Mayan Embroidery

The so-called Mayan Indians live primarily in Southern Mexico and Guatemala and other nations of Central America. The term "Maya" is a collective term that refers to a diverse group of people who are related linguistically and culturally but each have their own language and culture. There is no real way to distinguish whether or not a person is "Mayan" and any attribution to Mayan culture is tentative at best. Used in this context, it means that these extraordinary embroideries were made by indigenous residents somewhere in Central America. Imagine spending the time to do something like this in our own culture here in the U.S.

More Mayan Weaving

The patterns for traditional weaving are handed down from generation to generation. These textiles were almost always woven on backstrap looms, that is the tension on the warp was supplied by a harness that went around the waist of the weaver. The weaver used string heddles to raise the warp so the weft could create the patterns. A good weaver would take more than a day of weaving to produce about one linear foot of cloth. I have a greater appreciation for the final weaving because I realize the effort it took to produce it.

Coleus

We often judge people by our first impression of them. We categorize them by their clothes, their face, their weight, their hair color or other superficial characteristics. We do the same with plants. Most plants are ordinary and inconspicuous. We hardly ever notice grass or bushes unless they have showy flowers. Coleus is a showy plant. With varieties from all over the world, the colors of its leaves are always a fascination. But they are relatively sensitive to cold and heat. We seldom see them in the desert, they just cannot survive the dry heat. In some ways they are like people. Some people may not be showy, but they are survivors.

The Bones of the Hills

Rocks are the bones of the hills. It always amazes me how little most people know about the world around them. Rocks are a good example. Each rock in the world has its own particular story of how it came to be and what will happen to it in the future. No rock is common. This one is particularly interesting and you will have to click on the image to see what I mean.

Mayan Textiles

I spent many years on a four harness loom weaving. My current interests and responsibilities have taken me away from the world of textiles, but I still love handmade woven cloth and especially textile patterns. I particularly love native American art and textiles. Some of the patterns of these Mayan examples are hundreds (thousands?) of years old. I not only relate to the patterns, I understand how they were made, usually with a backstrap loom, and admire the craftsmanship and time it took to produce these lovely artifacts. 

Shadows of the Past

We cannot really relate in any meaningful way to changes and time that has past on this earth. Like these fossilized bones, we can only see the shadows of what has past. We live so much in the present and so little understanding of the future. At one time I wanted to be a paleontologist but I never really took any steps towards achieving that goal. Now my goal is a shadow in my own past. Whenever I see a collection of ancient fossils I still remember my former interest.

Quartz Vug

Mineral crystals grow in empty spaces in rocks called vugs if they are large and geodes if they are small. In the case of geodes, the crystal filled space is surrounded by a rock matrix and sometimes the rock matrix is in the form of a nodule. This collection of quartz crystals is about six feet across and came from a huge vug in a mine. Many valuable crystal vugs have probably been lost when the crystals were mined along with the ore. Occasionally, a collection of crystals is preserved.