Which Do You Like Best?

I took these photos when Cory and I visited Reno back in 2014.  We saw A LOT of murals in Reno, and here is a link to a map of their Midtown Mural Tour.

Joe C. Rock

These panels were commissioned in 2013 by Nevada Fine Arts and are located on their building.  

Painted by Nanook

That's a lot to contemplate all at once.

Painted by Erik Burke

But I must say that the fox painted by Kelly Peyton is my favorite of the group.

Painted by Kelly Peyton

It's hard to choose though, look at the black and white work in this one.

Painted by Broken Crow

Which do you like best?

Painted by Bryce Chisholm

Linking up to Monday Mural.

Washoe County Courthouse

This post was hiding in the draft folder since the trip that Cory and I made to Reno in 2014

When Cory and I visited Reno back in 2014 one of the places we visited was the Washoe County Courthouse.

In 1909, architect Frederic DeLongchamps won the design competition for the new courthouse, marking the first solo commission of his career. Clad in stone, the building is Classical Revival with a Beaux Arts influence, featuring decorative elements in terra cotta. 

Historically speaking it is significant for playing a role in the divorce industry in Nevada during the first half of the 20th century.  This was a time when divorce was much more difficult elsewhere but was legal in Nevada and liberal residency requirements were enacted. In 1931, more than 4,800 divorces were processed in northern Nevada, most through this courthouse, making Reno's economy boom with $5,000,000 being spent per year in Reno by divorcing parties.

Cory, 2014

A copper dome with ribs ending in fanciful brackets crowns the roof of the courthouse. Underneath the dome, a massive stained glass installation soars above the original entrance and a grand stairway leads to the second floor.

Up the stairs I posed in front of a mural showing the new courthouse next to the old red brick one.

Cory isn't the only one who looks younger, who is that young girl?  What a difference 5 years can make...

More finds from the draft folder to come before the end of the year, I'm determined to get them all dusted off and posted!

A Father's Dedication

This is a flashback to the trip to Reno that I took with Cory in January, 2014.

This mural in Reno was done as a memorial by a father for his 20 year old son who passed away.  The inspiration is the Louis Armstrong song "What a Wonderful World" which was a favorite of his.  Today is Wayne's birthday and he's another father who would agree that no matter what hardships we face in this world it is full of wonder and that the joy of being a dad is worth all the hard work.

And speaking of winter trips, next week I am taking a 9 day trip with my daughter, Katrina.  We are motoring all the way down to Dallas, making "Presidential" stops along the way as well as checking out a few state Capitol buildings.  Can't wait!

Boys and Men Allowed At Last, Kind Of...

Long time readers of my blog will know my opinion against the heart breaking policy of the Boy Scouts of America allowing discrimination against both gay scouts and gay leaders.  In 2013 they voted to allow gay boys to be involved in BSA but they had to leave the organization at age 18, not a victory of any kind since boys were still being taught that discrimination and hate were "okay".

The topic has caused a lot of heated debate from both sides and many communities and the Scouts for Equality have fought hard to end the discrimination.  But not Wisconsin's Governor Scott Walker who not only saw nothing wrong with the ban but also called the Supreme Court's decision regarding gay marriage a 'grave mistake'.  Of course, in true Scott Walker style he is now back-pedaling on the Scout issue since two weeks ago the BSA finally removed the ban on gay adult leaders. 

Their decision had a lot to do with the mounting tide of lawsuits, I'm sure, and they are still allowing local groups to "make their own decisions" about who to allow to be leaders so areas that are entrenched in patterns of discrimination will most likely continue for the time being.  The Mormon Church is considering forming their own scouting organization so they don't have to adhere to the policy of non-discrimination at all.  Their church isn't the only one still discriminating, other Christian churches have ended their affiliation with BSA and even the Archdiocese of Louisville won't allow an openly gay leader to return to lead due to the loophole left by the wording of the BSA's new rules.  I'll never understand the phrase "Christian values" when used in this kind of context.  Didn't Jesus teach about loving thy neighbor?  

Mural in Reno, Nevada

In Reno I saw this mural of what appears to be a Native American boy.  The Boy Scouts of America is also guilty of rampant "cultural appropriation", if you don't know what that's about check out this link to a great blog post and its comments, not the only one I found on the internet just the one I liked.  I didn't know they were doing this myself since we didn't let Cory be a part of scouting due to their discrimination policies against gay leaders.  Girl Scouts of America has never discriminated and to my knowledge they don't disrespect other people's cultures either but instead put effort in to helping girls explore other cultures which in my opinion is a better way to build leaders for tomorrow.  Just saying.

 If I'm not mistaken, the artist's blog can be found at this link .   More murals at Monday Mural here.

Hey, let's all keep working to end hate and intolerance, okay?  Progress is slow but recent political events show that it's working and each generation will hopefully be better educated about and more tolerant of ALL our citizens.

Save Something For Our Children

I was watching TV this morning and happened upon a show called "Saving My Tomorrow".  The HBO series is a collection of songs, activism and tips on protecting the Earth, featuring readings and performances by Tina Fey, Lennon and Maisy, Ziggy Marley, Stephin Merritt, Liam Neeson, Willie Nelson, Susan Sarandon, Neil deGrasse Tyson, They Might Be Giants, Jeffrey Wright and more.

Mural in Reno park

Throughout the film, kids share their concerns about the damage that is being done to the planet, endangered animals, climate change and more. Saving My Tomorrow combines science, animation and music to celebrate nature and is a “call from kids to kids to help take care of the planet.”

Why am I sharing this with a kid themed mural from that long ago trip to Reno for Monday Mural today?  Because the episode we happened upon was talking about the coral reef and then went to a kid produced music video that slammed the oil industry.

Oh, yes.  You know I'm linking it in!  It might be one of the best things I've ever seen.

The Four Elements - Reno

I've been thinking about Reno now and then since Cory and I visited it back in the spring.  Why?  I can't get that Truckee sourdough bread out of my mind.  I haven't had a slice of bread to rival it since we left there.  Truckee Sourdough Company products can be found throughout Northern California and Nevada, in a wide variety of grocery stores and restaurants.  If you live in that region or are traveling through make sure to locate some and try it.  Oh, and pick up a loaf for me and pop it in the mail, would ya?

They've done a great job of supporting artists in Reno, and I even found a link that lists the location of some of the public art in the downtown area.  At the park across from the place we rented when Cory and I were there last year was a mural depicting the four elements.  It was painted in 1998 by Youth Artworks.

WIND- Something those of us in the upper Midwest are very familiar with!  Something we always seem to be battling at home and while we're on the road, wind has its uses, and I always enjoy seeing the big wind turbines along the highway and knowing that they provide clean energy.  No, they might not be gorgeous but they look a heck of a lot better than billboards...or nuclear power plants.

EARTH- All good things grow from the earth and we need to take good care of it.  I'm a big fan of recycling and it always breaks my heart when RV parks don't participate in a recycling plan because Wayne doesn't want to "drag garbage around" so it ends up in the garbage. Sometimes I think it's an area-wide issue and it's something I'm trying to remember to look into before I make reservations.  Besides recycling here is a list of 10 Things You Can Do to Help Save the Earth.

FIRE - It's interesting that the artist chose to use a Native American in this representation as in general they did not have the four elements as part of their folklore.  Of course fire has been important to all cultures for heat and cooking but Native Americans focused more on passing along fundamental cultural truths in their use of symbolism.  (Any inaccuracy in this statement is wholly mine and I take full responsibility for my ignorance if need be!)  On a personal note, I've been very interested lately in the effect fire has on our ecosystems and how staging controlled burns can improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, and reduce wildfire potential by keeping forested areas cleared.  Less fuel for the fire means fires that are less intense and less likely to spread far.  Native Americans did use fire purposely to keep land clear for growing crops and to stimulate berry growth as well as to keep forests clear for easier hunting.  Cool fire mythology story link to "How the Coyote Stole Fire" here.

WATER - All I drink is water along with a daily cup of decaffeinated tea or the occasional Starbucks decaf soy mocha. Access to clean water is something we take for granted in this country.  I recently bought a Brita water jug for the refrigerator and always walk around with my own reusable Nathan water bottle as well.  Want to know more about how other countries' water quality fares?  Click here.

More hippie-esque ramblings another day, I suppose.  See other murals at Monday Mural.  More Yellowstone Flashback posts to come, just thought I'd mix it up with a mural since I haven't posted any in awhile.

Broken Landscape

What does this mural say to you?  It makes me think of the divide between today's culture and the land our current society is so busy destroying.  Perhaps that was the artist's intent, maybe not.  Shot in Midtown Reno back in February, contributing to Monday Mural as usual.

Don't Have a Cow, Man

First I have to share some news from Blogland.  A blogger out there working hard as an underappreciated field biologist has run into some trouble.  Help her out if you can!  In my opinion better than a political contribution any day.  If you decide to help her you can go here to do it.  Best of luck, Jill!

I've got a great mural I spotted in Reno in February for Monday Mural, and some thoughts on recent political goings-on as well.  I think Bart Simpson would approve.  

Image courtesy of the Newseum in Washington D.C. - adding it to my list of museums to visit!

I heard a radio announcer say this weekend that Bart would be 31 years old now if he lived in "real time", by the way.  Wrap your mind around that for a minute.

I haven't been paying attention to national politics at all this year and my eye just caught an "impeach Obama" headline recently.  What now, right?  Obama appointed three members to a Labor Board during a short recess of Congress.  Apparently these spots had needed to be filled for 3 years and the Republican party is in an uproar because the President tried to "go around them".  The Supreme Court ruled the 3 day recess too short to count as constitutional and decided recesses must be at least 10 days long to count.  Okay.  So, Congress can twist the system to drag out approval of appointments, but the President can't try to do the same?  Since when does that make a president a "dictator"?  And some Senators really need to look up what constitutes an impeachable offense and quit throwing that word around all the time.  Lighten up, Dudes.

Scrat from Ice Age made it onto the bus, I see.

However, the Senate recently made changes to how appointments are made which made stall tactics of the past a little more difficult for Congress so the issue of trying to take advantage of "recess" to get appointments through is not much of an issue anymore anyway.  Rules that make sense?  Not taking forever to get things done?  How will we cope?

To put this issue in an historical perspective, Ronald Reagan made 232 recess appointments during his eight years in office. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush each made well more than 100. In 1903, Theodore Roosevelt made more than 160 recess appointments during one short break between congressional sessions.
To date, Obama has made only 32 recess appointments.  Impeachment? Ay, Caramba!  Lighten up, Dudes!

Speaking of lightening up, I'll get off my soapbox tomorrow, I swear.

The Mighty Book-Reading Dragons

Been wondering where I've been?  No place exciting, that's for sure.  The weather has finally come out of hibernation here and I went for my first outdoor walk yesterday that  I didn't have to bundle up for.  It was only down to the lake and back but it's a start.  I went to the Ortho last week due to some recurring pain I've been having on the ball of my foot.  With my upcoming trip to Gatlinburg only 2 weeks away I had to make sure I didn't have something serious brewing.  The pain recently started happening almost every day instead of just occasionally and yes, it most likely is a fracture.  The tibial sesamoid of my left foot is either fractured or I am part of the 10% of the population who has sesamoid biparitae, which is where it formed two separate smaller sesamoid bones.  It's difficult to tell on the xrays, but the doc seems to think the fracture is a possibility because the crack looks "cloudy" which would indicate it's trying to heal and fill in. 

Either way, treatment is the same and due to my high arch on that foot I'm a prime candidate for recurring sesamoiditis so I ordered some dancer's pads and babying the ball of my foot while trying to support my arches is part of my new injury-prevention program.  Does it never end? For now I'm stuck in a boot, which I removed yesterday for my walk and just didn't "roll" forward onto the ball of my foot.  No running for awhile, which I am okay with.  Maybe I'll even look for a new sport instead, who knows?  I've only been running 2 miles at a time 2 or 3 times a week anyway, but it is a good way to keep fit in the gym over the winter.

While driving around Reno we saw these two enchanting murals at Hunter Lake School.  

I thought the dragon was a good fit for Monday Mural today due to the season 4 premiere of "Game of Thrones" last night.  Great scene at the top of the episode of Dany with her dragons.  Maybe the dragon in the mural should check out the "Game of Thrones" series of books to read.



I also watched the season finale of "Shameless".  I've been predicting Ian's situation all season.  Kind of recognized the signs considering what we have going on here at home.  Great episode, especially that surprise at the end, right?

Boring and Not So Boring

I just woke up from dreaming about slip covers and trying to find matching throw pillows.  First of all, I have dust mite allergies and would never own these items.  Secondly, so HORRIFYINGLY BORING that I forced myself to wake up and get out of bed even though this is the morning I usually sleep in a little.  I worked 11 hours yesterday and stayed up late rewatching the first season of "Game of Thrones" since the new season starts soon.  I highly recommend the HBO show and the books.

I missed Monday Mural yesterday.  I'm just way off this week!  More murals by Joe Rock from Nevada.  It's a shame these nicely done murals are hidden out back by the garbage dumpster.  Cory and I sampled some of the chocolate and thought it was pretty good.

Go For a Swim

As if kids needed any further encouragement to make their way to the local public pool, right?  I loved this mural though.  It's one of the Youth ArtWorks pieces in Reno.  Since 1997, Youth ArtWorks has been providing artistically inclined young people with rewarding summer employment. The young artists work as paid apprentices to established professional artists, who provide training and guidance. All of the conceptual and physical labor of Youth ArtWorks projects is done by the young artists.

The program began as a collaboration among the Sierra Arts Foundation, the Reno Police Department and the Nevada Museum of Art. The program initially was aimed at young people involved with graffiti crimes as a positive way to channel their creative energy without illegally defacing private property.  Gotta love it when people solve problems creatively.  In this case, literally.

Linking up to Monday Mural.

Smoke Shop Murals

I'll be showing Reno murals on Monday Mural for awhile yet, and this one was easily spotted from the road.

Back to work today.  High of 46F today and 42F tomorrow.  It's about time!  Maybe enough of the snow around here will melt that the curbside drains will be exposed and all the water piling up everywhere can start draining away.

Growing Groceries

The mural artists of Reno made their mark at the local co-op grocery store too.  Our first morning there I got up early for a chilly walk and my final destination was the Great Basin Community Food Co-Op.

They had a lot of choices for a local store.  But I was only in town for a few days so I bought a loaf of Truckee Sourdough bread, some eggs and butter and a couple of pieces of fruit.

Pretty cool bike rack, right?  Linking up to Monday Mural.

Fish on the Fence

Saw this mural for my contribution to Monday Mural on an alley fence in Reno.  Cory was the one who spotted the mountains as fins on his back.

I've got new camera equipment on the way, a Canon 70D and a new lens that I'm hoping will help me with murals and architecture.  Details to come, of course!

This mural puts me in mind of one of my favorite Disney songs.  Enjoy!

Portal of Evolution

My first morning in Reno I lucked upon a beautiful sculpture called Portal of Evolution by artist Bryan Tedrick.  It was first displayed at Burning Man in 2009 and is designed to turn in the wind, though I doubt it does that often at this sheltered location.  It would spin like a top in Chicago!

The base is meant to represent a cocoon, the entire sculpture of course representing transformation.

I wish the weather would start evolving into something resembling spring around here.

 My car when I left work on Monday

Growing, changing, transforming, evolving...a process we're all involved in throughout our lives.  Some of us fight it, some revel in it.  Most of the time I consciously seek it.  Except when it comes to things like joint pain and wrinkles!  I am perfectly fine with gray hair and wisdom through experiences though.

How about you?  Do you fight change or embrace it?

Not Just Grafitti

back of building

I've often admired the urban grafritti some of the Monday Mural posters get to display.  Everyone has their opinion on the validity of the its worthiness as "art".  Me, I think it has its place and I love it as much as the rest of the murals.  I like that even the higher minded stuff originated on a back alley with a kid and a vision perhaps.

This was one long wall, a whole block long, that I saw from the main road in Midtown Reno as we drove by.  When we pulled behind the building and I got a really good look I was shocked at the complexity. I can't decide whether each "panel" was done by a different artist or the same artist portraying different ideas.

side of building, section 1

I love the graveyard and the cityscape in the background of this one.

section 2

section 3

section 4

Pretty neat, huh?  Happy Monday!

Junkee

When Cory and I explored Midtown Reno one of our finds was this quirky resale shop.  Cory went inside but I sat in the red plastic chair outside and listened to the great funk playing on the loudspeaker.  Like most places, I didn't make it past opening the front door due to the fragrant candles or air freshener they had.

That's okay, because there was lots to look at outside.  I would have loved to buy that dinosaur but he was out of reach on the roof.

In case you get lost while parking your car at Junkee's they make it a little easier to find your way to the door.

Like the rest of Midtown Reno they have a mural thing going on too.

I sure do miss that Reno weather!  Who knows when it will be finally get over freezing in our little corner of the Midwest.  Linking up to Monday Mural , stay warm!