Pythagoras and the Geometry of Gas

Sidewalk, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Pythagoras of Samos, the 6th century BCE Greek philosopher and mathematician, was a pretty clever fellow, even if he's the bane of the mathematically challenged. Pythagoras expanded Euclidean geometry, theorized on the transmigration of souls, and revolutionized thought on the mechanics of the universe. His genius beams across the ages. So it is not surprising that an employee from the Gas and Electric Company is apparently a practitioner of the Pythagorean System, a line of thinking which seeks to explain the geometric harmony of the heavenly spheres, as this scholarly diagram on a Charleston sidewalk so clearly demonstrates. Note the brilliant use of the term "gas" as a metaphor for swirling stars and planets. Observe with keen interest the position of the Sun and its neighboring planets, and their triangular relationship with one another. Simply amazing! Bravo gas person, Pythagoras would be proud!

Stuart Membery Blog

Well, we can all now keep up with my friend Stuart Membery as he has just started a blog! How exciting. Oh and our latest container of Stuart's furniture is now in store at Black & Spiro....just in time for Christmas. There are some lovely new pieces so make sure you pop in for a visit before it is all gone again!!

Click HERE to visit Stuart's blog...

xx

Anna

My world Tuesday.

This is my world today. Winter started with lots of snow. A bit early for this country.The kids will love it but we older people just worry about it.


 
For more my world photo´s go here.

The art of Stone Balancing

Real or Photoshopped?

Photo and Sculpture by Bill Dan©

The first time I saw this photo I really didn't know. I came across this photo a while back, it was posted on the web somewhere by someone, and a lot of the comments underneath it branded it a fake and put it down to photoshop trickery, as surely balancing stones like this is impossible? 

Well I wanted to believe it was real, but also needed some convincing. It was only after finding the creator of the photo Bill Dan and saw one of his You tube videos of him at work that it all became clear.

Photo and Sculpture by Bill Dan©

Bill Dan spends much of his time on the waterfront shoreline of San Francisco Bay, which offers ample opportunities for rock balancing. Large quantities of erosion control material called "stone riprap" have been placed to prevent storm and tidal damage. The perfect place for Bill to practice and demonstrate the amazing possibilities in the interactions between rock and gravity.
It is here that Bill developed, practiced, and continues to share the delightful, astonishing, and even inspirational sculptures he constructs with the varied forms and shapes available to him at the water's edge.

Bill Dan at work

Photo and Sculpture by Bill Dan©

Photo and Sculpture by Bill Dan©

Check out this video of Bill at work to see it for yourself

A little closer to home, artist Adrian Gray practices the art of stone balancing along one of the most famous and beautiful coastlines in the UK, the Jurasssic Coastline of Dorset.
Adrian also combines the art of stone balancing with the art of photography, creating enchanting photo prints for people to purchase from his website.
 

Photo by Adrian Gray © (prints available from his website)

As if the stone sculptures were not amazing enough, Adrian also brings various moods in his prints, by incorporating things like movement and lighting.

Photo by Adrian Gray © (prints available from his website) 

All the stones in these pictures are balanced, strictly without the aid of adhesive, pins or computer manipulation. They remain in place through the natural force of gravity and friction. ‘Nature’s glue’ sustains them in these seemingly impossible positions and it is the capricious natural forces of wind or waves that returns them to obscurity amongst their fellow boulders.

Adrian Gray

Photo by Adrian Gray © (prints available from his website)

Photo by Adrian Gray © (prints available from his website)

Photo by Adrian Gray © (prints available from his website)

Photo by Adrian Gray © (prints available from his website)

Check out the video below to see Adrian talk about his work

 Thanks to both Bill Dan and Adrian Gray for their kind permission to use their photos and videos for this post.

Blue Angel

Angel Oak, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok

It would be an understatement to say this old live oak has witnessed much change in the world during its time. Ancient beyond what many can imagine, the Angel Oak is estimated to exceed 1400 years in age. It was just a seedling when the Chinese were perfecting the water clock and the Great Wall was STILL under construction! Europe was entrenched in the Dark Ages. Not only was there no Facebook, no internet, no computers, there was no electricity! There was no France yet, and no French cuisine! In the tropical rainforests of Central America, the Mayas were building pyramids and inscribing calenders in stone. North America was largely wilderness, with no NASCAR, no football, and, dare it be said, no shopping malls! And the whole concept of Lady Gaga was simply inconceivable! Go figure!

(Photography note: The Angel Oak is not normally blue. It's certainly very green. I just added a little filtration to match the introspective mood of that day. Local lore relates that the spirits of slaves would gather around the tree and appear as angels, which I envisioned happening during the nebulous moment between day and night).

From the Archives - A Zen Koan

Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon
All Photos  © Doug Hickok

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

Parties Flowers & Installations

I think that summer wind may have swept me away last week. I just realised that I haven't posted since last Monday. It is amazing how time flies. This week has seen the installation of a few gorgeous pre-Christmas jobs, Harry's school Christmas pageant, a friends surprise 40th Birthday party and a summer garden dinner party which Brad and I hosted at our home last night with a few of my lovely clients and friends.

I filled the house with fresh flowers including my first Peonies for the season.

The garden looked so lovely and green. I'm so glad the drought is over here for now.

I also filled the house and verandahs with lots of candles. I must thank my friend Stuart Membery for organsing a rush delivery of the oval rattan placemats from Indonesia and also to Brad's dad for painting them for me in that pretty green which I chose to go with the napkins and cushions on the chairs. We had such a lovely night. I think it was the beginning of the festive/party season as Brad and I have a few more exciting parties to attend this week...Christmas really is such a wonderful time of year!!

PS. I promise I won't let that summer wind sweep me away this week!!

xx

Anna

And Quiet Flows the Dawn

Ashley River, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

A peaceful morning in our lovely low-lying country. A little tidbit of local history is called upon I think. The Ashley River was named after 17th century English politician Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, who was one of the Lords Proprietors of the newly formed Province of Carolina. He was also the patron of philosopher John Locke, who everyone knows eventually went on to play an infamous role in the TV series LOST, sans powdered wig.

Weekend reflections.

Weekend reflections is hosted by James from NewTown Area Photo 

Just another picture I made a few weeks ago visiting friends.

Wagging the Camera

 Maple Tree , Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

With the beautiful autumn foliage peaking in Charleston, I thought I'd try portraying the warm colors with a photography technique I call "wagging the camera". This is setting a slow shutter speed for a long exposure and generally moving the camera around in front of the subject, in this case, a red maple in my front yard. You can try this technique with an assortment of subjects, such as shiny things, colorful things, brightly lit things, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concert #3, hydroplaning tractor trailer trucks, Buckminster Fuller's t-square, pumpkin pecan pie, the stupas of Katmandu, bodkins, wadis, Vulcan's hammer, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, oblivion, Glaucous-winged Gulls, David Bowie's hairdo, regular-looking things, ziggurats, pseudo-intellectuals, Iman, stampeding herds of duck-billed platypuses, kazoos, page 62 from Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, the killer white bunny from Monte Python and the Holy Grail, shrubbery, self-propelling lawnmowers, perplexing stuff, Leonardo da Vinci's 
Vitruvian Man, immovable objects, The Eleusinian Mysteries (may be too obscure for most including myself), Red Hot Chili Peppers, psychedelic rock, Manifest Destiny, Inspector Clouseau's mustache, and silly run-on sentences. This is of course just the short list of suggested material. I'll post the long list another day. (My apologies, the font size seems to be weakening from the weight of too much nonsense).

Skywatch Friday.

A few hours ago I saw this beautiful sky. THe sun trying to peep through the clouds. Worth photographing for Skywatch Friday http://skyley.blogspot.com/ 

From the Archives - Happy Thanksgiving from the Caesars

Ruins of the Temple of Saturn, Roman Forum, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok



It may seem a stretch of the imagination to say the Caesars of Ancient Rome had significant influence on our modern day Thanksgivings. But it was here in the Roman Forum, along the Via Sacra, where the conquering Caesars famously held their triumphal processions, spectacles that often featured captives, hoards of treasure, marching bands and colorful floats. It was here the Caesars famously ate their salads topped with dressing and croutons. It was here the Caesars (especially the little Caesars) famously held their feasts of the pepperoni pizzas. It was such places as this where gastronomic reputations were born. Was not the esteemed warrior-philosopher, Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, renown for his fondness for pizza pies with extra cheese?
So it follows logically to conclude the Caesars had an indisputable influence on the way we celebrate today's holiday feast. After all, we do watch our parades, we do enjoy our salads and our dressings. And who doesn't love gobbling-up pizzas for Thanksgiving? Duh.

The Shocking Truth About Yuccas

3 Yuccas, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok

There hasn't been much in the headlines lately about yuccas, so you're probably wondering why that is. Could it be there's a media blackout, a government cover-up, a yucca conspiracy in the making? Is what "they" know about yuccas too unnerving for us to hear? So dangerous for the public that yucca knowledge must be hidden?
Well, I have the inside scoop, and believe now is the moment to reveal the shocking truth about yuccas. After all, someone must rise to the occasion... Yuccas actually belong to the lily family, Liliaceae (WHAT!?). Yes, furthermore, the cup-like flowers open at night but aren't particularly fragrant (NO WAY, GET OUT!). It's a fact. And to make matters worse, the southeastern species, Aloe Yucca, yucca aloifolia, grows as tall as 25 feet! (SAY NO MORE, SAY NO MORE!).
Good citizens, it's time to revolt against the cover-up! Spread the word. The shocking truth about yuccas must be told!
To learn more, visit www.yuccamania.com ( Please note, Yuccamania should not be confused with any small Eastern European nations).
Also, coming soon to a city near you, Yuccapalooza!

Outdoor Wednesday.

 

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan from “Ä Southern Daydreamer”

The weather forecast says snow for this week so here some of the last fall pictures. Winter is coming here.

                                                      For more beautiful outdoor pictures go here: http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

A True Charleston Ghost Story

Market Hall, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Charleston has more than its share of ghost stories, but few are more curious than that of the Bicycle Taxi ghost. The tale begins like this...

While peddling across the Meeting and Market streets intersection, a speeding bicycle taxi suddenly collided with Firefly, a large, lumbering circus elephant, who had slipped on a banana peel while dodging a piano plummeting from the sky. The scene was a dreadful sight.
 Several bystanders claimed to have actually witnessed the ghost of the Bicycle Taxi departing into the spirit world.

As with many ghost stories, some suspension of disbelief is necessary, but I am told this tale really is true. If you're observant, it's not uncommon to see this unfortunate soul from time to time, especially at night in the haunts around Market Hall.

So don't be alarmed if you see a ghost. Do be alarmed if you see an elephant.

A Great Morning for a Bike Ride

Ravenel Bridge, Mt Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok

Another beautiful sunrise on the Ravenel Bridge. Where else can you have such a string of marvelous weather but in the Lowcountry in autumn? When I lived in Iceland for a year we had a warm day once. Well, almost warm. More like lukewarm. Yes, that's it. We had a tepid day, once. But we still had to wear our mukluks.

The Summer Wind

Yesterday at home whilst enjoying the company of family, the first hint of a summer wind stopped me in my tracks. It's that warm summery wind that reminds me of happy times at the beach or by the pool on holidays with family and friends. I also think of Frank crooning in the moonlight...

The summer wind, came blowin' in from across the sea

It lingered there, to touch your hair and walk with me

All summer long, we sang a song and then we strolled that golden sand

Two sweethearts and the summer wind

Like painted kites, those days and nights they went flyin' by

The world was new, beneath a blue umbrella sky

Then softer than, a piper man, one day it called to you

I lost you, I lost you to the summer wind

The autumn wind, and the winter winds they have come and gone

And still these days, those lonely days they go on and on

And guess who sighs his lullabies through nights that never end

My fickle friend, the summer wind

The summer wind, warm summer wind, the summer wind

I'll leave you to ponder that and some beautiful images to remind us of the beautiful summer days which lay ahead.

image credits -