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Showing posts from October, 2010

At the Salt Ponds

Walking by the salt ponds in late afternoon, I took this photo of blue waters, crystallizing salt and packed salt beds beyond. After a few days, note the red pinkish hue of the water. In researching the reason for this coloration, I found this is due to the presence in the salt pond of "halophilic archeabacteria" bearing carotenoid compounds. These microorganisms thrive in areas of high salinity. Live and learn! *  *  * Images by Charie

Sunset

After a good 2-mile walk, here's my reward. A blazing sunset which reminds me of my favorite poem, The Day is Done  by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Thank you Lord for the beauty that surrounds me. Here are a few stanzas from the poem to whet your literary appetite: The day is done, and the darkness   Falls from the wings of night, As a feather is wafted downward   From an eagle in his flight.    I see the lights of the village       Gleam through the rain and the mist, And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me   That my soul cannot resist:    A feeling of sadness and longing,   That is not akin to pain, And resembles sorrow only   As the mist resembles the rain Come, read to me some poem,   Some simple and heartfelt lay, That shall soothe this restless feeling,      And banish the thoughts of day. For the rest of this lovely poem, here's the link: http://www.bartleby.com/102/65.html . *  *  * Image by Charie

Wet is Hot!

Glacia Inside Crystals Retail and Entertainment District in Las Vegas, WET Design wows shoppers with its wetworks. Glacia is an installation of pillars of ice which "transmogrify by exposure to air" (this according to an article from Las Vegas Weekly). I've had to look up the word "transmogrify" and it means, to transform into a different shape. In this case, sculpted ice is transformed into these ethereal forms. Halo It's easy to be mesmerized by Halo . In every tube is a whirlwind or tornado waiting to be born. WET (Water Entertainment Technologies) lives up to its name. Water can be calming or it can be entertaining. And with Halo, it can be thought provoking. Focus at Aria Focus is a 270 foot long curved wall at the entrance to the Aria hotel lobby.  This is such a refreshing treat when temperatures climb to the 100's. Listening to water flow down the expanse of the wall, I'm transported to the rainforest or to the tropics where rain pour

Looking through the Glass

We couldn't get into the Dale Chihuly Gallery in Las Vegas as there was a private event the afternoon of our visit so we had to make do with admiring Chihuly's works through the glass window.  The images were a challenge to take because the reflection of outdoor lights and the Lumia fountain in the central courtyard compete with the works of Chihuly.  Despite that, this group of blue glass candles or reeds of blue ( I don't know the title of this work) is a showstopper.  We saw enough to make us want to come back for more. Hopefully we'll be lucky on our next visit and get a closer look at these beautiful chandeliers that are bursting with color. You can see through the delicate glass vases and coffee table art. Notice the varying hues of orange of these floral inspired bowls. The Dale Chihuly Gallery is at Aria at City Center on the Strip in Las Vegas. *  *  * Images by Charie