Journal Writing at Seth’s Cottage

Wright Inspired Accessories at Seth Peterson Cottage on Mirror Lake, Wisconsin

here Writing by Lamp Light © 2011 Bo Mackison

https://www.appliquecafeblog.com/background-photo/ I spent several hours writing by the light cast from this small lamp while I was staying at the Seth Peterson Cottage. Whenever I paused, I could look out the many windows and gaze at Mirror Lake, which wasn’t much of a “mirror” while I was there. It had a slate gray appearance that evening, no resemblance to a reflective mirror.

Order Zopiclone Online While I was there, I photographed some of the details of the interior. These particular photos do not show the rooms so much as the accessories in the rooms. (In the next and final post on Seth’s Cottage I’ll include photographs from the individual rooms.)

source I also wrote and sketched in my journals while I was there. A few excerpts follow:

Flickering Fire, Fireplace designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Seth Peterson Cottage

https://anthonynewmancamps.com/virtual-camps/ Flickering Fire © 2011 Bo Mackison

Tramadol Online Purchase A lesson learned from lighting the fire. When lighting a fire with a full box of matches at your disposal, one doesn’t pay much attention to the number of matches it takes. If the fire doesn’t start with the first two or three matches, just keep trying until the fire catches. But when there are only six matches in the only box of matches, one plans carefully for the lighting of the logs. The kindling is laid just so, I stuff a bit of paper between the twigs for a bit of insurance, choose the smaller logs from the woodpile outside. Lots of planning goes on before I strike the first match.

Ambien Without Prescription I think of an analogy, comparing the starting a fireplace fire to caring for the earth. While the natural resources of the earth seem inexhaustible, there seems little need to use the resources wisely–lots of matches in the box to start the warming fire. But when the resources become threatened, endangered, the prudent thing to do would be to use them wisely, carefully, with great planning–don’t want to run out of matches before the logs are burning.

Star Floor, Radiant Floor Heating System, Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Seth Peterson Cottage

Order Valium Without Prescription Radiant Star Floor © 2011 Bo Mackison

Order Valium Without Prescription I spent way too much time trying to find patterns and pictures in the random lines of the flagstone floor. Above is my interpretation of a “radiant” star — radiant because underneath these flagstone slabs are hot water pipes that provide floor heating. There were also pennies embedded in several cracks. I fully intended to get down on my hands and knees and check out the dates on the coins, but I never did find a flashlight and the areas were rather dimly lit.

Buy Zopiclone 7.5 Mg Online From my journal:

https://www.ztpackaging.com/soft-loop/ I am quite loving this hard stone floor. Not because it is a comfy surface to stand upon in stocking feet, but because it is toasty warm. Even though it has dropped to the low 40s and will probably hit 35˚F by early morning, the warm floor is quite special in that it is so unexpected. There are no rugs, only this unending expanse of carefully matched stone slabs.

source site It is so quiet. Now, nearly six in the evening, and the skies are dark with heavy, threatening rain clouds. I expected to see and hear birds, but the birds are silent. There is no radio, no television, no neighbors, no motor boats on the “no motor” lake, no internet. It is quiet, except for the popping of the fire and the occasional  cloud burst.

Buy Valium Online Without Prescription One gets lulled by the quiet. I intend to write, but instead I find myself passing long periods of time watching the logs burn, watching the raindrops plop in the puddles on the back stone patio, listening for sounds that don’t exist. We have learned to live in a noisy world, and often pay little attention to the constant background noises that surround us. But when there are no sounds, only silence, then I notice the silence.

https://www.wjsmithconstruction.com/garage-building/ I hear the silence.

https://geneticsandfertility.com/patients/ ——————–

follow link This is the second part of a three-part series written and photographed while I stayed at the Seth Peterson Cottage.

https://hymnsandhome.com/spring/

Seth’s Cottage

Seth Peterson Cottage, Mirror Lake, Frank Lloyd Wright architect

https://www.52editions.com/introduction/ Seth Peterson Cottage © 2011 Bo Mackison

Ambien 10 Mg Price I have visited the Seth Peterson Cottage, the last commission that Frank Lloyd Wright did before his death in 1958. (There are tours of the small cottage every second Sunday of the month in the afternoon.)

https://anthonynewmancamps.com/basketball-camps/ And ever since I went and toured this cozy, secluded cottage that stands on the bluffs overlooking Mirror Lake, I’ve had a deep desire to spend the night there. (The cottage is one of only a handful of Wright designed buildings available for public rental.)

https://bettierose.co.uk/307_baker_fotor/ Last week I listened to a show on Wisconsin Public Radio regarding the activities planned for this year in honor of Wright’s home in Wisconsin. Taliesin is reaching the century mark. And the conversation about Wright’s houses rekindled my dream of staying in Seth’s Cottage. What better way to commemorate this Wright year? But when I went to the site to check on availability, there was only one night available – the next evening — or the cottage wasn’t available until mid-November.

I made some hasty arrangements and then made my reservation.

I was going to spend a whole day and night at the Seth Peterson Cottage. A mini-Wright retreat in the woods, on a bluff, above a lake–in a Wright designed cottage. Yes!

Entrance to Seth Peterson Cottage, Mirror Lake, Frank Lloyd Wright architect

Seth’s Cottage Entrance © 2011 Bo Mackison

I’m sharing the photos I took of the cottage when it was nearly dark because these are the kinds of photographs you can only get if you spend the night. I have taken many of the cottage’s exterior and interior during daylight hours while I’ve been on the tours. Those were taken a few years ago when I was a true novice with the camera. This time I spent quite a few hours photographing the cottage, both the inside and outside, in daylight and at night. I had the huge advantage of being able to set up my shots, and I was able to use a tripod and long shutter speeds without interfering with a tour in progress.

What a dream come true!

Interior, Dining Area of Seth Peterson Cottage, Frank Lloyd Wright architect

Dining in the Cottage © 2011 Bo Mackison

The cottage was designed to include much in a very small space. The bedroom is small but very functional with built ins and closets. The dining and living area is almost spacious. When dining, one can gaze out at Mirror Lake and watch the water fowl. In better weather–it was drizzly and in the 40s–the lake is popular with canoeists and kayakers, too. There is an outside porch for relaxing and outdoor eating. The flagstone floor has a radiant heating system underneath the surface and the floor is toasty warm for bare feet. Nice touch!

View from Entrance,  Seth Peterson Cottage, Frank Lloyd Wright architect

From the Front Door to the Back Door – A View © 2011 Bo Mackison

Wright knew how to make the most of lighting and windows, and the cottage has plenty of both. The western exposure is a wall of windows set on a short stone base. The rear wall also has windows and insures a great view of the lake and the wildlife.

Central Fireplace at  Seth Peterson Cottage,  Frank Lloyd Wright architect

Central Fireplace at Cottage © 2011 Bo Mackison

He also employed stone in his exterior design and in the mammoth, central fireplace. The kitchen walls, located immediately behind the fireplace, are also entirely of stone. Modern appliances complement the warmth of the small alcove.

Seth Peterson never lived in the cottage he talked Frank Lloyd Wright into designing for him when Wright was 90 years old. Seth committed suicide before its completion, and the home was sold and finished by another party. In 1966 the state of Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources acquired the building and property as a part of the adjoining Mirror Lake State Park, but due to its remote location, the building fell into disrepair.

In 1989 a non-profit group formed to save the building which was in near ruins. After much fund-raising, the cottage was fully restored. It has received numerous architectural awards and recommendations for the stunning rehabilitation. The mission of the Seth Peterson Cottage Conservancy is one of preservation and education. But even more, it is one of opportunity, for it provides the opportunity to experience this unique building in an intimate setting, perhaps the exact setting Mr. Wright himself envisioned.

As I sat in front of the fire on my first afternoon there, I wrote and sketched in my journal. It was a serene experience. Silent, except for the pop and sizzle of the wood fire, the scratching of my pen upon my journal pages, and occasional chatter from the squirrels and birds nearby.

I wouldn’t have been a bit surprised to hear a quiet voice whisper in my ear — “Welcome to Seth’s Cottage, Bo.”

And I might just have replied, “Why, thank you, Mr. Wright.”

~~~ I’ll share a few daylight photos and some journal entries written while staying there in a future post. I am back home after spending the first part of 2011 in Arizona. This is my first “explore” since returning to the Midwest.

Three Daffodils

Three Daffodils

Three Daffodils © 2011 Bo Mackison

The sun came out today. Not just for an hour’s tease, but the skies were clear all day long, and the sun was doing its thing. A good thing, too. The farmers in the area, last I heard, had about 14% of their crops planted. Last year, at the beginning of May, they had nearly 70% of the seeds in the ground.

Yes, the seeded earth!

I got some photo work done outside, and I hope all the people whose jobs take them out doors every day, I hope they all enjoyed the gift of the sun, too.

You don’t know just how much you miss something until it’s not around.

——————

I am back home after spending the first part of 2011 in Arizona. The spring flowers are in bloom–so happy to see!

Opening Slowly

Upon Opening, Tulip at Allen Centennial Garden, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Upon Opening, A Tulip © 2011 Bo Mackison

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~~Anais Nin

Seems I need to have this quote up for another day.

That day does come, the day mentioned in the quote by Anais Nin . . . the day when it is more painful to stay hidden, even if you are tucked in, swaddled and protected. The time comes when you need to take a deep breath and open yourself to the wonders and joys of the world.

You can’t stay hidden because not everything is wondrous and joyful. Some things in this world are painful or frightening or just plain messed up, some people are angry and don’t care what they say or who they hurt in their bid to get what they want.

I got a message in an email today which went something like this: If you look for the good while you are on your journey, and look for good in your relationships, and in your work, then you will find good.

And if you look for the bad, well, then you will find that, too. Ah, so true.

——————–

I am back home after spending the first part of 2011 in Arizona, had a couple of rough weeks adjusting to life back in Wisconsin. Still adjusting, still adjusting…

Kaufmanniana Tulip

Kaufmanniana Tulip with Mottled Leaves at Allen Centennial Garden, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kaufmanniana Tulip © 2011 Bo Mackison

One of the earliest tulips to bloom is the Kaufmanniana Tulip. Due to its diminutive size–maybe 6 inches high–it is frequently planted in rock gardens. This tulip, one of the first in bloom in the garden, was photographed at Allen Centennial Park on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

Focus on Leaves, Mottled Leaves of Kaufmanniana Tulip at Allen Centennial Garden, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Focus on Leaves © 2011 Bo Mackison

I found the mottled markings on the leaves almost as interesting as the flowers, but due to a cloud burst, I curtailed my photo session. Just didn’t feel like getting drenched without warm clothes available and the temperatures were dropping to the lower 40s. [Reminder to self: put rain clothes in back of car.]

When the sun makes an appearance, I’m going back to capture some tulip leaf photographs. Or after I buy a sturdy pair of rain boots!

———————–

Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Bo is back in Wisconsin after spending the first part of 2011 in Arizona. She is watching as Spring tiptoes into Wisconsin.