Here’s a selection of houses we saw last month, while traveling around the rural back roads and towns of San Luis Obispo County, California.
houses in California’s central coast
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Category Archives: Travel
all natural in California
Here are photographs of some natural curves and textures that we saw in California. 
California poppies and other icons
I’m finally caught up with unfinished tasks and e-mails, so I went through last week’s pictures from our trip to California. I see this grouping as iconic images which represent the look and spirit of California. We came across this hillside full of California poppies while driving along the central coast. Rob took a picture of me taking the closeup photo. We’re calling it “Salley’s World” in reference to a certain famous 20th century American painting. 
This couple’s color sense was irresistible.
The children playing, the beach umbrella and the VW van pictures were all taken at Hearst Beach.
This tile roof is inside the courtyard of the San Luis Obispo Mission.
And Tuesday is farmer’s market day in Paso Robles.
Polly’s trip to California
Polly doll saw a lot of dry and wet places on her recent trip to California. Dry vineyards in Paso Robles.
Green grass and railroad tracks somewhere between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles.
Misty and moist Bridal veil falls in Yosemite.
Another magnificent waterfall in Yosemite.
And soft and furry sequoia trees in Yosemite!
visit to Fresno
We had a wonderful time doing book related business in Fresno, CA on Friday and Saturday. First there was the reception for the “Pocketful of Posies” exhibit, which is on display through May 24 at the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, Henry Madden Library at Fresno State.
Jennifer Crow and her helper Mai Sou Lee did a beautiful job organizing and hanging the show.
On Saturday, I signed books at Petunia’s Place, a children’s bookstore in Fresno. 14 yr. old Sarah Riley came from a 3 hour distance to meet me. She started making fairies from Felt Wee Folk when she was 7. I’m impressed!
new born lambs
Rob and I visited a friend’s farm a few days ago. We took photographs of the new born lambs and proud ewes, who were very willing subjects. As our camera clicked away, they provided us with the most pastoral maternal scene. The lambs were so beguiling! See sheep and lambs I’ve stitched from my Close-ups series here.
Fresno, here we come!
detail from “Wee Willie Winkie” board book
Yes, the Pocketful of Posies traveling exhibit is coming to Fresno, California and so am I! 25 original embroidered illustrations from my picture book Pocketful of Posies, 10 pieces from my series of baby board books and George’s Chair will all be on display March 18 – May 24, 2013 at the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, Henry Madden Library at Fresno State.
All are invited to the opening reception on Friday, March 22 at 6:00 pm. Rob and I will be traveling to California for the event and I will be giving a talk at 7:00 pm. In addition, I’ll be at Petunia’s Place, also in Fresno, for a book signing on Saturday, March 23rd from 11:00 – 1:00. We’re really looking forward to coming to California and hope to meet some of you on Friday or Saturday.
detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010
My artwork is included in the dual exhibition, “Golden Threads: Journey through the Picture Book,” in Fresno State’s Madden Library. Featured will be “Golden Legacy: 65 Years of Golden Books,” sixty pieces of original artwork from Little Golden Books, and “Pocketful of Posies: The Worlds of Salley Mavor” (co-hosted by the Fresno FiberArts Guild). I’m happy that the show will be up for more than 2 months, giving people plenty of time to come and see it.
upper west side
My husband and I spent a few days in the upper west side of New York City. As we bustled to and from the Amsterdam Diner in the morning, we passed this vine climbing up several stories to the roof of a building. I showed this picture on my Facebook page and someone commented that it looked like Kathleen Kelly’s house in ”You’ve Got Mail”. I haven’t seen the movie and the fact that I don’t know who Kathleen Kelly is, could have something to do with my tendency to work in my studio all of the time. If they did use this house front in the movie, I can see why–it’s very appealing! 
I found the wildness of the tangled vines refreshing in such an otherwise tidy and perfect neighborhood. It must look gorgeous in warmer weather, with leaves and possibly flowers!
It was frigidly cold and there was a pretty dusting of snow on the sidewalk and stairs.
This was the view from our hotel, looking toward the grounds of the Natural History Museum.
to the end of the world and back
The experience of being in Antarctica cannot be adequately conveyed in photographs and words. The continent is a truly awesome part of our planet, with an environment so different and extreme that my visit was as close to being on another planet as I’ll ever experience. From the deck of our big comfortable boat, we saw this sailing ship, with some more adventurous tourists aboard. The monochromatic scenery was breathtakingly beautiful! And everywhere there was wild life to gawk at.
We woke up a napping elephant seal pup.
We had to bundle up, but the temperatures were mild for the end of the world–in the 30′s F.
Being the height of summer, the sun was out most of the day and night.
The elephant seals sang (or grunted), “There were 9 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over.”
Polly had a great time!
Throughout the frozen landscape, there were signs of growth, like these lichens and moss.
The adorable penguins won our hearts.
And an occasional seal on an ice flow noticed our presence. Antarctica was worth the trip! My husband, Rob Goldsborough took many of the photographs I’ve shown from this trip. See more of his great pictures of Antarctica on Flickr.
Antarctica: birds
We just flew into Logan after about 24 hours of traveling, beginning in Ashuaia, Argentina, to Santiago Chile, to Atlanta to Boston. After a day of flying and while we wait in the airport to catch the bus to the Cape, I thought I’d write a post and show you the splendid birds we saw in Antarctica. Some were seen from the boat and others we saw on land. Can you guess what they are? Answers at the end of this post.
Birds, top to bottom: Cape petrel, Antarctic fulmar, Cape petrel, Giant Antarctic petrel, Giant Antarctic petrel, petrel, Giant Antarctic petrel.
