ICELAND: VISIONS FROM A YOUTHFUL EARTH (a gallery in progress)

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"THERE WAS ONLY THE SOUND, THEN SLOWLY 
THE SPECTRES OF GRAVITY 
EMERGED FROM THE MIST," 
SEYDISFJORDUR, EAST ICELAND

"JEWELS IN THE SKEIN 
THAT BINDS THE WORLD TOGETHER,"

VESTDALUR RIVER, SEYDISFJORDUR, EAST ICELAND

"WRAPPED IN THUNDER BEFORE THE RAIN SET IN," 
SEYDISFJORDUR, EAST ICELAND

"ALMOST AS IN A DREAM, 

I SAW THE SUN SMILE ON GODAFOSS." 

NORTHEAST ICELAND

HIDDEN FACES OF THE BIG ISLAND, HAWAII (A gallery in progress)

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"BLACK SAND UNIVERSE," POLOLU

"A ZEPHER FROM THE SEA SENDS CHILLS 

ACROSS THE BREAST OF POLOLU POND,"

"AN ECHO OF PASSING STORMS IN THE STILL OF THE FORREST," HAMAKUA COAST,

"THE PRAYERS OF AN OLD ONE STAYING 
THE FIREY ONSLAUGHTS OF HELL," 
NEO LITHIC SADDLE LAVA, BIG ISLAND,

FLORA ON THE ISLAND OF KAUAI. (A GALLERY IN PROGRESS)

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KAUAI

HANALEI 

'THE FROND FANDANGO"

My wife, Pamela, loves to shop for interesting original pieces of handcrafted jewelry. I'm usually looking for a good place to park the car in the shade or my fanny in a cool chair until she finds her favorites for my opinion.

After one such afternoon of viewing the local wares in the town of Hanalei along the north coast of Kauai, I parlayed my involvement with her hobby for a time out, to drive up the Wainiha Valley as far as I could go. On the way back toward the coast road, I glimpsed this image, pulled over as soon as I could, and shut off the engine. As I reached for my camera, Pam asked what I was doing. I got out of the car, stretched, and replied, “I'm shopping for jewelry."

"THE ALBIZIA TREE, MID CANOPY" 

"After cutting down most of the large native trees of Kauai by 1900, those who felt the loss imported the fast- growing Albizia tree from Indonesia. The act of moving a life form from one global region to another has frequently been questionable if not downright disastrous. 

“Thankfully, the Albizia trees in Kauai seem to be a graceful arboreal addition to the delightful range of flora in this island environment," he typed on his keyboard with a nagging trepidation.  

Just then a strong wind outside distracted his thoughts and he got up from his computer to look out the windows of his Colorado home. Tumbleweeds, like a stealthy guerilla army, rolled across the hills outside, scattering their seeds everywhere.

"You prickly Som-bitches," he yelled, as if venting his spleen would somehow freeze them in their tracks.

 He felt an overwhelming sense of futility. Somewhere deep in his soul, he knew that despite his yearly fight to keep this nasty imported Russian thistle scourge from the Siberian Steppes at bay, the weed had a good chance of outliving humanity.

"THE HALA TREE POLE DANCE" 

EAST COAST KAUAI

What moves, 
what stems,

 and check out the hairdo,

A tree like Marcel Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase"

with shimmering, bejeweled hands.

  

FLORA ON THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII. (A GALLERY IN PROGRESS)

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THE BIG ISLAND

WEST COAST / KONA KALUA


"AFTERNOON WHISPERS POETRY THROUGH THE COCONUT CROWN,"

"EVES DROPPING ON THE GOSSIP OF FRONDS,"

"A STRENGTH OF PLEATS," 

"A GOOD SALAS ALWAYS BEGINS ON THE RED-GREEN SPECTRUM"

                                 
     

"GETTING INTO THE HEAD OF A PALM TREE"

You are such a "frondly" species. Perhaps you'd let us in on the secrets to your success.

I can sense a subtle wisdom in your growth strategy. Shoot out a slender frondlet from the top of your trunk, and as the leaf catches the light, photosynthesis will make it grow to its full length. Then, as new shoots bud from your head, it will cause that full-length frond to be pushed toward the edge of your head and bend over, spreading out like a living solar cell.

It could take six or eight months to get a new frond into production, but who knows, after that maybe a year or two of free solar energy before the frond wears out, droops and falls off, leaving your trunk one frond-butt taller.

What a visually scintillating growth strategy; literally a life of graceful dancing leaves.

Perhaps some other time you could explain how your very prolific family spread all over the temperate world. You sexy minx!

HILO / HAMAKUA COAST

"THAT CLAIRITY A FOREST FEELS WHEN WAKING FROM A RAIN,"

"THE HAMAKUA MODERN DANCE AND FLORAL FLOOR SHOW COMPANY"

"THE HAMAKUA SOLAR POWERED CEILING FAN PLANT 

IN THE HEAT OF PRODUCTION" 

"BANYAN WITH THE GOLDEN HAIR"

"MAGIC FROM THE SEEDS OF LOTHLORIEN," HONOMU, 

"CHILDREN OF THE FIRE EARTH, CHILDREN OF THE SUN AND RAIN," 

NANUE FALLS

"THE FOREVER COMPETITION OF THE TROPICAL CANOPY QUEENS,"

SOUTH COAST

"OLD MAN BANYAN HAS A NICE SIT-DOWN"

Anyone who works this hard to put nutrients in the leaves deserves to sit down 

in his white pants and enjoy a beautiful day at seaside.

  

 

WALKING UP THROUGH THE GHOST CITY OF MYSTRAS TO THE BYZANTINE FORTRESS ON THE CANYON RIM (9 images)

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"INVITATION IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ANCIENT DREAD,"
 MYSTRAS, PELOPONNESE, GREECE

"IN DEFENSE OF A BYZANTINE MYTH," 

MYSTRAS, PELOPONNESE GREECE 

"BYZANTINE CHAPEL," 

MYSTRAS PELOPONNESE, GREECE

"THE SPIRIT, THE TREE, AND THE SANCTUM," 

MYSTRAS

“CARD TRICK.” MYSTRAS

"TERRA COTTA FLOWER IN A STONE GARDEN 
LONG OVERGROWN," MYSTRAS

"THE LAST MYTH STANDING," MYSTRAS, 

“WHERE BYZANTIUM CONFESSED  ITSELF," 

MYSTRAS, 

"A BYZANTINE VIEW OF SPARTI,"

FROM THE FORTRESS AT MYSTRAS.

THE EARTH LAUGHS, What if our planet is really a comedian and all you need is a little imagination to get it. (A gallery In progress)

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"THE RAIN RETURNS HOME AFTER A WILD SKY DIVING PARTY IN THE HILLS," HAMAKUA COAST,

 BIG ISLAND, HAWAII

Something about the roaring abandon of this creek reminded me 

of a bunch of sports fans returning after a game.

"A LOCAL FOLK REMEDY FOR EVERY DAY 

HIGH TENSION RELIEF" 

WAIMEA, BIG ISLAND, HAWAII

Yes my dear. I can tell you've under a lot of stress.

Let me message that tension away with a rainbow 

and a little aroma therapy.

"AFTER SAMPLING THE LANDSCAPE FOR RESONANCE, HUALALAI FINALLY BLEW A PERFECT, A MINOR CHORD, THEN DRIFTED BACK TO SLEEP,"

HUALALAI VOLCANO, BIG ISLAND, HAWAII

Hualalai Volcano above Kona is peppered with these little craters. 

Its as if the volcano had an urge to make music if 

it could just find the right place to sing and stay awake.

"THE MONSTER SNORES," 

HAULALAI VOLCANO, BIG ISLAND, HAWAII

You can almost hear this vent snergle.

The last thing you want is for it to wake up though.

It is reputed to have a rather incandescent temper.

THE CARtoons: finding the soul of humor in the face of humanity's most beloved machines. (GALLERY in progress 13 images)

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The titles in this series, like balloons in a comic strip matter.

Enjoy, and comment.

"HOW TO HIDE A BOWTIE IN A LEMONPEEL"

Can you find the bowtie? A little puzzle for mystery enthusiasts.

"CHIEF PONTIAC STEPPED INTO THE COUNSEL, WHIPPED OPEN HIS ROBE EXPOSING A FERROCIOUS CLUTCH OF BEAR CLAWS AND SAID WITH A WRY SMILE, "LET THE GAMES BEGIN."

When this classic 30's Pontiac put its best tire forward, my imagination snapped back to a an equivalent scene from a native American past.

"YOU TINK IT'S FUNNY DAT MR. BIG HAS HIS HEAVY HEAT PAKED OUTSIDE A MOTEL FA BROWN BAG LOOSERS?  WELL HE'S A FAMLIY MAN WIT POLITICAL ASPERATIONS, AN I'M DA NEW FACE OF HIS PUBLIC RELATIONS, SEE?"

I was going to call this one Christie but liked this the car's reaction better.

"AFTER A DISTINGUISHED CAREER IN PORCINE MANAGEMENT THEN GRAIN SUPPLY LOGISTICS, YA-423 BEGAN TO DOUBT GOD'S PLAN FOR HIS LIFE WHEN HE WAS CONSIGNED TO MONITOR WEED DEVELOPMENT BEHIND THE EQUIPMENT SHED."

I have fun imagining what vehicles would say and think if they became conscious. This is one of my reports on the lives of trucks.

"AFTER A NIGHT OF GAMBLING AND WILD DISSIPATION, 6 AM PASSED IN OBLIVION FOR THE LOCALS LEAVING ONLY OLD WILLY BUD, OUT BACK IN THE WEED LOT, 
TO WITNESS THE POWER OF THE SUNRISE."

What if the expressions on vehicles, like a clock that has stopped, 

are perfectly expressive every once in a while?

"SO BIG BOY, EVER FANTISIZE ABOUT A FULL SIZED WOMAN?  GO AHEAD, STUDLEY, SLIP YOUR HAND UP MY FENDER AND LIFT MY BONNET. GET A PEEK AT WHAT OTHER MEN ONLY DREAM ABOUT."

What is it with vehicles that they get right in amongst some peoples sexuality. The owner of this one was so blatant about his attraction that he called it "the other woman."

I imagined what her 'come on' would have sounded like to him.

"I'D ABOUT EMPTIED MY FITH OF JD WHEN OUTTA NOWHERE, THIS BIG BOZO GOT RIGHT UP IN MY FACE. I YANKED MY .44 AN DRILLED THAT S.O.B. CAUSE I WON'T TAKE THAT KINDA CRAP FROM A PICKUP THAT CAIN'T HOLD ITS LIQUOR!"

Perhaps it's not cool to make fun of the dysfunction of alcoholism or the effects of substance abuse so I will excuse myself by mentioning that we humans often engage in comedic laughter to fend of the darkest aberrations of our nature. The grill attitude in his photograph got me thinking how a drunk might react to such a presence.

"AFTER A HI PERFORMANCE CANNABIS OIL CHANGE, OLD ALIEN EYES, COULD NO LONGER SEE ITSELF IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR"

This hotrod embodies a trip out somewhere other than a road.



"DO WE HAVE A SORE INTAKE TODAY? WELL OPEN WIDE, STICK OUT YOUR BUTTERFLIES AND SAY 'WHAAAAAAAAA,' AND WE'LL JUST HAVE A LOOKSEE."

Scene from a hotrod doctors office.

"FOLLOWING THAT DISFIGURING ALTERCATION 
WITH HIS PET JAGUAR, MACK QUIT 
THE 'HUNK OF A TRUCK CIRCUIT' 
AND PURSUED HIS OTHER OBVIOUS SKILL SET, JUNKYARD DOG AT WELDER BROS 
MIDNIGHT AUTO RECYCLING."

Any career change the matches your physiognomy this well 
is a solid plus for job security.


"LITTLE MISSY EAGLEAN WAS SO PROUD OF HER NEW EASTER CLOTHES THAT SHE PULLED UP HER DRESS IN CHURCH SO EVERONE COULD ADMIRE HER NEW EFI CORVETTE PANTIES."

Gee mom, what would happen if we combined the unfettered pride
in a hotrod show with the innocence of childhood?



“HAVING RECENTLY EMERGED FROM THE SEA, FLAMETOOTH, COULDN'T KEEP WORDS LIKE, 
BONEY, SALTY, OR JUICY, FROM ATAVISTICALLY POPPING INTO HIS THOUGHTS 
AS HUMANS INNOCENTLY STROLLED BY.”

This Crosby hotrod had a truly amazing paint job. 
I was originally going to call it Crosby, Flametooth and Nash.
 Unfortunately a shark had me by the writing hand.


"ONE BEAUTY QUEEN CALLED THE OTHER A SLUT FROM A DISCOUNT GARAGE. THE OTHER SMILED, KNOWING SHE HAD ALREADY WON BY SWITCHING OUT THE FIRST ONE'S LICENSE PLATE AS SHE SNORED SUNBATHING."

Hotrod shows are a little like beauty pageants so I imagined the snarky tricks that hotrods would play on each other if they really were beauty queens.  Read the license plate.