A week in paradise

Last week I taught at the Empty Spools Seminar in Asilomar, California. Despite the chilly, rainy weather, it's a magical place. The ocean is a very short walk from the conference center, is visible from many vantage points and the sound of the surf is omnipresent. It was a very inspiring setting for a very creative week.



The dining hall where everyone on campus gathered for meals. The speed with which they feed hundreds and hundreds of people is astounding.



Just beyond the dining hall is the boardwalk to the dunes and trails. Beautiful even in the grey drizzle.





There are warning signs along the trail to watch out for mountain lions and advice about what to do if confronted with one. I memorized the sign but didn't need to use the advice, phew. There were a lot of crows and racoons, and many almost tame deer wandering about.



My classroom was a cosy building standing by itself, filled with courageous, talented women. We had a wonderful week filled with art and laughter.





It didn't rain the entire week, one morning there was a gorgeous rainbow above the dunes.



The first day I was there my friend, Franki Kohler, and I went to Pacific Grove for lunch and shopping. This is the town where the monarch butterflies gathered by the tens of thousands every year during their migration. A sculpture in front of the post office:



Walking back from an exhibit at the art center I spied these gulls hanging out on top of a car and it struck me as funny.



Wednesday night a bunch of the teachers went to dinner on Cannery Row - Tracey Brookshier, Lura Schwarz Smith and Kerby Smith, Reynola Pakusich, Marcia Stein, Annie Smith and I feasted on seafood and cheesecake.


I'll be back next year during the July session and I'm really looking forward to it!