GRATULACJE - ПОЗДОРОВЛЕННЯ

Radium, Summer of '67

l. to r.: You know who, cousin Karol, brother Eddy.

Polish Vernacular Architecture of Podlasie Region

Fredek sent me these to give me some ideas for the renovations to the cottage.

I especially like the little porches which provide a sheltered location for casual meetings with visitors. This is very practical in the country when you don't want to have to ask people to take off their muddy boots.

Look at the little decorative details.

Even the most modest edifice has them.

BUILDING PLANS

3D view of the proposed additions to our cottage.




















The existing cottage is on the left, and the proposed addition on the right.

More pictures from Guadeloupe

The black sand beach at Grand' Anse, Basse-Terre, with a view of the Saintes.













Aglaea, Euphrosyne & Thalia



















Les Bains Jaunes, a thermal spring on the slopes of La Soufrière. The water is not too hot, and refreshing after a hot climb to the summit of the volcano.



















Memorial to the French marines who built the baths in 1887.


A few pensive moments on the day before the return home.

Home Sweet Home?

Back from the FWI

If you have found things a little quiet here, it's because L and I have been in Guadeloupe the last few weeks. We returned home on Easter Sunday. It was a lazy holiday, and I didn't take many pictures, but here is a small selection.


As usual we stayed at our friend Marie-Louise's place near Sainte-Anne.


One night Marie-Louise prepared a magnificent Choucroute alsacienne, which requires impressive logistics in the tropical climate of the Antilles.


One of the first beaches we visited was at Anse a l'Eau, which is noteworthy for the freshwater spring that emerges just above sea level at the far end of the beach.


The Musée Edgar Clerc located just outside of Le Moule displays various aspects of the lives of the Arawaks and Caribs who inhabited the island before Europeans arrived.


Canna Indica 


Hymenocallis Caribaea


Spice vendor, Sainte-Anne.


Beach at La Coulée near St-François.


These little yellow birds feasted on raw cane sugar at our table every day, but looking at their severe expressions I wonder if they really enjoyed themselves.


Allée Dumanoir, part of the Route Nationale N1, just outside of Capesterre-Belle-Eau on our way to the Chutes de Carbet.***


Crossing a bridge on the national park trail leading to the second falls.


The 1st (125 m.) and 2nd (110 m.) falls of the Chutes de Carbet. Before the earthquake of 2004 you could go right up to the foot of the 2nd falls, but since then it is forbidden, due to the danger of rockfalls. We used to enjoy bathing in a thermal spring located next to the falls. One of these days I'll dig up a photo from those times to show you.

My Chinese Name

Dear Friends,

When I was in Beijing a few years ago, my friends took me to have a personal name seal made by a "chop" carver. There was some discussion about which Chinese characters should be used, and I believe we finally settled on Ke-Li-Se or something like that. Now I wish I had asked what those characters represent in Chinese. I fear that they might mean something like "the one who carries the garbage out to the field" or "the village sex maniac". If there is a Chinese language specialist out there who can help me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Yours truly,

A Walk in the Woods After the Snowstorm

Last Friday we drove out to the hermitage in a howling blizzard, with no visibility and icy conditions on the highway. Just as we got there the storm ended.


Winter has filled the woods and covered the lake with a thick blanket of snow.


The little god of the birdfeeder looked a little cold.


When the sun came out, so did the snowshoes.


And off we trudged into the forest.


The woods were lovely, dark and deep. (Thanks, Robert)


But we had promises to keep.

Twenty Years Later

(Drawing by A. Wysocki, 1974)
The next time I sat for a portrait was 20 years later, on the bench in front of the pear trees at the farmhouse of my spiritual mentor Michał Michalak in Kaszowo. This pen and ink drawing was done by Alfred right around the time he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. At this stage of my life I was 22 years old, had finished my B.A., had a 17 year-old girlfriend, and was spending the year contemplating what my next steps would be.

Guess Where This Is?

 

Hint - shares the same saint's name as my parish church in Edmonton, but the resemblance ends there.