The Iron Range

I am going to blog my blog. I am very busy with this workshop and I hink you get the drift by looking at the Minnesota Humanities blogsite. I will write and add more when I return from Minnesota on Friday. Check out the website.


http://minnesotahumanities.blogspot.com/

Ely Minnesota and the wilderness

Frank and I left Lake Mills for St Paul, Minnesota this morning at 6:15. Got to Macalester College by 8:30 to board the bus with about 40 teachers throughout the United States. We ended up in the back of the bus. Our first stop was Duluth at Canal Park (where they just had Granny's Marathon yesterday)to eat (Little Angie's Canteena) and pick up a few more people. Then we went to Two Harbors to view the lighthouse and the harbor where boats were being loaded with ore. It poured rain there and we were stranded in the gift shop for a little while.on Back on the bus we viewed Minnesota history on a DVD. We had the experience of see a mother moose and her calf run across the road and into the woods. We ended up at Ely where we are staying at the Grand Ely Lodge. After eating and introducing ourselves to each other, we had a bomfire down by the lake, listened to the loons and learned more about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I was going to put up some pictures but they will not upload so I will enter them tomorrow. Maybe I will have better luck.

Minnesota Bound

Tomorrow, Frank and I are heading to the Iron Range in Minnesota through a Minnesota Humanities Center Grant. I hope to upload some pictures and comments daily as we progress though the week. That is the optimistic idea of the moment.

I enclosed some pictures. First is a photo of my planter with the white petunias. I added a bird sculpture to it for interest.

Finally, I am uploading a picture of the outdoor cat, Celia. Speaking of pets, My Dad and Mom's pet dog, Lady, that they have had for many years passed away yesterday. It was also the summer solstice and a full moon. And, by the way...my Dad is doing fine after his bike fall. He is out of commission for a short while. It will be hard to keep him inactive for any length of time.

Art Education 2.0 new member

I joined a new group today from on the web. I am still scouting it out but I think it will be a good resource for digital technology with visual art emphases.
Other than that, I received the book "Studio Thinking" by Lois Hetland, Ellen Winner, Shirley Veenema and Kimberly M. Sheridan. Just started reading that also.
Besides thinking about art I took a rather colorful picture of garden refuse recently.

Also, today my 84 year old Father who woke up this morning and ran four miles, went bike riding this afternoon. Unfortunately, he took a corner rather fast, put on the breaks and went over the top of the bike. He wears a helmet so his head suffered no injury but he did break a bone near his collarbone. He is now incapacitated until further notice. So far, he is in a good mood.

A moment

My daughter is home. That means for a brief period, the family is together. She returned from California from a workshop for small group ensembles in Sonoma to the flooding in Iowa City. Her apartment is fine, but the entire arts district of university buildings are under water. The artwork at the University of Iowa Art Museum was carted up the best they could and sent to Chicago for safe keeping. A friend of mines daughter volunteered to wrap up the 300A.D. African artwork in bubble wrap before FEMA enters and says "everyone out". The Clapp Music Center, Hancher Auditorium, and new art building (less than two years old) are swimming in water.

Fern Peony

Another plant in bloom. I covered the yard today taking pictures with my digital camera looking for inspiration. I believe I will try and resurrect the Yardworks idea for an attempt to get back into painting. Might as well start where I left off and see what develops.

There was a devastating tornado in Parkersburg, Iowa yesterday. Seven people were killed and many houses destroyed. Nature can be brutal when it wants to be. And yet on a perfect morning such as on this Memorial Day it can be breathtakingly beautiful.

Schools out for Summer

Spring!!! The birds are singing, flowers bloom and school is out!! Ahhhhh!! Picture of daughter and pet dog, Annie. Also, a view of the magnificent flowering crab tree. I am home catching up on the little odds and ends that get put to the side as I teach. Bills, correspondence, telephone calls, and reading. Starting to acclimate to summer mode. Usually it takes a couple weeks to decompress.