Under the mistletoe

While driving to our destination in California earlier this year, friend, Kathleen, pointed out roundish clumps of vegetation entwined in the branches of tall trees. (Said trees were leafless because of the winter season.)

"Did you know these are mistletoe?" she asked. "You're kidding me!" I replied.

Truth be told, I've never given any thought to how mistletoe grows. I've only seen it in small round clumps during the holidays, usually packaged in plastic. I guess I figured it grew and was harvested from a mistletoe tree!

On our recent road trip in California, I saw mistletoe everywhere. As a result, I did a little bit of research....

Mistletoe is actually parasitic in nature. The seed is usually excreted onto a tree branch via a bird's droppings (said bird has eaten the fruit from a mistletoe). The seed germinates and gets its nutrition from the tree. Often considered a pest because it can destroy a tree, most often the branch must be removed from the tree to eradicate the mistletoe that is living rent free - a form of subsidized housing!

Mistletoe does have ecological value as its berries are fodder for birds as well as a protective habitat for nests. Furthermore, the leaves and twigs of the plant are used by herbalists for circulatory and respiratory system problems. Although clinical evidence does not support claims of anti cancer properties, actress Susan Somers used mistletoe extract in lieu of chemotherapy for treating her breast cancer.

So.... how the heck did parasitic mistletoe become a symbol for romance at Christmastime? Truth be told, no one is quite sure. European mistletoe figured predominately in Greek mythology. In pre-Christian cultures, mistletoe was seen as a representation of divine male essence (and thus romance, fertility and vitality). Quoting from Wikipedia, "When Christianity became widespread in Europe after the 3rd century AD, the religious or mystical respect for the mistletoe plant was integrated to an extent into the new religion. In some way that is not presently understood, this may have led to the widespread custom of kissing under the mistletoe plant during the Christmas season. The earliest documented case of kissing under the mistletoe dates from 16th century England, a custom that was apparently very popular at that time."

I'll never think of mistletoe as I once did. The thought of kissing under a parasite holds no romantic appeal to me!

Winter break

Needing to escape winter's gloom, Glynn and I embarked upon a road trip to Las Vegas via Death Valley National Park.

Once we hit the road, I quickly remembered why I love road trips: no hectic, early morning dash to the airport to board a crowded plane for a long flight to a destination still out of reach until one stands in a long line at a rental car agency, locates said rental car, and finally arrives exhausted at a hotel for the night. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

A thermos of tea, some healthy snacks, frequent potty breaks, books on tape (if needed), long periods of introspection punctured by intense conversation, all framed by fresh scenery skimming past our windows.

We choose the 'roads less traveled' and, in doing so, pass through quaint little towns and eat in local restaurants where we get a glimpse into the lives of the locals. And I love every minute of it.

This trip, we probably only bought eight houses in eight different towns! Perhaps because as a child we moved every few years, I get the itch to pick up and start over somewhere - anywhere. The country outside of Susanville, CA, Virginia City, NV, the gorgeous hill country of Tulare county, CA, Woodland, CA and spots north, and anywhere in southwest Oregon tickled my fancy.

It took us two long travel days to reach Death Valley. On the way there, we spotted this tree. I kid you not - it's out in the middle of nowhere yet it is adorned with scores of shoes.

We stopped at Mono Lake, one of the oldest lakes in northern America. Unusual formations in the water caught our eye. In fact at first Glynn exclaimed, "Look - icebergs!" Streams and rivers drain into this lake which has no outlet. The minerals and salts in the water build up over hundreds of thousands of years and form beautiful tufa towers. The water is twice as salty as ocean water, verified by my taste test.


Driving up steep terrain to 6,200 feet we stopped in Virginia City, Nevada for a quick look-see. Quick because we were wearing our warm weather clothes but were pelted by snow and hail before the sun finally came out. The town had many old victorian houses that had me both drooling and dreaming at the same time.

Prior to entering Death Valley we stayed in the little town of Bishop. A chilly 36 degree morning awaited us but look at this heartbreak blue sky!

The northern end of Death Valley has elevation on the positive side resulting in sparse foliage. In some places it reminds of the desert around the Tri City area in Washington where I lived for 8 years. It's extremely remote and it still boggles my mind that a millionaire would built a 'castle' for his wife in this rugged terrain during the roaring 20's. We toured opulent Scotty's castle and I must admit to wishing I were a guest of the Johnson's back in the late 1920's.

The southern section of Death Valley is gnarly. Surprisingly, we walked a boardwalk atop a stream of water and saw tiny fish, lizards and birds. It was in the mid 80's, breezy, and we were surrounded by a quiet that penetrates and resonates deep within.

The above photo is not a rock quarry! It depicts the almost lunar looking landscape of the valley.

Surprisingly, one finds color in Death Valley, a result of minerals in the rock.

source: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/locations/death-valley-2003.shtml

Because we did not want to run out of gas in a remote area of the park, we bought 4 gallons of gas in the park - it's all we could afford at this price!!!

The vast, surreal flats of Badwater Basin change constantly. The source of Badwater's salt is Death Valley's 9,000 square miles of drainage. Rain (yes, it does rain in Death Valley) causes floods which pick up minerals along the way before coming to rest here, the lowest elevation in the park: 282 below sea level. As the water evaporates, minerals concentrate until only the salt remains. These salt crystal formations are in a constant state of flux creating new chaotic forms.

source: www.leviimages.com

Leaving the park, we headed to Las Vegas for a self storage expo and a few days lounging in the sun poolside. Neither of us are huge gamblers, budgeting a mere shekel or two to play the slots. I'm proud to admit that although Las Vegas laid claim to Glynn's shekel, I managed to walk away from Sin City $20 richer. Woo-who!

Activities other than gambling abound in Las Vegas! Taking a drive through the Red Rocks west of town was amazingly beautiful. Who ever said that the desert is devoid of color has no imagination!




I won't bore you with my one photo of The Strip in Las Vegas. It was as crowded, loud, colorful, and overstimulating as ever. We chose to stay off the strip in a condo at a quiet resort without a casino. Sitting poolside each morning and afternoon with a book in hand, warm sun on body was most certainly the highlight of the whole trip!

Cooper loves bubbles

This weekend I set up a battery operated bubble making machine in my kitchen, much to Cooper's delight. By the time the bottle of bubbles was depleted, Cooper could hardly stand on the slippery floor! Although these pictures are blurry, they capture his expressions of joy.

Yes, this is a gigantic puddle of bubbles on my kitchen floor.

Here are the last pages of my first inspiration art journal - now complete.

What to do next?