220,000,000 Year Old Fossil

We were invited by Dr. Spencer Lucas, Curator of the New Mexico Natural History Museum to join a dig in northern New Mexico as they uncovered and field jacketed several 220,000,000 year old fossils. We were joined by three other volunteers. Randy, a Junior High language arts and English literature teacher from Albuquerque, Christoph and his daughter Nadine, both from Switzerland on sabbatical in Albuquerque. We were led by Larry Rinehart a field geologist with the museum.

Field jacketing is a unique process to safely transport the fossils from the field to the museum. The process begins with uncovering the fossil from the surrounding rocks. See Pamela in the first photo above and photo below.

Paper, burlap, and plaster create a safe jacket. The fossil is first web and telephone book pages are laid down and wet. Then plaster soaked burlap is laid on top of the paper.

Once the plaster is hard the jacket is labeled and the compass heading is added.

The jacket below was just started. Over the next several days they will add timbers and more plaster to help them lift the nearly ton of rock and fossil.

Dental tools, tweezers, and superglue, some the the tools of geologist.

We had a great time, learned alot, and want to thank everyone for making this a special day. -L

Update: After five attempts to have the photos post correctly, I think they work now, -L

Last Walk Around Santa Fe

I spent the afternoon walking around Santa Fe visiting the a few of my favorite galleries and took a few photos my new Leica. I dropped into Ward Russell Photography and had a nice chat with the photographer.

Ward was a Hollywood cinematographer for many years prior to moving to Santa Fe to pursue his personal photography passion.

I also dropped into Monroe Gallery of Photography was exhibiting Mark Shaw's photographs. The Andrew Smith Gallery which we missed on our first visit has moved into a lovely location near the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

My favorite was Lisa Kristine Gallery, she is one of the great humanitarian photographers. Visit her website to see her exquisite vision. -L

Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe

Almost every day during the Screenwriting Conference we drove to Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe for the unique healthy cuisine.

This eclectic chai house, bakery, vegan and gluten-free restaurant had little curtain-enclosed rooms and a most wonderful atmosphere. Each day a new special captured our attention and satisfied our curiosity and our appetites. -L

Screenwriting Conference in Santa Fe

We have spent the last six days at Screenwriting Conference in Santa Fe, with over a hundred fellow screenwriters. The six days were filled with lectures, networking, and pitches. Though it is substantially smaller than the Screenwriting Expo in LA, we made many new friends and connected with fellow students from UCLA. The Conference was hosted at the The Lodge at Sante Fe.

The workshops were small and allowed us both to find new inspiration to finish our current screenplays. The instructors are working screenwriters and professors from UCLA and UNC.

The first day started with a Bacci Ball tournament and we lost our first game and won the next two to finish first among the losers. The field shown below was astro-turf and the fast surface added to the challenge and excitement. A fun time was had by all.

During one of the breaks I walked around to take a few photos.

Next week we participate in a Triassic fossil dig with the NM Museum of Natural History. Until then... -L

Fade In Party

May 26, 2009 We were especially excited to find the face belonging to the name Hallie, a little firecracker from Louisiana.

Later on: music, mingling, the usual networking, but we landed a few good scribes to laugh with and learn about: Pete (to my right), Hallie (to Lloyd's right) and Bill (far right). All three pitched their screenplay ideas to producers and enjoyed a range of success.

-P

Wonderful Light

The clouds separated and a sun shone through a hole in the sky.

The campground is located a few miles from downtown and several large olive trees separate the site. When the wind blows the scent of the olive tree fills the air.

A short while later the storm clouds disappeared and the light glistened in the olive leaves. -L

Mesa Verde Vistas in Colorado

May 15, 2009 Mesa Verde means "Green Table".

Here are a few Mesa Verde table tops, vistas and canyons for your viewing pleasure:

Up next, Mesa Verde National Park and its Ancestral Puebloen cliff dwellings.

-P

Hopper at Harwood

May 9, 2009 As part of the Taos "Summer of Love", Dennis Hopper curates an exhibition at Harwood Museum of Art on the  40th anniversary of "Easy Rider", a landmark counterculture film that explores the social landscape of the 1960s. The artists: Larry Bell, Ron Cooper, Ronald Davis, Ken Price And Robert Dean Stockwell and, of course, Hopper.

Larry Bell:

Lloyd peruses Dennis Hopper's paintings and mixed media pieces (one includes three antique mannequin heads):

Dennis Hopper:

The Hopper at Harwood exhibit continues to September 20, 2009 and the Summer of Love continues through September with a calendar full of art, music, dance and film.

-P

Heartbeats in a Drum

May 8, 2009 Taos Arts & Crafts Fair at Kit Carson Park.

We couldn't resist the pottery so came home with two soup mugs, a garlic keeper, a wee pitcher, and what we're calling "the partridge" a little rotund pourer originally designed for soya sauce, but which might suit olive oil - we now admit we bought it as much for its cuteness than its function. We did, however, resist the jewelry, indian arts, clothing and much more.

The resounding experience, however, was meeting Lynn of Sweet Medicine Drums. She told us the story of the drummed heart beat, how we are all tuned into that sound since the womb, how the heartbeat has healing power - it prompts us to grow. She says we have an inherent need for rhythm in our lives.

Research is underway to explore how drummed rhythms can change brainwave patterns and reduce stress. Also, drumming is now part of treatment for some Alzheimers patients as well as autistic children, the emotionally disturbed and even employees of large corporations (I think the last two go together more than we think) to improve focus and morale.

Lynn learned her drumming ways from an old Hopi medicine woman and personally knows two people who came out of comas during drumming.

Notable: Lynn implored us to spend some time at Ojo Caliente Springs. That was the third, unprompted suggestion within 24 hours where someone suggested we go there - a fourth, unprompted mention followed within the hour. A definition of rhythm: a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. Makes me wonder...

We later kept time with the rhythms of Julian Priester, Larry Vuckovich, John Heard, Hadley Caliman, and Eddie Marshall at The Legends of Jazz concert at El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa.

-P

The Enchanted Circle

May 8, 2009 The Enchanted Circle is an 85 mile drive in New Mexico. The route circles Mount Wheeler which has the highest peak in New Mexico Sangre de Cristo Mountains, part of the Rocky Mountains range. Summits reach 13,000+ feet.

After a visit to the D H Lawrence Ranch (posted separately), we stopped in Red River for americanos, a cinnamon roll and mountain air.

Snow patches clung to ski runs. Can you believe my luck? The humming bird at the feeder...

And one more view looking back at Red River and it's spruce and leafless aspen.

Spectacular scenery the entire way: mountains, meadows, lakes, rivers, forests...

-P