YELLOWSTONE IN WINTER: Part 2, Guest Post by Owen Floody

Lion Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Last January, our friend Owen Floody went on a photo tour of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  Owen recently retired from a career of teaching and research at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. He has always been an avid photographer and in his retirement has taken several trips that allow him to pursue his passion. Here is a short reflection on his Yellowstone trip and some of his excellent photographs.

Once my photo tour at Canyon Village in Yellowstone National Park (see Part 1, May 12) was over, I spent most of another week exploring the two other areas in the park with winter accommodations, Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs.  I spent four nights at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge before traveling by snow coach to Mammoth, where I spent another two nights.  Whereas travel by snow coach had been a focus in my time with Yellowstone Expeditions at Canyon Village, I traveled by foot at Old Faithful and Mammoth, supplemented by snowshoes on my one full day at Mammoth.  (Snow coach tours were also available at Old Faithful and Mammoth.)

Resting Geyser

The thermal features at Old Faithful and Mammoth offer potential sources of heat to animals, especially bison and elk.  In addition, they are sources of steam that envelops nearby vegetation when the wind is right.  I came to Yellowstone hoping to photograph bison or elk hunkered down in or near a hot spring to combat the cold.  I also hoped to see animals and plants encrusted in snow and ice, especially in the morning, after a night's exposure to the steam and cold.

Warm bison

These hopes were realized only in part: The plants had no choice but to cooperate. But the temperatures during most of my visit were not sufficiently low to keep the animals near the hot springs.  The one exception occurred early in my visit, when the temperatures were relatively low and we briefly shared the road with a snow-encrusted bison.  I did see some bison at Old Faithful and Mammoth, but they looked positively toasty as they plodded majestically along.

Icy Bush

So the emphasis was on landscapes, and even these had to be caught early in the morning, before the icy crusts on the trees and shrubs melted away.  I typically would get out into the thermal fields before sunrise, to capture the best light and crusts.  A late breakfast might have been possible, but I usually made do until lunch with a candy bar or piece of fruit.  Hunger was never an issue as I had lots to distract and occupy me.

Icy Trees

Other photo opportunities appeared and disappeared as functions of cycles in thermal activity.  At Old Faithful, some of the geysers adhere to predictable schedules displayed at the visitor's center.  Though I caught some of these eruptions, I also was lucky to catch some unscheduled ones, some of which even coincided with the attractive light of the late afternoon.

Thermal runoff

Finally, one of the joys of Old Faithful and Mammoth was the fact that one is constantly in the midst of hot springs and geysers.  Many are colorful themselves, but what I may have enjoyed even more was the frequent riot of color in the streams bearing the runoff from these features.  Some of these also present very unexpected and appealing textures.  In some cases, it's hard to believe that you're out in Yellowstone in the winter rather than floating underwater, alongside a brightly colored tropical reef.  In this environment, I was amazed often, bored never.

YELLOWSTONE IN WINTER: Part 1, Guest Post by Owen Floody

Yellowstone Falls illuminated by moonlight

Last January, our friend Owen Floody went on a photo tour of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  Owen recently retired from a career of teaching and research at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. He has always been an avid photographer and in his retirement has taken several trips that allow him to pursue his passion. Here is a short reflection on his Yellowstone trip and a few of his excellent photographs. (Part 2 will post next week.)

On the basis of images in books (especially those by Tom Murphy) and related TV shows, I have long wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park during the winter.  I finally realized this ambition during a 2-week vacation in January, 2014.  I can only describe the environment and resulting experience as magical. 

During the first half of my trip, I participated in a photo tour offered by Yellowstone Expeditions (www.yellowstoneexpeditions.com) at their "yurt camp," near Canyon Village.  This is a family business that specializes in cross-country skiing, but also offers occasional photo tours emphasizing Yellowstone's winter wildlife.  Their camp is basic.  Guests stay in heated wood and plastic cabins. Meals are prepared and eaten in the two yurts, while shared port-a-potties and showers are a short walk from the cabins.  The staff is as accommodating as can be.  Typically, we would rise early, grab a quick cup of coffee or tea, and jump into a snow coach for a short drive to a potential sunrise view point.  

One of the many bison we encountered on our drives.

That mission completed, we would return to camp, have a hearty breakfast, make box lunches, and then return to the snow coaches for extended drives in search of wildlife, thermal features, and other attractions. As we cruised the roads, we shared these with the wildlife, many of which conserve valuable energy in this way.  

Sunset at Alum Creek with bison herd in distance

Late in the afternoon, we would head back toward camp, often stopping along the way to view the sunset. Once at "home," we would relax, possibly shower, and compare notes with our hosts and fellow guests in the course of a pleasant dinner. Thereafter, I'm sure that the standard routine is to relax, socialize and turn in early.  But my visit coincided with a full moon and clear skies, so that we twice returned to the snow coaches yet again for a quick visit to the nearby Yellowstone Canyon, for the privilege of viewing it and Yellowstone Falls illuminated by moonlight.

Sun Pillar in Yellowstone Canyon

I should add our good fortune of observing "sun pillars" in Yellowstone Canyon on several mornings. These are associated with the canyon, though not unique to it.  They require a combination of a source of water vapor (the falls), cold temperatures (about -10 to +10°F), clear skies, and a sun elevation such as occurs in the early or mid-morning.  Given these, ice crystals will be backlit to create sparkling columns or "pillars" of light.  If you're lucky enough to see pillars, you can play with them by moving yourself so as to superimpose the beam on a tree or other feature, casting a natural spotlight on that element.

Yurt village with snow coaches on left

Note:  Obviously, I enjoyed this part of my Yellowstone visit very much.  But someone thinking of duplicating it should bear several things in mind.  First, Yellowstone can be cold in the winter!  As long as one is properly prepared, the conditions are tolerable.  Second, I've already mentioned that the Yellowstone Expeditions yurt camp provides basic accommodations and would not satisfy someone who must have a toilet or stand-up shower a few steps from his or her bed.  Third, I've also already suggested that my photo tour was a bit atypical: During most weeks in their short season, Yellowstone Expeditions emphasizes cross-country skiing on the many wonderful trails available in this part of the park.  I intended to ski but got caught up in the photography, an omission that I plan to correct on a future visit.  But all of this may depend on the decision that the park service makes soon in their routine review of the license that permits Yellowstone Expeditions to operate their camp.  Though the renewal of this license seems like a no-brainer to me, any plans to visit the yurt camp will require one to first confirm that it's still in operation.  I certainly hope so.

TAJ MAHAL: A Love Poem in Marble, Guest Post by Ann Whitford Paul

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

In late January my friend and fellow children's book author Ann Whitford Paul and her husband Ron took a trip to India visiting cities from the far south to New Delhi and Varanasi in the north. Ann Whitford Paul is a wonderful author and poet and has written eighteen books for children and has had her poems included in many anthologies. Her most recent book is 'Twas the Late Night of Christmas. You can find out more about Ann and her books at www.annwhitfordpaul.net. Here is Ann's report of their visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Entrance Gate to the Taj Mahal

One cannot, should not, go to India without seeing the Taj Mahal.  However my husband had no interest in this great wonder of the world, saying, “I’ve seen enough pictures.”  He can be a curmudgeon.  I ignored him and went ahead and arranged a visit.
Even the approach through the red sandstone gateway is dramatic.  Look carefully through the center opening and you can see a hint of what is to come.

View from the gate

Then step through the arch....

Taj Mahal and Reflecting Pool

.....and you will see this! No matter how many pictures you’ve seen, I dare you not to gasp.  My husband couldn’t stop himself.  Notice the reflection of the building in the water.

The park-like setting invites one to walk around and see the building from different angles.

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal.  Over 20,000 workers worked for nearly 22 years to complete it in 1653.  Caroline Arnold and Madeleine Comera wrote a wonderful book, TAJ MAHAL, illustrated by Madeleine's husband Rahul Bhushan, about the history of the Taj, if you want more information.

Close-up of Taj Mahal

At a distance the building looks to be pure white. but on closer examination you will see beautiful relief and inlaid work.

Since we’d come all the way from California, we couldn’t miss being tourists and getting our picture taken on the bench where Princess Diana once had her photo taken.

So after we left, what did my husband say?
“No photo ever does justice to the Taj.  It has to be seen.” 
And just as no photograph does it justice, words can’t either, but I tried.

TAJ MAHAL

By Ann Paul

Words are weak.

None can capture

the glistening white,

the four fine domes,

the intricate carvings,

the perfect symmetry.

Push paper aside.

Paint a mind picture

of this sonnet

written centuries ago—

a love poem in marble.

CORNWALL, ENGLAND: Long Lost Kings, Mermaids, Pirates and Cream Teas, Guest Post by Gwen Dandridge

Zennor, Cornwall

My friend Gwen Dandridge and her husband recently returned from a trip to Cornwall and sent me this post.  Gwen has many talents ranging from fantasy writing to gardening to Morris dancing.  She is the author of The Stone Lions which received the Gold Seal of Excellence from Awesome Indies. You can find out more about her at her blog. Here is her post:
 

Last month my husband and I roamed the farthest southwestern edge of England. It was March, a month known for wild and wet weather in a land that is wild and wet.

Celtic Cross at St. Just, Cornwall

We started in Plymouth, Devon to hear golden-throated Mary Black and the Irish musicians/song writers, Clannad. That evening wrapped us in the magic of England’s southern lands giving us a proper welcome.

Gwen at Dartmoor

From there we headed to Dartmoor, climbed some tors and listened through the howling winds for the hounds of Baskerville. We didn’t hear any but nevertheless enjoyed the climb in the wind and rain to view the distant green fields.

Tintagel, legendary home of King Arthur

A short drive later, a drive on the left side of narrow hedged roads, we arrived at Tintagel, possible castle home of the legendary King Arthur. While its history waxes and wanes between fact and lore, certainly it was the remains of a fortification from the Roman-British era, and further developed during the 1100’s--Arthur’s time. In the 1200’s a rich Earl, enamored by the Arthur story, remade Tintagel into a seat of power. 

Whoever inhabited Tintagel, they picked well. The fortress sits on a prime promontory to defend the harbor. No ships or army can approach unseen. The site also feeds the eye as it overlooks the Celtic sea across to Ireland, with views of crashing waves and open skies.

The Eden Project

From there we meandered south, combing the countryside stopping at the Eden Project, working cider mills, forgotten gardens and quaint seaports. Each seaport had it’s charms: St. Mawes,  St. Just, St. Michael Mount, the equivalent of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, and Zennor, if you seek mermaids.

Mousehole

The seaside town of Mousehole lived up to its name, a tiny town with a single carriage road leading in and out, overlooking a small harbor. We had a proper cream tea there: tea and scones served with clotted cream and strawberry preserves.

Lizard Head

While the farthest south point on the western edge, Land’s End, is disappointingly touristy, Lizard Head, the south-eastern most point is a jewel worth walking.

Glendurgan Garden and Maze, near Falmouth

If you are so inspired, there is a footpath that goes from one point to the next, sixty-nine miles. A slow leisurely walk in the Cornish countryside surrounded by sea, pasture and moor.

St. Michael's Mount at Low Tide

This may be the perfect way to explore this region, on foot with the sea and sky surrounding you. And perhaps if you watch carefully, you might see a mermaid sunning on the shore.

All text and photos copyright Caroline Arnold.

 

Maxo Vanka’s Murals, Millvale, PA, photos by Joanne Rocklin

Mural of Christ and St. Peter by Maxo Vanka in St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Millvale, PA

On Easter morning, April 5th, 1942, the Bishop came to bless the newly completed murals by Croatian artist Maxo Vanka that filled the walls and ceilings of St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Millvale, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh.  Begun in 1937 and finished in 1941 and 1942, the spectacular tempera paintings depicted Christ and Mary, saints and apostles, life in Croatia, and social commentary on war and poverty. The brilliant colors and mixture of traditional iconography and scenes of daily life make the images memorable and moving. Many Croatians worked in the mines and steel mills in and around Pittsburgh. Murals painted before the war depict Croatian immigrants coming to America to seek a better life, grateful to have escaped the slaughter taking place in their homeland. Their strong sense of pride in their heritage is evident.

Women in Croatia weep over the coffin of a young, dead soldier.

One of the murals is an homage to labor while another documents the tragedy that occurred when one of the mills burned and collapsed. There are a total of twenty murals in the church. Murals painted after the war are much more striking and vivid with very dark and haunting themes. Maxo Vanka was a committed pacifist and the intensity of his beliefs are depicted clearly in these murals. Maximilian Vanka, also known as Maxo Vanka, was born in Croatia in 1889, came to the United States in the 1930's, and died in 1963. Maxo Vanka and his family lived in New York at the time that he painted the murals in Millvale.  To read about his life and other work click HERE.

Altar with Pieta, the Mother of Sorrows weeping over her dead son. 

My parents, Les and Kay Scheaffer, who were graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh in the 1940s, made regular visits to Millvale to watch Maxo Vanka work.  In his retirement, my father wrote about their experience. I posted his story on October 29, 2012.  It is a window on Maxo Vanka's personality and process of painting. Although I was born in Pittsburgh, I have never seen the murals myself.  Last summer, when my friend, writer Joanne Rocklin, went to Pittsburgh to research her new book for children, I asked her if she would be interested in visiting St. Nicholas Church and in sending me pictures of the murals.  She did and has graciously allowed me to post them here.

St. Matthew (left) and St. Mark (right)

Joanne Rocklin’s new book is FLEABRAIN LOVES FRANNY, a middle grade novel, and is the story of Franny, a young polio victim with an unusual soul mate, Fleabrain. It takes place in 1952-53, just before Salk announced the results of his groundbreaking vaccine research, which he did in his lab at the University of Pittsburgh. The book is also an homage to CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E.B. White which was published in 1952, after a summer of the worst polio outbreak in U.S. history, in which 53,000 were stricken. FLEABRAIN LOVES FRANNY will be published next August. Find out more about Joanne Rocklin and her books at www.joannerocklin.com .

Visiting the Murals
A 60-minute docent-guided tour of the murals is a fascinating glimpse into Vanka's art and the experiences that shaped his ideas. Docents discuss Vanka's early life, his success in Europe and his life in America.
Docent-led tours on Saturdays: 11:00am, 12:00noon and 1:00pm. For special arrangements, please call the Docent Manager at 412-407-2570. Weekend masses at St. Nicholas Church are at 6:00pm on Saturday and Noon on Sunday.
The church is located at 24 Maryland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15209, minutes from downtown, just off Route 28 at the Millvale exit.

For more about Maxo Vanka’s murals in Millvale go to www.vankamurals.com . The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka, founded in 1990, is dedicated to preserving the murals for the future.