Nature's Etch-a-Sketch

fleeting moments of zen

Alan Kay, a semi-legend in the world of technology (he was a scientist at Xerox Parc and Atari) once said, "Most ideas, you can do pretty darn well with a stick in the sand".

In that spirit, I found myself drawing in the sands of Asilomar Beach, near Monterey, during Christmas break. The wind, waves, and sand were so relaxing that I decided to create Jizo images. A Jizo Buddha is the patron saint of children and travelers (both of which I am accused of being).

Very quickly, I realized that the impermanence of life demanded these zen images be created in the surf break. So, I scratched an image, took a picture, and stepped back to let nature's etch-a-sketch go to work.

Laughing in the Face of Death (Valley) IV:

 Wave your hands in the air, like you don't care...

Wow... I had no idea that Joshua Trees like get jiggy with it when no one is looking.

I caught these Joshua Trees in the Mojave desert. They look like they're groovin' to a silent version of  "Word Up" - which gets my vote for best dance floor tune ever, whether it's by Cameo, Gun, or Korn. 

I wish someone had taken a picture of my face when I first heard that Korn covered "Word Up". The only thing that's more strange than them covering the song, is the video they shot for it...

Laughing in the face of Death (Valley) I:

 Death Valley Dunes

Angie and I just spent 5 days in Death Valley.

We spent one morning watching the sunrise over these sand dunes - enjoying the breeze, basking in the warm sunlight, spotting tracks, and marveling at the color and lines of the naked earth. Amazing...