IF: Urban

This last week was our Spring break and we were soooooo not anywhere near an urban setting, well the last part,we did go down into Denver to hit a mall and civilization, but most of the vacation was spent with antelope, elk and sagebrush in Wyoming and South Dakota.
Quite a contrast to last Springbreak in Chicago, still think about the great day I spent at the Chicago Institute of Art all by myself, while the gang was over at the Field Museum, looking at the stuffed animals,skeletons and rocks.
There was sooo much to see at the Art Museum, I had to take a break and sit down at the cafe and put my feet up, so I sketched a bit the view towards the CIA lions.

Into Wyoming: Where the Antelope Play

For Spring Break, we headed north, first up into Wyoming to see family. There is a magical line between where we live in the Four Corners, the rivers and places  named in Spanish, such as Rio de las Animas Perdidas, meaning "The River of Lost Souls" or the Abajo, the "Low" Mountains in Utah and the original cabins and outbuildings scattered here and there are equally made from adobe and logs, to more north into Wyoming, names become English and practical, The Wedding of Two Waters or Crazy Woman Creek, but with a little French thrown in, like Grand Tetons. Those mountain men must of been very lonely and the cabins and barns are striped with dark wood logs and white chink.

Wyoming is also full of Native place names like the Absaroka Mountains, "Children of the Large Beaked Bird", where on the other side is Yellowstone National Park and big game, such as elk, mountain lion and grizzly bear, unconcerned with park boundaries, can wander down our side of the mountain...

and  Meeteesee, meaning "The Meeting of the Chief," a little ranch town stop on the highway near the Absarokas, where my brother lives and my mother has a little vacation house.

Still light when we completed our thirteen hour drive, we still decided to take another drive up the Greybull river to see what we could see...

The antelope were not in the mood to stop for a photo op...

We came back to the house and had elk steak, my brother had shot last Fall. This morning we had biscuits and gravy with the pork my niece raised for 4H. We  decided to thaw out the trout my brother- in- law had caught the last time he had been up here for the weekend and will have them for dinner tomorrow night, though now my brother is thinking he might thaw out some of the rabbit he shoots on a regular basis. This is a place you can still feel connected to the land.

And yes, we do hunt the cute antelope too- they are very tasty!

God's Friday

"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yield up his spirit. And behold the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." Matthew 27:50-51

 

There was a pilgramige down the highway, ten miles, from one Catholic church, down into the valley to the large church. Infront of the column, you can just make out the tiny cross they are taking turns carrying, when I stopped to watch them, you could hear their chanting through the open window.

We are leaving the Southwest and heading northing to Wyoming, for Spring Break, more later-

What Does It Mean?

 

Let's see? If the groundhog sees its shadow that means there will be 6 more weeks of winter....

What about the elk we found hanging out in our back pasture this morning? We are just a tad bit too low from their usual winter hangout across the way on our neighbors hay field- but which in October, got burned out if you recall...

 

As did the canyon...

a "highway" for the elk and other animals, like my mountain lion, to move from one part of the mesa top to the other, virtually undetected.

 

Luckily otther signs tell me, let me hope that spring is on the way- like my dogs shedding the amount of a small chihuahua everyday.

Amazing, after we admired the elk at their breakfast we went back to getting ready for the day and minutes later, Jon looked out the window again and the elk were gone. We couldn't find them anywhere, they are huge, way bigger then a horse and some how they move together stealthily, probably back down in the canyon, much to the deer's delight, who make a regular appearance at the hay bales every morning. He did see our "barn cat" Scotty, stalking in the grass nearby, maybe he scared them away?

 

  

 

 

 

 



 

By The Way...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!
(these are my "sweet" little Kindergarten through 2nd graders)

"Is This Good Enuf?"...

We made  handmade Valentines today. Most of the kids were doing great, diligently going through the steps of designing, drawing, coloring, cutting out and mounting their valentines on card stock and enjoying the assignment...

I had brought in my great uncle's valentines from the 1920's I shared last year  HERE on Moonflower Musing for inspiration. But as usually I had some trouble from some of my third graders- who had the attitude like the Valentine at the top of the post...
Twenty minutes into the activity- Little Miss Not So Into Art called me over with a long diatribe how her mother prefers less artwork on her valentines and hardly any color. Mr. Whip Through It- let me know that his parents prefer to open their cards from Right to Left instead of the usual way. Miss Always Argues even put a hand on her hip and cocked her head at me ready to argue when I pointed out that no one else was even ready to be done and she had plenty of time to be more thoughtful in how she designed and colored her card and Mr. I'd Rather Make Excuse Then Just Do the Work finally had a good idea at the end of class, but since now the time had gone into lunch, I sent him on his way with an unfinished card.
It takes me 45 minutes to drive up the canyon and get back home, lots of time to contemplate  the demise of our world based on how kids make valentines or waste their time asking "Is this good enuf?"
Actually NPR did a great broadcast on such things awhile ago- we always love to listen on long road trips, especially on Sunday afternoons because they have some great programming.
This American Life did a feature- "Back to School" last fall about Non cognitive Learning Skills- those things other than what is currently being tested that have a huge impact on the success of students both in grade school, secondary school and college. Things like delayed satisfaction, planning, problem solving, etc. The host of This American Life, Ira Class, does a much better job of explaining than I do.
But here it is from an Art Teacher perspective ( and a big Scream Out- Why Art Class is not just a "filler activity in our schools)...
When I give my kiddos an assignment to "Make a Valentine". They have to..
Develop a Plan
Figure out the Steps of Said Plan
Execute the Plan
Evaluate and make Adjustments to the Plan
They not only use their brains, they use their brains in conjunction with their eyes, connect to their hands, creating muscle memory and dexterity
If these are things they have not done before, they are exercising their brains and making new connections in said brain.
And finally they should be evaluating the Plan and the success of the Plan and using the experience to better themselves the next time they set out on a similar endeavor.
All the above are ways to teach skills that then can be used in many areas of their schooling and life-
But the above can also  not be measured on a "standardized test" !
I was definitely not allowed as a kid to ever have an "Is this Good Enuf?" attitude.
I was raised with a "If You are Going to Do it, Do it Right" attitude.
Which usually has helped me, though sometimes it trips me up- when 75% would be fine and 110% makes me insane- but that is another post...

Interesting, Laura Ingalls Wilder talks about such things in her diary- On The Way Home, which she wrote (her daughter Rose Wilder Lane later included her own remembrances) on the journey from De Smet South Dakota to Mansfield Missouri in 1894.
In the diary, Laura Ingalls Wilder calls it "Gumption"- not "Non Cognitive Learning Skills"

Gumption-  1. good common sense and practical judgment; 2. the courage and determination to take action.

She talks about traveling through different areas where the settlers showed some "real gumtion" with  thriving fields and well built barns and farmhouses and other areas that showed only laziness and a "good enuf" attitude.

I am beginning to think that "gumption" might be as important to success as knowledge, what do you think? Think we need some Gumption 101 in our schools or how about just guard or reintroduce the Art, Drama and Music classes that teach such things!

Growing old together...

Today's our 22nd anniversary. Yes, we were married on Ground Hog Day. We're taking the day as it comes, might go exploring in our pick up truck along some county roads way above the Colorado River, on Grand Mesa, that's what we did in college when we fell in love, explore the mountains and deserts around here.

First we had breakfast at a coffee shop and I sketched this couple. They seemed like they have been coming here, Saturday mornings for quite sometime. I think that is one of the greatest achievements in this life....to grow old with someone!
!

IF: Wings

Did this several years ago- Mother Goose flying over Denver, Colorado....

A Pilgrimage in New Mexico

 

When we were down in Santa Fe, we took a little drive up Highway 76....

 

 

to the village of Chimayo, or the villages of Chimayo- it gets complicated...here's the wiki page on the area (Chimayo).

 

 

To say this area is steeped in religion and spirituality is an understatement, long considered a pilgrimage site by the Catholic church....unofficially. (long story- do hit the wiki page above.)

 

The Southwest is so interesting in the mix of beliefs. The Utes and Navajos are generally very leary of death- going out of their way not to be near it and live their lives away from it and then there is New Mexico- where cemetaries, even the run down ones hold a central place in the pueblos and villages...

 El Santuario de Chimayo is a chapel in Chimayo, legend to hold healing properties in its dirt- you walk into the sanctuary and there is a pronounced dip in the floor...

 

Those needing to be healed have been coming to Chimayo for a hundred years to buy and place candles in the sanctuary, pray at the chapel....

and  in a side room, dig some red dirt from the floor, which they might rub on themselves or even digest. The side room's wall, which you can't take pictures of, are lined with discarded crutches, walkers and pictures of loved ones in need of help...

 

Near the main chapel is the Santo Nino Chapel...

 

 

 

 

 

a bright colorful chapel devoted to children and lined with their toys and shoes.

 

All the way back to Santa Fe, if one looked closely, you could see what others had left behind on their pilgrimages through this amazing, awe inspiring land....

some were close....

and some on distant hills.

 



 

But there are many "sacred" places in New Mexico, shrines, and small chapels on the back roads near the Rio Grande river, like the Penitent chapel in Abiquiu, a story for another blog.

To ring in the New Year...



we walked up Canyon Road to do a little window shopping and admire the festive lights, Santa Fe style...

                 

peeking through "coyote" fences...

 and over gates...

to the private artist's homes and studios and dreaming of possible living here too...

 

Chilled we slipped into a gallery still open and aglow against the settling dusk....

 

 

 

Then we headed back to our hotel, but not before an inspired game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors"...

 

 

My kind of New Year's Eve... and in bed by 9:00! 

The Streets of Santa Fe...

 

 

Starbucks in Santa Fe off the plaza, where we spent much of our time over New Years decompressing from a busy holiday season....

 

The streets of Santa Fe were snowy on New Years, but for those who braved the cold it was a great way to welcome in 2013. Many celebrate the new year with loud parties at night, but for us it's wandering the streets of one of our favorite towns, snowy or not...
  

 

Another great thing about a snow day in Santa fe, is the line outside Pascals is short for breakfast, most days people gladly stand and wait, inside the tiny resturant or outside for more than a half hour to get a table....

  The big windows, lined with geraniums and steamy from the people inside....

We ate here both mornings, why mess with a good thing!