Friday, May 31, 2013

...summer nostalgia....



Reliable transportation :)


Walking through Pokerville Market tonight with my Pokerville Pizza and my good Cooper Vineyards Barbera, I watched several local grammar school kids grabbing snacks. They had on their summer gear, shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops. Their hair was messy and their legs were already showing a healthy tan. It was 87 degrees. PERFECT summer weather. 

I remember those days just as summer vacation began, running home from that last 1/2 day of school, report card in hand, yelling with my brother and friends. That unequaled feeling of freedom...that anticipation of carefree weeks and weeks and WEEKS of perfect sunny days and warm nights.  Barbecues and roasted marshmallows, music and...fun...watching Antioch's Fourth of July firework shows from our hillside backyard. I have great memories of going for rides in the back of my Dad's pick-up (before it was unsafe and illegal) down cool country lanes closely lined with spicy scented walnut and fruit trees...picking cherries by the bucketful out of a farmer friend's orchard. (Sandy, Wayne and Charlie will remember that ;) Dad would drive slowly ~ he always was fascinated to see how straight the farmers had made their rows. Mom would just sit and enjoy the views. I can remember the fresh smell of the irrigation canal that all the Byron kids liked to swim in, and the fluting sound of the wings of the mourning dove as they rose off the road just ahead of us. I remember exploring the twisting, rutted roads along the river and fishing for catfish with Craig and our cousins, and that day that I caught a large snapping turtle--Granny cut it's head off! I remember my cut-offs and bare feet and white-blonde pony tail. Later, I remember spending hours on horseback, just me and Maggie, exploring farm roads and watching wildlife. How thrilled I was to catch a glimpse of a  jack rabbit or a gopher snake! What simple, uncomplicated days and nights....


...I remember the sounds of laughter...   

Saturday, May 25, 2013

...Gemini issues....


Yes, I know, it looks like a Wendy painting. :)

May is my birth month, and this year I am officially turning the age of 
"Old Enough to Know Better." 

Geminis are touted to be "ever youthful and fun", creative and clever, and of course, there is that all important battle between the light and the dark. 
So far, the light side is winning ~so far.

So when I opened my birthday gift from my Mom, who looks amazing, it included a bottle of Rapid Wrinkle Repair cream.  LMAO!  Yes, she is a Gemini, too. She is creative and clever and all those things. HA, HA, HA, Mom.... 

...rule #3 is "NEVER lose your sense of humor."

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Volcano ~ Hen House

"Volcano ~ Hen House"

I have been admiring this hen house for years.  It is in Volcano on my daily route to work.  I have viewed it in all kinds of light ~ soft misty light, strong sunshine, sunset...it has a hundred different faces.  This is my favorite.  It is a bright, sunny, but cool morning~ about 8:30 am. The sunlight is just peaking over the ridge, back-lighting the trees. It highlights the wire and the edges of the roof line ~ casting lovely shadow patterns on the faded red paint. 
I had fun adding the green lichen on the building and the oak tree with my colored pencils....

I love to paint old buildings. I like painted surfaces, wire, old galvanized tin. Chicken houses have a special place in my heart. This house is hen-less, of course.  You can tell by the grass happily growing inside the wire pen. :) It needs hens.

Spring is here, friends. The hills are vibrant, lush green...painted with cobalt blue and quinacridone gold. Today, the trees are enjoying a sweet shower of rain, sprinkled with birdsong and sparkling diamond drops of light.  


....all is well at FiddleSong Studio...