Official Earth Day nearly slipped my mind. It popped into view early this morning, so we’re placing a fast food menu on your Wild Art entertainment table. Every single day should be earth day, but that is often eclipsed by life drama or life humdrum.
The visual pics coming up are reminders of the carbon cycle.** Carbon is vital to our entire biological spectrum. My token feast of carbon delights started with an installation as part of my Gualala Arts Deep Time show in 2016.
One of our cat Yo-yo’s favorite projects is ripping apart paper towels and toilet paper.
He stole the show.
Paulus
Guests were invited to feel and smell rose petals in the bowl (made from a local bay tree.)
The wooden top in the background was a gift made by Alexander Wright, who was a small boy when I had last seen him–we had been neighbors in Bodega Bay. Now a grown-up, he managed to visit the show.
Here are local walnuts that happened to land on a fancy scrap of wood.
Anne Seltzer’s shoe is a relic from many decades ago. Leather is born of transformations of carbon and the bunny tail seed heads will scatter and generate a new crop.
The moth happened to die in the abalone shell.
Hollyhock seeds were harvested from the garden.
The ball in the background was carved by the late local sculptor Bruce Johnson. His heart of redwood creation is touched and watched every day. Even if it eventually cracks and falls apart, I will take it wherever I go all the rest of my days.
Feathers were included in the buffet for their beauty and as reminders of birds and their connections with earth, air and sea. They nourish our spirits.
Other objects were on that table, but since then, my camera caught many more carbon feast surprises. Recently, we visited the La Brea tar pits. Tar, of course, with tons of carbon molecules, is still oozing out of the ground. Paleontologists are still digging/ slurping/ searching for dinosaur bones. (They lie on planks cantilevered and sort of floating on the tar.) In the museum, this prehistoric Columbia Mammoth’s stance has a dainty accent.
Zooming up to present day examples of carbon network, we find valleys and ridges within ranunculus petals:
And a few years ago, our niece, Anna Hilinski, LOVED to eat kale from the garden.
Another garden treat: dew drops on a leaf.
Of course, we are part of carbon’s inter-connecting life forms. Here’s one of the many community memories from the Timber Cove farmers’ market—Uhhhh, from a flicker of the past when Joe and Ruby Cooper were kids.
Below, the split-second from a rainy day video of our deck reminds me of the Hadeon eon’s Late Heavy Bombardment Period.
Early this morning I looked up Earth’s early planet formation because a question loomed. How exactly did all this carbon become embedded, nested as it cycles amidst our planet’s crust, mantle and atmosphere? Years ago, I was so pleased to learn that “we are made of star dust” is more than a poetic idea. Now, in addition to knowing this is biologically true, I ask about how and why do supernovas explode? How do meteorites, asteroids and proto-planets laden with carbon-methane + other gas cargo interact? What happens when they collide? Scientists are searching for answers. I hope I have time to list many of the sources for info about astrobiologist theories and ingenious experiments. ***
Until then, let’s finish up with the theme of an ongoing feast. In fact, this is an excuse to end the photo essay with an ad for Healthy High drinks. Sunali Sikand, who used to be our neighbor, has perfected five organic, creative spice of life-nourishing drinks:
Cali Coffee, High C Tea, Hot Mama Magyck, Matcha Melody and Glowing Golden Mylk. They are sold throughout the country, but Sonoma County local venues include Andy’s Market, 1691 Gravenstein Hwy in Sebastopol, and Aroma Roaster, 95 5th St. in Santa Rosa. Ayus, 1695 Union St. is in San Francisco. *
*For more info: healthyhighdrinks.com
**For info on the carbon cycle see internet site Earth Science Week sponsored by NASA
For info on early planet formation see internet site Naked Science and Crash Course on Geology
For info on supernovas and breaking news on the telescope witnesses of supernova SN 49 on April 11, 2026, see internet sites Astrum and Starwalk/Space
Gretchen Butler Wild Art 