The first half of last week I spent at 8400 feet above sea level, in meetings with Park staff, architects, and exhibit designers, talking about how to make great exhibits. I wasn't in charge, I wouldn't have a load of tasks as a result of the meeting, and I had no need to convince anyone about anything. It was wonderful!!
Plus, I got to see this on the drive back to the hotel every evening:
That's Pike's Peak. Er, somewhere in that frame, anyway. Never got to the top of it, even though there's a road. Road's closed in winter.
An example of "permineralization." My favorite new word + current favorite concept. It's also known as petrifaction, and it's one of the ways something gets fossilized -- in this case, a redwood tree. The wood was infused with mineral-permeated water. Gradually, the minerals replaced the tree's organic material, cell by cell. So petrified wood is an exact stone copy of the original tree, down to the cellular level. Wow.
FLFO also has fossils of dragonflies and butterflies and leaves, many of which are gorgeous. And of pollen, which is nothing but miniscule. The gorgeous fossils aren't usually permineralized; they're impressions or carbonizations or...ah, hell, come see the exhibit when it opens in 2009.
At the end of each day, the table was littered with pen sketches on this tranlucent paper, which architects and designers call "bumwad." Those little foam-core stacks represented the volume allocated to various building functions, and the architect used them to play around with different building footprints.
When Joe arrived at the end of the week, we went to the Garden of the Gods outside Colorado Springs. Amazing, red, skinny, upended rocks. I'd have called it Attack of the Giant Land Sharks if I'd been around in the 19th century when it was named.
Always ready for an AYCEB,* Joe and I tried the Empire Asian Buffet. Web sources promised AYCE sushi, which was -- don't say you told me so, because you never had the chance -- disappointing. On the other hand, startling juxtapositions on the buffet tables made it a worthwhile evening. To wit: Egg rolls next to french fried potatoes in the shape of smiley faces next to spherical, hole-less doughnuts. Massive bowl of lychees next to vat of chocolate pudding.
Oyster next to fudge cake. And, in a stunning all-in-one cultural melange: cheese salmon. WTF?! One of the few AYCEB's at which I managed not to overeat.
Plus, I got to see this on the drive back to the hotel every evening:
That's Pike's Peak. Er, somewhere in that frame, anyway. Never got to the top of it, even though there's a road. Road's closed in winter.
An example of "permineralization." My favorite new word + current favorite concept. It's also known as petrifaction, and it's one of the ways something gets fossilized -- in this case, a redwood tree. The wood was infused with mineral-permeated water. Gradually, the minerals replaced the tree's organic material, cell by cell. So petrified wood is an exact stone copy of the original tree, down to the cellular level. Wow.FLFO also has fossils of dragonflies and butterflies and leaves, many of which are gorgeous. And of pollen, which is nothing but miniscule. The gorgeous fossils aren't usually permineralized; they're impressions or carbonizations or...ah, hell, come see the exhibit when it opens in 2009.
At the end of each day, the table was littered with pen sketches on this tranlucent paper, which architects and designers call "bumwad." Those little foam-core stacks represented the volume allocated to various building functions, and the architect used them to play around with different building footprints.
When Joe arrived at the end of the week, we went to the Garden of the Gods outside Colorado Springs. Amazing, red, skinny, upended rocks. I'd have called it Attack of the Giant Land Sharks if I'd been around in the 19th century when it was named.
Always ready for an AYCEB,* Joe and I tried the Empire Asian Buffet. Web sources promised AYCE sushi, which was -- don't say you told me so, because you never had the chance -- disappointing. On the other hand, startling juxtapositions on the buffet tables made it a worthwhile evening. To wit: Egg rolls next to french fried potatoes in the shape of smiley faces next to spherical, hole-less doughnuts. Massive bowl of lychees next to vat of chocolate pudding.Oyster next to fudge cake. And, in a stunning all-in-one cultural melange: cheese salmon. WTF?! One of the few AYCEB's at which I managed not to overeat.
*all-you-can-eat-buffet
Comments
I was rather stunned (and pleased) to see Goewin gazing at me off your blog when I checked it!
love, e wein
You know, e wein, I think some scenes appear only to those qualified to describe them.
I've enjoyed meeting your Arthurian family. Sunbird's next. Congratulations on your work and your success!
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