an internet search) that it was owned by a man in California who started a food chain called Juan Pollo. He wanted to perserve one of the many abandoned cafes and gas stations on this historical road that went from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA. So as a start, he bought the entire town of Amboy for about 140,000.

Two groups of tourists came by and took a few photos of each other standing in the middle of the road with the stenciled black and white route 66 shield at their feet. They didn't have to worry about getting hit by a car because almost no one was on this ghost highway. Except me. It stood still for me for a while and me for it. Then a few more modern cars flowed east and west. So few now, but I sensed a resurgence. I got back on Interstate 40, the road that killed the mother. Route 66 was running parallel and on it was a man on a scooter with a white terrier in sunglasses perched in front. Their hair was blowing in the wind. I have to say it. You can still get your kicks on Route 66!

Turtle Patch

2011-10-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

The Turtle sprung a leak in sunny California! How can that be? I drove along the CA coast in rain and fog. Then it rained sandals and sneaker waves. My friend, Juanita Stock and I found a repair place near Eureka just after heavy showers and curb puddles the size of small ponds. It took a lot of searching on cell phones to find anyone who was willing to find the leak. I walked into All RV Repair and there was a tank with a friendly green-striped turtle. I knew I had come to the right place. Sure enough, they found the turtle had lots of cracks on top. They patched the biggest cracks and now we are high and dry in Bakersfield, CA.

Published!

2011-10-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Loft, an exerpt from a longer short story that I haven't finished yet, was just published on the online journal, The Great Smokies Review. Read it at www.thegreatsmokiesreview.org

The chalk art I photographed a couple of days before I knew about the published story, would be perfect for a cover for the book. (The next entry has more sidewalk chalk art.)

The timing was great because here I was in happy hippy culture and the story is a link to my experience with the transformation that was happening to my peers. Right on!

Chalk Art in Arcata, CA

2011-10-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

My friend, Shirley Wiltshire from the Practice Community, but living in Eureka, CA with her husband,Stephen Timmons, took me to see this on my birthday. My inner child lit up like candles on a birthday cake. You can have a slice of my joy!

Fortune's Child on her Birthday

2011-09-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

So in Eureka, Ca, my fortune was read by a carnival like creature just outside a candy shop. This is my last day of being 67 and I wanted to see what the stars had in store. Here is my reading.

"What a joy to look ahead to read into the signs of your future. So much happiness is in store for you that the most brilliantly lighted stars will be put to shame by the brightness of your life.

Ah, this is not all caused by sheer good luck. Nay,nay, my friend, your perseverance, your clever ways of handling your domestic problems and your sincerity in dealing with others are pointing the way to their reward."

Then a quote from somewhere at the end:

"Oh happiness what an elusive thing you are. But Thank God your were born beneath its star."

Happy Birthday to me and it is my candle wish that all beings be happy and bright.

On the Wings of Love We Fly

2011-09-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

Elowynn and me- at Saanichton Bay, BC, near Sidney

Elowynn and Evan

Evan and his mom, near the beach, Victoria, BC

Well, how do you think I got this far?! Just some of the love along the way...and more to come..

Saying Goodbye, What it looks like, How it feels

2011-09-25T09:42:00.001-07:00

The landscape pales in comparison to being with my loved ones. Thanks Russell, Jeanne, Evan and Jesse for being in my life and to Canada for providing me with hard to leave experiences and land and sea escapes. Off to Port Angeles, WA on the ferry today, but not before having brunch with Jesse. It is windy and splattering rain right now. I feel a chill.

Along the Boardwalk, Victoria, BC

2011-09-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

I stayed on the waterfront across from downtown Victoria. You might expect to see lots of proper Brit influence, but it depends on which side of the Strait you are on. No that is not Evan's house in Victoria, but yes it is Evan. We walked along the boardwalk to the inner harbor and found a few things almost as strange as Carhenge. I greatly enjoyed the moments with Evan and with being by the sea and watching floatplanes, cruise ships, water taxies, ferries, fishing boats,row teams, and helicopters(sometimes moving all at once). I want to keep them forever in my view, especially Evan. Of course I can't do that. But sometimes I wish I could freeze those moments I had with my son and be there forever. But then he is forever in my heart, warm and toasty. But is there really anything as good as the real thing in the real moment?

A Brand New Day, Yellowhead Hwy, BC

2011-09-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

From Alberta and a night at Whistler's Campground just outside of the town of Jasper, and after seeing warning signs for elk, moose, and cariboo that could clash with The Turtle , I experienced instead the softness of a Beautiful BC morning with the heavens opening up and a corresponding tuning of my emotional nature.The song, A Brand New Day, by Sting was playing on about the only new part The Turtle has (installed by Sterio Man in Asheville). A black bear padded her way along the curve several yards in front of me and quietly disappeared into the golden-ferned roadside. I thought I had selected another album, and was surprised to find that some DJ somewhere in my universe, picked this one. My tears matched the drops on the windshield and The Turtle stuck her head out and let the rain reach the tip of her tongue. I was speechless.

A Real Bird's Eye View

2011-09-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

".. the blackbird, the staccato of the sky" a line from a song that KD Lang sings on her CD, Hymns from the 49th Parallel...or from Canadian singer songwriters. And although I know this is The Raven , he is still black and makes loud cawing sounds that punctuate the quiet. Sadly, this one has lost his mind because he prefers stale white bread to the landscape he appears to be bird-eyeing. And I know that I sometimes I also forget where to look for my sustenance.

My Spot, Kootenay National Park of Canada

2011-09-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

The spot...gateway to my heaven I suppose...

Retreatants often stack rocks at Southern Dharma where I live...

The cartoon like clouds are blowing puffs of wind...

Olive Lake has lots of full-grown trout that are only 4 inches long..

I enjoyed Kootenay National Park in BC Canada more than anyplace I have been. Even more than Lac Louise, the Icefields, or Jasper. The water colors were olive at the entrance and reflected all that green meant to me in that moment. On down the road, I found the spot that stopped for me, and the restless getting from point A to point B was blown away for at least 30 min. The closer I got the more in love I felt, despite a slight fear of the grizzly. The clouds were cartoon- like with pursed puffy lips that blew cooling wind on the little camper that could while I took lots of photos with my little digital that tried. But I am not sure the photos really show the majesty of this place. As I got closer I saw several rock stacks made by other travelers who perhaps sensed the spirit of nature and how that can be all there needs to be , instead of Point B! Hallelujah

Tour on The Red Bus

2011-09-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

At the West Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park, I took a vintage red bus tour on The Road to the Sun that goes to Logan Pass. I was glad I didn't go with The Turtle. I mean I could have, but I would have been nervous and wouldn't have seen as much. There were about 4 construction stops and most of the places to park were taken. The bus held about a dozen people. All of them were couples. I was the only single person, as usual, and so I got to sit up front with the driver/tour guide. The first thing we saw was a big black bear crossing the road. He was slow and peaceful. The guide told too many stories that were punctuated with bad jokes, but I learned a lot more than I would have on my own. I was hoping to see glaciers up close, but they were in the distance and if the guide had not told me, I would have thought they were just big snow patches. But the scenery was dramatic. As I looked down from the side of the bus I saw a straight path downwards with no stops along the way. There were lots of high altitude water falls, mountain goats that looked like white dots and had to be pointed out, water water everywhere in the form of glacier created lakes, and purple, reddish, and blue flower clusters. It was overwhelming to see so many stunning sights in an 8 hour period. I wish I had more time to wander about. But now I am in Canada and heading for Lake Louise. I can tell this place will try to overtake all the others and it just might succeed! Already the colors and textures, the gray granite spikes, the green terraces of grass and the tall white hoodoos are beckoning me onward.

Living on Sunshine

2011-09-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

Turtles Can Climb!

2011-09-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yes they can. All the way to Beartooth Pass to almost 11,000 feet. Enough to make us swoon.

Look in the center of the photo. No that is not two roads, it is one. We were one with the sky.

Beartooth is like being in the alps. The Turtle was the oldest motorhome on the road that day. She is amazing!

Slow, Turtle Ahead

2011-09-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Giant Vintage Turtle Spotted Sightseeing

2011-09-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Devil's Climbing Post

2011-09-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Big Bear done it. And that's all there is to it. I wasn't expecting to see rock climbers and when I did, I had tears in my eyes. I sat down on the bench and gazed upwards in reverence not only for the tower, but for all those tiny souls who were brave enough to climb the straight up and down columns of Devil's Tower in Wyoming. I only have a small digital camera and could not get real close, but I hope these photos show what a feat it was. Some people along the way say that I am brave to be a woman alone travelling across the USA. I don't think it compares to this. But perhaps there is something of the wire walker and the rock climber in me. And I hadn't acknowledged this trait. So when I saw this spectacular event I realized that I hadn't given myself enough credits for bravery. Sometimes I feel like the Indian Maidens on top. Like the bear of a vehicle I am in, will go at any moment and both my home and my means of transportation will disappear into this big thing coming after me. But then when I see places like The Badlands and Devil's Tower, I know it is worth it. And today I am going along the Beartooth Range towards Yellowstone. And after that to see my stepson, Jeff DeBell in Bozeman, MT. I haven't seen him since 1994. He is the one that gave me the tip about going on the Beartooth. How bearish is that?

Wicked Wonders

2011-09-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Badlands National Park in South Dakota and Devil's Tower in Wyoming are some of the BAAAADest lands in the US. The Badlands is home to the largest undisturbed mixed-prairie rangeland remaining in the United States and to one of the rarest mammals in the world, the Black-Footed Ferret. If you want to feel like an ant walking among pink and white sandcastles, like you have visited the pyramid's famous carvings, or see a rainbow created out of mist in a setting that seems cathedral-like, then this is the place where bad becomes good.

Wicked Wonders

2011-09-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

New Faucet, 16 CD 's Filled with Movies and Mount Rushmore

2011-08-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

How does all this relate? First my fridge stopped working. So I was given the name of a mobile repair person. I called him and he said I would need to be closer to where he was in Custer, South Dakota. No problem. The route between Spokane Creek RV Park and Custer included a trip on the Iron Mountain Highway, which has three tunnels designed by Peter Norbeck in 1919 to frame the four faces of the emerging Mt. Rushmore in the distance. Large RV's cannot go through the narrow tunnels, but the Turtle fit easily. My first view of the Rush was through one of these tunnels that was was completed in 1933 with the help of 16 men. Without the depression, these viewmaster pieces would not have been possible. And I suspect that after 9/11 more people have visited the National Parks and especially Mt. Rushmore because they realized how important their homeland was. I know that happened to me and I am not a flag waving type. I wasn't in the US when the towers went down and boy did I want to get back. I loved the people of my country , its history, its icons- of which Mt. Rushmore is truly monumental. I was struck by the eyes. The men seemed so real and humble. They weren't warriors. They were statesmen.

Crazy Horse was also a statesman and I am glad there is a sculpture of him as well. And I saw many faces in the uncarved rocks surrounding the memorials. The rocks themselves must inspire monumental deeds like the carvings.

Anyway I have digressed. But what a digression on the way to a mundane repair job! That's one thing I love about traveling in my home. Another is the people who seem to want to provide me things like pancake breakfasts and at the Spokane RV Park in the Black Hills, I was talking with

a man and his wife about how much I loved movies. He said he had hundreds of them downloaded on his computer and offered to burn them onto CDs. He gave me 16 CD's full of movies I might like. I told him I liked comedies, old movies, and did not like anything with violence or body parts, etc. The first movie I looked at was All About Steve with Sandra Bullock.

It was wonderfully funny and gave me lots of laughs on a gloomy rainy day in the shadows of Mt. Rushmore(which I had planned on seeing that day).

The RV guy came and fixed the fridge and I remembered how every time I turned on the faucet in my mini-kitchen water oozed from it's base and I had to use a sponge and paper towels to sop it up. So he looked at it and went to the hardware store and got me a brand new sparkling one. Only getting the old one out wasn't so easy. The fittings were made of the hardest plastic known to mankind. And Bill didn't have all his tools because his truck needed a new transmission and was in the shop. So, as usual with the Turtle, it took a lot of pushing and prying-like pulling Turtle teeth and plastic went flying everywhere. He couldn't just unscrew it under the sink because of years of rust and plastic embedding itself into the softening plywood. But he did it. He went the extra mile. And that is why I love the people I have met. They are absolutely what this country is about. Not all that hype and junk you see on TV.

So here is to all of my friends and family back home who have that same spirit. I am monumentally blessed!

Carhenge, Alliance, NE

2011-08-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

In order to see the bizarre, I had to stay at a rather odd RV spot in Alliance. On one side were lovely views of tractors and other farm equipment and on the opposite , a granary. A train tracked near my head, and the well lit Sunset Motel sign filled in to make a fortress of commercial fortitude. I was in a triangle where two roads intersected. Fortunately one of them was a road less traveled. The Turtle's air conditioning took care of the sounds and her curtains dimmed the lights and I had no problem sleeping.

Once again, don't judge a book by it's cover or a RV site by it's sidekicks. Because in the office was a wonderful woman who told me about Carhenge and Alliance, NE. Alliance has lots of interesting sights including a great art museum. She was dedicated to tourism which often is preferable to a steel mill in the middle of town. And she had doughnuts.

ME, in the tree at Lake McConaughy,NE

2011-08-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

This blog keeps trying to leave ME out and so for the third try, hopefully I am Published!

ME in the Tree

2011-08-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

I left ME out in the next post, but here I am in this one...

Me and The Turtle

2011-08-27T06:37:00.001-07:00

Sand Turtles, Lake McConaughy, NE

2011-08-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Silent, Sandy, and Sacred...

I was surprised to find these sand sculptures along the shores of Lake McConaughy in Nebraska. And a few other sand piles looked like sacred spots along the roads of India, only theirs are very colorful and have strips of foil. I have a book of them. So you never know what is around you until you take the time to explore. I am trying real hard not to go from Point A to Point B.

Lake McConnaughy,NE

2011-08-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

This part of Nebraska is covered with small fields of sunflowers. The wind blows hot and dry.

Then the next day the wind was still and muddy-moist. These trees do not like to get their feet wet. But I enjoyed wading and it felt almost like a caribbean island.

Surf's up....

Kingsley Dam viewed from The Hilltop Inn where I ate country fried steak. My first meal out...

I had the best seat in the house...again I was the only one. One couple came in after me...

This fresh water inland lake was created to generate electricity in the late thirties, but now is heavily used for recreation as well. It is about 26 miles long and 130 feet deep. So when the wind blows, it kicks up waves. The soil in the area is sandy and I got my first tropical beach experience in the middle of the cornhusker state. It was like being on a deserted island because no one was roaming the aspen and willow lined coves. I parked the Turtle next to the sunflower fields with views of the lake on 3 sides. Trains went by carrying coal from Denver, but the wind was blowing the sound away from me and the yellow-gold Union Pacific engines seemed liked toys on an electric track.

Inching Across Nebraska

2011-08-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

From mid-Missouri all the way around Omaha, NE to Greenwood just East of Lincoln, into Lincoln to get a hair cut and groceries and to try to exchange my new Garmin GPS because the screen cracked(no luck, I have to call Garmin), then to Prairie Oasis RV about an hour west of Lincoln. Prairie Oasis had a small lake with a small dock and small paddle boats. It was all the size of some ride in an amusement park. But I enjoyed putting my feet in the water while sitting on the dock. There was no way I was going to use their mini-beach area. This one was probably a foot deep. I was surrounded by corn fields that went on for miles. The place should have been called Cornfield Oasis. I was planning on driving to Ogallala, NE where there is a huge lake with white sandy beaches. But The Turtle mis-fired as I was leaving a rest stop and I decided to stay at a campground in North Platte, NE where I am now-at a Toyota dealership. They said she needed new spark plugs and a fuel filter. The problem was minor and the misfiring happened only once. But I am still waiting to get to Lake McConnaugh(sp?) near Ogallala to test their beach area.

Royal Detour

2011-08-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

If you are going to detour, this is the way to do it. I29 North from Rock Port, Mo almost to Omaha, NE was closed due to major flooding of the Missouri River. I saw silos and a few farm houses that looked like islands along the interstate. I mean it was tragic for those involved, but for me it provided a beautiful glistening view, and the new route was like a roller coaster lined with rows of undulating corn fields and out of scale windmills. I put the wind giants into another perspective and noticed it matched the crack in my side-view mirror.

Missouri Wetlands,General Pershing State Park

2011-08-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Our wetlands are being challenged everywhere. Here are some photos of an area that is dedicated to preserving, educating, and providing easy access to their hidden beauty. I spent two days at General Pershing State Park near LaClede, MO, Black Jack's boyhood home. Each day , I discovered more. I seemed to be the only one that was interested in nature , but there were only a handful of campers because of a heat wave. The night I arrived a big storm shook The Turtle. The weather was cool and again I felt blessed-as if the Wetland Gods wanted me to send some message. Also a young man from Missouri State Parks took lots of photos of me doing some hiking along the trails. I am not sure what he will do with them. I was sweating like some of the plants you see, but not nearly as cool as they were.

Piney Campground, Home to Turtles

2011-08-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

My camp spot had the best view yet. The Turtle loved it as she could see red- eared and yellow- bellied turtle heads popping up everywhere in Kentucky Lake. This is the Southern entrance to Land Between the Lakes (was Land between the Rivers until TVA took over). She also saw something as slow as she was...barges, five of them, each a football field in length being pushed by riverboats with paddle wheels. Well, maybe they didn't have the paddle wheels, but The Turtle can be a bit old-fashioned as well as slow.

Turtle playground and beach area...the beach was better suited to turtles- only 3 feet deep and pretty stinky on the shore---Canada Geese poop is not pretty. When it gets in the water it looks like seaweed...all green and webby. I didn't tell The Turtle, but I saw a dead relative(of hers, not mine) in that swimming area. The next day, I had an upset stomach...YUK...no more beach areas in state parks!

But the day's rest gave me energy enough to make it all the way to Columbia, MO. I got up at 6 in the morning and arrived here at 6 in the evening. The RV Lady put me in the handicapped spot because she said there were strong storms coming after 2 am. The storm shelter is next door. And so is everyone else. But I am here because of internet access and not because of the view. They have a nice clean pool. I hope we don't get blown to Kansas. So far we have not had a drop of rain since I left.

2011-08-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Warhol...very appropriate as Andy is from Pittsburg, like Tom. I love the show and Nashville, TN and thanks, Tom, for treating me to the Frist. You have to see it to really appreciate Warhol's contribution to art and culture, music and dance. Don't form an opinion unless you can see the whole Warhol.

Home of Third Man Records....Nashville reaches out to the world with its music. Tom was once an agent for The Everly Brothers.

Tom Newby and me in a crooked frame...no, there is no image editing and so how was this done?

Time to wonder.....Ever been to Cheekwood in Nashville?

Good Siteing

2011-08-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

I picked a camping spot blindfolded at Cedars of Lebanon State Park near Nashville. Then I noticed this carved on a small red cedar. I thought all the campsites had something like this. I looked around and mine was the only one with native art. I felt blessed.

Back to Knoxville

2011-08-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Not really. But in a blog you can do anything! Thanks Corinne and Miya for giving me a good

The Swinging Bridge

2011-08-13T07:46:00.001-07:00

Fall Creek Falls State Park, TN

August

The Fall Sitters

2011-08-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

Precarious positions at Fall Creek... in sepia tone....

Fall Creek Falls State Park, TN

2011-08-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

This is the highest falls east of the Mississippi. It was really quite spectacular- even with its twin, thin summer veil. I spent three hours hiking in the area. At least 30 min. of that time I was lost in the parking lot. But along came a ranger and pointed me back to my campsite. I wish he'd done more than point by then. I mean a ride would have been nice.

I will add other photos of this TN State Park, including a real swinging bridge,The Fall Sitters series, ect. I am on my way to Cedars of Lebanon, TN near Nashville.

THE TURTLE IN KNOXVILLE

2011-08-08T03:45:00.000-07:00

We made it, thanks to Rick Lindsay ! Here's to a great mechanic and friend and his wife, Liz and to Corinne Rovetti for providing my first Turtle meal. Corinne is a member of the Practice Community at Southern Dharma where I live full time and a great friend and lover of maps. She suggested the next camping place. We walked along the French Broad with two of her friends and saw a field of sad sunflowers. Their heads were drooping and awaiting Fall.

Rick installed a new throttle cable and a bungie cord to hold the other end in place. He has had a bungee cord in the same place in his 1983 Toyota for ten years and it's still working. Mine is a fancy one, a bright blue. It made the Turtle very happy. She was revving and trying too hard with the faulty throttle cable. It was definitely conduct unbecoming to a Turtle, especially when coming down the mountain on 209 as it made for a lot of braking. I stopped at the bottom and the right brake was smoking. So I got my fire extinguisher, pushed the button and nothing happened! Fortunately there was no fire. Later I got it to work. I called Rick and Liz. They were waiting in Waynesville to install the cable and a new distributor cap. So they had to come a bit past Ferguson's Store to meet me and Rick did all the work in the hot sun while Liz and I sat in lawn chairs in the shade by the banks of Fine's Creek. It was Rick's birthday and he loves to work on these old engines. So I provided him some fun without meaning to. And he did a fantastic job. The turtle went on down the road with her proud blue bungie in place and running at turle speed and with a turtle's heart. We got to Corinne's about 4 pm.

I am leaving this morning and heading for Fall Creek Falls State Park near Pikeville, TN. I will be there for a day or two and turtle on to Cedars of Lebanon State Park near Nashville and then to Uncle Tom's!

TURTLE TRACKS

2011-08-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

T-Shirt Sleeve Bag

2010-04-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

This purse was published in 1998 by Lark Books in a book called, Making Handbags and Purses.I designed the fabric and made the purse from the cuff and sleeve of the shirt by discharging the black with bleach and then painting the discharged areas.

Buddha's Bag

2010-04-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

I donated this purse to an organization that helps women become self-sufficient by donating money from their annual auction called, The Power of the Purse. This purse was completed in 2005. It is made from a burlap bag, gold lame, original photos printed on canvas, pieced, quilted, and hand embroidered.

Rags to Riches Purse

2010-04-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

This was published in a Lark Book Publication called Handbags and Purses in 1998. I sold the purse at a craft show a year later. It is made from a used painter's drop cloth, photo copies of real money and a horseshoe image on the back, quilted, applique and decorative stitches.

Facebook | Art by Peggy DeBell

2010-04-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Facebook Art by Peggy DeBell

Red Dawg Saloon

2010-04-12T16:20:00.001-07:00

The only saloon in town..Clearmont, WY.. Mixed Media Textile in the collection of Jen and Shannon Rabby (photos on cotton and linen, pieced, quilted, hand and machine embroidered, bottle caps, jute twine, dude ranch fabric, framed.

Kozy Shack Purse, Photo of Interior

2010-04-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

An explanation of the process is on the next post....

Kozy Shack Purse, Interior

2010-04-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

I printed all the fabric for the lining on my Epson printer. I used my digital camera to photograph 4 bowls of tapioca pudding placed on my red kitchen countertop. Then I used
image editing on my computer to make smaller mirror images. This made an interesting pattern. Next, I put KozyShack lids on my scanner bed and used image editing to make a kaleidoscope image.
The next post shows the front of the Kozy Shack purse. (18" x 12")

Kozy Shack Purse

2010-04-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

30 recycled Kozy Shack tapioca pudding lids sewn to transfers of images of the lids on a painters drop cloth, recycled purse parts ( metal chain mail purse, strap)quilted, hand embroidered, lined with images of pudding in glass containers, images of the Kozy Shack pudding, ribbon, pipe cleaners, antique button, trims.

2010-04-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Short Bio for Peggy DeBell

I transform the mundane into the marvelous. The Red Dawg Salloon in Wyoming becomes a story in embellished imagery. Kozy Shack pudding tops are sewn on canvas to make a
fashionable bag. Buds, flowers, leaves from a spring pear tree are placed on my scanner bed. All kinds of odd surfaces run through my ink jet printer. How about printing on a recycled bird seed bag, or on soil separator fabric, or on fine linen? What will happen? How can I design the materials and images into something totally unique and beautiful? I am always questioning and exploring and have done so for almost 30 years. My main material has always been, well...material! The tools have changed. I began by painting nappy paint rollers with fabric paint and rolling it across yards of recycled sheets. Currently, I use high tech tools such as a digital camera, scanner, wide format printer, a computer and image editing software! What an evolution and it still continues!

Pillow for Persie

2010-04-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

I made this pillow for a friend after her cat died. I have created several pillows for clients that want to give something to a friend or loved one as a memorial to their cat or dog. It is always quite a wonderful joy for them to receive the pillow. It is something they can hug.

Each one has photos of the pet that I print on cotton and piece with other fabrics and then quilt and embellish. I often use a kaleidoscope effect. Also I "clone" some of the fabric from the photographs and print that out as well to add to the pillow. The pillows always blend well with the clients decor.

"Best Kept Secrets"

2010-03-27T06:40:00.001-07:00

"Best Kept Secrets", 43"l x 35"w x 3"d (wall hanging)

Price: 4,500.00

(On display at Bead+Fiber, Boston, Mass from April 2-May 2, 2010 )www.beadandfiber.net

Media: Photos on cotton, linen, paper:pieced, quilted, free motion stitching, hand embroidery, applique, beads, stones, scanned aspen leaves, metal button, leather, book in pouch that folds down.

"Best Kept Secrets"

2010-03-27T06:35:00.001-07:00

"Best Kept Secrets", Detail of folding book

Plaid Mary

2010-03-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Title: "Plaid Mary" 25" x 20"

Media: Photos on cotton, organdy, silk;pieced, machine and hand quilted, hand embroidery, beading, antique sequins, lace, heat transfers, applique, paper flowers, crocheted years, glass

Price: 3,000.00

2010-03-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

"Cowboy Music" (28" x 35") 2004
Artist: Peggy DeBell
Media: Photos and altered photos, inkjet prints on cotton:pieced, fused, appliqued, quilted, hand embroidered; Bottle caps, plastic, foam stars, braid, beads, leather, scrapbook finds.
Price: 2.400.00

2010-03-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com

Please check out my new business page on Facebook. Art by Peggy DeBell

The Three Julias

2010-03-11T16:29:00.000-08:00

the earlies morning wonder - Google Search

2010-03-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

the earlies morning wonder - Google Search

AOL Mail - Message View

2010-03-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

AOL Mail - Message View

"Mourning in Appalachia"

2010-03-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

"Mourning in Appalachia", 36' x 30" x 1", 2004

Artist: Peggy DeBell

Media: Photos and altered photos, archival inkjet prints on cotton, silk and organdy, pieced, quilted, slashed, layered, hand and machine stitched, beads, glass, paper, stones, ribbon

Price: 3,000.00

"Mourning in Appalachia"

2010-03-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

Detail of "Mourning in Appalachia", --A red sheer panel hangs over the blackbirds..

"Mourning in Appalachia"

2010-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

Detail middle panel of "Mourning in Appalachia"--6 layers of fabric, slashed to reveal hidden wildflowers of Appalachia that often get disturbed when homes are built. (photos on cotton)

"Mourning in Appalachia"

2010-03-02T08:20:00.001-08:00

Detail of Mourning in Appalachia.. original poem, hand embroidered

"Red Shoe Magic"

2010-03-01T10:53:00.001-08:00

"Stitched into Reality",Bead+Fiber, Boston, MA

2010-03-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have 8 pieces in my one person show called "Stitched into Reality" at Bead + Fiber in Boston. "Red Shoe Magic" marked a change in my art because I had discovered the holy trinity : My new computer, scanner, and image editing software! www.beadandfiber.net

Red Shoe Magic, (27.5"L x 20"W x .5"D) 2,500.00 (wall hanging)

2002

Red Shoe Magic" began with a photograph I made of a Flamenco dance teacher in Tucson, AZ in 2002. I was visiting a friend, Norma Kwestel, and was inspired by her paintings of these dancers. The woman was wearing black heels that reminded me of the shoes worn by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz , so I used my own magic to make red ones. The entire surface is transformed and integrated by my use of heavy hand embroidery, free motion machine stitching, heat transfers, photos that have been digitally altered; scanned and appliqued images (nautilus shell), piecing in a collage like manner, and depth added by layering and quilting.

It took about 120 hours of labor intensive work to complete this one of a kind textile.

2010-02-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

Monday I mailed a 19x19x24" cardboard box with 8 of my most important artwork of the past 10 years in it. It cannot be insured for its true value. It is heading for Boston via The US Postal Service. From my bird's eye view, I can see the snow blowing and the wind gusting as it gets transported in a white truck with red and blue trim. If it gets lost, I want it to be lost in the semi-socialist service of this part of the United States government, and not lost by a private company such as UPS or FedEx. That is my way of being patriotic. I am trusting this government regulated agency with my textile heart. The work is not mediocre. It is quite inventive. It should be going to a museum, but I am happy to have my work shown by a fiber gallery run by fiber-hearted women in a major United States harbor city. When I get home from my house sitting job (I cannot yet make a living with my art), I will post some of this work. You won't be able to see the richness and depth of my work from these photos. So if you are in Boston anytime from March 5th to April 23rd, please see my show,"Stitched into Reality".
The name of the shop/gallery is Bead + Fiber on Harrison Blvd. in South Boston.
Please check out their website:www.beadandfiber.net. My work has not arrived yet, but there will be images on this site soon.
Many thanks to Barbara Poole, a fellow artist-in-residency who I met at the Jentel Foundation in Banner, Wyoming in 2006, for inviting me to do this show. She is a wonderful painter and felt-maker and inspired me to begin a hooping journey that is still in progress. She gave me a photo myself when I first picked up the hula hoop at Jentel. She added a rainbow and the quote from the Wizard of Oz. "Never give up. You don't know how it will end." And I haven't given up. I am just beginning.
http://www.blogger.com/www.beadand%20fiber.net
http://www.peggydebell.com

2010-02-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

This is a composite of 2 images...Lake Santeelah in Western NC and the Sandhill Cranes in Hawassee Preserve in Tennesee.

2010-02-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

This is the largest tote bag made from recycled woven polyester sunflower seed bags. It is quilted with hand embroidery. The interior is shown in the next post. It is in the collection of Rick and Liz Lindsay.

2010-02-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Interior of largest tote bag..vinyl, with 4 pockets

Birdbag Tote

2010-02-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

Another recycled bird seed bag...this time a tote..(quilted, hand embroidered, lined)

Bird Bags

2010-02-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

My daughter -in- law wanted a photo of her Pug on a bag. I recycled a sunflower birdseed bag made out of woven polyester by cutting out parts of the seed bag and then quilting them. The photo of her pet was printed directly onto a heavy cotton with my inkjet printer and used as a flap.

"Lullaby of Birdland"

2010-02-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

The last art work I did was entitled, "Lullaby of Birdland". It is made of woven polyester that I printed with my inkjet printer after coating the surface with a product called INKAID. The images were scanned from sunflower seed bags and altered. Then I printed several large sheets using Epson Ultrachrome K3 inks as they are both archival and colorfast. I cut the sheets into many smaller shapes and rearranged them into a kaleidoscope, pieced them on my sewing machine, then used hand quilting, embroidery, and all kinds of embellishments. Some but not all of the embellishments include: beads, pipe cleaners, paper clips, rickrack, springs, rolled plastic beads, glass...

It is about 38" in diameter.

2010-02-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

I picked the title for my blog, Bird's Eye View, because it came to me and just as I started typing I saw a red-tailed hawk perching on a tree. This is unusual and I am hoping that it is a good sign for the beginning of my blog!