Daydreaming

I listened to a very interesting interview on Spark, a CBC One program this week. Nora Young interviewed Kevin Kelly about the importance of play and the pleasures of wasting time. She also reviewed a short excerpt from an interview with Linda Stone, a writer and speaker who coined the terms, "continuous partial attention" and "email apnea". (Here is a link to the podcast. The last 15 minutes were the most interesting in my estimation)


Here is a paraphrase of some the ideas presented. We don't let our minds wander much anymore. Looking out a window or taking a walk puts our minds in a receptive mode, taking us to creative areas of our brain. Continuous partial attention is not the same as multi-tasking, but is an effort not to miss anything. This "on" switch creates a state of constant alertness and an artificial sense of impending crisis. We neglect to use the "off" switch which allows the body and mind to relax.


There is no doubt that technology changes the way we think and act. The interview pointed out that literacy rewired the brain and diminished our ability for total recall and memorization which was essential in oral traditions. We can hardly believe that ancient people could pass down accurate histories from generation to generation because we rely on print for storing information. And in this internet age, some people now have difficulty finishing a book as it requires a different type of attention than online browsing.


My work place is extra busy due to summer staff shortages and it is easy to think I am wasting time by letting my mind wander to a peaceful place. The vacation images taken this summer are my view out the window today and a reminder that my mind needs time to disengage and do nothing at all to be healthy and creative.

Pinniped Colonies and Human Mimicry

Sea Lions in San Francisco- October 2009

California is home to various seals and sea lions and we enjoyed viewing them when we visited last fall. There were many sea lions in San Francisco at Pier 39 but they suddenly left the area at the end of November for reasons unknown. Apparently a few are now returning. (source). They were smelly, noisy and amusing to watch and I am glad we got to see them.

Harbour Seals near Pebble Beach, California

We saw many Harbour Seals on the 17-mile Drive at Pebble Beach near Monterey, California. They sunned themselves on rocks near the shore while balanced on ledges and steep slopes. Brown Pelicans and Cormorants were their close neighbours.

Elephant Seals near Point Piedras Blancas, California

South of Big Sur along California Highway 1, we stopped at the beach near Point Piedras Blancas where many hundreds of Elephant Seals were lined up on the sand. They were mostly inert but every so often one would flick some sand on its back. In the picture above, a seal is sanding its back with a very subtle flick of its flipper. These seals are the largest pinnipeds and are much larger than Harbour Seals. Males can weigh up to two tons and reach a length of ten feet.

It was too cold in late October for the average person to sun themselves on the beach but humans can exhibit behaviour similar to these seals and sea lions. I was looking at pictures on the BBC website last week which showed 5000 naked humans supine on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Artist Spencer Tunick has done similar photo shoots in other parts of the world. His work is not erotic in nature, but reminds me of pinnipeds on rocks and beaches. Some poses are reminiscent of pictures taken in Nazi concentration camps. It does not take much to erase human individuality and make a group of homo sapiens look just like another herd of mammals.

Photo from The Huffington Post

Remember Whensday: Green and Warm

(click to enlarge)

Winter has been long enough but it is not going away any time soon. Before our children were born, I visited my family in Mexico every March or April and looked forward to the trip during the cold months in Canada. There is no warm destination in my immediate future so my pictures from our fall vacation in the sunny south west of the continent will have to suffice. I have hundreds of pictures and haven't taken the time to post many here. My daughter took this picture of me walking down Lombard Street, the crookedest street in San Francisco. I would go back to this city in a moment!

Follow this link for more Remember Whensday posts.

Grand Canyon Highlights

South Rim, Grand Canyon AZ, late afternoon in October

One of my priorities when planning our fall trip to the American south west was to see the Grand Canyon. Gaelyn of Geogypsy had posted so many interesting and beautiful features about the North Rim that I wanted to go to that section of the canyon. However, accommodations at the North Rim close on October 15th even though the park itself is open until November 30th or until snow makes it inaccessible. I realized there was not enough time to make the long trip into Utah. We settled for a few hours at the South Rim and even that was a 600 mile round trip from our hotel in Las Vegas. The day was beautiful, sunny and on the cool side which was good for walking. I took a hundred or more pictures but none of them conveyed the length and depth of the canyon. Every few minutes the colours on the rocks changed as the sun lowered in the sky.

Bright Angel Trail, South Rim, Grand Canyon AZ

The Bright Angel Trail descends over 4000 feet from the south rim to the Colorado River and is used by hikers and mules. This picture shows a little perspective of the size of this part of the canyon. I chose to walk up the Rim Trail which was paved and little wider with rest stops along the way. There were many birds along this trail which were hard to photograph due to light conditions. Deep shadows from the rocks and cliffs covered many trees as the autumn sun was lower in the sky. Mountain Chickadees look similar to our Black-capped Chickadees but their call is lower and a little more hoarse. I had to look closely to see the white stripe above the eye as they feasted on pine cones. Stellar Jays and Juncos were plentiful as were Pygmy Nuthatches that moved quickly around the trunks of the pine trees.

Hairy Woodpecker, Grand Canyon AZ

This Hairy Woodpecker looked and sounded like the ones I am familiar with in the eastern part of the continent. Their range is very widespread. We saw many Ravens, a bird we do not have in SW Ontario. Their croaky call was unmistakable, much different than the common American Crow which is abundant at home.

California Condor

I wanted to see a California Condor and about half an hour before we left, one flew overhead just long enough for me to get this picture. It is the largest flying bird in North America and is endangered, with only 75 of them in Arizona (2009). It created quite a stir and many people were excited to have even a brief glimpse of this scavenger. It rested below the rim on a shady rock, the banding number visible on the wing. (I cannot make sense of what appears to be -0 as a number)

We had only a brief glimpse of all there was to see at the south rim and I would love to return and explore the north rim as well. It was not too busy here in late October, but the weather could turn cold and snowy at any time this far into the season. Our tour guide said they have people sign a waiver after November so they do not have to return their money if they get near the park and the bus cannot continue due to ice and snow.

Have you seen the Grand Canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world??

Friday Flowers: More California Blooms

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

By the end of October, we have usually had a killing frost in southern Ontario and our garden is dormant for the season. I appreciated the beauty of every flower seen on our recent vacation as it will be late April before flowers appear again at home. The tourist stop adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge had lovely gardens which seemed to have been coordinated in colour with this famous span across the bay. We drove through the San Francisco Botanical Gardens within the Golden Gate Park but did not have time to explore this area. It is definitely a place I would return to see the many themed gardens and the arboretum.

Lombard Street, San Francisco

Lombard Street is famous for its block which is considered one of the crookedest streets in the world. Because it was so steep and dangerous for vehicles and pedestrians, eight switchbacks were created to slow traffic. One of the most photographed streets in San Francisco, well kept gardens are contained along the winding roadway. Hydrangea blooms were the featured flower when we were there.

Hydrangea Bloom on Lombard Street

As we drove south to Monterey Bay, we noticed a succulent plant which was used as a ground cover in many places. I thought it was an aloe plant but it was an ice plant which is native to South Africa. Some people consider it to be an invasive species, especially around sand dunes along the coast and it has adapted very well in this climate.

Flowering Ice Plant

Large plantings of succulent plants can be a good fire barrier because of their high water content. This is important in places where there is a high risk of wild fires. In many places leaves of the ice plants were turning red which looked lovely on the rocks near the ocean.

The architecture of many buildings lent itself to a variety of trailing flowering vines. I loved the splashes of colour on roof tops and fences. Our rooftops will soon be adorned with snow but I prefer this image and the warmth it portrays.

Friday Flowers: California Blooms

Bougainvillea Bloom

One of my patients recommended that we spend time in the Pacific Grove/ Monterey area of California on our road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. She told me about the Monarch butterflies which over winter in the area and I was determined to stop there. We stayed at a lovely place called Sunset Inn which was just a short walk from the Monarch grove and the ocean. Three days earlier a bad storm had knocked out the power in the area for more than a day.


Strong north winds were still blowing when we arrived and it was actually colder here than it was back at our home in Canada. This was unusual for the date. The winds had scattered the butterflies and there very few to be seen in the grove. Apparently the number of Monarch butterflies was greatly reduced this year west of the Rockies as well as in the north-eastern part of the continent where we live. But I was not disappointed with the grove which is dominated by tall Monterey pines and Eucalyptus trees.

Hummingbird in Bottlebrush bloom

Flowering shrubs had been planted to provide nourishment for the butterflies, and many hummingbirds were in the area. I also saw several warblers, woodpeckers and other birds which I will identify when I find my Sibley bird guide in our renovation mess.

Monarch Butterfly at Big Sur, CA

On the drive south a couple of days later, we came upon more Monarch butterflies around Big Sur. They were sheltered from the wind in the valleys of the mountains. I love Bougainvillea and the bright splash of colour it adds to fences and walls. We came across a lot of it in the area.

Many Canadians go to Florida in the winter, but I would rather travel to the Monterey area for a break from the snow. The beaches here are not for sunbathing but the scenery is spectacular. My patient had been discharged by the time I returned to work, but I took some pictures and sent a sincere thank you to her for directing me to this beautiful place.

Bougainvillea at the Monarch sanctuary at Pacific Grove, CA

From Vegas to "Reno"

Colorado River/Lake Mead approaching Las Vegas

I have been home for three full days, back to work for two, following a perfect holiday where we enjoyed 13 consecutive days of warmth, sunshine and travel without hassle. Each day was a new learning experience as we visited places never seen before. It has taken a while to get back to the eastern time zone after being three hours behind on the Pacific coast but I actually awoke today and felt rested.

The day after we left, the contractor we hired removed the wall between our kitchen and dining room and started a major renovation to our main floor. Initially we planned a kitchen renovation only, but once flooring and wall colours started to change, it was apparent that the work needed to continue in other rooms, especially when the house was taking on a more open concept appearance. I arrived home to "Reno", and found no place to sit and eat. My desk was covered with items removed from the construction areas. It is a good thing I have a laptop and wireless internet. My husband and the Becka did an excellent job of organizing things in the chaos, but I did not know where they had moved items we needed.
I just started going through photos last night. Digital cameras are great but looking at over 1000 pictures is a time consuming task. Many will be trashed as I try to organize the best ones.

I had a chance to try Apple's iMovie software for the first time and made two short movies, this one of the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas...



...and another of a cable car ride in San Francisco.



Hopefully I will find time and place to re-enter the blogging world on a regular basis in the next week or so. I have been scanning other blogs but have not had time to comment.
Have a good weekend!