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Super Wet July

Posted in Absurd, animals, art and environment, Art and Nature, Artist at Exit 0, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, flip-flops, found materials, lost sandals, material culture, nature photography, Ohio River, Ohio River flooding, Originality, Photograpy, public art, recycled art, repurposed materials, sense of place, watershed, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, Asian carp, day lilies, Falls of the Ohio, Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center, flooding along the Ohio River, mud flower, nature, photography, sense of place, snapping turtle, story telling on July 19, 2015| 2 Comments »

I’ve been to the river three times this month, but this is my first post for July! Where to begin? It’s been eventful in so many ways. First, the hard drive of my computer crashed which put me out of business for a few weeks. All the while this was being dealt with…the river has been high due to what seems like at times, monsoon-intensity rains. Not light, gentle rains, but strong storms that dump inches of rain at one time and are often accompanied by high winds. I suspect that this year’s June and July will be among the wettest combos recorded around here. There has been tragedy too. Five people lost their lives in a boating accident while watching the 4th of July fireworks display in front of downtown Louisville. The river was especially high and fast flowing when their pontoon boat struck a parked barge sending people into the water. It took several days to recover the bodies. We may think that we can manage the river through levies and dams, but nature often has other ideas. Where is all this water coming from and can be this be further evidence of the planet’s changing climate? When I see before and after pictures of what were former glaciers or images of huge ice shelves breaking off of Antarctica…that fresh water goes somewhere right? Seems there is a lot of moisture being drawn up into the atmosphere which then precipitates out over the land. Too bad it doesn’t seem to be going where it is needed the most.

For the moment, all my usual haunts at the Falls of the Ohio are under water. Usually during this time of year, the fossil beds are at their most extensively exposed. I love being able to walk over the fossil beds which makes me feel like I’m on another planet. Once the water recedes, there will be a newly rearranged landscape to explore along with its attendant material culture that gets left behind. This is how I obtain my art supplies.

This is a view along the Fixed Wier Dam and Upper Tainter Gates in the eastern section of the park. The water level had been higher and is in the process of going down a bit. I noticed fish activity and was surprised to see Asian carp congregating in the swirling, muddy water.

About midway down you can see a carp that is doing its own impression of a salmon going upstream. Let’s zoom in for a closer look.

Here are a few more details of fish jumping. I was surprised that my cellphone camera was able to catch this action. Some of the fish I observed were very large. I would estimate the largest ones I saw were plus 50 pounds.

And here is one more image catching a fish in mid air.

There are a couple of species of Asian carp and they are all highly invasive and non-native. To see these fish jumping to overcome obstacles on their way upriver shows how determined they can be. These fish feed on algae and other tiny water organisms. They out compete native species and are highly prolific. Extensive campaigns have been launched to control or eradicate these fish with limited results. The big fear is that they will make their way into the Great Lakes were they pose a huge issue for that fishery. In Western Kentucky, at Land Between the Lakes, a commercial fishery has been created to harvest these carp by netting them. Because they eat tiny micro organisms, they can not be taken by rod and reel unless you happen to snag one by accident. The goal is to create a commercial demand for its flesh and apparently they are a coveted food item in China. Although a demand for these carp may be created…they are also in our waters for good now. The fish I photographed are on their way to Cincinnati and points northward along the Ohio River and all its tributaries and streams that feed this great river. Carp were not the only creatures around on this day. Check out this guy!

Walking along the edge of the flooding, I came across this large, Common Snapping Turtle that was bulldozing its way to the river. It emerged from underneath some high weeds and was unaware of me at first. As I came closer, it started to pull its head underneath its shell as much as it could while raising up on its legs to appear even more menacing and large. This big turtle did hiss and lunge for me a few times and after a couple snapshots…I left it alone. This turtle was large enough to remove a finger if that unfortunate person should offer it. Although it moved slowly for the most part, it did have the ability to strike quickly and its neck could reach out further than you may have anticipated! I have found dead snappers at the Falls before that were washed into here by flooding or were caught and killed by fisherman. This is the first live one I have seen here and it was a beauty! Being confined to the margins of the swollen river did have some benefits. I came across two remarkable flowers that I would like to present. Here is the first one I discovered on the Fourth of July.

This is the first of two Giant Mud Flowers (from the genus Siltana) that I have discovered at the Falls of the Ohio. They are large perennials that appear only when the conditions are just right. Apparently, all the flooding we have experienced along the river has proven ideal for this rare bloom. This flower sports large, fleshy “petals” that are organized around a central core that emerges first from the soil. No leaves are visible and much is unknown about this rare plant. It is believed that after blooming, the Mud Flower puts its remaining energies into producing a single, round seed about the size of a golf ball. Attempts to grow this plant under controlled conditions have thus far proven to be unsuccessful. Here is a different flower which may or may not be a related species?

This specimen was found during mid month in a different section of the park. On the surface, it compares well with the preceding example. Noticeably, the thick petals are of different colors and the central core is a different structure. Botanists may eventually determine that these two Giant Mud Flowers are related, but different species too. Much is needing to unlock the key to how this species survives and whether there are any pollinating agents involved at all? I am going to end today’s trip with one more flower photograph. This was taken in front of the still renovating Interpretive Center. There is a wonderful day lily garden here with many different varieties. The center is hoping to be back open to the public come this fall. I want to thank park director, Kelley Morgan for inviting me to talk during their volunteer appreciation dinner. I loved being in a room full of left brained people who must have thought where did this “odd duck” came from? Everyone was very nice and interested in what I do which admittedly, deviates from the norm! What I like is that however we view and use the park…we all have a passion for this very special place. Here’s hoping my next post will occur under dryer circumstances!

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Ice Blossom Ornaments

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Originality, recycled art, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, baubles, beach glass, Craft, Falls of the Ohio, holiday craft project, holiday ornaments, make your own Christmas tree ornaments, nature photography, photography, recycled art, recycled materials, Styrofoam on December 31, 2014| 18 Comments »

I hope all of you out in blogland are having a great holiday season. My own family has enjoyed having the additional time to connect with folks we don’t see often enough. Today is the last day of the year. With no pressing commitments scheduled for today, I thought I would squeeze in one final post before the ball drops later tonight. You may be wondering what an image of a hand holding river polished and frosted bottle glass has to do with anything? Well, that’s the subject of this craftier than usual post. Every year I enjoy sending out original holiday cards and other “stuff” I make and gift from river junk. This year in addition to the cards (which featured the Christmas Bird of previous post fame), I created more of my “Ice Blossom Ornaments”. Friends who were the recipients of these “river treasures” assured me they were blog worthy. We shall see about that.

To make an “Ice Blossom Ornament” you need a bit more than broken glass found at the river or beach…you also need a body or form to attach the shards to. In this case, I like using the Styrofoam fishing floats I find and ironically polystyrene balls that are the remains of former Christmas tree ornaments that have washed into the park. I have seen a few of these original ornaments in various states of decomposition and they are usually covered with a shiny fabric that is glued to the ball. I prefer the balls that have lost their covering. When placement of the glass pieces has been decided, you cut into the ball form using a sharp Exacto knife. The hole I create is traced around the glass shape that I will embed into the ball A drop of glue holds the glass in place. I love using this river-collected glass because all the sharp edges have been worn away and I like the “frosted” surface created from abrasion with the sand and water. The same natural processes that tumble the Styrofoam and coal I use, also works its magic on glass. Even with something as trifling as these ornaments, I like that nature had a “collaborative role” in their making. The ornaments are finished off with the addition of found wire or waste fishing line and the occasional found piece of hardware. Here are some finished examples.

The next two pieces are a little larger and utilize bigger glass fragments. Some of these larger ornaments reference seed pods and marine forms like urchins.

This year I added polished coal to the list of materials used. Coal is after all, stored energy from the sun and suits the “star” image. Also, at the heart of every living star is a potential black hole and this ornament has that going for it as well.

The original ideas behind the “Ice Blossoms” comes from the 2009/10 holiday season. It was an important element in a story I wrote about the very rare migration of the Arctic Hummingbird (Styrotrochildae polystyrenus). When the conditions are just right, the very unusual Arctic Hummingbird times its appearance with the emergence of the Ice Blossom flower. The hummers seek out the concentrated energy found in the Ice Blossom’s nectar. I just happened to be lucky enough to be at the Falls of the Ohio when the Ice Blossoms were in bloom. Here’s an image I captured showing the relationship between the bird and flower.

Later I created another series of ornaments that I used to decorate the trees and vines at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Some of these images were later incorporated into my Christmas cards.

I liked the idea of ornaments in nature and still feel some of the trees in the park are just as worthy of decoration as the trees we set up for the holidays. Regardless, the next time you find yourself around beach glass and Styrofoam…here’s an idea you can try to reuse both materials. Happy New Year everybody…see you in 2015.

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The Shark Shepherd

Posted in Absurd, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged Art, art and the environment, artist at exit 0, beaver tracks, driftwood, ecostory, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, marine ecosystems, nature, photography, repurposed art, sculpture, sense of place, shark fin soup, sharks, story telling, Styrofoam art, the disappearance of sharks, willow sticks on December 9, 2014| 10 Comments »

The following is my latest adventure from the Falls of the Ohio State Park. It’s official now, the month of November was among our top ten coldest Novembers ever recorded. This continues a see-saw trend where one month might set a record for heat (like October did) only to bounce back down to the other extreme. It’s too early to tell about December, but on this recent visit it was cool and overcast. We have since had several days of rain causing the river to swell. Today’s story begins at the westernmost point on the Woodland Loop Trail. This path is bordered by what folks around here refer to as a “creek”, but in actuality is a channel cut into the riverbank by storm water overflow released from the town of Clarksville. I wish it were a creek and perhaps long ago, may have been one. During periods of flooding and high water, driftwood and logs back up into this area and are stranded once the water level recedes. The picture above is a recent illustration of this.

I was exploring this water-cut channel and noticed that there were lots of beaver signs present. In addition to their tracks left in the mud, I found plenty of chewed willow branches. I added some of the nicer sticks to my collecting bag. It made me think about how much the appearance of the black willow trees around here are shaped by the beaver’s “pruning” methods. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me before…perhaps it was just too obvious. Actually, I think it has something to do with the beaver population rebounding over the last few years. In certain local places, they have become “pests”. Their damning of local drainage canals has necessitated their capture and removal to other more remote areas.

Exploring a bend on the Woodland Loop Trail, I found this deer skull laying upside down on the fallen leaves. It was kind of hard to see, but something in the old brain said to look more closely and I did. After taking a few photographs, I laid it upon the trunk of a large fallen tree for others to discover. Like the beaver, it appears the deer are becoming more numerous as well. After years of finding just their tracks and the occasional bone, this season I was able to spot a doe and her fawn in the park during broad daylight.

I walked to the top of the riverbank to get a better look at the peninsula that has been created at the mouth of the “creek” from the storm sewer’s overflow. Over the years, I have witnessed stringers of sauger and catfish being caught here by the local fishermen. I like how the rising and falling of the river has terraced the mud into a series of graduated steps. I was relaxed and zoning out on the view when I noticed something white that had surfaced and was entering the “creek”. I quickly took a photo and here it is.

I scrambled down the riverbank to get a better view and got my clothes severely muddy in the process. In my head I’m telling myself that for all the world this looks like a shark’s dorsal fin…but is this possible? I remember hearing that there are a few shark species (notably bull sharks) that are capable of swimming up rivers and able to tolerate being in fresh water for extended periods of time. Still, we are a long way from the ocean which also includes navigating a large section of the Mississippi River before entering into the Ohio River… just to reach this spot. I observed the fin submerging as it disappeared from view. Hustling, I reached the general location where I thought the fin was heading and was “blown away” by this sight!

Emerging from the muddy water was this white figure sporting an improbable headdress or mask? The figure was carrying a staff and appeared to have fins on its body similar to a shark. I let this fellow come fully out of the water before my curiosity overwhelmed me and I went in for a closer look.

This strange being did not seem to be afraid of me and regarded me through his dark eyes. His face was framed by what looked like the jaws, teeth, and the head of a shark. My attention kept returning to the fearsome mask it was wearing which I surmised might be a part of some breathing apparatus? A yellow light on its chest would occasionally blink signaling some other unfamiliar technology was present. The staff the figure was holding was terminated by a hand pointing a finger which reinforced the stranger’s mysterious presence.

Using its staff, I watched as the figure drew the outlines of several sharks in the soft mud and then pointed to one of his eyes. He followed this by making a sweeping movement with his arm that seemed to encompass the river and its surrounding landscape. It took me a moment, but I think it asked me if I had seen any sharks in the area? Reflexively, I replied by shaking my head “no” which the figure seemed to understand by dropping his head and shoulders in a disconsolate manner? That’s when I had this mental flash that this guy was a shepherd, a shark shepherd and he was looking for his lost flock? From here on out, I will refer to him as the Shark Shepherd. He next stuck his staff into the mud and walked away from it. I decided to tag along to see if I could learn anything else about my new silent friend.

The Shark Shepherd seemed to have a curiosity about our world. I observed as he approached an improvised tent that someone had set up among the trees. It’s owner(s), however, were not around, but it didn’t seem abandoned in my eyes. Probably made by fishermen and there seemed to be several trying their luck along the riverbank on this windy day. I too have a curiosity about the world and after my encounter with the Shark Shepherd ended…I rushed home to try to figure out what he was doing here so far from the sea? Using the miracle of the internet, I learned a few alarming facts about shark disappearances worldwide.

On average, between 20 million to 73 million sharks a year are taken out of marine ecosystems across the planet. Most of the statistics mentioned the higher number…regardless, that’s too many sharks. Sharks are “harvested” for their fins, cartilage, and teeth. The boom in popularity for shark fin soup has led to an insidious practice where millions of sharks are harvested and often indiscriminately by using thousands of hooks set on miles of trailing “longlines”. Sharks are a valuable bycatch. The captured sharks (which are often caught alive) have their fins cut off and are frequently thrown back into the seas to die in agony. It’s a lucrative business because this was once a delicacy and status symbol reserved for the wealthy back in the day when sharks were harder and more challenging to catch. Now it is within the reach of more people. Through industrialized commercial fishing, millions of mostly Asian consumers can have a bowl of shark fin soup on special occasions. Interestingly, the soup itself needs to be flavored with beef or chicken stock because the fins themselves are a textural element and contribute no flavor of their own. Of course, a bowl of soup is not the only challenge sharks face. Commercial sports fishing, pollution, reef destruction, and overfishing of the shark’s prey base play their part as well.

In the United States, large sharks have disappeared from the Gulf of Mexico. I think this is the reason the Shark Shepherd was this far inland. Along our Atlantic Coast, it has been reported that eleven of the largest shark species have essentially vanished. This has important repercussions for the overall marine environment. You can’t remove this many apex predators from an ecosystem and expect it to function normally. There are cascading effects. A recent study attributes the decline in our East Coast scallop industry is due to the loss of sharks that normally would keep cownosed rays and sting rays who eat scallops in check.

I followed the Shark Shepherd as he explored the area around the newly closed Interpretive Center. There were people around and they did exhibit interest in my friend, but were generally respectful for what was going on. A few folks asked if they could take pictures of the Shark Shepherd and he obliged them. During my internet research, I did find it fascinating that there are places like American Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, and the island nation of Palau where sharks are protected. Interestingly, these are all places in the Pacific Ocean where people regard the shark as a culturally and spiritually significant animal. These Polynesian cultures understand that their very identities are connected with sharks. The same, however, can’t be said for the rest of the world who regard sharks as nuisances and or threats. Better to view something with reverence than through fear.

The Shark Shepherd climbed the staircase to gain a better vantage point overlooking the river. I watched him scan the waters, but only an occasional fishing boat presented itself. If he was looking for sharks, well, there probably hasn’t been any here for about 400 million years when this area was a Devonian Age coral reef. I could feel the poignancy of the Shark Shepherd’s search as it failed to bear fruit. After a short while, we reversed our course and retraced our steps. The Shark Shepherd gathered his staff and walked back into the creek where after acknowledging me with one last look back…disappeared into the Ohio River. Although I realized that I would not see him again, I couldn’t help but hope that he and his sharks wouldn’t disappear forever from the oceans of the world.

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Jimmy D. from Clarksville, IN

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, Ohio River, Originality, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, Clarksville IN, conversation, ecostory, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Jeffboat, Jeffersonville IN, LST, nature, photography, plastic, recycled art, river story, sense of place, story telling, Styrofoam on September 12, 2014| 14 Comments »

It’s a fresh month at the Falls of the Ohio. Today has opened up on the cloudy side and there is a slight chance for rain…but I’m going to risk it anyway. The lure of the river is too strong and I’m looking forward to exploring the western fringes of the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Stray migrating Monarch butterflies pass by me and the loosestrife flowers are still in bloom. I can tell the inevitable changing of the seasons is near. Already I can detect a slight yellowing occurring in the canopies of the willow and cottonwood trees. In a few weeks, all these leaves will be on the ground and ready to become recycled by and for life.

I’m walking along the shoreline which is a mix of limestone rocks and sandy/muddy beaches. Mostly I’m being engaged by my own thoughts which change quickly like the reflections on the water. I was so preoccupied by my own surrender to nature that I did not immediately notice the elderly gentleman sitting on a nearby log. With a motion of his arm, the figure said to me in a clear voice, “It’s alright my man, I saw you coming down the beach. Wonderful day to be alive isn’t it?” I replied something affirmative and instinctively walked towards him.

“Now that I’m retired…I like to come out here and sit by the river. Can’t think of a better place to have my morning tea and breathe deeply,” said the old man. I admit to being intrigued by him and I’ll bet he’s a real character too. I also sensed a kindred spirit since he was doing essentially the same thing as me, namely hanging out by the river. I asked where he was from and with a nod over his shoulder, he said:

“My friends call me Jimmy D. on account of my bulbous nose. I don’t expect someone as young as you would remember the entertainer Jimmy Durante?” I told him I had heard the name before, but it really was before my time. Jimmy D. then said, “I’m a life-long resident of Clarksville, Indiana. You know, that little town beyond the giant berm behind us? I was just a boy in 1937 when the whole town disappeared under twelve feet of Ohio River flooding. My family and I spent about a month with kin in Indianapolis before we could move back and start over. They had to rebuild the whole place because it’s just too historically important…you know, we date back to 1783 and we’re the oldest settlement in the Northwest Territory?”

I agreed that is indeed a great distinction and one I noticed being touted on several signs in the local parks. I then gave Jimmy D. my particulars which included my name, being an artist, and living across the river in Louisville. I then said, “Jimmy, I guess that makes us Metro neighbors.”

I decided that I had a few minutes to get to know Jimmy better. When I make my excursions to the river…I try (not always successfully) to not rush things and be in a hurry. I will confess, thinking about time and the nature of time has become a preoccupation with me of late. I see so many people rushing around and I wonder what’s so important about being in two places at once?

I broached this subject with Jimmy D. and here’s where I can get a little preachy.

I told Jimmy, “It seems to me that one of the best things we can do for ourselves and the planet is to slow down to the speed of life and find a good log to sit on.” I further added, “Nature has evolved processes that have been hard-won over millions and billions of years. What is it about our kind that wants to accelerate and consume the experience of living as quickly as we can? Sometimes it can come as a big relief to stay put and appreciate the good around everyone which is all too easy to take for granted.”

Jimmy D. put his cup down on the river-polished log he was sitting on. I could tell he was weighing my words through his own sensibilities. Before too long he turned back to me and said, “Fella, you just might have something there.” He then began to explain a little more of his own life’s experience.

“When I was a young man I couldn’t wait to leave this little town and experience the wider world. I thought my chance would come during World War II. I could both do my duty and get out of here at the same time. All my friends who were of age (and even a few who looked older than they actually were) were joining the armed services. I decided that this would be my ticket out too and I tried to enlist. As it turns out, I couldn’t pass the physical on account of having one foot larger than the other! I tried not to get discouraged and wanted to do my part. So, I walked next door (bum foot and all) to Jeffersonville and joined up with Jeffboat. I learned how to weld, which became my profession. I helped build the LSTs (Landing Ship-Tanks) that made the invasion of Europe a success for the allies and the free world. I realized that even from the comforts of my home, I could help shape events in far away places. After the war, my wanderlust had diminished considerably and love found me. After that there was a family of my own to take care of. I stayed on at Jeffboat and helped make them the largest inland ship builder in the country. I can’t recollect how many towboats and barges I helped construct. And when it was my time…I retired and that is why you are finding me sitting on this log. I can honestly say I have no regrets for how my life turned out.”

My new friend then pulled out a blue-colored pipe with a long stem and lit it. A puff of white smoke was quickly dissipated by a light, passing breeze. Jimmy D’s pipe kept going out and so I offered to help.

My new friend thanked me and asked to hear something about my own story. I obliged him although as a rule I’m not all that crazy about talking about myself. I said that like him, the military factors into my life. My dad was a career soldier and our family shuttled back and forth between the United States and Europe. It was great being exposed to so much history and culture, but as a kid I wondered what it would be like to have a deeper relationship with my extended family? My mother is Dutch. I was born in Amsterdam. My dad’s family hails from the New York City area and we have relatives in southern New Jersey. Seems that we only saw our relatives when we were in transition from one place to another. I grew up without having life-long friends. After art school, I settled in Louisville, Kentucky and have been here going on thirty years now. My two sons have had the nice experience of getting to know my wife’s family and so have had the reverse experience I had. Much about the art I make revolves around a sense for place and seeing the value in materials that are considered worthless. A lot of what I do is about being in the moment which is why encounters at the river are so valuable to me. Jimmy D. just nodded and took another drag off of his pipe.

It’s funny how often I have been willing to reveal some detail about myself to a complete stranger…especially if we are traveling together and there is little chance of running into one another again. I have had some great conversations with persons unknown to me while sharing rides on European trains. I suppose after conversations that might be of an intimate nature, can you truly say you are still strangers to one another? Jimmy D. and I alternated our conversation with just staring at the river going by. The Ohio River may not be a train, nevertheless, it is moving on a journey of its own. You can tell when two guys are comfortable with one another if time goes by and neither feels like they need to break the silence by saying something forced and stupid. When the tobacco was spent from the pipe, Jimmy D. knocked the ashes against the log. Among the last words I recall from our meeting at the river came from Jimmy D. “I’m an old man now and my time is coming. I hope my ashes will get the chance to mingle with the river.” I completely understood and wish for something similar for myself. I like the idea of merging with nature with the chance to become part of something else. I left Jimmy D. where I found him waiting for that train that will take him to the ocean and the wide, wide world beyond Clarksville.

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Fantastic Phasmid and Other Bugs

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Originality, recycled art, sculpture, tagged absurd story, Art, artist at exit 0, bugs, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, giant stick insect, insects, nature, nature photography, nature story, Phasmids, photography, recycled art, sense of place, site specific art on October 14, 2013| 10 Comments »

Red-faced and bizarrely hairy, the unique caterpillar of the Tussock moth was munching its way through a maple leaf. Everything about its appearance says I’m not tasty and leave me alone. It’s now October and it won’t be much longer before the first frost and freezes arrive and with it the colder temperatures which will quiet insect life at the Falls of the Ohio until next year. The caterpillar inspired me to post a few other entomological images taken in the park. I confess that I have always liked insects as examples of how diverse life can be. I’m amazed at the incredible variety and forms that our six-legged friends can assume. Here’s another really weird caterpillar that I found at the Falls that I just haven’t been able to identify through any of my field guides. Does anybody out there in blog land recognize this?

This fluorescent green caterpillar has dramatic eye spots on its posterior that would incite a predator to strike there first. Its anterior is located on the opposite end and I would have fallen for this trick too, but noticed that it was walking backwards. I wondered once it completed its metamorphosis…would the adult be a moth or butterfly? Maybe some day I will stumble upon and collect a large cocoon I don’t recognize and I’ll take it home and watch a miracle as it emerges from its silken home.

During this time of year, certain willow trees at the Falls are exuding sap which draws a variety of insect life including various flies, hornets, and butterflies to these sweet “licks”. Whether the flowing sap is due to disease or injury is unknown to me? The large bullet-like hornets are so preoccupied with sipping the sap that they ignore me. To test this, I’ve carefully touched them with my finger while they were feeding and they remained docile. I was walking through the tall grass when I noticed a large flying insect land on the bush next to me. Despite its wonderful camouflage I was able to locate our next insect after a short search.

This is the Chinese Mantid which I read was introduced into this country in 1896. It is the largest praying mantis you are likely to come across in the United States and this specimen was about four inches or ten centimeters long. I’ve seen them grow larger, but not in this park. In fact, this is only the second mantid I’ve seen out here. There are several native species, but they are smaller and more obscure. And now, it’s time to reveal my most spectacular discovery which is a near but harmless relative of the praying mantis. Here is a picture of its head.

And now, for the rest of its body which is about two feet long or roughly sixty centimeters. I came upon this unique life form casually walking across the driftwood on its way to somewhere else.

Although as insects go this is a giant…it is also an extremely fragile creature. It is a member of the walking stick family. It relies on slow movements and its cryptic forms to merge with its surroundings. The Falls Phasmid is strictly a vegetarian and eats the foliage from a variety of different trees.

I came across this specimen in broad daylight. I had always heard that they were nocturnal and chose to restrict their movements during the day to avoid detection. Walking stick insects are among the largest insects we have. This species is additionally strange in that its head, thorax, and abdomen are so clearly differentiated. Some scientists have gone so far as to suggest a bit of mimicry at work here. On the surface it does seem to possess a superficial resemblance to a giant ant which might be enough to dissuade predators from attacking it.

I did observe this particular Phasmid making return trips to a particular willow tree where it clung to a nest-like structure that was hanging down from a branch. The meaning of this structure was not immediately apparent. Perhaps the Falls Phasmid uses this form to help it overwinter? Keeping a respectful distance away, I did see the stick insect walking slowly over the riverbank, but I couldn’t tell if it was searching for something in particular and I did not witness it feeding.

Originally, the Falls Phasmid may have had the ability to fly. Other walking stick insects from around the world have vestigial wings that suggest a different past. Our specimen lacks even the most superficial suggestion of wings which hints at an ancient lineage. Perhaps all stick insects evolved here first and spread around the world much later?

I watched the Falls Phasmid for a while and took a bunch of photographs of it before leaving the park. I’m curious about that tree that it likes to hang out on and so will check it the next time I’m here. On my way out of the park, I also came around this wonderful Viceroy butterfly and thought that this would make a fitting image to end this post. When I think of the butterflies that inhabit the park…this is the species that comes to mind first for me.

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Bottleneck Portfolio

Posted in Absurd, art and environment, collections, creativity, environmental art, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, tagged Art, art and the environment, artist at exit 0, bottleneck, bottleneck effect, environmental art, ephemeral art, extinction cycles, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, glass, nature, Permian period, photography, recycled art, site specific art on October 8, 2013| 13 Comments »

I wish I could remember the exact written passage where the image of a bottleneck captured my imagination. Back tracking through my books has not revealed the exact source, however, I do remember that the context came from biology and more specifically the history of life. Of the five great extinction cycles, the one that closed out the Permian period (roughly 245 million years a go) was the most brutal and efficient. All those trilobites that had been so successful for so long hit the wall. At this time the super continent Pangaea existed. Millions of years of continental drift and the resulting global climate change are the leading hypothetical causes for this extinction. Regardless, the effect was that the majority of life’s diversity as it existed then and which filled up that particular metaphoric bottle…did not make it through the bottleneck. Fortunately, some life did survive, but it would take subsequent millions of years for life to evolve and radiate out to regain its former glory.

We like to think that we stand atop life as its ultimate achievement. We frequently miss the bigger picture of which we are small part and are even oblivious to the effects we have on everything else around us. The bottleneck effect has been adapted by other systems to illustrate that which is a hindrance or impediment to progress. The basic idea, however, remains the same. Whatever is in the bottle is going to get squeezed on its way out that is if the contents do in fact make it out. In my own blog, I don’t mention U.S. politics much, but lately it is in the news and it’s troublesome. Our seeming inability to govern ourselves…to in effect allow small selfish groups to manufacture bottlenecks strikes me as self-defeating and doesn’t bode well for the future.

At the Falls of the Ohio State Park, I literally find bottlenecks all the time. Unlike their plastic counterpoint, the glass ones don’t break down as much. There must be something about the material strength of glass that is increased when it is forced into a tube that makes it extra resilient. Over time, their sharp edges do get worn down and their surfaces become frosted through tumbling in the sand. Personally, I find glass to be a far more attractive material than plastic. I’ve come to look at our artifacts in much the same way I might regard a fossil as examples of objects that have been touched by and affected by life.

There’s something about the process of “finding” that is compelling if not compulsive for me. I try to stay watchful for opportunities, particularly if I come across an image or material that I can apply through my art. The process of collecting, examining, and comparing is also personally meditative and relaxing. I started photographing bottlenecks years a go with no goal in mind. Just more documented stuff among all the other stuff along the riverbank that I come across each time I visit the park. Looking over my photographs, forgotten images of bottlenecks would catch my eye again.

Other than take contextual images, I guess the next thing I did with bottlenecks was to stick them on the ends of branches and sticks. This allows the light to play through the glass revealing its jewel-like attractiveness. It might also cause someone else to notice that there is a lot of smashed glass in the park. Granted, the river floats a lot of bottles in here from upriver, but there is also a lot of drinking that goes on here via the local folks. Why pack your empties out when you can just throw them on the ground? One bottleneck on a branch led to more…in fact the whole arc of these now bottleneck projects has trended in the “more” direction.

I guess this last image is a bottleneck candelabra? I find many of the bottlenecks I’ve used near stands of willow trees by the water’s edge. I suppose bottles that float in are snagged in the tree’s exposed root system eventually breaking through contact with floating logs and leaving the shards in place? People also throw bottles against the trees which has the same effect. Rarely, do I need to walk very far to find enough glass to create a small project and image.

Here’s one project made from bottlenecks collected around one particular willow tree. I liked the way they looked collectively stuck in the mud and their tubular arrangement reminded me of fossil corals which also references the Falls of the Ohio. Here’s a few other similar site specific groupings of bottlenecks.

The next couple of images are from my last bottleneck piece. In addition to lots of waste glass…I also find discarded fishing line, often in the same places. I brought these two materials together for this ephemeral work. Recently, I was talking with a good friend of mine and we were remarking about how much of our lives seem mediated by and require reading various kinds of screens. This last glass project may have something to do with that because the bottlenecks are arranged in a flat, parallel screen hanging from a horizontally growing willow branch. I wonder if anyone else ever saw this and what they may have thought about it?

Well there you have it! I suppose these bottleneck projects will now crop up on occasion like my found coal pieces do as intimate site specific expressions. For now, it’s enough to present them as images without trying too hard to extract every bit of meaning from them. Bottlenecks in the broader sense are challenges. May we always remain open to meeting them. So long from the Falls of the Ohio.

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The 7 Borders at KMAC

Posted in Art, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, Originality, public art, recycled art, unusual collection, tagged Art, art exhibition, artist at exit 0 riverblog, blog art, Falls of the Ohio, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, The 7 Borders on August 22, 2013| 12 Comments »

As promised, here is a post about the “The 7 Borders, Mapping Kentucky’s Regional Identity” exhibition at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Louisville. My “Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog” has been a part of this show which opened on June 29 and runs through September 1. I’m honored to have been asked by KMAC and curator Joey Yates to participate especially since this is the first time my blogging activities have appeared in an art context. My display in the museum included a few small Styrofoam artifacts, a computer monitor on a table with chairs, a box for handwritten comments, and a label on the wall. Not quite your typical art offering. If, however, you think of the computer as a keyhole that you can peer through to a different reality…then you get transported to the world of the Artist at Exit 0 at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. At your fingertips are over 360 posts and more than 3500 images and my own peculiar blend of fact and fiction. Many of you who follow this blog have been nice enough to leave recent comments and I wonder if you realized that you were participating in this exhibition too? At the end of this post, I will add the comments that visitors left for me in the little box so that they can be a part of this exhibition record as well. For now, I would like to share some other images of the works that are (were) a part of this exhibition. Eighteen artists are participating in this exhibition. A few of the artists either currently live in Kentucky or are originally from here. The majority of the artists, however, live in the seven contiguous states that border the commonwealth, hence “The 7 Borders”. In the above image, works by Rashid Johnson are on the wall, while Brian McCutcheon’s whimsically modified cooking grill entitled “Trailer Queen II” rests on the floor. The exhibition is a survey of contemporary works produced in a geographical area that is often hard to define. At various times, Kentucky has been considered by Americans to be the frontier west, the Midwest, or the most northern of the southern states. The fact this region has been historically hard to place is attractive to me. For a professional artist, one downside is that the nearest art market of any size is in Chicago. Many of the artworks in “The 7 Borders” reference issues born of local conditions and landscapes and gain a certain power by not being made for strictly commercial reasons. The exhibit’s curator wrote: “Each of the artists represented is witness to varying views of the region focusing on personal history and collective experience.” In the gallery shot above are paintings by Claire Sherman, a photo series by Guy Mendes, and a unique chest of drawers that looks like a stacked firewood entitled “Facecord” by Mark Moskovitz. This mixed media work is entitled “The River” and the artist is Andrew Douglas Underwood who originally is from Louisville. Personally, I relate to Underwood’s piece because it weaves together metaphors and history relating to people’s long association with the Ohio River. This work effectively combines photography, embroidery, and found objects. Leticia Bajuyo’s “Pre-Fab(ulous) Environments” is an installation piece located on the museum’s second floor. Her multimedia piece with its blue Styrofoam installation house and suburban floor map complete with Happy Meal-styled folding cardboard houses reference contemporary suburban neighborhoods. This is an image of “Roan Mountain Matrix” by Denise Burge who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her large fabric and thread works quote traditional Appalachian quilting while alluding to changes occurring to the land and its people through contemporary processes like mountain top coal removal. Joel McDonald’s “Bog Taan” is a tour-de-force mixed media drawing on 26 sheets of watercolor paper. This is a large, obsessively detailed work that touches upon the artist’s social views as told through the context of his Germantown neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky. McDonald has a deep understanding and appreciation for 20th Century illustration. You could look at this artwork for a long time and keep finding images within it.

To conclude this post, I would like to include the comments left by gallery visitors upon engaging my blog in the gallery. Some of the comments are by children who participated in summer camp programs organized by the museum.

BLOG COMMENTS

“Love this – so fun!

I once saw a duck taking a nap on a submerged & upside down shopping cart on the L-ville side of the OR (Ohio River)”

“The Joe Arbor set was sweet. Poignant. – you should do stop action animation.”

“Love the triker! and the deer-Styrobuck! and the spider-and Pip and the fish-”

“It’s beautiful, I love it! – famous artist”

“Looks like garbage to me!”

“Be cooler if it was metal”

“Some really remarkable & moving works! Really enjoyed 7 borders.” Lou Knowles…Forest Hills, New York

“I like it! Keep up the good work!”

“So Playful! What a blast. Thank you.”

“I like it!”

“Very interesting, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Love the blue nose man”

“dirty + whimsical like crawling through a broken greenhouse in the backyard + making toys as a child” Lilly Ettinger

“Love it!” “???” “Fabulous: fun, imaginative & thought provoking…Thank you” Mary from Wisconsin

“Quirky & original. Brought a smile to my face” K. Woodard (art teacher UK)

“I like the very last peice. I think personally it looks like here is a passage in between the trunk and the roots”

” I agree we did not make enough “to do” about the beginning of manned flight. I wouldn’t be here enjoying our work without a flight by plane. Also like your reminder to “follow your dreams” Kay Gorman (Maryland)

“Love them! Priddy Cool!”

“This is very suspicious and cool to see what people throw in the river”

“Ummmm!”

“Love the birds…they are alive.” Adrian (New Zealand)

“It looks like two snowman”

“I think this was awsome”

“Love the recycling, cute and clever. Loved to take the time to see the whole-plus the blog.- Just a passer-by, Aug. ’13”

“Fab Al – Love where you went with this – Always happy too see your dementia” Paul and Sandy Sasso………..these folks are old college friends of mine

“They look like Big, Dirty, Marshmallows”

“You are awesome”

THIS WAS THE LAST OF THE COMMENTS LEFT AT THE EXHIBITION. NEXT TIME…SEE YOU FROM THE RIVER!

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Styro-Samurai

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, nature, nature photography, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, artistatexit0, driftwood, ecoart, ecostory, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found art materials, nature, Ohio River, photography, recycled art, Samurai, story telling, Styrofoam, sustainability on March 17, 2013| 15 Comments »

Perhaps it was the fine quality of this pre-Spring day that caused renewed stirrings within the old Styro-Samurai Warrior? It had been many years worth of seasons since the Emperor had granted him this land to protect and bequeath to his descendants in gratitude for the loyalty of his service. He came to the realization that his advancing age was rendering him mortal and that if he wanted to walk his vast estate one last time…he had better do it sooner than later. The Styro-Samurai attached his heirloom katana to his back and ventured alone away from his home. The journey could take him many weeks to complete. This sunny day began with much promise. The trees were starting to produce buds and yes, there were early season wildflowers too. The birds were returning. A favorite Yellow-bellied Sapsucker the Warrior had seen for the past five years was once again in his favorite Sweet Gum tree. Geese were everywhere and an Osprey flew overhead with a fish in its talons. Life seemed to be moving in the timeless rhythm that it always had. The Warrior decided to venture closer to the river for a better look.

The first thing the Warrior observed were trees submerged by the river that normally stood high and dry. In all his years, he had not seen this happen very often and he stood transfixed by the sight. Rousing himself, the Warrior continued his walk to a favorite creek. In his mind he recalled the agitated call of the Belted Kingfisher on the wing and its wildness made him smile. Upon reaching the creek…this is what the Warrior saw.

Hundreds of logs representing hundreds of once living trees lined both sides of the creek. What is happening here!? These were trees from the pure land and their wood is a treasure, their roots hold the soil together, and their leaves provide cooling shade in Summer among all the other blessings they bestow. These trees represent so many potential fulfilled wishes. So much wasted wood and where did it come from? The Warrior surmised that this was further evidence of flooding. These trees probably washed away from their respective banks from distant fiefdoms and were carried here by the spirit of the river?

Walking the shoreline he came upon more evidence that the river was claiming the trees that dared to grow nearest to it. For the Styro-Samurai, it was an alarming sight, but nothing had yet suggested that this way anything other than Nature being moody. His view was about to change as he rounded the bend of the river.

The Warrior entered a field that was strewn with discarded plastic and Styrofoam. This was an outrage and the Samurai drew his katana! Who dares to be this disrespectful to the land!

At last, someone to blame for this clearly was the by-product of men. The Warrior was seeing red and looked for someone or something to strike back at…but there was no one else present except for the gulls flying over the river and they were making no sounds.

Marching with his sword drawn, the Warrior advanced down the riverbank. There was a quality in his rage that was tempered by battle and had made him a legendary and feared adversary in the prime of his youth. But that was then and this is now and as he neared one of his favorite trees…he sheathed his katana again. Up ahead was a treasured spot where a large and special Cottonwood tree grew. The Styro-Samurai’s pace quickened in anticipation.

This great and revered Cottonwood tree that in the Warrior’s time was the setting for many tea ceremonies was now covered in plastic tarps and a sign warning to “keep out” was posted. Again, here is the hand of man at work! Who has the impudence do this in the Styro-Samurai’s land? By what right would these interlopers claim this tree as their own and defile it with their junk? Full of righteous indignation, the Warrior entered the space under the trunk of the tree.

It was empty…no one was there at all. Although the smell of wood smoke was present…the ashes were cold. Improvised seating was arranged around the fire pit. Growing depressed, the Styro-Samurai sought the warmth of the sunshine and sat down to ponder what he had observed thus far. Indeed, the world had changed much since he last walked it far from the comforts and isolation of his fortified castle. The old soldier had a revelation that mindfulness had been usurped by consumption based upon all the trash he saw everywhere. The world was moving away from him.

While the Styro-Samurai was engaged by his thoughts…he was approached by a common man who gestured that he wished to speak and so began a conversation. The man also remembered a different time and place where respect was accorded to both man and beast alike. There was an understanding that nature worked in certain ways and that it was wise to stay within the sustainable limits. The man confirmed to the Warrior that the changes he was seeing in his own land were in fact simultaneously occurring everywhere else too. The common man then asked for forgiveness for what he was about to say which the Warrior granted. He reminded the old soldier that in their day…there was a common and accepted code that shaped the behavior of all. It began with the Emperor and then passed through the Samurai down to everybody else. It seemed to the man, that the flow of wisdom had been interrupted by a changing and challenging time and needed something like a new code to help bring it all back into balance. With those words the common man took his leave.

The Styro-Samurai had seen enough and walked back to his castle. He mulled over the words the mysterious common man had left him with and acknowledged to himself that they seemed to ring true. A different day was indeed at hand and perhaps the time of the warlords was ending. The idea that a different code was needed, but what can one do to achieve enlightenment in an impure land? When the Warrior reached his home he cleansed himself and before the assembled public, removed his sacred katana from its scabbard and replaced it with an ordinary garden rake.

For several weeks the old Warrior meditated by creating a rock and sand garden. Working the earth helped create a different connection to the land that he didn’t have before and was now cultivating. The Styro-Samurai invited his courtesans and the other people in the castle to assist him. To his surprise, most everyone found this activity relaxing and beneficial. It no longer became his garden and became our garden which brought with it a sense of shared responsibility and value. He wondered if this idea would work for a land the size of a country ? Soon he would try talking to the Emperor about this and hope for the best.

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A Need to Form: Handmade Balls from the Falls of the Ohio

Posted in Absurd, Art, collections, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Originality, recycled art, unusual collection, tagged aluminum foil, Art, artistatexit0, balls, creativity, duct tape, electrical tape, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, handmade balls, lost objects, repurposed art, tape, unusual collection on March 15, 2013| 4 Comments »

At first it looked like any other ball among the wood chips and I almost passed it by. After all, balls are the most common toy that I find at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. But something told me to look more closely at this one and that’s when I noticed the network of filaments that were eroding away on the surface of this silvery sphere. Picking it up, I then realized I was holding something different and to my mind and eye a bit more fascinating too. Yes, it is a ball, but one made from duct tape!

Over the years I have found several other handmade balls made from different materials and they always elicit wonder in me as artifacts. There is something in the human need to create form from formlessness that is at the root of creativity and can be seen in this eccentric collection. I think this can happen reflexively too without deep thought being involved. The largest of these balls would fit comfortably in the palm of your hand and is slightly smaller than an American baseball. Since most of them are made from various tapes…I’m guessing they are the waste products of work. What began as something relatively flat gets transformed by the mind and hand into a fully satisfying three-dimensional object that you can grasp, throw, or roll. For me, there is something appealing art-like in these objects which began life as one thing and by shifting its original purpose and function becomes something entirely different.

Here are two duct tape balls I have found by the river. The one on the left is pictured on the wood chips and its partner has vestiges of dried paint or primer on its surface. The spheres are created by layering one flat piece of tape over another until a ball is formed. It is not necessary to create a ball to dispose of this waste tape, but this is what their makers did…and then it wound up in the river which is yet again another story to ponder.

These two balls are made from stretchy electrical tape and are tight and dense. I remember that the very first handmade ball I found was also made from this smooth black tape. When my eldest son was a small boy and needed a project to do involving recycled materials… I helped him construct this circus pull toy from materials found at the river.

At the heart of this toy is a handmade ball made from electrical tape. My son thought this would make a great prop for a circus lion to stand on while it jumped through a flaming hoop! Of course, the only fire we actually used came from our imaginations. The yellow plastic lion was also found at the river and has a nice oily patina on it that comes from being in the river for a while. Here’s a smaller ball made from green tape.

I’m sure people are making balls from paper-based tapes too, but these don’t survive being exposed to the elements for very long.

This ball made with cellophane tape is barely holding together. It’s surface is fragile and the adhesive is losing its bond. As it starts to peel apart, sand caught between the layers is released.

The four balls pictured here are made from compressed aluminum foil. Perhaps they were used for cooking and once their original purpose was over, the owners rolled the foil around the palms of their hands like one would do to form a ball from either clay or snow. The funny thing about aluminum foil and the river is that the water somehow squeezes it even more and the ball becomes denser and more solid. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed looking at this rare and somewhat tongue in cheek odd ball collection where the sum is definitely greater than the parts! Spring will be arriving soon and the Ohio River is calling…until next time.

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Top Secret Report: Proof of Extraterrestrials

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, Originality, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged absurd story, aliens, Art, artistatexit0, Dede puppets, extraterrestrial story, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, nature, photography, Styrofoam, three dimensional collage on March 3, 2013| 22 Comments »

Unknown hackers have recently posted images on the worldwide web reputedly obtained from government sources that state extraterrestrial aliens are among us. The pictures go a long way in answering the question: “Are we truly alone in the universe?”. The answer would be a resounding “no”! The information was lifted from top-secret computers from around the world, but seem to be centered on information purloined in the United States and New Zealand. The group responsible for this posting call themselves members of “In Vino Veritas” and state their purpose is to let the truth be known. In their communique “In Vino Veritas” believes we are now “evolved enough to handle the truth”. Regardless, the cat is out of the bag…whatever that means? Following are excerpts from their sensational posting which has gone bacterial on the internet.

Much of this stolen information centers around a lone alien that is believed to have crashed landed at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in southern Indiana. After several years of trying, U.S. government scientists were able to break the transmission code used to transmit images off world and were then traced to their source in this small park. The images show a “classical” looking humanoid-alien with large dark eyes and no nose exploring the environs of the park. The image above shows the alien contemplating a dead crayfish, but it is unknown at this time whether “it” is responsible for the death of this crustacean.

Many of the “Falls of the Ohio Alien” show this visitor exploring nature. There are many more images that seem to suggest that the extraterrestrial is engaged by this context in an almost reverential way. Intentions, however, are difficult to gauge and there are some at the highest level who believe this is a scout for an impending invasion. Thus far, scientists have not been able to physically locate said alien. Another image is believed to be of the wrecked space ship.

This picture which cleverly resembles an upturned hot tub, could be either a space craft or some sort of time machine? Remarkably, the New Zealand alien is also believed to have come to Earth in a bath-tub like ship. These images from the Falls Alien are thought to have been taken with a “camera” mounted on a small drone based on their bird’s-eye point of view. Thus far, this actual “hot tub” craft has eluded detection. There is, however, other enigmatic circumstantial evidence that has been gathered that seems to imply an alien(s) “hand” at work. Consider these strange formations found in the park.

This is a remarkable find and is obviously a map of our solar system. The center golf ball is the sun surrounded by corresponding blackened buck-eye planets.

Could this found rope be a landing or navigational marker for a space craft or a piece of art? The idea that aliens have an appreciation for art is further evidence of their more evolved status.

Here is one of many “Star Symbols” made from locally procured coal. Their exact function is also unknown but recent speculation also suggests a fusion of art and science at work here. Notice the energy field radiating away from the star.

This is one of the most impressive artifacts of all and recently excavated at a site near the Falls of the Ohio. It is an alien effigy made from a composite materials including rubber and plastic. The fact this alien has a nose also suggests the potential for much variation among different races or species of aliens to have secretly visited our planet. Here are a few more images of aliens that were part of the recently posted hacker trove. Let’s start with the image obtained from New Zealand which is identified as being ” a Dede”.

This “Dede” alien is unusual in sporting antennae. Notice how the pose seems to suggest appreciation for light and life. Very little is known of alien activities around the world and this image is of extreme importance for this reason. It is believed that a similar form of transmission was used by the “Dede” alien to “beam” this image back to the visitor’s home world or waiting space craft. Scientists speculate the dark spectacles are needed because the “Dede” alien comes from a world whose sun isn’t as intense as our own.

This image described as being an “alien ballet” also comes from the Falls of the Ohio. Government sources date this image to 2009 which predates the current Falls alien. The exuberant dance also suggest a love of fun and art. After what must have been a long journey through dangerous outer space…it must have felt great to be safe and in a new environment. The elaborate head-gear may suggest sexual dimorphism in this particular species of alien? Can we safely assume that the male is on the right and female on the left…or does this picture represent two different aliens who are comfortable with one another?

So ends a quick overview of the “leaked” evidence of alien visitors to our planet. It will be fascinating to see if this information will be taken to heart or denied outright in typical governmental fashion? Are we indeed grown-up enough to handle the idea that we are no longer alone in a wide open universe? Thus far, the evidence suggests that our visitors from other worlds have had nothing but peaceful intentions and actually have been caught in acts that suggest they appreciate the variety of life around them. If we could only learn from them…again, time will tell.

This post (which was fun to do) is in honor of Dede Puppets one year anniversary. Congratulations from the Falls of the Ohio! The Dede Puppets link can be found on my blogroll in the right hand column.

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Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

Art and images from the Falls of the Ohio.

Archive for the ‘Originality’ Category

Super Wet July

Ice Blossom Ornaments

The Shark Shepherd

Jimmy D. from Clarksville, IN

Fantastic Phasmid and Other Bugs

Bottleneck Portfolio

The 7 Borders at KMAC

Styro-Samurai

A Need to Form: Handmade Balls from the Falls of the Ohio

Top Secret Report: Proof of Extraterrestrials

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