Calla
by Parrish Todd
Title
Calla
Artist
Parrish Todd
Medium
Photograph - Fine Art Photography
Description
Calla Lilies along an old fence at Fort Ross, California.
For the small group of California natives, that cool, overcast day in March 1812 was a forerunner of massive change. They stood there in astonishment as a large sailing ship came to anchor in the little cove beneath their quiet bluff top settlement. For the next few days, they continued to watch as some twenty-five Russians and eighty Alaskans came ashore, set up a temporary camp, and began building houses and a sturdy wooden stockade - the colony and fortification of Ross.
The Kashaya people assembled to watch the spectacle had no way of knowing that their hunting and gathering lifestyle would be changed forever. These Russians had come to hunt sea otter, to grow wheat and other crops for the Russian settlements in Alaska, and to trade with Spanish California.
By 1820, extensive sea otter hunting had depleted the otter population to such a degree that agriculture and stock raising became the main occupation of the colony. Coastal fog, gophers, mice and lack of genuine interest on the part of men who thought of themselves primarily as hunters, all combined to thwart the agricultural effort. Soon afterward, the Russian-American Company decided to abandon the Ross Colony. In March 1906, the site was turned over to the State of California for preservation and restoration as a state historic monument.
http://parks.sonoma.net/rosshist.
Uploaded
September 10th, 2012
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Viewed 672 Times - Last Visitor from Fairfield, CT on 03/28/2024 at 7:38 AM
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Comments (2)
Bijan Pirnia
Beautiful Parrish, It is sunday night. I'm sitting at my computer admiring every one of your gorgeous images. When I read your poetic biography, I notice it's totally compatible with the spiritual quality I see in your oeuvre. You see beauty not only in the obvious such as a delicate flower or a colorful sunrise but also in a windmill " TIMELESS, " driftwood and sand "ADRIFT," and thistle "SILVER PUFF." This is because of your keen perception and the gentleness of your soul. I'm convinced that beauty emanates from within. The world is precisely a reflection of who we are or what we are. That's why for thousands of year Rishis (enlightened sages) of the Ayurvedic tradition of India have been reminding us of a universal truth that applies to all of us : "I AM NOT IN THE WORLD. THE WORLD IS IN ME. I AM NOT IN THE BODY. THE BODY IS IN ME. " "Me" is NOT this flesh & blood mortal shell that will decompose and return to dust someday. "Me" is a unique manifestation or expression of an ineffable, inscrutable reality we call God. Much kudos to you, Parrish. Please consider me an ardent admirer of yours. I'll be back to your gallery for more inspiration.
Parrish Todd replied:
Bijan, I am overwhelmed by your words and in deep gratitude that you are touched by my work. I have never had such a lovely comment and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It would be my great pleasure if the way I photograph the world continues to inspire you!