It was most pleasant hanging out around the park at lakeside in Osoyoos. However, it did not pay well. I had given up on spending time in the bistro, since it looked like it may lead to trouble. So, I decided to head to Washington and try finding work picking tree fruits. However, I was in the company of an unlicensed pooch. This presented a problem, since to get to Washington meant crossing a border, and I doubted an unregistered dog with no papers nor shots yet would be welcome. I was legal but likely my companion was not. I knew the border was near. In fact Lake Osoyoos crosses into the United States. I was not sure if my dog was that good a swimmer to try it as a method of entry. However, a stroll down the beach may do the trick
I was not sure of the vigilance of border guards and I wondered if there may be some surveillance equipment along the shore. I decided to risk it and we took off south bound, trying to look like strollers who may have lost their bearings. A bright afternoon sun showed our way. Along our walk, I wondered about the meaning of our illegal entry. What would happen were we caught and how sound was my excuse of being a wandering lost stranger, who did not see the border? There were occasional dwellings along the way and I pondered, would there be a significant difference once we hit the States. Otherwise lacking a proper entry point made it difficult to determine which side of the border we were on. Without a watch, I reckoned that we may have been at it for two hours. I was certain that was enough time to cover the distance past the border. Not wanting to head over to the highway so close to the border we kept up our hike down the shore.
Kootenay enjoyed our ramble, since he was free to explore at leisure. There was plenty to capture a young pup’s attention and we did not have to worry about traffic rushing by. He was carefree and now that I was certain we crossed the boundary, I was felt it too. I figured if we were apprehended, I could claim this pup was only following me. I had papers to prove I was a citizen and as yet, dogs needed no such documentation. We kept wandering until dark was approaching. Then we happened upon a drive-in theater, beginning its nightly entertainment. We had access to a grove behind the last row of cars. This had to be America and we had a place to camp out and be entertained. I spread out my ground sheet. It was a nice night to be sleeping outdoors. I did not mind we had no speakers. It turned out the movie playing was The Exorcist. The brief scenes I noticed before, we going to sleep convinced me I did not need the audio portion of this movie going into my head before drifting off.
©
Returning to my blog with a new story line. For the past year, i have taken up a daily practice of setting rocks to balance. Here is the story.
Welcome to Balanced Rocks: Pictures and Stories
Beginning March 16,2010, I began a journey of balancing rocks. I hold to the practice of setting to balance at least five sculptures a day, sometimes, many more. Of these I take lots of pictures and videos. While conducting this adventure, I have been introduced to an incredible unfolding story. Additionally, I discovered this phenomenon is manifesting worldwide. As I post pictures and stories, I found many others similarly engaged and sharing their works. Additionally, as folks come upon me performing my work, many want to find out how this is done and try themselves. This blog shares this work in both pictures and stories. Enjoy
Yin/Yang
A seeming impossibility becomes possible
Rock Balancing: The Beginning
On a fine summer day, sometime in August, 2009, I was visiting family in Toronto. Like most folks spending summer in a large city, we used up as much time as we could finding outdoor events that would cool us. One afternoon, we headed to the Beaches section of East Toronto. After spending some time playing in a large sandbox in the shade with my grandkids and some of their newfound companions, we headed to the Boardwalk that extends from Balmy Beach to Kew Gardens. Ella accompanied me, Liam took off with his mom, Natalie. They ventured down the boardwalk, Ella and I headed onto the sand toward the water’s edge. Halfway there we encountered what looked like a small size Stonehenge.
About a dozen sculptures were gathered together in a rough circle. Each was a stack of two or three rocks balanced one on another. The tallest one was slightly taller than Ella, who was small average height for a five year older. All were in the neighborhood of three feet and four feet tall. What immediately jumped out was the precarious nature of the balancing. Most points of contact were miraculously slight. Most seemed to be standing on a point. Two more folks were witnessing this amazing display. We imagined that there must be small metal rods embedded at the point of contact, or else some kind of glue was used. Each of us peered from close low angles to detect what could account for this mystical display. Ella, not being so cautious, toppled one structure over. Luckily, it did not land on her.
I hurried over and picked up the fallen rock. I saw no evidence of a rod or glue. It indeed had been balanced on its pedestal. I lifted it up and tried to place it back where I reckoned it had been balanced. I cautioned Ella, to be careful and not upset any more sculptures and went about the task of finding balance. I was not successful and struggled immensely but did not find the magic spot where stability could be achieved. After a lengthy effort, an attractive Asian woman about my age approached and gently nudged me aside offering to demonstrate her work. She pointed to the spot she would set the stone upon. She called it by a foreign name. To me it looked like a slight dimple.
Placing the small end of the upper rock into that hollow, she deftly and quickly moved it around, slightly twisting and cajoling it into position. The sight of this slender woman with longish graying hair performing an intricate dance with a rock slightly larger than her head emanated calmness. It seemed only the ends of her fingers were used to achieve these small movements. Apparently, equilibrium was close. Shortly she was done and withdrew her palms which naturally assumed an open prayer posture. The rock I had grappled with was majestically resting in its previous stable state. She next went over and reset two other structures, I had not noticed were also amiss. I just took them to be part of the rubble strewn about the beach. Now all the display was standing and providing a small sense of order in our chaotic world.
I never got this woman’s name, but heard her story. She had set this display up for the purpose of taking pictures, one of which she hoped to use for a cover of a book she was publishing. Unfortunately not getting her name makes it difficult to find her book. But I carried away with me the sight of her presentation and the incredible feeling I had witnessed an amazing ethereal event. I also felt an urge to explore this practice.
About a dozen sculptures were gathered together in a rough circle. Each was a stack of two or three rocks balanced one on another. The tallest one was slightly taller than Ella, who was small average height for a five year older. All were in the neighborhood of three feet and four feet tall. What immediately jumped out was the precarious nature of the balancing. Most points of contact were miraculously slight. Most seemed to be standing on a point. Two more folks were witnessing this amazing display. We imagined that there must be small metal rods embedded at the point of contact, or else some kind of glue was used. Each of us peered from close low angles to detect what could account for this mystical display. Ella, not being so cautious, toppled one structure over. Luckily, it did not land on her.
I hurried over and picked up the fallen rock. I saw no evidence of a rod or glue. It indeed had been balanced on its pedestal. I lifted it up and tried to place it back where I reckoned it had been balanced. I cautioned Ella, to be careful and not upset any more sculptures and went about the task of finding balance. I was not successful and struggled immensely but did not find the magic spot where stability could be achieved. After a lengthy effort, an attractive Asian woman about my age approached and gently nudged me aside offering to demonstrate her work. She pointed to the spot she would set the stone upon. She called it by a foreign name. To me it looked like a slight dimple.
Placing the small end of the upper rock into that hollow, she deftly and quickly moved it around, slightly twisting and cajoling it into position. The sight of this slender woman with longish graying hair performing an intricate dance with a rock slightly larger than her head emanated calmness. It seemed only the ends of her fingers were used to achieve these small movements. Apparently, equilibrium was close. Shortly she was done and withdrew her palms which naturally assumed an open prayer posture. The rock I had grappled with was majestically resting in its previous stable state. She next went over and reset two other structures, I had not noticed were also amiss. I just took them to be part of the rubble strewn about the beach. Now all the display was standing and providing a small sense of order in our chaotic world.
I never got this woman’s name, but heard her story. She had set this display up for the purpose of taking pictures, one of which she hoped to use for a cover of a book she was publishing. Unfortunately not getting her name makes it difficult to find her book. But I carried away with me the sight of her presentation and the incredible feeling I had witnessed an amazing ethereal event. I also felt an urge to explore this practice.
Rock in the Snow
January in Toronto
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- Summer's almost over, September 1975: Slocan. BC
- Harvesting is over, September, 1975: Wenatchee, WA
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- Picking with a ring, Sept, 1975: Wenatchee, WA
- A dog without a green card, August, 1975: Oroville...
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- Refections on the journey, August, 1975: Slocan, BC
- Everything comes to and end, August, 1975: Osoyoos...
- Picking tomatoes in the sun, August, 1975: Osoyoos...
- Trying some more picking, August, 1975:Osoyoos, BC
- Dancing in the mountains, July, 1975: Slocan, BC
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- Off to the mountains, July, 1975: Okanagan, BC
- Hallelujah, we made it, July, 1975: Vancouver, BC
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- Heading out west: July, 1975: Ottawa, ON
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- I think I'll pass, January 1975: Knoxville, TN
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About Me, Part One
- Baba Rob
- Rock Balancing: The Beginning. What began as a journal of my travels took a hiatus when I began to settle in Ithaca NY. In the meantime, I took up the practice of setting rocks to balance. I returned to my blog to begin recording this story
Part, The second
On Easter Sunday Morning, 2008, I made a decision to settle in the Ithaca New York area. At the same time, I decided to continue to post my blog, However, the stories now will come from the archive stored internally. These will be the stories I gathered while on previous journeys and never entrusted to paper. The date of each posting will not reflect the date of the story being related but will mark the date that narrative got inscribed.
Carry wood
33 years later
Part: The third
I took a brief hiatus from my daily blog writing. I did not know the direction it would take. part of me thought I would abandon it. It turns out I missed it. The old title "On the Road Again' is no longer apt. It appears I am settling. The travel stories will age to a point, when I will probably resusitiate them and do something with them. I dusted off some old stories and begin this new series.
Thr first is one was written two years ago. I edited it and begin again a series that is more apropos to someone settling in upper New York State. They are meant to warm, amuse, educate and sometimes inflame.
Thr first is one was written two years ago. I edited it and begin again a series that is more apropos to someone settling in upper New York State. They are meant to warm, amuse, educate and sometimes inflame.
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