Eric Carle & Friends (A Dan & Grace Adventure)

There is an Eric Carle Museum in the state that I'm in. I can't-I need to go. Let's rewind a little bit to earlier in the week when my mate Grace and I were in Amherst on a little day adventure. Upon getting off the motorway, I notice a sign that says 'Eric Carle Museum'. The very hungry caterpiller guy. I almost scream. I point it out to her and she grows as excited as I am. "Let's go!" We pull over into a petrol station and see what the hours and admissions are. We see the museum is sold out for the day. Looking at other dates and time available, we settle on Sunday at 1230. Perfect. Gives me a chance to get stoned and go out. Things are so much richer and brighter when high I find. Things pop out more to me. I'm able to let my anxiety take a back seat; I can breathe a sigh of relief. I eat my Moon Babies edibles right before she picks me up. We head out on the open road, adventure on the horizon. The museum is only about a half hour from where we live so we don't have much of a drive, but it's pretty. The GPS decides that it's not going to take us on the motorway, but on a lesiurely drive. (Not like the scary one that it took us on the way to the fucking art museum.) I'm not stoned for the drive, but I'm waiting to feel that familiar rush of warm that starts in my tummy and spreads outward. (Does anyone else experience a high like this? I should ask around and see what I can find out, because I am honestly curious about it.) We arrive at the museum with 10 minutes to spare before we have to enter and the high is just starting to hit me. A sloppy grin washes over my face and within seconds of looking at me, she knew it was hitting me. We slip on our masks (they're still required in some spots, even if you're fully vaccinated.) and head to the door. The building is modern and beautiful. The courtyard is gorgeous and off to the side there's the tinest apple orchard I've ever seen and a little nature walk to get kids used to some of the local flowers of the area. There are two women at the desk to the left as we walk in. She scans our tickets and informs us that there is an arts and crafts project that starts in 45 minutes if we wanted to engage in that. Then she notices me. She liked my tattoos. I was open and friendly, more so than I would be as the cannabis trickles through my veins. You know I don't actually know if it's illegal to be high in public. I know you can't drive a car or anything like that. (As it should be.) Eh, who cares. It's not like I'm about to flip out. I know my shit and how to handle myself. I just get giggly and I like to laugh a lot. Colours are brighter. Things are more vibrant. I love the sensations of the world when I'm high. It's a place I want to live when I'm stoned. Sober me just wants to get off the ride if you know what I mean. Grace brings up an excellent point as we walk into the gallery, my eyes glossy. "I wonder if she knew you were high." "I dunno." I shrug it off as we enter the first gallery on the left. The room showcases some of the most famous Eric Carle pieces. I'm sad that The Very Hungry Caterpiller won't be on display like some of the other pieces; I understand though. It's his most famous piece and due to the nature of how the pieces are constructed, light would cause it to deisintgrate. And we don't want that. I'm excited to see a German version of one of his books. The 1,2,3 ein Zug zum Zoo has an elphant on it's cover, rather than the lion as the English version has. I love when books do that. Just throw a little something new. It's fun for collectors. I've done that with a few books. Gives the readers something extra. That's what may happen with the latest work that's in the pipeline. I have most of the frame work done for that one and the first part of twelve completed. But back to the museum. The room housing his artwork is done as a giant city; it has a little wooden bridge you can cross. The floor is painted with a road that wraps around the room. In the corner there is a little section where you can read his work. I think I'd like to know more about his process. I wish they had a room for that. There's an idea to suggest to them. A little behind the scenes thing. I think that would be a great addition to it. There's a little painted river that runs through the room, tying together the air, land and sea theme of the room. It features painted artwork of a train, a rocketship and a boat. I'm torn between the rocketship and the train being my favourite one. The exhibits change in one section of the museum, so we want to be able to see what this one is all about before it leaves. We make a pact to come back in a few months when the exhibits changed so we can take that in. The next exhibit features the artwork of Ashley Bryant. While his name wasn't familiar to me, some of his work was. The famed artist is in his late 90's is known for giving black youth a voice in literature when it wasn't always readily available. Many of his pieces discuss the horrors of slavery and the hope within those who were bound by chains. Writing and illustrating for his own songs, his artwork has become a vital piece of art and literature history in addition to the history of African-Americans and slavery. Walking through the gallery, you felt the emotion in his pieces. I'm surprised they have it in the Eric Carle Museum. The feel of the work is deeply spiritual and a vast contrast to the happy, smiling and vibrantly colourful work of Carle. I like the contrast. I think it shows a diversity to a time that, more often than not, is forgotten. There is one thing that has always bothered me. They call it black history, but its American history. I feel like calling it simply black history is a form of segreation. All of the men and women that helped shape, fight for and mould America should have a voice simply as an American. That bit has always confused me when I looked at books that talked about American history. Following the two contrasting, yet equally intersting for their own reasons, we head into the little theatre where there is a short clip of Mr Rodgers Show featuring Eric Carle. Together the two paint and we get a little peek at how his work was created. I enjoyed the little clip and watching them read a book together. Things like that just aren't on telly these days. I miss that kind of programme. No political message or agenda. Something for everyone to enjoy. Be creative. Be yourself and the importrance of literature for readers of all ages. Still having some time to kill before we're due in the art studio, we take a look outside in the litte garden. I snap a few nature shots as we walk along the little footpath. There's so many fat little bumblebees going in and out of the flowers. I wish I was a bee. All the colour and stark white contrast inside the museum is making me dizzy. I thought it would be more outlandish knowing his work. It's so clean and sterile. It's almost like a hospital. I start to feel unease. I'm glad that we're outside in the fresh air. It's been raining a lot lately so it's good to get out and feel nature once in a while. I'm more of an indoor boy really, despite my love of travel. We make out way to the art centre and we're told that we're creating artwork in the form of song books like Byrant's work. That's a pretty cool idea. Helps get the kids engaged in what they saw. I'm all for it. I sit. down and dive in right away. I don't know if it's the crayons or the cannabis but I'm enjoying myself more and more as the day goes on. Grace and I create different patterns and shapes using the colouring sheets we were given inside of little songbooklets for ourselves. I'm thinking about using a page in the book for each of our adventures out. Put a photo or two in the little booklet to showcase all of our adventures. I do a lot with her. It just hit me. Grace and Pork Chop are my adventure pals. That's weird to say at the age of 30 that I have an adventure pal. Maybe it's my desire to want to have a good friend, a friend that I go everywhere with. My own Phil. Have I found it? Maybe. She's my best pal so I think I can have her be that. It's a lot of responsibility though. I need to ask her if she wants it. I can be a handful at times. Everyone says so. The room begins to fill up with kids and parents so we make our exit, complete books tucked under our arms. By now the high is in full effect and all I want to do is have a sandwich. She mentioned meatballs earlier and you guys know me, I can't say no to a meatball. Which reminded me that I haven't done a Delectables with Dan in a while and maybe I should do a meatball dish. I did a vegan eggplant parm a few years back, maybe it's time to tackle the original version. Yummy. See you all in the next blog. Maybe we'll have another museum blog for you guys in the future. I know the last blog was a little heavy, but I felt the need to get all that out there. Don't forget to follow my Twitter (@darkdannydreams), Instagram and TikTok: (@darkdreamingdaniel) for all the latest blogs, updates on trips and more. Hopefully, we'll be able to go out and travel more. In the pipeline is a new Delectables with Dan that's a sweet and fun little summer treat that I hope many of you will enjoy.