From Buffalo Point Looking across White Rock Bay
Notes:
- I like this image as an art work, although its beauty is subtle due to the filtered sunshine of this brisk March 6th day. I offer the following notes, entirely optional, to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the scene. I believe that the ultimate appreciation of art is nonverbal and that the road to that nonverbal appreciation often lies through the verbal.
- Here are the four most prominent terraces left by the varying levels of the ancient Lake Bonneville. From top to bottom: (2) Bonneville, (3) Provo, (1) Stansbury, and (4) Gilbert. The numbers denote the chronological order of the shorelines.
- The Gilbert shoreline is just above the beach. Antelope Island is one the of the few places where this Gilbert terrace is visible. Geologists are still arguing about the validity of the Gilbert level.
- Frary Peak at the top left of the photo is the high point of the island. Some of the oldest rocks on Earth are preserved on this island.
- The Oquirrh Mountains are the snow covered peaks in the right distance.
- Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh range is bristling with TV and FM antennas. Philo T. Farnsworth was a significant pioneer in television technology and had strong ties to Utah.
From the Visitor Center Looking NW Across Bridger Bay
Note: Art critics talk of spectators in pictures who act as surrogates for us external spectators. This bison is such an internal spectator, although his attention seems to be focused on his afternoon snack of grass rather than on the scene: The Great Salt Lake extending to the Lakeside Mountains and the west desert beyond. Carrington Island is the dark mass on the left.
Antelope Island Rock Garden
Note: I feel extremely fortunate to have encountered this scene. I experience much peace as my eye surveys this scene brimming with biology and geology.
Tintic Quartzite Nestled in the Grass
Notes:
- I love the palette of colors and the varying textures.
- This rock is about 540 million years old.
As I write this post during the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, I find that the making and presenting of art is joyful. My goal that you may find some respite as you experience these images, also.
Best regards,
Dr. Mike