Parks – Beautiful Musings

Abstract, Art, California, Parks, Public Art, Public Spaces, Sculpture, Texture

Beautiful Sculpture

March 3, 2016March 3, 2016by jjfdesignsLeave a Comment

Recently I had the pleasure to visit these magical willow houses. Actually it’s an art installation by Patrick Dougherty at the Palo Alto Art Center.

willow branch sculpture

gab gab2

They are little huts of woven willow branches creating tunnels and arches, in and out of doorways. The art piece is called Double Take and here is a YouTube video about its installation. If you happen to be in the SF Bay Area Peninsula area, the Palo Alto Art Center is worth a visit. Patrick Dougherty’s sculptures have been there for a few years, and the sculpture will remain until the willow branches naturally decay.

Beautiful Places, Geysers, National Parks, Nature, Parks, Wildlife, Yellowstone National Park

Beautiful Places – Yellowstone

March 1, 2016March 2, 2016by jjfdesignsLeave a Comment

Thank you with much gratitude to President Ulysses S. Grant for signing legislation on this day March 1st, 1872 making Yellowstone the country’s first national park.

People had been living in Yellowstone for 11,000 years, but the first European American to see the region was most likely a man named John Colter, in 1807. People ridiculed his stories and began referring to the place as “Colter’s Hell.” But word of its natural wonders continued to trickle eastward over the next few decades. Most of the descriptions sounded like feverish delusions. The famous trapper and guide Jim Bridger reported seeing stone forests and upside-down waterfalls. Another trapper named Joe Meek described fire and brimstone, steaming rivers, and boiling mud. East Coast newspapers refused to print the description sent to them by a group of prospectors in 1869, saying that they didn’t publish works of fiction. In 1870, a railroad man named Nathaniel Pitt Langford led an expedition through the region in hopes of drumming up support for the Northern Pacific Transcontinental Railroad. He was stunned to find that all the tall tales were true. Finally, in 1871, the government sent out an official scouting party made up of a group of scientists. The party submitted a 500-page description of the region, which was enough to convince Congress to place the area under governmental protection.

Yellowstone covers nearly 3,500 square miles, and is home to one of the world’s 30 active super volcanoes. The volcano lies underneath Yellowstone Lake, and it’s responsible for some of the more dramatic of the park’s features, including hot springs, mud pots, and the famous Old Faithful and Steamboat Geysers.
From the Writer’s Almanac

yellowstone-bison-national-park yellowstone in winter

*A Rainbow on the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River*

Yellowstone geyser

Beautiful Places, Flowers, Nature, Parks, Photography, Public Spaces, Seattle

Beautiful Nature

May 1, 2015by jjfdesignsLeave a Comment

Every time I drive down the freeway I notice the sign “Kubota Garden” next exit and I always tell myself I must check it out but alas I always keep driving….except this time I actually went and checked it out. What a delight! Don’t know why it took me do long but glad I finally took the time.

Africa, Beautiful Places, California, Color, Flowers, Germany, Inspiring, Landscapes, Nature, Parks, Photography, Public Spaces, South America, Trees, Unique Places

Beautiful Nature

August 1, 2014August 15, 2014by jjfdesignsLeave a Comment

How amazing can a tree be?
(or shrub, or vine or even a grass?)
Laying eyes upon these amazing, huge,
beautiful creations of by nature makes
me want to hug a tree and say thank you.
If there truly is a God, it’s nature. Enjoy!

125+ year old Rhododendron in Canada
Read more about it here reddit

144 year old Wisteria in Japan
At 1,990 sq. meters (about half acre), this huge
wisteria is the largest of its kind in Japan.
This gorgeous giant is located at Ashikaga Flower
Park. After looking at these photos I’m ready to
book the next flight to Japan!
Read more about it here

Wind Swept Tress of Slope New Zealand
Slope Point is the most southern point of New
Zealand’s South Island. The region is consistently
lashed with fierce winds that blow up from
Antarctica. The wind here is so intense and
relentless, that the trees are twisted, warped and
forever bent along the direction the wind blows.
Read more about it here.

Antarctic Beech Tree Draped in Hanging Moss
The antarctic beech tree is native to Chile and
Argentina but specimen is from the NW Pacific
region. Image by Drew Hopper

Blooming Cherry Tree Explosion
Bonn, Germany
Waltz through a magical tunnel fo
pink in the lovely city of Bonn,
where the cherry blossoms go
positively bonkers for two to
three precious weeks per year.
Read more about it here

Angel’s Oak on John’s Island, South Carolina
The Angel oak stands 66.5 ft (20 m) and is
estimated between 400-500 years old.
Read more about here

Flamboyant Tree, Brazil
The flamboyant tree is native to Madagascar but
grows in tropical regions around the world.
Image by Salete T. Silva
Read more about it here

Dragon blood Trees, Yemen
The Dragon blood tree earns its name from the
crimson red sap used as a dye, in violin varnish,
alchemical ingredient and folk remedy for
various ailments.
Read more about it here

The President, the
Third Largest Giant
Sequoia in the World,
California
Located in Sequoia
National Park, CA,
it’s 241 ft (73 m) tall
and has ground
circumference 93 ft.
Photo by Michael Nichols
Read more about it here

Maple Tree Tunnel, Oregon
Read more about it here

Rainbow Eucalyptus, Kauai, Hawaii
Possibly one of the coolest trees on earth.
These eucalyptus trees grow along the
Hana Highway on Kauai. The tree is a huge
evergreen and can grow 8 feet a year,
reaching a height of 197 – 246 feet
(60 – 75 meters).
Read more about it here

Jacarandas in Cullinan, South Africa
Beautiful Jacarandas with their violet
flowers, grow in South Africa.
Read more about here

Avenue of Oaks at Dixie Plantation, South Carolina
Avenue of Oaks was planted around 1790
Read more about it here

Baobab Trees, Madagascar
Water is stored in the trunks of these trees to use
during a drought. They can grow for up to 5000
years making them one of the oldest living things
on the planet.
Read more about it here

The Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland
The Dark Hedges were planted in the 18th Century.
More recently, this stunning beech tree tunnel was
featured in the Game of Thrones.
Read more about it here

Beaches, Beautiful Places, California, Landscapes, Nature, Parks, Public Spaces, San Francisco, Travel, Views

Beautiful Hidden Beach

April 17, 2014April 17, 2014by jjfdesignsLeave a Comment

A wonderful secret cove hidden across the bay
from my old stomping grounds. Now and again
I miss this place and I start think about the
hidden gems. Just west of the Golden Gate,
Kirby Cove is a secluded, beautiful beach,
with a spectacular view of the bridge, and
far away from the hustle of the city. If you
have the opportunity to enjoy it, do.

Amsterdam, Babies and Kids, Design, Europe, Parks, Play, Playground Design, Public Spaces

Beautiful Human Powered Carousel

April 1, 2014April 11, 2014by jjfdesignsLeave a Comment

A carousel powered by PLAY! Ecosistema Urbano recently
unveiled an amazing energy-generating carousel in the
Netherlands that produces power while lighting up riders’
lives! Ropes, pulleys and levers hang from the red and white
canopy, inviting visitors to play – and as it spins the carousel
harvests energy to power a built-in light show.Amsterdam’s
Carve design bureau invited 10 European design firms to create
innovative projects that would appeal to all ages, encourage play,
and help make the new Governeursplein Square
more fun and interactive for members of the community.
The Energy Carousel’s swirling peppermint canopy shelters
a series of swing ropes hung at different heights.
Get excited and learn more.

Check out 6 other design that harness the power of play.

Greenlake, Nature, Parks, Photography, Seattle, Sky, Sunset

Beautiful Photography

February 3, 2014by jjfdesignsLeave a Comment

Greenlake at sunset in winter SB48

Eclectic, Googie Architecture, History, Humor, Parks, Public Spaces, Re-Purposed Objects, Renovation, Reuse, Sculpture, Unique Places

Beautiful Googie Architecture

January 20, 2014January 24, 2014by jjfdesignsLeave a Comment

In 1953, Seattle artist Lewis Nasmyth was hired to “rustle up” a design
for a western-style gas station in Georgetown. Featuring a 44-ft. wide
cowboy hat and 22-ft. high boots, the Hat n’ Boots opened the next year
to a stampede of customers. In fact, for a time it was the biggest selling
station in the state. Legend has it even Elvis dropped by when he was in
town during the World’s Fair in ’62. But in the early 60’s, a new interstate
I-5 started diverting traffic away from the station. By the late 80’s it
pretty much looked like trail’s end for the Hat n’ Boots. That’s when some
Georgetown residents saddled up to rescue the soul of their community
established a permanent home for them in Oxbow Park.