Non-Dominant Flowers

 

A couple weeks ago or so I took a free online class by Laly Mille which is the first lesson of her Flower Flow course. I had already taken this class a year ago, but since it was free and I hadn't really done much "artsy" in the recent weeks, I decided to join again. I like Laly Mille's art and her very calm way of teaching lovely art classes.

We started with spreading some gesso on old book pages, music sheets - whatever we had. After it was dry the task was to draw flowers and leaves with our non-dominant hand. That would be my left hand. I had already enjoyed this a year ago, but this time I even enjoyed it more. I did a few with watercolor pencils, but "discovered" that I liked the graphite ones much better (I used the graphite aquarelle pencils by Faber Castell, a 4B and an 8B). Then the flowers and leaves are "smudged" with matte medium or regular gel (I used matte medium) and finally narrowly torn out.

Most (but not all) of the flowers in the photo above are from last year, whereas the ones in the following picture are only new ones.

I didn't make exactly bouquets, but just tried to combine some of the flowers and leaves. I decided to go with a wildflower theme and attached them to four 5x5 watercolor panels that I had prepared with some collage "fodder".

Final steps inlcuded some gauze that I watercolored as well as some parts of the plants and I also added some watercolor sprinkles. It was a lovely project that I thoroughly enjoyed (and of course it took me longer than the four or five days of the class).

Here are my four wildflower collages:

I haven't done any art since then... and I don't think I will do any in the next two weeks because Kaefer will be here!!! At the moment she is in Chicago where she meets up with a high school friend and then the two will attend the wedding of another high school friend that is taking place somewhere in Indiana. On late Sunday afternoon she'll land in Oakland. Both the Geek and I are very excited to spend some time with our favorite girl. I assume that I probably won't be in blogland during those two weeks.

I also have a face for Nicole's Friday Face Off - I got a haircut! My last haircut was five days before the lockdown in 2020 and since then I have cut my hair myself. Thankfully it was a really good haircut and since my hair is curly one couldn't notice that my cuts weren't particularly accurate. But now I felt annoyed by the length of the hair, and when I heard that my neighbor cuts hair nothing could stop me. I just had to walk down a block! She did a fantastic job and I'm so happy about my short hair.

A couple more things.

Thank you for your comments about my D-Day post. Some of you mentioned how very concerning it is where our country is going to now, and I fully agree. One noted that I see it from both perspectives, as a German and as an American, so the two opposing "parties". I want to mention here the visit of the German chancellor Friedrich Merz to the Oval Office on June 5th. He reminded the president  that the following day was June 6th, D-Day, and how important that day was. Mr. Trump's reaction was "that wasn't a very pleasant day for you" and then "that wasn't a great day". Mr. Merz was visibly taken aback and emphasized in very clear words that this was the beginning of the liberation of Europe from the Nazi regime. The chancellor of Germany had to tell this to the president of the USA who didn't seem to have a clue about June 6th. I am not particularly fond of Mr. Merz, but at this moment I was very proud of him.

And - Los Angeles. I assume you know what I am talking about. I am so appalled, I can't even find words for that. But thankfully someone else did that. I am not a big fan of the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, but when he delivered his address to Californians yesterday I felt deep respect for him. He found the right words and he certainly wasn't mincing them. Usually I stay away from declarations like "I'm so proud to be a ... (insert name of country), but today I'm saying "I'm proud to be a Californian".

We will peacefully join the protest on Saturday, and I hope many many people will do so across the country. 

Les Braves

 

Since we just had the 6th of June which was the 81st anniversary of D-Day, I'll skip to the beaches in Normandy that we visited during our trip to France and which were so important for the eventual liberation of Europe from the terror regime of Nazi Germany.

These are the five beaches, stretched along the coast of Normandy, where Allied forces, including the US, Great Britain and Canada, stormed onto land as part of Operation Overlord.

The first beach we went to was Utah Beach. Nowadays, the beach looks peaceful and rather empty since it was a cool and gloomy day. But what was this like on June 6, 1944? A very different picture and the outcome still unknown on that morning. The beaches had all been enforced and were littered with mines, antitank barriers etc.

That's why before the amphibious landing 175 Naval Combat Demolition Unit "Frogmen" landed on Utah and Omaha beaches to clear all these obstacles. The statue of The Lone Sailor in Normandy pays tribute to these men and all Sea Service personnel. It is located on the plaza in front of the Utah Beach Museum.

There are other statues as well.

The most stirring was this one - it brought up a lot of emotion in me.

What was going on in the minds and hearts of this young soldiers while they were transported on the landing craft, also called Higgins boat, from their ships to close to the beach? They knew that they would be greeted with fierce fire and they were going into battle from which they didn't know whether they would return alive or injured and marked for the rest of their lives. Were they thinking of their homeland and their families that they had left behind? Were they praying? I cannot imagine what it must have felt like for these brave men.

In the museum I saw this very touching letter by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), the author of Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). I remember reading this and asking myself whether he would write the same today? Would it still be the same text? You can find the entire text in a slightly different translation here if you're interested. There is also a very interesting article by Steve Schmidt about what it means to be an American, inspired by this letter. An interesting, provocative read that asks a lot of questions.

Our next stop was Omaha Beach, nowadays home to the impressive sculpture Les Braves (The Braves), created by Anilore Banon.

Les Braves pays tribute to the Allies that landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. It was unveiled on June 6th, 2004, during the 60th anniversary commemorations.

The sculpture consists of three elements. Anilore Banon:

The sculpture is truly impressive and very beautiful at the same time. We walked around it for a long time and took way too many photos of the different perspectives.

It was incredibly moving. I do lack the words to adequately express what I was feeling.

A twin of the original sculpture, also created by Anilore Bannon, can be found in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

Our next stop was Cap Manvieux from where we had a first view over Arromanches and the remains of the artificial harbor that was errected in 1944, one of the Mulberry Harbours.

These were two temporary portable habors developed to facilitate the rapid offloading of cargo onto the beaches during D-Day. The sections of these prefabricated harbors were towed across the English Channel within hours of the Allies creating beachheads. Mulberry "A" was placed in postion off Omaha Beach and Mulberry "B" off Gold Beach where we were now. Since Mulberry "A" was damaged in a storm and abandoned, it was Mulberry "B" at Gold Beach that served for ten months before it was fully decommissioned.

Remains of the artificial harbor can be seen out in the sea (photo above) and on the beach in Arromanches. When we went there, someone played a backpipe on a wall near the beach. Listening to "Amazing Grace" on this overcast day really contributed to the gloomy mood.

The concrete remains were interesting and sinister at the same time. 

Our last stop on this day was the British Normandy Memorial. 

We saw little memorials that people left everywhere, not just here. 

But here at the British Normandy Memorial we also found the acknowledgement of the war nurses and the enormous work that they had done.

Saying that it was difficult that day to come back to some kind of normalcy is an understatement. We had failed to look for a place to spend the night and since it was already rather late in the afternoon we scrambled to find a hotel in the area. We finally found a good and affordable one in Caen and right next to it was a restaurant where we had a pretty good dinner. A small bottle of rosé was welcome (this is for T Tuesday) and I throroughly enjoyed the profiteroles dessert.

Le Phare d'Eckmühl

 

When you're so close to the ocean like we were in Brittany, it is unavoidable to come upon a lighthouse. We visited the Phare d'Eckmühl, an active lighthouse in Penmarc'h in the Département Finistère. It is 213 feet (65 m) tall and thus one of the tallest lighthouses in the world. Constructed in 1897, the light was automated in 2007. Like so many lighthouses it has a Fresnel lens.

The lighthouse is open to the public and in order to reach the viewing platform you have to climb 307 steps - 227 stone steps followed by an iron staircase.

Entering the lighthouse, we were greeted by this view to the top:

It wasn't exactly encouraging and I wondered whether my knee would actually make it all the way. While Kaefer and the Geek sprinted to the top, I took my time, stopping every now and then at one of the many windows. Eventually I reached the top as well. While it was sunny, it was also pretty windy and quite chilly.

The view over the Atlantic was quite nice.

I watched the fisher boats for a while and the gulls that were following them in the hope of catching a fish.

The long shadow of the lighthouse onto the neighborhood was interesting - I always like shadows.

Finally, we went down again - my knees weren't too impressed with that! First view down:

It is a bit dizzying, to be honest. The look back up after the climb is much better, knowing that we had made it.

Spiral staircases are so fascinating.

We walked around the neighborhood a bit - I really liked how the lighthouse appeared with the sun behind it. Doesn't the cloud look like the lighthouse is fuming?

The beach was rocky and quite rough here, but the gulls sure loved it.

That afternoon we drove to Guilvinec where we stayed in an appartment right on the beach. We took a walk, looking for shells and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Now I need a face for Nicole's Friday Face Off - I give you two. The Geek and I participated in this year's Pride Parade in our town. We do this every year, but this year we thought it was particularly important for us to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. It was a very happy and joyful event. 

Spring Outings

 

Before we go back to Bretagne and (maybe) some prehistoric sites, let me invite you to some of the walks I did in late winter and spring. The first signs of spring are usually visible here in February, but even if they're not, I enjoy being out in nature in every season.

The Lakes, end of February

A fisherman and his dog were looking for a good place to fish. It was the dog who draw me into taking this picture, not the guy...

This Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) seems to have no problem with this acrobatic display while taking a nap. Can you sleep on one leg - without losing your balance?

This was the first time that I saw a Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) - quite pretty, don't you agree?

Golden-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla - I think) were in the bushes - I usually see them in the colder months. Their song is a bit mournful I think, but I like it and it is very easily recognizable.

A Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans - I think) sat in the bushes by the lake. I'm still not very sure in bird identification, especially with these smaller ones.

And of course I'm always drawn to the light. Late winter offers some interesting contrasts.

Crane Creek, March

I came here in the hope of seeing wildflowers, but I was a bit too early. However, the California Buttercups were already in full bloom and painted the landscape with cheerful yellow dots.

A Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) seemed to enjoy that as well.

We had a very wet winter and I was glad to still see some water in the creeks that meander through the park.

A Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis - I think) - well, shit happens.

Crane Creek is full of majestic oaks, buckeyes, California bay and lots of dead and/or crooked trees. It's a paradise for Acorn Woodpecker - and for photographers like me.

Sonoma Valley, early April

In a recent post I wrote that Sonoma Valley almost completely burnt during the October fires in 2017. It is amazing to see how nature bounces back from a nature catastrophe like those devastating fires. 

A European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris - I think - David, please, correct all my "I think"s) greeted us at the start of the paved trail that meanders through the shady valley.

Everywhere we could see dead trees, either remnants of the fires or just natural death occurrence. They look interesting and were just waiting for me to take a picture.

A Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) - my new best friend after I had learned about their ability to "de-weaponize" ticks. 

This is Purple Sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida), another species I hadn't seen before and was glad to find here in the woods.

The shady path through the valley is perfect for walking on hotter days. 

Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus), a native, was found everywhere! They aren't very tall and dot meadows with their bi-colored petals - blue and magenta, how wonderful is that?

Two weeks later when I was at Sonoma Valley again, the Narrowleaf Mule-ears (Wyethia angustifolia) had turned up in many spots. Another native that is found inland in grassland and meadows as well as at the coast.

The Lake again, April

When I walked the less crowded dirt trails a little bit further away from the lake, I finally saw all the wildflowers I was waiting for.

Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) and Italian Thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus)

Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus)

Common Fiddleneck (Amsinckia menziesii)

California Hedge Nettle (Stachys bullata)

This True Cranefly (Tipula luna) was happy to be in the cool shade of the forest.

The lichen on the fence was very much to my liking, however, the French Broom (Genista monspessulana) was not. This plant looks gorgeous, but it is an introduced species that is extremely invasive and can take over quickly. What is even worse, it burns easily and can spread fires rapidly. 

Do you look more closely at tree bark? I do and find this oak bark very interesting. Nature is full of wonders.

No, I wasn't drunk when I took the following picture - the trees really grow like this along this path. Isn't it a bit magical? I wouldn't be surprised if some elves would suddenly appear among the trees.

I leave you with a shot of two Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) resting in a dead tree - our natural clean-up crew. What would we do without them?

With so many bird and flower faces I link up to Nicole's Friday Face Off.