Antelope Island and the Salty Lake

It was a huge bone of contention in my relationship that the last time I was in Utah, The Photographer refused to take me to see the Great Salt Lake. He wasn’t interested and his sister said it smelled bad (which isn’t totally a lie…it’s actually the flood plains that stink…), but I really needed to know if it was salty and, if so, just how salty it was. Well, this time around, I won.

Antelope Island is a state park on the Great Salt Lake. It is home to antelopes (duh.), about 600 buffalo (yum), beaches, a ranch, some campgrounds, hiking trails, and great views. The animals more or less roam freely and the island is open from sun up to sun down for all to explore…

This is a panorama The Photographer stitched together of White Rock Bay. It looks better here. But I didn’t take my camera, and it’s more fun with pictures.

We didn’t really know what to expect heading out there. It was kind of on a whim the day before we left for Moab, because I really, really wanted to see the salty lake. We did a bit of hiking and some wildlife photo stalking…We weren’t really prepared to do any intense hiking and we only had a few hours, so we didn’t get to see everything. But there were antelopes (kind of mangy looking), buffalo, and one very salty body of water.

We walked out a bit into the lake…Apparently its salt content varies by location, but parts of it have up to 25% salinity, which is more than the ocean.  I didn’t really get to test the extra buoyancy, due to lack of swimsuit and the fact that it was about knee deep for a long way out.  I also learned that it has no fish. The largest living organism in Great Salt Lake is brine shrimp, which are tiny.  It’s crazy to think that there is this vast expanse of water with basically nothing in it…

There is also a picture of me tasting the lake water on my finger, but I don’t have it. Let me just say, EW. And speaking of ew…

We had to cross a causeway to get on and off the island. Most of it was over flood plains, not water. But there were a whole lot of sand flies…they sounded like rain hitting the windshield and required one hell of a carwash.

So that’s all from my photo tour of Utah…le sigh. I love vacations. Anyone else have fun photos of their adventures to share?

More from Moab (and The Photographer)

I’m full of photos, so I thought I’d share a few more from Moab. These are all from The Photographer (if you want to know more about him, click that link). Except for the ones he’s in, of course. But I took those on his camera and he more or less set them up, so we’ll give him the credit.

Delicate Arch. This photo should be viewed larger. Check out his blog to do so.

Landscape Arch. The big boulders underneath are from its most recent rock fall, September 1991.

Me in front of Delicate Arch. I think I’m in mid-sentence.

Himself in front of Delicate Arch. Apparently he doesn’t believe in sleeves. Still pretty cute, though.

On the path to Turret Arch…I love the clouds.

Balanced Rock through a fence.

The Photographer on a precipice after a more challenging hike than I perhaps should’ve done in flip-flops. But I’m that hardcore.

I would…

And the money shot. This is my new favourite and the replacement for my old facebook picture, which was from last year’s trip to Utah…

As if I would really hitch-hike…

That’s all from Moab. I have one more for the photo-tour and then I promise to get back to business…

It’s a long way down and a bumpy road…

More from Moab, even though I am technically back in town…my brain is still on vacation.

After our whitewater rafting expedition (I AM HOOKED…that’s all you really need to know), of which there are no pictures online because all we had was a cheap underwater camera and no good action shots because we were paddling, we still had the better part of a day to enjoy Moab. So we decided to go off-roading in the Jeep. The appeal of driving a car over rocks must be a male thing. But I’ll admit that the appeal of not hiking while still seeing cool stuff was enough for me.

There has been a battle between me and The Photographer over giving credit for photos (he likes to steal mine, too!) and whether the photographer or the editor should be getting credit…so let me just say there’s a mix in this entry…we’ll leave it at that.

We found an easy trail, which is actually technically a dirt road for the most part, out to a landmark, Gemini Bridges. The Gemini Bridges are twin bridges formed by arches, much like these ones. They’re fairly large and after you’ve driven to the sort of trailhead, you can hike farther in to see them and you can actually walk over them. Although, you should be careful—all the guidebooks and maps warned to watch for “children and foolish adults” near the edge…There is about a ten-foot gap between them and it’s approximately 100 feet from the top to the bottom of the arches (although The Photographer and I were guessing the bottom of the canyon is probably 200 feet).

So there they are. And you can get on top of them and look down. And if you don’t have a healthy fear of heights, you might develop one. Below is the view of the bottom from the top…it gave me vertigo and I didn’t have the guts to get close enough to the edge. Neither did The Photographer. Actually, it didn’t take us long to decide that we'd like the view from the bottom better…

Now there I am looking up. That hole thing isn’t the bridges. Just a hole.

And below is The Photographer. You have to look pretty closely to find him. This gives you an idea of scale…and what was crazy was that we were totally alone. There were a few people coming in at the top when we were leaving and a few others leaving the canyon as we hiked in, but we pretty much had the place to ourselves. And it was one of those places where you look around and there is no sign of civilization for miles. Literally, not even a power line.

This next one is for my nerds. It’s the Starship Enterprise in natural rock formation. Seriously.

The view through the windshield…

And again…the first part of the road was winding, rocky, and fairly narrow. It also had a wicked drop-off on one side and pretty much no margin for error. I may have gripped the door handle the whole way up.  But it was scenic.

Gooney Bird Rock is the major landmark on the way in. And it does look like a Gooney Bird. Someone did an excellent naming job…

It’s crazy to be alone in silence amongst such enormous natural formations. It sort of makes you consider your place in the world in a different way.

And it’s fun to explore.

Survival of the Fittest.

It’s a lizard eat lizard world out there. For more pictures and his version of events, check out The Photographer’s blog. More from me later…

Twelfth Night in photos

My wonderful boyfriend took pictures at our final dress, so I have a few to replace my “artist’s rendering.”  We were missing our Malvolio, so I have none of him from that night.  Also, it should be noted that I was playing with the photo editing software and The Photographer cannot be held responsible for my choices…Enjoy!

Olivia and Cesario

Feste

Sir Toby Belch

Maria (AKA Me!) and Olivia

Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Feste

Cesario and Orsino

Maria (still me…) and Sir Toby

Fabian

Sir Andrew and Sir Toby

Feste and Sebastien

Feste as Sir Topas
(Think Agador Spartacus from “The Birdcage”)

Words and pictures.

Two quick things:

1) There are some interesting comments on my blog (and elsewhere) this morning. I would encourage everyone to check them out. See my blog post "Budgetary Fallout 2009" and Praxis's post "Canada Prizes for Arts and Creativity." Check the comments sections. Opposing view points welcome. Discussion is necessary. It's really the only way progress is made.

2) Check out Chase Images. He was a "blog of note" a few days ago and his images are incredible. I'm a sucker for a good photographer. He shoots a Canon, but we won't hold that against him. He lives in the Adirondacks and offers a variety of photography services. Mostly, I find his images of winter ethereal.

A rant rearranged...

created using http://www.wordle.net/

Good Morning!

Where to begin today...I actually have so much I want to blog about that I can't keep up. I had a story I wanted to share today, but I think it's going to have to wait. Instead, we'll stick to fun things and current events. First, the fun:



I found this website via Malene Arpe's Stargazing blog. You upload a picture and they turn it into a version of the now iconic Obama poster. I think this is really exciting. Obama-mania is on. Oh, and that is my no-neck picture in case you were curious.

Next:

CLICK HERE! OR HERE! Simon Ogden of The Next Stage and Ian Mackenzie of Theatre is Territory (AKA Praxis) teamed up for an excellent post about theatre blogging in Canada in 2008. It's easy (and totally worth it) to get lost in the links. Being a newcomer to theatre blogging here and abroad, I found it very educational. The Google Reader list grows ever longer. I also got a shout out! Thank you, gentlemen, you made my day. Now go read it, seriously.

Shoot Photos, Not Guns.

The Toronto Star reported today that Toronto Police exchanged 1,900 guns for digital cameras in a recent gun amnesty program. I realize this is not the perfect solution to Toronto's issues with gun violence, but you have to credit them for doing something, and something creative at that. I imagine that those individuals who so frequently shoot up our city, particularly the Jane & Finch neighbourhood, held on to their firearms, but if the Toronto Police had an impact on even one wayward individual through this, it's been worthwhile.

Just think of the difference you can make in someone by giving them the tools and the power to create instead of destroy. And by making it their choice. We might be able to force guns off the street through legislation, but I think the root of our problems is deeper than that. People need an outlet for their anger, for their poverty, for their disappointment...for whatever turns them toward violence. Everyone needs a way to express themselves. And perhaps it's our fault as a culture that we give more attention to those who act out in destructive ways than to those who channel their feelings, problems, and experiences through creative means.

Encouraging culture and creation might decrease violence and hatred. Now there's a thought.

Peace Out...til Monday.

This is about how I'm feeling at the moment, which can only mean it must be the weekend.


We'll call this picture "Portrait of a Sleepy Wolf," taken at Dublin Zoo circa 2006. And it will be the inspiration for the Plurius Pictureus Initiative, officially launching this weekend. Hopefully I will have the fruits of those labours to share next week. My weekend internet access is somewhat limited, thus the lack of S-day blogage.

There will be no work this weekend, only relaxation. I wish the same for all of you.

And I wish the best to The Laramie Project in Uxbridge. I eagerly await news of your weekend and will be happy to publish anything anyone in or attending their production has to say! I will do my best to get it online before Monday if anyone sends anything!

If I Were A Painter...

I just came across this local artist, not telling how but it may have to do with my day job. Anyway, his name is Brock Irwin and he's a painter. Check out his landscapes, some look almost photographic. I don't really know anything about painting, I'll be honest. At least, not outside of fingerpainting. But I know what I like, and I think some of his landscapes are lovely.

My Experience.

After my previous post, I thought I should make more of an effort to actually introduce myself. I'm enjoying some of the anonymity at the moment, so I won't give it all away. But I thought I would give some insight into some of what has made me who I am. Pictures tell the story best, I think. Or at least they might be more interesting than my rambling. So here are some to tell the tale, bearing in mind that I am not on my laptop and am therefore limited to whatever photos were already on the web.

Please note that there are two pictures that are actually quite good. Those were taken by my boyfriend, The Photographer. They are copyrighted and you probably shouldn't take them. The rest are mine, which you may thieve and enjoy at will.

This is my fish. I made it with a flashlight and the bulb setting on The Photographer's camera at my cottage last summer. The cottage is my escape in life.

This is the Arch in Washington Square Park. I lived in the NYC for three years, more on that to come, no doubt...

This is Trinity in Dublin. I didn't actually study there. I just went to Ireland for Spring Break one year. I fell completely in love... Irish is one of my best dialects and I love their playwrights. And their beer.

This is the official residence of the royal family in Sweden. I went to Sweden for the weekend of my 21st birthday, on a whim. It was one of the things that opened my eyes to how little I know and have seen of the rest of the world...despite all my reading and traveling...there is always more to know.

This one comes from The Photographer. It's from the mountains in Utah. The landscape in Utah may be one of my new obsessions. His family lives there now, and he lost his wallet in these rapids crossing the fallen tree that made this picture possible.

This is Middle Pond in Cobham, Surrey, UK. The Photographer and I went there once when his family used to live there. It is also representative of my travels around the English countryside, since apparently none of those photos are online. I also have a really beautiful picture of the RADA building I was going to post because I studied there (a highly formative time), but it is also not online.

Outside the Sorbonne in Paris when the students went on strike. I was studying in Paris at the time, an interesting experience. The wall says, for those with little or no French, "Police everywhere, justice nowhere."

Algonquin Park. I secretly want to roam the wild. And canoe tripping might be my other passion. Another photo by The Photographer.

This is the chateau in Annecy in the French Alps, representative of my adventures in the French countryside whilst studying abroad. I liked these places better than Paris.

These are the swan boats on the pond in Boston Commons. My sister, The Writer, goes to school there. She's a bit whacked, in that creative genius kind of way.

And, finally, this is a fire from the summer camp outside Huntsville. I've spent almost all of my summers there and it has definitely been one of the most defining (if not the defining) experiences of my life.

This Blog Needs More Pictures.

This is a picture of the Thames in London. I took it the last time I was there (New Year's 06-07). You can see the London eye, Big Ben, etc. London is one of my favourite cities and certainly one of the best cities in the world for theatre. I saw more theatre in my time in London than ever in my life otherwise. I also went to school there for a while. At RADA. More on that another time. Just enjoy the picture.