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Cathedral Rock
.
High on the formation
The bugs southern tinny song
Comes and goes with the gusting wind
.
Black birds open up a white wingspan to fly
down to ancient sycamores growing in the stream.
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Praying in the Desert
.
Long shadows on the hollow rock
walking among monuments of the desert
the agave century plant blooms pads of self-rising yellow buds.
The Ave Maria of the mountains
field song swelling in the Chapel of the Holy Cross
the red risen church with low benches for praying
and viewing the psychedelic flowers of the desert.
~
~
(50/50 Pictures by me or my husband)
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~
From the Colorado North, into Sedona
.
We ride over a corner and the Ponderosa Pine
falls suddenly off to the left.
Entering the Oak Creek Canyon narrows
down to Sedona.
We walked a figure eight around the courthouse
then bell rock, a four mile entry into the city we’d call home for the next four nights.
~
Open Sedona
.
Sun iron details
around gated entrances
open Sedona
.
A tall ponderosa pine forest
along the drive of oak creek canyon falls
music beats through the intimate canyon river
.
From where we lodged we walked
around bell rock and the courthouse
with long shadows stepping on
hollow rock sounds
around the vortex.
.
The agave blooms life size
lily pad blossoms
held skyward and toward
the simple and very significant structure
The Chapel of the Holy Cross
we see from a climb up
Cathedral Rock.
.
Psychedelic colors of the desert blend
between sky blue, white purple, green
red-pink and lean down to the
Verde Valley, lush trees around Oak Creek
where small black birds open up a bright white
wing span.
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Categories
Gallery Night ~ This Thursday {The 6th}
.
This Thursday, September 6th, at 6pm
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join us at The Main Street Gallery for a solo show by
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Melanie Steffl Thompson
~
join us at The Main Street Gallery for a solo show by
~
Melanie Steffl Thompson
.
The Main Street Gallery is located at 145 East Main Street in Historic Downtown St. Clairsville. Join is for fine conversation, beautiful artwork, snacks and coffee. Melanie spent an artists’ residency in Romania during the summer of 2011, and these works represent the landscape of her memory. They are crafted with her fine sense of observation including the rhythms of life, inspiration, society, travel and hope. But, that is only my small observation. The paintings are inspired from her time spent abroad. Come, join us, and tell us what you think.
We wanted to stay along the Colorado River, so we followed the interstate from Las Vegas, south,
toward Bullhead City and found a river casino town to play and stay for the night.
~
From Laughlin to Oatman at the start of Rt 66
.
The sun just waking up
The shallow glow of misty morning dew was rising in
leopard print hills just out in the Mohave Desert
we have a breakfast of tacos held over from last night’s dinner.
A Mexican restaurant then,
the beer in the pump room of the Colorado Belle was good
among the creaking pipes and bustling waiters,
most people were watching sports or gambling.
.
Old towns keep their western traditions against change
have shoot-outs at high noon each day,
cracked pots in the gallery.
.
Hot means 120 degrees, but in June it’s only reaching 105.
~
I had a renewed appreciation for water and lush landscape once I returned from the desert back to Ohio.
The shot at the end shows a little break in the desert with the Virgin River as it streams through Zion.
Here in Ohio
.
Turn on the faucet and I get the fresh
mouth of spring open at my fingertips.
~
Ohio Summer Storm
.
At the ledge of the river
a storm swells in the distance
the lamplight flickers on and off with every gust
a tornado touches down 100 miles from here
makes a green sky.
The trees hold their bent positions
when everything releases.
Categories
Wheeling Weekend
Join the festivities this Saturday in Wheeling West Virginia, down at the water front!
I will be volunteering at the Wine & Jazz festival, located at Heritage Port in downtown Wheeling tomorrow. The event takes place from 4-10pm. An entry fee of $15 covers the cost of a wine glass, cork screw, all wine tastings, and concert admission. So come and join us for a groovy time!
Look at our facebook page too ~ www.facebook.com/wineandjazz ~
~
Interested in other downtown events? Check out the link to Wheeling CVB‘s full calendar of events, Art is Happening, and Wheeling’s home page.
{Snow Canyon}
Small World
.
We walk like tourists
in our soft shoes
scuffing the earth
with or eyes
we listen to colors
watch rainbows and forests
blow over with the storm
of a flickering candle.
Phil and I especially enjoyed speaking to Sheri at the Split Rock Gallery who introduced us to beautiful art, high end architecture and Snow Canyon.
{Snow Canyon}
American Earth Rim
.
Leopard print hills are just
out in the Mohave desert
south and east of Las Vegas.
.
To the north of The Rim
sits St. George among steeples
of church and mountain.
.
Many times a year eighteen
galleries open to the night
to be closed by curfew.
.
Architects build on black lava rock
just beneath the peaking faces
of snow canyon
the quilted hills
diminish a climbing figure and crawl
slowly back into a covered earth.
.
Just miles away from the spotted hills
stained south of The Rim.
First, a few last shots of Bryce National Park showing the sand canyons we walked through.
{An observation at first glance of the Grand Canyon from the North Rim.}
~
Over the Grand Canyon
.
Are you wondering above the smog
over the canyon
the bright sky that hugs
low humid afternoons
about the sound of a gunshot
wound tumbling, echoing off
ancient carvings, rocks that fall.
.
The coveted beauty turned
a shoulder to our societies’
ignored warning
the warmest summer on record
for America cried
the glistening drops of honeysuckle
blooming a month too early.
.
A shadow glow of misty morning dew
rising foot in front of foot step wide
paths with wind sounds river melodic
like living next to an ocean, but here
in the desert the shifting of low wheat tassels
blow together, wind making an offering
to the hot hot sun.
~
Down Kaibab on the North Rim
.
A rock fell, but we didn’t see the sound
Of gunshots rumbling, echoing off ancient carvings
.
The same source happened by helicopter
The twirling blades chopping louder and louder
And finally we saw, miles away, a small white bubble.
