A great day for a Bike Ride

We took a bike ride today on one of the prettiest Rail Trails that we've ever been on. We were out in Rutland, MA - and other towns around there, and I for one was completely lost but enjoyed the views.

There were lovely blue ponds and we could hear the red winged blackbirds calling.

The photo doesn't do justice to the path and the stand of pines that lined it - it was just spectacular.

 This lake fed to a dam, with a hugh stone water management building - I think it was built in the '20s, and was wonderful looking.


There were babbling brooks - with all the rain we've been having - the water was gurgling everywhere.

Another lovely lake view

And whimsical art by the side of the path.

I am off to Japan tomorrow for a week, and am packing and repacking to stay within my weight limit - it ain't easy!  One full week of business meetings and dinners.  I'll be with colleagues (thank god) but I'll be homesick like crazy.  I hate losing summer weekends, and I'm losing Sunday and the following Saturday.  One consolation - 13 hour flights with nothing to do but read, snooze, and knit.  Could be worse.

Have a lovely week.

Animal Wednesday - a story in the grass

I found these feathers outside the garden shed this weekend.  At first I saw two, then three and then saw the rest scattered around.

Looking up to a bark of noise, I saw the local fox bounding around looking for his lunch.  He saw me holding the feathers and stopped to watch. We stared at each other for a few minutes.

Quite a garden story I think.

Happy (for some) Animal Wednesday.

Perfect Weather

It was the perfect summer day for early morning work in the garden weeding and then planting potatoes - followed by an epic bike ride, and finally a relaxing lounge in the garden.

DH even did a cookout!

Perfect day

Impatience

I am in Florida taking mom to a big ginormous family party Bar Mitzvah.  I spent last night at her house, tonight we drive north and stay in a fancy hotel, and then we come home on Sunday.  I'm hoping for rest in the middle of all this as I am tired.

But I am also driven, and that's silly. I was having fun with Peter and the Wolf, so kept drawing down here and a little painting too. I have no way to get this big sheet of paper home, and had no reference to the colors that I used in the original painting....so, his skin is a different color and probably his pants and hair also. But, with the wonder of Photoshop, I'm sure I can pull it all off in the end.

This is the part where he, Peter, catches the unsuspecting wolf by the tail.  The wolf is looking for the cat and the bird, who are in the tree. The cat looks rather Cheshire, and the wolf looks kind of friendly but oh well....

Starting to build my portfolio

I've heard that book publishers may want to see a portfolio so I am taking different stories, identifying key scenes and drawing them out.

I had so much trouble scanning my thick 300lb watercolor paper last time, that I decided to see if I could get a cleaner scan by using Hot Pressed paper, which is smooth to the touch - not bumpy.   So far...I hate it!  It's good to draw on, but the watercolor seems to sit on the top of the paper.  I may try acrylics on this paper - and recommendations from the peanut gallery?

Here is a lousy photo of the new piece.  Since I took this picture, I've managed to paint his shirt blue - and had to use 3 coats.   We'll see...I might just go back to the regular paper.

All comments happily received!!!

Animal Wednesday - finally!

It's been ages since I've done an Animal Wednesday - mostly due to....winter I guess.  I was working on the book, and wasn't taking time for other drawing or photos - oh well.

So, it is spring-like around here and I say that because right now it is 45 degrees outside, which is pretty cool I think.  But it's been a lovely time, with sunny days and cool nights - really my favorite combination.

We saw this guy trying to cross the road last week.  He was HUGE and slow. I knew he would get killed on the busy road, and that it was very dangerous to have such a large animal hurt or killed on the street.  So after we passed him, I convinced DH to turn around and let me get pictures.  Then I pretended that I was coming closer to him and sort of stomped my feet and he scuttled back into the woods.  I may have thwarted his amorous intents....it is mating season after all, and some siren turtle across the street may have been calling him but oh well....

Yesterday we saw this fox in our backyard. We've seen him, or his cousins, for a few months now, he's pretty used to us and doesn't usually dart off or anything.  And he normally looks healthy and beautiful. Yesterday he looked awful - with a skinny hairless tail, and a quick look up told us that he probably has mange.  He will also probably get over it, I hope.  He stared at us for a long time and then nosing around found a dead squirrel, picked it up and darted into the woods.  Why there was a dead squirrel on the ground is a mystery to us, unless he had it stashed there. 

Then yesterday afternoon we went kayaking. First day of the year on the river and it was a perfect day.   DH paddles like crazy looking at everything, and I've learned to paddle for awhile, then anchor somewhere and sketch, or read. It's heaven!  Quiet with nothing to hear but birdsong - completely relaxing.  I had dinner waiting in a crockpot at home which made it even more relaxing, no worries about what to cook when we got home.   This muskrat was paddling around me, fairly fearless.   

The swans were also out - enormous birds. I can barely understand how they fly they are so huge!

And finally, this isn't an animal but a promise of a song.  I found this on my walk the other day - lovely blue shell. I'm hoping it hatched and that this wasn't the result of a foxy poacher but who knows. 

Looking at this picture makes me think of something.  This is my hand and since I was young I've had the wrinkliest fingers of anyone I've known.  For some reason, this has never bothered me, even as a teenage "wanna be like everyone else".  I have never had smooth girly hands, and I've always been proud of my wrinkly hands.  I count that now as a blessing, that there was one less thing to worry about in my youth.  Isn't it amazing how you can accept somethings about yourself, yet agonize about others?  Ah...youth. 

Happy Animal Wednesday!!!

Early Morning

I've started my early morning walks again, actually started about a month ago.  I adore early morning, watching the sun rise, and seeing fog on the water.  But even recently, it's been cold in the morning - two days ago I was walking in 35 degree weather.

Today it's a balmy 50, with haze and some clouds.  Perfect for a walk, where the trees are still thinking about budding out, and there are daffodils peaking thru the grass.  I was walking along a river, turned a corner and came upon this beautiful wild apple tree.

The message I got from this lovely blooming tree was "yes, it's been a hard winter, but now it's over and I'm just going to keep on doing my job...blooming and making fruit. Next year the winter might be milder, or it might be harder and I'll still bloom beautifully and make some fruit".

Frankly - it was a lovely way to start the day. The right message at the right time.  Excuse me while I go make some applesauce.