Fraser – Rocky Mountain National Park
Sold the House
Tumacacori National Historic Site and Anza Trail
Here is the blog posting from our visit last year
http://tealsky.com/2014/12/29/tumacacori-national-historic-site/
and from Anza Borrega State Park http://tealsky.com/2011/01/20/anza-borrego/
Green Valley, Arizona
Our hikes to this area last year
http://tealsky.com/2014/12/21/sagauro-national-park-east-in-tucson/
http://tealsky.com/2014/12/26/saguaro-aational-park-east-garwood-dam-trail-again/
Fun Kitchen Remodel
In October we helped our neighbors remodel by removing the wall between the dining room and the kitchen. This let light and views into the living and dining rooms. This remodel makes the house ready for a party!
San Diego
We had a very nice evening in Poway where my uncle Ken fixed a great salmon meal while Hilary sat on the patio entertaining us. My cousins Kevin and Sheri joined us for dinner making it a very memorable evening. In the morning, we went on Ken’s daily walk around the neighborhood, as he pointed out the various landscape projects he was coordinating. Good visit –
Henry scheduled us for the noon architectural tour of the Salk Institute (Jonas Salk was the discover of the Polio Vaccine). We were lucky to be a bit early as the parking was chaotic, there being the Torrey Pines golf tournament with Tiger Woods playing that morning. But Louis Kahn‘s building has held up well and we enjoyed the leisure time to look at the details. Yet another beautiful January day.
It is only a three story building but there is a floor between each usable floor that is for building systems, so Louis designed the first floor to be garden level. The stairwells have a public viewing, informal meeting area between each of the scientist offices allowing all to have access to the sweeping views of the Pacific.
We spent the next day with my aunt Annie, exploring Cabrillo National Monument among other locals. She also took us to the harbor at night to see the large sculpture and the aircraft carrier. Casey joined us for many meals and after 20 years, it was nice to be reacquainted. Thanks to both for another nice visit.
Guess it is time for us to say good bye to California…thanks for the memories!
The Getty Center and Gardens in LA
On 20 January we had the pleasure of seeing the public art documentary “Robert Irwin: The Beauty of Questions” at UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. With more knowledge of the artist and designer of the central gardens, we particularly enjoyed a docent led garden tour on 25 January.
This was our fourth visit to The Getty Center and it is really such a treat to savor: one of our favorite built environments. It is an incredible site and there is so much attention to detail. We marveled at Richard Meier‘s attention to design from the overall to the minute. Robert Irwin‘s art-garden has matured very pleasantly over the years, and it was great fun to see in the winter without the leaves of the sycamores blocking some of the sight lines.
It was quite amazing how much color was in the Central Garden (The link takes you to the Getty Center Plant list). Gorgeous succulents and grasses of all shades. There was subtle playing of shades of green, textures, and heights. The docent reminded us that this was planned as a work of art first, not as a garden: rather the plants are the medium to express the art. I appreciate this approach!
The design features a “natural” ravine and tree-lined walkway that led us through an experience of sights, sounds, and scents. Everything in the garden was selected to accentuate the interplay of light, color, and reflection. Irwin’s statement, “Always changing, never twice the same,” is carved into the plaza floor, to remind us of the ever-changing nature of this living work of art.
After lunch in the excellent “cafeteria” and the garden tour, we enjoyed exploring the buildings and the art collections. What a collection! Everything from tiny illuminated manuscripts to large sculptures. After having the Henry Moore sculptures in Denver, this one particularly caught my attention. This relationship between the mother and child represents so much of the essence of this architecture – the undulating form that reflects an exaggerated landscape, a shallow cave carved in the side of a rock to shelter her child, creating a haven and nestling place. So it is with the Getty as it gazes out at LA – an independent physical form but so much a part of the spirit of the city. Thanks J.Paul for sharing with all of us!
Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA
25 January, we left Palm Desert and headed to LA. This was the view we had that morning of the exterior of the Disney Concert Hall – nice lighting.
We took the self guided walking tour of the building. With the audio wand, we listened to Frank Gehry explaining his building, concepts and construction decisions. It was a great way to explore the facility although it does not take you into the main concert hall.
The self guided tour takes you to an upper level garden in an outdoor plaza as well as another floor higher to look out over the city.
Henry liked the negative/positive spaces he captured in this photo.
