a ten year's best

View of the valley while entering the Knik Glacier

Dehaviland Beaver, Canadian made circa 55

For our tenth year wedding anniversary gift, Ken decided to put me on a float plane.  Taking off from Lake Hood, (one of the largest float plane centers in the country), this Dehaviland Beaver was made in Canada and is one of a kind.

  Ken completes four surveys a year in this plane, spending close to seven days cramped up, wearing uncomfortable head phones with sometimes warm and stuffy air (although I was told you can open a window at one point while flying.)  This is the highlight of his work as he camps out in remote areas in Alaska and knows the state intimately through these journeys.

It was an hour and a half tourist ride for me and two Australians couples who accompanied me.  I grabbed for the co pilot's seat and they didn't seem to mind, since they wanted to sit together.  Without  the head phones on, the sound is deafening; you could ask questions to the pilot while he also gave out some information on the settings.  We flew four thousand feet up; amazed at the valley and the Knik Glacier presented a tremendous view.

  

Me in the co pilot seat

 While flying, I snapped several pictures.  One person commented on the photography and I remarked that you cannot take a bad picture.  Pictured below are two of my favorite shots of the Knik Glacier.  They are like abstract paintings but somewhat better I have to admit!

like a painting - glacier view from above 

another glacier study from above

wrapping around NYC

at the Metropolitan, New York City

This past week, I visited New York with a friend from my graduate school days from Long Beach, California.  We decided to stay in the city and focus the week on viewing art.  We did just that!  Our experiences ranged from exhaustion, delight and to extreme surprise; staying at the Jane Hotel reminded us that visiting New York was a feat if you wanted to do it on reasonable costs.  Our hotel room was barely a large closet with bunk beds and a bathroom to share (with how many others, we didn't want to know! You would tepidly visit the bathroom hoping you wouldn't see the other users.)  However, the shower was amazingly wonderful; the establishment gave you sweet robes, fresh water and the downstairs cafe hosted a substantial breakfast for a good cost.  We  decided that we would do this experience all over again.  

Roman sarcophagus, Metropolitan Museum, New York City

Above, was one of my favorite Roman sculptures.  This work of art is amazingly full, rich in detail and is exquisite to behold.  The city is crammed of wondrous adventures and eye candy of bustling life.   I find that when I experience the presence of antiquities, it is easier to examine these works than the raucous behavior of contemporary art.  These masterpieces are old and established.  I found myself dreading and at the same time loving visiting the modern art facilities.  Once at the contemporary art spaces though, I found myself diving into the void and by turning my psyche around, I would just let it wander.  It is a hard thing to do but I would compare it to a little bit like falling in love.  Try it.

Chakaia Booker's tire sculptures, Chelsea