Standing Into Danger: March 2019

Friday, March 22, 2019

You Can Keep Your Day Job

London, England is a wonderful city to explore.
No matter where you look, there is something interesting to see.
Many people come to experience its history,
rambling through time along its famous streets.

I find the city's skyline ever-changing and compelling,
a schizophrenic jumble of old and new.

Old and New

A tugboat pulls a barge under Cannon Street Railway Bridge

against a modern skyline

Thames River, London, United Kingdom

September 10, 2018

Sometimes, especially when dealing with historical overload,
it's fun to look around and watch people working and playing.

More New Than Old

Thames River, London, United Kingdom

September 10, 2018

As Terry and I walked along the Thames looking at the busy river,
my eyes were drawn to The Vase, a striking new skyscraper
that curves continuously. Its thousands of glass panels
reflect light from above and capture motion from below,
creating a dynamic and shimmering display
that changes with the interplay of sun and clouds and moon.

To preserve the gleam and sparkle and luster and glitter,
those thousands of glass panels have to be cleaned,
and that was the action that drew my eyes to One Blackfriars: The Vase.

Window Cleaners

One Blackfriars (The Vase)

London, United Kingdom

September 10, 2018

For those of us who struggle with acrophobia,
the sight of window cleaners dangling from the top of a skyscraper
can be a mesmerizing, palm-liquifying, and chilling event.

Cleaning Windows

One Blackfriars (The Vase)

London, United Kingdom

September 10, 2018

Whenever I see window cleaners suspended from a high-rise,
I come to a full stop, heart pounding, breath frozen.
I could not do it.

As someone who has been plucked sobbing and shaking
from trees, poles, fire lookout towers, cliffs, and skinny ridges,
it would take one powerful motivation to make me pick up a squeegee
and sky walk at One Blackfriars or any other structure:
life or death ~ maybe
one hundred million dollars ~ maybe.
I'd likely die of fright.

This is definitely not for me!
You can keep your day job.

Checking Lines Before the Drop

170 meters (558 feet)

One Blackfriars (The Vase)

London, United Kingdom

September 10, 2018

Would you sky walk with a squeegee?
What really scares you?

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Along the Waterfront

Brighton, England, UK

September, 2018

Note:

The modern glass-clad skyscrapers that have sprouted in London's skyline are not without controversy. One Blackfriars, nicknamed The Vase, joins other iconic buildings such as the Shard, Walkie Talkie, Cheesegrater, and Gherkin which rear above the lower layer of historical and contemporary structures.

One Blackfriars has been described with a range of adjectives from atrocious to monstrous and stunning to striking. It is less affectionately known as The Tummy. People love it or hate it. Count me among those who love it.

Ian Simpson is the architect who created the vision for One Blackfriars. His inspiration was a 1952 sculpture by Finnish artist Timo Sarpaneva, the asymmetrical Lansetti II Vase.

Sadly, the interior of the building is largely off-limits to the public. Its primary function is to provide exclusive and luxurious apartments for the super rich, and the public viewing platforms were essentially scrapped.

If I won a kabillion dollars in a lottery, I might be tempted to buy an apartment, despite my acrophobia. However I'd likely never summon the courage to walk into my private sky garden between the inner and outer layers of the building's double envelope facade.

metmuseum.org (Lansetti II Vase)

simpsonhaugh.com (Architects)

theb1m.com (Details and Schematics)

arabianknightonline.com (Building Details)

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of London, United Kingdom

Google Maps 2019

Location of London, United Kingdom

Google Maps 2019

Location of One Blackfriars (The Vase)

Google Maps 2019

One Blackfriars

London, United Kingdom

Google Maps 2019

Friday, March 15, 2019

Before the Blizzard: A Different Palette

Tuesday, March 12th brought our area welcome warmth from the winter cold,
even if the sun shone through broken clouds.

The thought of a coming blizzard pushed me outside
and into the open space along Piney Creek to enjoy the 62º F (16.6º C) weather.

Middle Pond along "My" Stretch of Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 12, 2019

Aside from the sky and water,
nature had painted the landscape with a palette of taupe.

Some people consider taupe a bland or dull color,
but to me it speaks of rest and regeneration:
a pause, a breathing space before bursting into action.

A Breathing Space along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Taupe is not a single color somewhere between brown and gray.

It is a continuum of colors from brownish gray to dark tan,

and can be tinged with rose, mauve, or sand.

A Pop of Rose Taupe in Sere Cottonwood Leaves

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

A Continuum of Taupes

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Taupe Tinged with Mauve and Sand

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

When I wander in this pale landscape, I relax.

Its soothing colors remind me that it's good to take a time out,

to forget about all the MustDos and ShouldDos that drive me daily,

to just be and roam peacefully,

to browse with my camera like winter deer on twigs, stems, and dry grasses.

A Deer Browses in the Open Space

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Twigs, Stems, and Dry Grasses

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Some may think the winter landscape is drab and dead,

but not me; it is a place of quiet wonder and beauty,

if one takes the time to look with curious eyes.

Life on the Edge ~ "My" Lower Pond

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Canada Geese on the Move

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Water Drop

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Taupes Blending in Taupes

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Taupes and Complementary Blues

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Winter Cottonwood Buds ~ A Promise of Spring

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Doves

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Ice Melting on "My" Upper Pond

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

A Winter Muley

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Corrugated Cottonwood Trunks

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Snowmelt along a Rivulet

(More Taupe, including the original color: that of the "average French mole")

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

A Stand of Cottonwood Trees

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

Fluffy Winter Bullrushes

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

A Portrait in Taupes

Along Piney Creek

March 12, 2019

No matter the time or season,

this beautiful and special open space restores my soul.

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Yours Truly
On the Bay of Fundy

Westport, Long Island, Nova Scotia

Notes:

1. The Original Taupe:

The word taupe is derived from the French noun for mole, and originally the color taupe referred

to the average color of the French mole (European mole or Talpa europaea). It wasn't until the

1940s that the color taupe began to include a variety of shades.

Wikipedia

The "French" Mole: Talpa europaea

Wikimedia

2. Some Shades of Taupe:

Source for color information and color chart: ColorPsychology.org (at site: click on gray in top bar)

Article Title: Taupe Color

Author: Dena Przybyla

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Aurora, Colorado, USA

Wikimedia

"My" Open Space Along Piney Creek

Where I Often Walk

Google

Aurora Open Space Along Piney Creek

Google

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Our Bomb Cyclone Blizzard: March 13, 2019

The wind has been rocketing along the sides of our home
and howling around its corners for over twelve hours,
driving horizontal snow before it.

We have experienced a "bomb cyclone" blizzard,
and some eight inches of snow has accumulated in Aurora.
Accumulated seems a misnomer though,
because the fierce winds have stripped some areas bare
and have swirled the snow around and around and around in the air.
Drifts are piling up in odd areas; and, of course in front of our garage door.

Terry watches out the window

as the blizzard moves in.

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 13, 2019

A blizzard is a snowstorm with winds of 35 miles/hour (56 kilometers/hour) or more,
and visibility reduced to 1/4 mile (0.40 kilometer) for at least three hours.

We had winds that blew steadily at 45 mph (72 kph)
and gusted to 60 mph (96 kph).
At Denver International Airport a few miles north of us,
the top wind gust recorded was 80 mph (128 kph).

Terry and I watched in amazement at the total whiteout conditions
that lasted well over an hour.
At other times during the blizzard, the snow would thin briefly,
and we could see a hundred yards or more (91 meters),
catching glimpses of ghostly conifers and indistinct houses.

Whiteout!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 13, 2019

We also watched in amazement, as winds ripped past our windows nonstop for hours,

and this one little sprig with four berries lying on our deck
never moved or disappeared in a drift of snow.
It's still out there now.

Tenacity

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 13, 2019

A bomb cyclone is a storm with rapidly plunging atmospheric pressure,
defined as a drop of 24 millibars (units of atmospheric pressure) in 24 hours or less.

According to a number of sources, including CNN,
our storm intensified explosively,
as the atmospheric pressure fell 33 millibars in some eighteen hours.
Usually these storms occur near large bodies of water like the Atlantic Ocean
and rarely in places like Colorado.

Burrr!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 13, 2019

While I spent time making baked beans and blueberry lemon bread,
working on a jigsaw puzzle, and running outside to take pictures,
Terry hung out close to the fireplace.

I Hate Winter!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 13, 2019

We're lucky because we spent the day in a warm house,
and we didn't lose our electricity or get stranded on a highway.
Others were not as fortunate.

Our Colorado State Patrol lost a trooper today
as he attempted to help a driver who had slid off the road.
Corporal Daniel H. Groves was stuck by by another car
and he died later in the hospital. cbslocal

The dedication and sacrifices of our first responders are remarkable,
and they should never be forgotten or taken for granted.

Snow begins to pile against our garage door.

Aurora, Colorado, USA

March 13, 2019

Wherever you are tonight, I hope you are safe and warm.
Hug your loved ones!

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

IWSG Day: Wednesday, March 6, 2019 ~ Protagonist or Antagonist?

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG founder Alex Cavanaugh are:
Beverly Stowe McClure, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and me: Fundy Blue!

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG that members can answer with advice, insight,
a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is:

Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? And why?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy IWSG Day, Everyone!
I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for spring!
We're in the middle of a deep freeze,
and I wish spring would hurry up and get here.
My Grandmother MacDonald always warned me not to wish my life away,
but here I am ignoring her again.
Only nine or ten weeks to go!

So Done with This!
Out My Front Door
Aurora, Colorado, USA

Winter 2016

So Ready for This!
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA

Spring 2017

Right now we're supposed to be in Honolulu, Hawaii,

but instead we are at home hanging out near the fireplace.

All our traveling in the past several years caught up with us,

and we had a pile of put-off-things to take care of.

We realized that life would be a whole lot calmer and less stressful,

if we hit pause and took care of things now instead of being even more crunched later.

I find myself going back and forth between feeling blue and feeling relieved.

Out with White and in with Green!
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA

Spring 2017

I'll be interested in reading fellow members' answers to this month's IWSG question.
I typically write non-fiction, and the work I'm focusing on currently is a memoir
with my father and myself as the main characters.
I consider us both flawed protagonists.
The longer I live, the more I see the world in shades of grey
and less in black and white.

I also have a novel in the works; and again,
I'm writing from the perspective of a flawed protagonist.
I'm fascinated by the internal struggle
between the light and the dark in a protagonist,
about the overcoming or the failure and why.

Longing for May Skies

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

Spring 2017

While we're taking making decisions and taking care of responsibilities
(not bad, just complicated),
I'm working on two other beneficial outcomes,
closing in on achieving several long-term health goals
and clearing my mind so I can work my way out of a quandary
I've encountered in writing my memoir.
Accomplishing these is worth the sacrifice of a trip to Honolulu.

At least I hope so!