Sunday 13 April 2008

Ever-decreasing Circles.

I have been doing a lot of running around recently. Church, work, choir, social stuff. Good but a little overwhelming.

But this weekend was really fun. Friday night I met Arthur for dinner and we went to a concert in someone’s basement, followed by friends n' s'mores at Angie's.

Saturday was the spiral jetty. A group of us drove halfway across Utah to see it. You drive and drive and drive north, and then you drive west, west, west, on increasingly rough, dusty roads, waving at jealous cows as you drive over cattle grids. Then you can’t drive any more, so you walk, and over the hill you see…the spiral jetty.

Several people have asked me what it is. It’s…well…it’s a jetty…and it’s in a…spiral shape. It’s a spiral jetty. It’s an art installation in the Great Salt Lake, made of dark volcanic rock, contrasting against the bright white salt that spirals with it. It’s been covered by water for a long time, but the lake is low enough that you can walk on it now. It’s also edged by what, from a distance, we thought were lumps of salt, but turned out to be clumps of white, salty foam.

You expect the salt to be slushy, or like a layer of ice that will crack when you walk on it. But it’s pretty firm and smooth. We played with the foam, tasted the salt (salty!), took our pictures, and made our way home. It was a fantastic day for it, with good company, and it felt a little like an excursion to a different planet.

A good few hours away from running in circles.





8 comments:

Dainon. said...

Your photos are fantastic. Bravo!

frances said...

we went to the jetty last spring and simply adored it! it was sort of above water, but not as much as it was for you guys, looks like. i convinced some people to walk out, but they didn't think wet pants were very funny...

Cindy Bean said...

Great photos! What a wonderful time. I'm glad you rode out in the car with me (I guess I sort of made you). It was fun talking to you.

Hey, It's Ansley said...

So jealous I couldn't go! Great photos.

plainoldsarah said...

totally a great trip - and i like the connection to life's "running in circles."

Melanie said...

Very cool. Always thought of going there when we lived in SLC, but missed it.

lenalou said...

Thanks, guys! Dainon, I love the one of you with the foam. It looks like it should be part of a laundry detergent commercial.

Cindy -- there was no coercion involved, and I enjoyed it too!

The rest of you must all visit some time.

Marie said...

I've been meaning to check it out, but thanks to your blog I can view it here in my cozy cave, far from the stench of dead brine shrimp :)