nature – Page 6 – A Tangled Mind In Motion

May The Ox Be Ever In Your Flavor

May 1, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged Caribbean, cliffs, Cove Bay, nature, ocean, Ocean views, Old Booby Hill, outdoors, panorama, photography, Saba, Sony NEX-6, Tropical3 Comments

Cove Bay and Old Booby Hill, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Hey folks…long time, no post, eh? The site is undergoing a reorg now that my remaining Saba pictures have dwindled down to nothing, so that you can enjoy other pictures of the world I inhabit and image. So postings may be a bit scarce for a little bit until I finish that exercise, which involves recategorizing all my Saba posts.

This view from the Cove Bay “beach”–temporarily replaced now that the Wells Bay disappearing beach has reappeared for a bit on the western side of Saba–was the first view of Saba I saw when I arrived on Dec 2012, as it lies a short walk below the airport. You’ve seen pictures in earlier blogposts of the climb up Old Booby Hill, and even the long exposure shot of Cove Bay without the little rock barrier shown here.

Cheers to the new Dutch King, by the way. Seems like a well intentioned royal.

Everyone Who Drinks Is Not A Poet. Maybe Some Folks Drink Because They’re Not Poets

April 23, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged Caribbean, clouds, cottage, cottages, flowers, nature, ocean, Ocean views, outdoors, panorama, photography, Saba, Sony NEX-6, St. John's, Tropical, writing1 Comment

In greener times in 2012, my morning ritual was to pop my sandals on, cook up some bacon & eggs, and sit outside on the stone steps to the cottage, and this view was typical on stormy mornings that would always turn out to be sunny by early afternoon. I’d type a little of my story out on the iPad and inhale the fresh air. It didn’t suck.

Living At Risk Is Jumping Off The Cliff And Building Your Wings On The Way Down

April 20, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged Caribbean, cliffs, cottage, cottages, flowers, Forest, jungle, Mountains, nature, ocean, Ocean views, outdoors, panorama, photography, plants, Saba, Sony NEX-6, WindwardsideLeave a comment

East Dropoff, Windwardside, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Oh, I loves me the Ray Bradbury quote that makes up this blogpost subject line. I’d like to think that the four month sabbatical I took on Saba and the months around it comprise a crossroads of sorts, and after a few discussions with my closest friends, it certainly has that possibility.

It’s not that easy to get to the dropoff in this picture, due to the dense vegetation that surrounds the occupied core of Windwardside village. You have to ramble down the winding rolling Road until you get to the English Quarter (the eastern settlement side of Windwardside), where you can make some cut throughs or paths you can take OR you have to have friends in cottages perched on the tops of the cliffs, which are many, relative to the general population. Regardless, the views from virtually anywhere in Windwardside range from the benign to the spectacular, typical of this l’il island that could.

Your Heartbeat Is Music That Assures You Will Survive Even When The Whole World Leaves You Alone

April 18, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged Caribbean, cliffs, cottage, cottages, dutch caribbean, eddie hassell, flowers, nature, ocean, Ocean views, outdoors, photography, recollection, Saba, Sony NEX-6, St. John's, swinging doors, Thais Hill, The Bottom, views1 Comment

Victor and His House, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Victor is a well known face to Saban locals, hitching rides back and forth between his house in St John’s (shown here), The Bottom, and Windwardside. He’s related to Eddie Hassell of Swinging Doors back through generations, and he has an fascinating history on Saba that’s a story in itself, tangled up in dark mystery and rumors, and a long stint in a mental home (he’s been out for many years). I got the sense that the island looks after Victor in a subtle way. In all my conversations with him–and there were many–I never found him the least bit violent, odd or strange. He’s a very low key fellow, smiling and generally happy, remarkably articulate in one on one conversation, friendly, and openly talks about his past if asked. The one memory he does continue to bring up is that of a lost love he had and was engaged to marry, only to have it dissolve through events out of his control. Of course, all of this is his recollection, but I tended to believe him, as he was remarkably consistent on the details. Victor’s house sits below Thais Hill, at the start of the switchbacks that descend to The Bottom. If you visit Saba, you are almost certain to run into him…wave and say hi, and he will wave back, as so many friendly Sabans will.

Strong Heart And The Palm Tree That Shrugs And Smokes Ciggies

April 17, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged Caribbean, jungle, Mountains, Mt Scenery, nature, outdoors, photography, Saba, Sony NEX-6, Tropical1 Comment

Palm Tree, Mt Scenery, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

On the final jaunt up Mt Scenery before I left the island, rambling up Bud’s Mountain Trail on the way to Mt Scenery, there was a break in the canopy and a couple palm trees stark against the sky. Don’t ask me why I processed this in this color, probably desire for variety more than anything.

Duck Billed Platypus Slaps His Dancing Tail In Big Sky Country

April 12, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged Caribbean, cliffs, clouds, Giles Quarter, Hiking, Mountains, Mt Scenery, nature, outdoors, panorama, photography, plants, Saba, Sony NEX-6, views, WindwardsideLeave a comment

Looking Up Ridge Below Dancing Place Trail From Giles Quarter, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

This pic is from the bone dry days of early March in Saba, rambling along the Giles Quarter coastline and aiming the camera up past the ruins of the old beekeeper rocks, the cloud on the edge of Mt Scenery to the left, Peak Hill in the center, Booby Hill and The Level to the right. Note how very dry this is….it hardly even resembles the Caribbean.

Raincloud Horizon On A Saban Easter

April 10, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged airport, april showers, Caribbean, caribbean isle, clouds, cottage, cottages, dutch caribbean, Hells Gate, nature, ocean, Ocean views, outdoors, panorama, photography, rain, raincloud, rainclouds, Saba, Sony NEX-6, Tropical, views2 Comments

Raincloud Horizon, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

As readers of my blog know, Saba has been in a drought condition for quite a while. The day I left the island, it was raining steadily on Easter Sunday, as it had the day before, some respite to the parched little Caribbean isle. I snapped my last shots from the balcony of Tricia and Michael Chammaa’s apartments in Lower Hell’s Gate, and managed to get this gorgeous and dramatic horizon.

Here’s to many more rainy days like this for my Saban friends. April showers and all that good stuff.

The Blue Arc Of Insanity Kisses The Sea Of Disdain

April 9, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged Caribbean, clouds, El Momo, Forest, Mountains, nature, ocean, Ocean views, outdoors, photography, Saba, Sony NEX-6, views, Windwardside1 Comment

Daytime View From El Momo Cottages, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

The views from El Momo Cottages on Saba don’t suck, the price is right, it’s vegetarian fare for dinner in an Eco friendly setting. What else could you want for a vacation getaway? Maybe a cuddly penguin?

Leprechauns Are Redundant Rascals In The Emerald City

April 8, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged Caribbean, dutch caribbean, ferns plants, Flora, flowers, gaming, Hiking, jungle, Mt Scenery, nature, outdoors, panorama, photography, Saba, saturation, Sony NEX-6, stone walls, transportation, Tropical, views, Volcanic stone3 Comments

The Path To Mt Scenery, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Generally speaking, for Saba jungle images I took while I was there, I have to reduce the saturation of the color green, because it’s so incredibly green on your way up, it tends to blow out your eyes ability to pick out detail. I let the green be in this picture, so you can really get a sense of the kinds of jungle flora around you, on trees, ferns, plants, and the man made volcanic stone walls that line some of the hike to Mt Scenery. It’s the most strenous official trail on Saba, and I summited ten times during my four months there. I always discovered something new and delightful.

For those of you who’ve summited Mt Scenery, this particular structure is very distinct and unique on the scenery path. Care to guess where on the path it is?

These Cliffs Are No Country For Old Men

April 7, 2013July 2, 2016Posted in SabaTagged black and white, Caribbean, cliffs, Fort Bay, HDR, Hiking, nature, outdoors, panorama, photography, rugged, Saba, Sony NEX-6, St. John's Flat, Thais Hill1 Comment

Thais Hill And The St John's Flat From Fort Hill, Saba, Dutch Caribbean — Thais Hill And The St John’s Flat From Fort Hill, Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Now that the April rains have come at last to slowly refill bone dry cisterns, lets give a pictorial nod to Saba’s rugged side during the drought, the intimidating cliffs and contours from below, the high and wispy stratus clouds with no moisture, the tough beauty that caused Columbus to skip trying a landing at the island after circumnavigating it.

Interesting to note: they are now clearing the foreground spot in this picture with an eye towards wind turbines. Alt energy on Saba? If true, most excellent.