June 14, 2010
More Calypsos
I took some friends back to the see the Calypsos on a day that wasn't raining quite as much and took a few more pictures. Really wish I had a Polaroid camera with me for this trip- it would have made for some great Polaroids. Lovely flowers, no?
June 9, 2010
Dancing Calypsos
I’ve moved up to the mountains for the summer to do plant research at the Mountain Research Station on Niwot Ridge in Colorado. It’s an amazing, beautiful place that I’m lucky to be able to live and work in. More on that later with pictures of the old rustic cabins, wildflower carpeted forest floors and meadows filled with vibrant green & white aspens.
When I first arrived the other night I met the father of the station operations manager who happens to be visiting for a few days. We got to talking and he mentioned that when he was here a couple of years ago he had gone hiking with a couple of visiting botanists who showed him a small field of Calypso orchids (Calypso bulbosa). This is a somewhat rare and hard to find wildflower that only makes a very brief appearance in the spring and they keep their heads bowed low to the ground so they can be difficult to see if you aren’t looking carefully. Last year I was lucky enough to find 3 buried under a loose pile of leaves in the forest here but they’re the only ones I’ve ever seen. I peppered this poor man with so many questions about what he had seen that he finally said ‘You know, I’m here to hike around all week, I could take you there and we can try to find them’. DONE! No need to ask me twice.
He picked me up at the appointed hour earlier today and we drove to the trail head where it immediately started to rain with thunder and lightning directly overhead. We waited about 20 minutes for the lightning to pass and then finally started down the trail. Soon after we hit a very swollen creek from the excessive snow melt that we’re having this year. We managed to augment the logjam we found and used dead branches we found nearby to stick in the water and steady us as we crossed the logs. I immediately stepped on a log that rolled and ended up with one entire leg in the creek, but eventually we managed to cross with cameras dry and intact.
We hiked about a mile crossing through some boggy areas, an old train track trail from mining days a century ago and field after field of blooming wildflowers- thermopsis, pseudocymopterus, mertensia, strawberries, knickkinnick, artemesia, wallflower, larkspur and half a dozen others.
Eventually we crossed another tiny little creek that could be stepped across and he said we should start looking up the hill to our right. We went no more than about a meter after he said that when he suddenly stopped with a big grin and just pointed up the hill where there were DOZENS AND DOZENS of Calypsos in shady little patches throughout the forest!! A gold mine of orchids! It was incredible. I took 100 pictures in less than 10 minutes before the batteries in my camera died, but it was orchid heaven and an amazing experience. These are a few of the little guys we found.
When I first arrived the other night I met the father of the station operations manager who happens to be visiting for a few days. We got to talking and he mentioned that when he was here a couple of years ago he had gone hiking with a couple of visiting botanists who showed him a small field of Calypso orchids (Calypso bulbosa). This is a somewhat rare and hard to find wildflower that only makes a very brief appearance in the spring and they keep their heads bowed low to the ground so they can be difficult to see if you aren’t looking carefully. Last year I was lucky enough to find 3 buried under a loose pile of leaves in the forest here but they’re the only ones I’ve ever seen. I peppered this poor man with so many questions about what he had seen that he finally said ‘You know, I’m here to hike around all week, I could take you there and we can try to find them’. DONE! No need to ask me twice.
He picked me up at the appointed hour earlier today and we drove to the trail head where it immediately started to rain with thunder and lightning directly overhead. We waited about 20 minutes for the lightning to pass and then finally started down the trail. Soon after we hit a very swollen creek from the excessive snow melt that we’re having this year. We managed to augment the logjam we found and used dead branches we found nearby to stick in the water and steady us as we crossed the logs. I immediately stepped on a log that rolled and ended up with one entire leg in the creek, but eventually we managed to cross with cameras dry and intact.
We hiked about a mile crossing through some boggy areas, an old train track trail from mining days a century ago and field after field of blooming wildflowers- thermopsis, pseudocymopterus, mertensia, strawberries, knickkinnick, artemesia, wallflower, larkspur and half a dozen others.
Eventually we crossed another tiny little creek that could be stepped across and he said we should start looking up the hill to our right. We went no more than about a meter after he said that when he suddenly stopped with a big grin and just pointed up the hill where there were DOZENS AND DOZENS of Calypsos in shady little patches throughout the forest!! A gold mine of orchids! It was incredible. I took 100 pictures in less than 10 minutes before the batteries in my camera died, but it was orchid heaven and an amazing experience. These are a few of the little guys we found.
June 5, 2010
Office Supply Art
A little art from everyday, ordinary office supplies. Cheap, easy and accessible to the masses.
Art Car Central
Third Rail Creative
Web Urbanist
Tofi Stoler
Larry Gassan
Pawel C
Art Car Central
Third Rail Creative
Web Urbanist
Tofi Stoler
Larry Gassan
Pawel C
May 22, 2010
New Postcards from Postcrossing
I received a few postcards in the mail this week and thought I would share my favorites.
This first one is from Chrome- the bike people in San Fransisco. They had this program going on a few weeks ago where if you sent them an old beat up pair of shoes, they would send you a free pair of Chrome shoes. So I sent them some old kicks and got new ones in the mail, plus this cool postcard.
This is my favorite postcard that came this week. This came from someone in Hong Kong. I love it's colorful quirkiness. Now I want a bike helmet with birds coming out of it.
This postcard is a painting of the Neva river in St. Petersburg. If you've ever read any Russian literature, then you've heard of the great Neva river.
This last one is from China. China was such a great country to travel through- I'm fascinated by the country and can't wait to go back someday. And this postcard looks weirdly similar to the Neva one above it, no?
This first one is from Chrome- the bike people in San Fransisco. They had this program going on a few weeks ago where if you sent them an old beat up pair of shoes, they would send you a free pair of Chrome shoes. So I sent them some old kicks and got new ones in the mail, plus this cool postcard.
This is my favorite postcard that came this week. This came from someone in Hong Kong. I love it's colorful quirkiness. Now I want a bike helmet with birds coming out of it.
This postcard is a painting of the Neva river in St. Petersburg. If you've ever read any Russian literature, then you've heard of the great Neva river.
This last one is from China. China was such a great country to travel through- I'm fascinated by the country and can't wait to go back someday. And this postcard looks weirdly similar to the Neva one above it, no?
May 17, 2010
Since we're on the subject of cool looking cameras....
05.17.10 : ansco panda robot
Originally uploaded by PJ Taylor Photo
I wish this lived on my desk. Who could NOT have a happy day with this little guy keeping you company?
May 14, 2010
Vintage Cameras
While I don't actually sell cameras in my vintage shop (yet!), I do seem to be obsessing over them a lot lately. Here are some of my favorites. They just don't make cameras this beautiful anymore.
by imarcc
by imarcc
by kevindooley
by zzub nik
by fdecomite
This next one is a Kodak Baby Brownie Special and is actually the camera I'm after for my personal use right now. It's really tiny and the pictures are only about 2" square. You can get film for them, so I would love to work with this camera. Right now I'm on the hunt for a working one. Isn't it great?
by will scullin
by imarcc
by imarcc
by kevindooley
by zzub nik
by fdecomite
This next one is a Kodak Baby Brownie Special and is actually the camera I'm after for my personal use right now. It's really tiny and the pictures are only about 2" square. You can get film for them, so I would love to work with this camera. Right now I'm on the hunt for a working one. Isn't it great?
by will scullin
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