"something intimate in the remote"

[eldritchhobbit]

Happy belated birthday to cookiefleck, and best wishes for many happy returns of the day!

Grateful thanks to tuilelindowen, agentxpndble, bouncybabylemur, and The Sage in Bloom for the lovely Valentine's Day wishes!


I've just returned from a very successful and enjoyable conference, which just happened to be held at one of my very favorite places. I managed to take a few pictures while I was there in Tucson:





All of my Tucson photos are here.


In other news, I recently discovered a new group blog by authors who talk about writing speculative fiction for teens and pre-teens: The Spectacle (syndicated for LJ as thespectacleya). I thought some of my friends might also find this of interest, as well.


What draws us into the desert is the search for something intimate in the remote.
-Edward Abbey

Comments

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Lovely photos! Glad you had a good trip.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! It was wonderful: productive and fun, which is a nice combination.

[vonjunzt.livejournal.com]

Beautiful! And I hope the conference went well, too.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really love cacti (bet you couldn't tell), so I was in heaven. I grow some here, but of course it's more prevalent out in your neck of the woods. The conference focused on four main political texts by leaders of the Social Gospel movement: Josiah Strong's Our Country (1885), Richard T. Ely's Social Aspects of Christianity (1889), Washington Gladden's Social Salvation (1902), and Walter Rauschenbusch's Christianizing the Social Order (1912). It was a very thought-provoking and unexpectedly timely discussion, and I came away with a lot of new insights from my colleagues, especially since the other participants all represented different specialties and disciplines from mine. Interesting stuff.

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I love the one of the cacti! I've always been fascinated by the desert, and one of these days I'll get to see the Southwest. :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I love cacti, too! I grow some here in North Carolina, but of course it's a very different thing to see so much growing naturally in its home environment. A number of films and TV westerns were filmed on the ranch where I stayed, and it's easy to see why. It's a breathtakingly beautiful place!

[the-cornettist.livejournal.com]

The pictures are absolutely fabulous. It looks so lovely. But spiky ;)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was indeed lovely. I looked 'til my heart was content at the beautiful cacti, but I resisted the urge to touch. *wink*

[randomalia.livejournal.com]

Lovely photos!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! It's a gorgeous place.

[abbie (from livejournal.com)]

Ah, you're welcome. :)

Nice photos! I'm glad the conference went well.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

That was all kinds of awesome. :)

I'm so glad you like the pictures! Thanks. And the conference was fascinating. It focused on four main political texts by leaders of the Social Gospel movement: Josiah Strong's Our Country (1885), Richard T. Ely's Social Aspects of Christianity (1889), Washington Gladden's Social Salvation (1902), and Walter Rauschenbusch's Christianizing the Social Order (1912). Interesting stuff - and still relevant today.

[estellye.livejournal.com]

The southwest always makes me want to paint. What a beautiful pallet! I am so glad your trip went well!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

The colors there are amazing. I wasn't able to capture the brilliant sunrises or sunsets, but those were the best of all.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Your pictures make me homesick. I love living where there are actual seasons now, but from time to time I still get a yearning for the desert.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Aw! Where did you live? The desert has such a stark and bewitching kind of beauty - and so many colors. It just amazes me. I'm going back to Tucson in May for a few days, and I'm already looking forward to it.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Aw! Where did you live?

I lived in Phoenix for most of my life. I was born there and only left about a year and a half ago.

The desert has such a stark and bewitching kind of beauty - and so many colors. It just amazes me. I'm going back to Tucson in May for a few days, and I'm already looking forward to it.

Spring is an especially beautiful time of the year there. Years ago my husband and I would go out in the desert in his Bronco and spend the night. It was so quiet, with no one around for miles. It got harder and harder to do as more and more people moved into the Valley, though.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Years ago my husband and I would go out in the desert in his Bronco and spend the night. It was so quiet, with no one around for miles.

How wonderful! I bet you saw some breathtaking sunrises.