Wrapping things up.

Final (124k image)

Sorta. I finished the weaving projects for the lady’s book but I still have to write up the project. And I finished my final for the painting class but now I see that big black hole in the tree is right smack dab in the center of things. A no-no in composition. It wasn’t suppose to be right there but there’s nothing I can do about it now. I could paint another picture. I may. It’s not due until the 23rd so there’s time. I’ll think about it. Meantime this one is entitled “Taking a break Under an Old Ponderosa on the Pacific Crest Trail One Hot August Afternoon When The Resident Didn’t Appear to be Home”.
It’s been drizzling rain most of the day and got cold enough I had to build a fire. Himself is finishing up a rush job so will probably be late and hungry and tired so it’s a perfect day for that pot of veggie soup I made yesterday. I can heat it up whenever he arrives.
But the world is sure green out there. Hope yours is, too. πŸ™‚

Anniversary Bouquet

Anniversary_boquet (131k image)

Randy remembered that I wanted dogwood and Redbud to decorate the church for our wedding and nothing was blooming the end of April that year, it was one of the late winter ones, unlike this year. So the other day he brought me an anniversary bouquet that he cut in the woods on the way home. Wasn’t that sweet?! 24 years! How time flies! πŸ˜€

Painting outdoors

JoyWiltseeClass2a (177k image)

This is Joy Wiltsee, a local watercolor artist of some renown, giving us a workshop today. We painted some local-ish scenery in a lovely spot down-river. for those few of you familiar with the area, it was at Big Bar on the Trinity, west of Weaverville on 299. A nice lady, a nice lesson, a lovely setting, and lunch was also nice.
I managed to roll with my chair down hill, showing my wrong side to the group and managing some nice bruises but all in all, a pleasant day. My painting isn’t finished so I’m not posting it here yet. Joy says that when you are within 10 minutes of being done, go put it under the bed for a week, then when you get it out you’ll see exactly what you need to do to finish! Seems like good advice to me. πŸ˜€

A little still life

iceplant2 (132k image)

We got back from San Rafael last evening and barely unloaded the cars. Randy is unloading the tools out of mine so I can go on my filed trip later and he can go to work earlier. I brought this little bouquet back from his Dad’s place. I will see if it’ll root tho I don’t expect them to winter over. Never saw ice plant used a a house plant, but it might work, may start a new rage! πŸ˜‰
Randy has his ‘new’ truck. Our first diesel, but it has all the stuff he’s been wanting and the price was good. His old one was only running on three ‘squirrels’ and they were not feeling well any more so it was time.
But it’s good to be home. Sis is coming down later this week to spend a few days. She hasn’t been down in quite a long time now so I am looking forward to that.
Oh yeah… the artichokes are also from Dad’s. They are really pretty thistle plants.
Looks like the sun might shine today, which is good because it’s al fresco painting today! No, lets see… my artists vocab says it’s plein aire… I think! :laugh:

Another pertty picture

RedBud1 (159k image)

Took this one at the Swift Creek Bridge. The red bud is thick there and all in full bloom. It never looks as bright in the photographs, but I’ve noticed when I try to paint it into a picture it looks gaudy and fake! lol Well, in the first place, it’s not red, so whoever named it must have been color blind! But it’s pretty. The yellow post in the background bears a sign that says, “Watch for snow”. I see that CalTrans has turned it away. I hope that’s a prediction. πŸ˜‰ It’s sunny and (to be) warmer today but the coming week is going to be changing it’s mind for better and worse from the look of it. I have two new large bags of potting soil ready to go when Mother Nature decides to quit fooling with us!
:laugh:
Have a nice week!

Cozy hidy-hole

Robin (124k image)

Robin discovered Randy’s hamper empty… a rare event and decided to try it on. I sneaked the picture from the top, which accounts for the vertigo when viewing it! :hehe: Took this guy to the vet yesterday and Spent $80 to find out he’s healthy. He’d been coughing and hacking for longer than I thought required for a hair ball, but that’s the docs diagnosis and now I find he isn’t coughing anymore so I guess nature took care of it. Well, I had envisioned lung cancer or whatever rare and exotic diseases cats can get so I guess I just got an $80 reassurance that my baby is okay. πŸ˜› I’m sure he’s worth it! :laugh: Tho I can remember a time I would not have dreamed of being able to spend that much on a cat. But I can also remember a time (most of you won’t be that old!) when $80 would buy groceries for a month. πŸ˜€
Today it’s raining and shining and shining and raining and both at once and the snow isn’t very far up the hill. Springtime!

Home again!

CraterLakeOregon3a (125k image)

We got back today from a week long trip to anywhere. We went though the north eastern corner of California, into eastern Oregon, Idaho, Washington, back into central Oregon and home. Our third try at visiting Crater Lake was successful! We always manage to go too early but this year the south entrance was open. Lots of snow still be we made it to the lake. And there was quite a lot of other people there, too. It was worth the trip, too. It is just fabulously beautiful! You can see what a great mirror it was that day, in my photo. Hard to tell if the clouds are in the sky or in the water!
Anyway, we had a great trip, saw some beautiful country and have decided to go again. But now we’re home again for awhile.
Happy Easter πŸ™‚

It’s first time!

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My little plum tree has it’s first flowers ever! It’s so pretty! I have a purple leaved plum across the way with pink blossoms. I think I need to have one here, too, so they can bloom together.

Pretty pastels

hyicneths (160k image)

But I think they were prettier without the white “lace”! πŸ˜€ This snow isn’t likely to amount to much. Just enough to push the daffodils into the mud. Well, I expect they’ll spring back. Himself is up at the shop. Has a fire built. I hope it’s warm by now, because I’ve put it off about as long as i can. Answered email, made an appointment with the vet, called the realtor, frogged and re-cast on (I’ve lost track of how many times now!) for the Rose of England, made the bed and loaded the dishwasher… Guess I’m out of excuses so I’ll head up to the shop. But I sure hope it’s warm in there by now!
Hope you’re staying warm!

Another one for the collection

LogginAhead (96k image)

My mother, who was born and reared in Missouri (Missoora, that is!) used a battry in her car and battries in her flashlight. We all thought that was pretty cute and that she was the only one in the world until one day somewhere in this state, tho I’ve forgotten where, we happened on a gas station that advertised the same in large letters painted on the side of the building! Now, yesterday, Randy brought home this abandoned sign written in ‘southern’! lol Or is it Texan? Well, in any case, they had finished “loggin” up that road so he added the sign to his collection.
No it decorates our drive along with the daffodils my daughter planted around 20 years ago. They brighten the place faithfully every spring.
Hope your spring is bright, too.