16 January 2014 - Still traveling

This week was spent with 1500 of my closest friends from work. Actually it was the national sales meeting for my company. The majority of our time was spent in educational sessions in the hotel or group dinners. Still, I was able to get out once or twice to explore the area around the hotel. 

There had been an article in the SF Chronicle about an art installation in the Grace Cathedral called Graced with Light--created by visual artist Anne Patterson. I had to see it. Forgetting how steep the walk up to the top of Nob Hill was, I set off for the cathedral. 

Whew! The trick to climbing these very steep streets is to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and don't look behind you.  I can't understand why they don't have some kind of hand railing for pedestrians where the streets are this steep. If I wanted to look back where I'd been I had to have a hand on something like a street sign post, of the side of the building. I know, I'm a wuss. But it was worth it.

The work was comprised of 22 miles of ribbons hanging from the cathedral's vaulted ceiling. The artist said she envisioned a series of light pathways that connected heaven and earth, manifested as ribbons.  

The ribbons are to carry hopes and dreams skyward, while in turn, grace would flow back down the ribbons to us. It was stunning. 


Here you can see the scale against how tiny the people are.  As part of the installation, there is a video production projected onto the ribbons, accompanied by music.  Should you be in San Francisco, do not miss this!  My pictures do not do this justice. 

Walking to the cathedral and back to the hotel gave me time to admire the architectural details on many buildings. 

On a Masonic Temple across from the cathedral:

 Beautiful ironwork gates:

Lovely doorway details:

Interesting creatures hanging over a corner:

Proper theater facades:

Nothing says Chinatown like red lanterns:

While walking up to Nob Hill, I passed this statue in Union Square. 

Coming back down in the dark, she was trying to fork the moon. I thought that was pretty funny.


My team went to dinner at Farallon. I loved the jellyfish lights. The sea urchin light wasn't bad either. The jellies would look great in my house! 




In no time at all I was back home. Since the airport is so close to the Great Salt Lake, I took a quick detour down the frontage road. It was cold and hazy. I was hoping for some birds but I think they were all hunkered up somewhere keeping warm. 

I did like this starling who was on guard. 

The snowy landscape was breathtaking. Have I mentioned how happy I am to be back here?

Gotta watch the horizon line. 

I did see a couple of birds: a little Northern Shrike

and a Northern Harrier.

Two days later, I was back on the west coast again for another conference, this time in San Diego. Four days of 82 degrees. Pretty wonderful. I arrived three hours before the first activity started, so I took the time to walk the Torrey Pines Broken Hill Trail down to the beach.  Just another beautiful walk in California. 

 

 I did not want to leave the beach and go back to the hotel, but as my boss says, "There's a reason they call it work."

The hotel overlooks the Torrey Pines golf course. It was a beehive of activity out on the course, getting ready for the PGA tournament next week. Hospitality tents were springing up all along the walkways, and the course was being groomed to a fare-thee-well. 

This was the view from my room--over the fairway to the ocean.

Breakfast and lunch were served outside so I had time to chase down some birds. Two kinds of hummingbirds: Anna's and Costa's. More Black Phoebes.  Song sparrows, Western Kingbirds, and many more that I knew, as well as a couple of what the heck was that!

 All too soon I was leaving San Diego and heading for snowy Salt Lake.  I was happy to see quite a bit less snow on my arrival, than when I left. 

 

series of light pathways, connecting heaven and earth, manifest as ribbons. The ribbons carry our prayers, dreams and wishes skyward, and, in turn, grace streams down the ribbons to us - See more at: http://www.gracecathedral.org/visit/concerts-and-events/artist-in-residence-2013/#sthash.VVhM9zeT.dpuf

series of light pathways, connecting heaven and earth, manifest as ribbons. The ribbons carry our prayers, dreams and wishes skyward, and, in turn, grace streams down the ribbons to us - See more at: http://www.gracecathedral.org/visit/concerts-and-events/artist-in-residence-2013/#sthash.VVhM9zeT.dpuf

series of light pathways, connecting heaven and earth, manifest as ribbons. The ribbons carry our prayers, dreams and wishes skyward, and, in turn, grace streams down the ribbons to us - See more at: http://www.gracecathedral.org/visit/concerts-and-events/artist-in-residence-2013/#sthash.VVhM9zeT.dpuf