Nice to be greeted at Sydney airport by the ubiquitous Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca), known locally as bin chicken or tip turkey for its habit of rummaging in garbage. Ah, it’s good to be here.
LAX to SYD
Tag: urban sketching
oak tree fountain
It’s coming up on six years since the Woolsey fire ravaged Malibu and the surrounding mountains. This oak tree fountain at a local shopping centre commemorates the event. I didn’t realise, while sketching it, that it’s made of copper; I presumed bronze. It has developed a dark patina that makes it feel very coast-live-oaky, and the rocks at the base are bright with algae or moss. I like it.
trail buddha
This stone buddha has been beside a local trail for quite a few years. He is hidden when the weeds are lush and re-emerges as summer ends and the grasses die back.
coffee shop
While the mechanic worked on my car, I wandered down the road and found this cafe. Good coffee, yummy chia pudding, friendly staff. Recommend!
waiting
I arrived at the appointed spot 10 minutes early, so sketched the ficus on the opposite corner. Waiting is never boring when you have a sketchbook in your bag!
egret fountain
Egrets? Herons? It’s hard to tell when they’re big and bronze.
Woolsey tribute?
We have a fairly new, almost empty, shopping centre in town (like we needed another one!). I had a bit of a wander through, and noticed this public art out front. It’s comprised of columns of burnt burls of wood. Between some of the lumps are ceramic collars stamped with words like ‘fire’, ‘ash’ and ‘transform’. There’s no plaque, but I’m guessing it’s meant as a reminder of the Woolsey Fire which wreaked such devastation on our area nearly six years ago.
Traveling home
After leaving the Field Campus, I spent the night with friends in Sacramento, before making the long drive back home. I’d never seen a yellow-billed magpie before. What a gorgeous bird!
pub lunch
I stopped in Grass Valley for lunch on my way to the Nature Journal Retreat in the Sierra Nevada.
at Red Cross
I was at Red Cross to give whole blood, but the phlebotomist let me know that I would be an ideal candidate for platelet donation. Maybe next time, I said, knowing that it involves the immobilisation of both arms for two hours. In the recovery area, this bald poster child added her persuasion. So yeah, next time🩸.
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