Aspens, Beaver Creek, Colorado

Superb skiing, too, with all the fresh powder your heart can stand.

Ute burial tree

Animals of the McCoy Ranch, Colorado

From top: Thoroughbred yearlings, Akbash pups, mystery sheep, wild elk, Black Angus cattle.

Who's hungry?

Another big thank you to Patti Davidson for this one!

The Joys of Jello exerted a perverse fascination for me in childhood, and I was thrilled beyond belief when she gave me a copy of it last night. So much so, in fact, that I couldn't wait to take a few photos of its marvelous illustrations so that everyone can share in the magic of its oversaturated colors and surprising combinations of foodstuffs. Imagine the triumph of serving such a clever dish as the "Sea Dream" at a ladies' luncheon, circa 1968. Your friends would be so impressed!

Andy Goldsworthy in SF

There's a new Andy Goldsworthy sculpture in the Presidio of San Francisco. (Thanks to Patti Davidson for reminding me to go see it!) The cut-wood spire is surrounded by newly planted cedars that form a spiral around it, and which will eventually cause it to disappear from view. Kind of cool, I think. I like the ephemeral quality of the work, and the idea of turning the forest itself into sculpture. Plus, anything that replaces those eucalyptus trees with Western Red Cedars is fine by me...

Culture in Whistler

As Michael T. pointed out, and as Helmut and I discovered while there, there's not much to do in Whistler when you aren't skiing. As an antidote to the relentless consumerism of the what H. called a giant shopping mall, the local people have created the wonderful Squamish and Lil'wat Cultural Center. Built in the manner of an oversized longhouse, the center presents Native culture in the form of incredible canoes, beautiful wood carvings, weavings, traditional clothing, etc. The emphasis is not so much on the items on display as mere artifacts, however, but as evidence of the Native peoples' ability to live in harmony with their environment, which they did for nearly 10,000 years until the arrival of European-American capitalism and the "ownership society." To say that the two ways of life were and are completely incompatible is the understatement of the millenium. 

Unlike the other photos on this blog, these were taken by Helmut Werb, using a Nikon D300 instead of the Casio pocket camera with which I took the rest. That and his superior skill with said device explain the gulf in quality! 

Ski Whistler!

It was a little too early in the season for great skiing — they only had a few runs open, making things a little crowded — and the snow is a little too Pacific Northwest for my taste, but if you like yours a little on the grippy side, Whistler's the place. Spectacular scenery, too, as you can see here.