02-02-2020!

Happy Groundhog Day!!

I will put captions under the pics to try and keep them in order....not that it really matters! Not much new going on here. If you click on one of the pictures, you can view them all large.

Larry is extremely busy at the fire department. I've been trying to learn about purchase on demand as an online avenue for selling my artwork and photos.  Time will tell. I'm also figuring out how to build my own website. This is all extremely tedious, but now is the time before Spring hits and I'm spending more and more time focused outside...well that will depend on the winds then...hahaha.

These 1st 2, I was trying to capture the amazing sparkles on the ice drops!

 

We've had a crazy blizzardy day and then a couple awesome sunsets! Today is supposed to be in the 50's!!!  Look out Gracie...bath day!!!  Yet tomorrow, HIGH winds all day, apparently bringing in cold, because Tues. and Wed's. highs maybe 30 with a predicted low of 7!!!! ACK! Yesterday Gracie and I sat on the front porch for an hour or so soaking up the silence and sunshine!

The light through my glass orb

That's all I've got!!! HUGS!

Beautiful colors after sunset and the moon

Crazy wind and snow on 27th

Yet on 27th...sunset!

Then next day...NO WIND!!!

#6 painting of year!

Amaryllis on the 29th

Crazy clouds kept dumping rain over there

My mini orchid in bloom!

My orchids and others

#7 12x16

Awesome sunset on the 30th

All four buds open...gorgeous!

Last sunset of Jan....31st

My desk all dusted and rearranged! I LOVE this big desk!

Look! The sun has started to hit the north deck!!!

Gracie and I enjoying the view yesterday, Feb 1st

 

Busy, Busy

Moonrise

I guess I've been busy...time flies by and here it's been almost two weeks since my last post! 

My biggest day in this span of time was going to Costco!  Woohoo!!! NOT! Up early, out early and armed with my list, inside less than an hour!!! Larry drove both ways and I crocheted on my scarf. We dread going shopping, but it's always so wonderful to have it done and the freezer and pantry stocked back up!

sunset

Snowing and sunset

tulips, amaryllis bud

sunrise

Other than that trip, I don't think I've been in a vehicle since! Seems weird, but I'm okay with it. Larry goes to the mailbox and fire department at least three days a week and he's back and forth for trainings. I honestly am not missing going places. Gracie and I haven't even been on a decent walk since I had shingles, the weather is not walk friendly for us girls. Now the crazy man...out the door after he gets up in the morning for a walk as long as it's not muddy and the wind isn't horribly cutting.

Wolf moon rising

Best hat in cold wind EVER!!

Larry and I can't believe how busy his life became down here!  Out in the middle of natureville, not a lot of people, don't know anyone....but being this close to the fire department changed everything. He's very busy, yet he knows...if any part of his volunteering for the fire department or the county gets too stressful and he doesn't get the cooperation needed to help...he can walk away. Planning, paperwork, phone calls, meetings, trainings and getting stuff done in county government...herding cats seems more doable!!!

 

Three Pearls

 


Me, I've been painting, more than I ever have! I'm finding my flow...what works for me. I'm still going back and forth between two thicknesses of paint...and I LOVE my metallic paints. If I try to paint with a plan, I get stuck...but if I just pick some colors...and I have to love them, I just start and about half way through it becomes something else entirely! It's like magic for me!!!

beginning

Wolf Moon in metallic paints on black canvas board

 

Beginning

Tried something...hated it

MUCH better

Done

 

Red/purple, like it so far

 On Monday, I couldn't decide what to do with myself...lots of chore choices...not feeling it. So I put on my Pandora music to Kelly Clarkson radio...cranked it up and the first song was so uplifting, I just danced around the room!  That moved my blue energy to red!!!  I picked my two favorite colors right now...red and purple, grabbed a larger than 8x10 white canvas and with no plan or vision, started painting. I kind of like the rough result. I'm trying to decide if I want to go at it again! Time will tell. 

Not done yet

The little one that started out blue's and greens, I wasn't coming up with anything, I wasn't loving the colors, so again, my fave colors on the palette and the painting started exciting me. I haven't finished it yet, still needs it's metallic paint!

Oh and the woman that bought my painting said this after she received it...."More beautiful than I imagined"!!! Woohoo!!!  Photo's really don't capture the colors or the sheen very well at all. I love that something in my paintings speak to people and that's all I can ask for. 


The weather has been cold, windy, snow and rain off and on, but more often than not we have sunshine!!! That makes everything bright and happy!  I do like the random
stormy day, they always say to me...sit with a blankie, hot drink and knit/crochet or read!

Oh and Larry finally did trap a mouse in the car. There were a few days of it being mouse free and this morning he discovered they're back. It's frustrating to him that they get in the vehicles interiors because he knows he may never find how they gain entrance and it's discouraging to think of them maybe ruining our truck and car! It's a common problem out here. Can't tell you how many fires in vehicles we've heard about and the horror stories from mechanics....ack!!!! Why, why hasn't a solution been found that works yet?! And no. No cats. They only have an average life span out here, outdoors of two years....

Gracie caught the sunray!

It lasted less than 5 minute!

 

Happy 2020!

Happy New Year!

 

New Year's Eve sunset

We slept it in and it was peaceful. No fireworks, no gunshots...peaceful. 





This first week I have started two yarn projects. A yellow baby blanket for a gift. And I splurged on two skeins of a superwash merino/silk blend yarn from one of my favorite Indy yarn dyers! I'm making myself a scarf with this one! The yarn is pricey but so, so decadent compared to my usual acrylic yarns. Soft and the silk makes it shine.
 

First of year, first SOLD!

I've also been painting! I love painting hearts, not entirely abstract...maybe impressionistic...I don't know what it's called...but I'm having fun playing with color, depth and motion! 

Different view

I've been sharing them on my Facebook page and get this!!!! I SOLD MY FIRST EVER PAINTING!! I am now a professional!!!  Hahahaha. My first painting of the year caught a client/friends eye....sold. It's always been my intention to sell my art, so I'm on my way...just gotta get painting!!!!

Second painting, on way to U.K. A gift.

 I love doing so many things! Taking photos to share!  Painting!  Knitting and crochet! Writing!  Doing this Blog!  Giving Intuitive readings with one or more of the many card decks in my collection!!!!  This is the year to get a plan, organize and make more sales so I can support my creativity and share MORE!!!!

We had a couple of beautiful days to start the year off with. Hardly any wind and at least on the front porch, sheltered and warm enough to actually sit out there for a half hour!

Then back to cold, windy, snow, sunshine...it's all over the board here....but the sunshine over 90% of the days....makes all the rest okay!!!

My bulb bowl

The first weekend I got a few red bumps on my back and bra area that I thought were clogged pores or blemishes.....well, after a day or so I had a stinking feeling it was shingles. Well, it was and is. BUT, only a MILD case...thank God! About 8 spots is all, but damn....that shooting nerve pain, which makes the underlying muscles sore...the burning...ack!!! Then my body overall feels poopy because it's doing it's job battling the virus! Only mild itching.

Jan 1st sunset!

It all peaked the end of this week...I whined a bit on my Facebook and a group I'm in, and all the prayers and support helped. I've turned the corner as of today. Bumps drying up and all of the above discomforts have dropped a couple levels. I see why people almost lose their minds when they have a severe case....it's a brutal, nasty little virus. (yes I'm contemplating the vaccine, but I don't like those either)

Onto our animal news! There have been one and sometimes two Great Horned Owls, hooting away when Gracie and I go out for her evening before dark potty run. About 5 p.m. and before dark.  Have heard coyote a couple times.  

snow sparkles

About a week ago, from our dining table, Larry spotted elk on the other side of the back fence. It was getting dark, but there were at least four bull Elk...they haven't shed their antlers yet. Then, yesterday, Larry had left here in the truck and at the bottom dip where the terrain opens up to a big "meadow" area past our property line there was a big herd of elk cows and big calves crossing the road. He said about 35. He had called me on the radio....he thought they might have come my way, but no...only one cow and calf...they probably got separated when the rest went over the fence below.

maybe pack rat tracks

OH!!!! I must share our most alarming wildlife experience that we've ever had in winter! I didn't share it because it was the last day of last year...hadn't gotten anything uploaded...who knows. It was sunny, still not up to freezing but the sun made it pleasant and we decided to take a walk...we hadn't been able to do that for several days.  We were looking at the various animal tracks in the snow. We love trying to figure out what made them.   

 


We looked to the left and spotted this big squiggle in the snow. Wow...what could have dragged something to make that?  Snake would be our first thought in the summer...but everyone knows they don't survive in cold and hibernate!  



I was taking these pictures....Larry was following the track and went around the tree and was carefully coming around...when I hear...SHIT, there it is!  What?????  Snake! It was sticking about a foot out of a small hole in the grasses and hissing like we've never heard! I thought it was rattling...I couldn't see it and terrible photographer that I am...I didn't go around to get a picture...I had Gracie.  

Well, if that wasn't an unpleasant lesson!!! Larry is 95% sure it wasn't a rattlesnake...didn't have the triangle head or the dullness to its skin. Probably a bull snake, of the gopher snake family I believe.  We figure the sun must have warmed that area just enough that Crazy Snake decided to make a little loop to see if it could catch a winter snack!!!  Lucky for us, we got to learn something new!  Hahaha.  I learned that it is extremely rare for a snake to be out in winter! Rare. Dang. 

I haven't offloaded the camera or phone since the sixth, so those pics will be in next post! I just had to get this done today....time slips away so fast!

Snow sparkles, weed sparkles too

Larry has been busy battling mice...they've been getting in our car! Not just the engine compartment...INSIDE the interior!!! He's spraying both of the vehicles every night with peppermint oil, there's mothballs...irish spring soap...light on...light off, hood up, hood down...he's tried it all.....now it's traps and a bucket of water in the car.  He found a hole along some wiring he plugged, but he's not sure if it's trapped inside now...or it's just coming in and out.... We can't see under the seats or in the dash too well..... I'm going to lose my shit if a mouse runs across my lap while traveling down the road!  A fly in the car is irritating enough! Hahahahaha! Well, this isn't the only thing he's been busy with...but it occupies a lot of his brain box when he's home!


For us here in our little paradise, pretty eventful so far!  Hahaha!