Scene, Recently #35

It has been very cold for a couple of weeks.  The slough is frozen.  

Yesterday, a bit of snow.

Winter is back.

Autum Colors and Lou Reed

The day was cool and crisp, perfect for the afternoon walk.

 Our summer of sunshine has yielded a brilliant palette of color to the leaves this autumn.  I walked up the 40,000 Road with Flossy and my camera.   

Thiis little fern makes me think of a ladder (of course).

 The sun is lower and lower in the sky as we slide toward the end of another year.

The days and days of rain have left diamonds on the tiny plants by the side of the logging road.

Early this morning, our Daughter texted me the news that Lou Reed has died.  The Velvet Underground was the soundtrack of my life at one period.  I mourn the passing of this poet of Punk. 

 'there are problems in these times, but none of them are mine'

'Beginning to See the Light' - Lou Reed
1942 - 2013

See you in the Light, Lou.

Summer Visions

I have been busy as heck putting together my proposals for public art for the new Petersburg Public Library, creating mail art for exchange with Connie Rose (it's in the mail, Connie), and enjoying summer in Southeast Alaska.  Since I can't show you either of the first two efforts yet, I will share photos of our walk from Friday and this afternoon. 

Friday was ridiculously stressful but mid-afternoon I called a halt to the craziness, asked myself what would give me joy the rest of the day, went back to the studio from which I had been called away on a fools errand, gathered my things and retreated to the quiet of my home on the beach.

I sat in my rocking chair by the sunny window with a glass of ice tea and finished the novel I was reading.  Then Flossy and I...

went out the road for the afternoon walk.

The clouds were amazing, flying across the blue...

...throwing shadows dramatically across the landscape.

The Slough was a mill pond - the variety of blues struck me.

 This afternoon we went on a picnic with dear friends to Sandy Beach.  (Every town in Southeast Alaska has a place called 'Sandy Beach').

 After the fabulous food, we went for a walk along the nice trail through the beach fringe. 

 We met a big old Tree fellow.  He was very friendly - see all the hearts around him?

This exposed root has developed a beautiful verdigris palette.

Shy Maiden is the name of this tiny flower, I was told.  Thanks for visiting - hope your new week is starting out splendid!

High Summer (Solstice DC)

'High Summer' pigma pen and inktense pencil in 8x6 gamma

I hope you are not all tired of looking at scenery photos here in my little back water of Blogland, but I just can't get enough of this weather.  After two years of literally NO warm sunny weather, we are blessed with reason to remember why we live here in Southeast Alaska.

On the morning bridge

calm water murmurs memories

of last June’s floods

while birdsong chorus

lightens the dawning day.

Thank you,

most High and Glorious Creator

for Solstice and

the World 

full of

Summer’s radiance and glory

this longest day.

Thanks to my Bloggish friend Kirsten for this week's Drawing Challenge theme, 'Solstice'.  Beautiful images await you at her inspiring place, A Sunny Spot. Whether it is Summer or Winter Solstice in your part of the World, I wish you a week full of magic.

Ideal Hiking

 The days of Daughter's visit have flowed by: sunny, warm and lovely.  Both inveterate walkers, we have been hiking every day here on the Island, in the Tongass Rainforest.  Yesterday we walked the Three Lakes trail to Ideal Cove.

Flossy was our guide, of course.

Hill Lake, where the trail splits off to the salt water of Frederick Sound

The water lilies are particularly bright in the sunshine.

The trail is in great shape, boardwalk all the way.

Arriving at the beach, we stopped for a minute to rest, and sniff around.

 

Spot the Sheltie!

Horn Cliffs on the right, looking Northwest up Frederick Sound.

LeConte Bay - those white things at the base of the island are icebergs from the glacier up there.

Too soon, time to head back home.

The wildflowers love the sunny summer days as much as we do.

Forget-me-not - the State flower; Yes, days to remember forever!

Relishing Summer

So much to be grateful for this week...

...blue skies...

...warmer temperatures...

...LONG days...

...and Summer's Screaming Green palette.

crab apple blossoms

baby pine cones

Best of all, our Daughter is coming for a week's visit tomorrow and our Son is coming up to work for the summer on Sunday.

I will be taking a little break from studio work this week.  Here are some projects in mid-stream, waiting for my return:

detail of  one of a series of procion dye paintings, waiting to be stitched

monoprint, acrylic paint and prismacolor pencil on cotton, 6"x8", waiting to be stitched

containers of low-water emersion over-dyes, all cottons, which I will rinse out tomorrow while I wait for Daughter's plane to land in the morning

Hope your week is going well.  Got gratitude?

The last couple days have been full of glorious sunshine, making the afternoon walk a real pleasure.  After being cooped up for 8 hours in the Mighty Mighty Day Job, Flossy and I really enjoy heading up one of the local logging roads for a ramble.

I keep my walking shoes in my truck so we can stop on the way home at the Twin Creek Road.

Flossy leads the way up 'Maniac Mountain' (Falls Creek Road)

Skunk Cabbage is flourishing now...

...and all the little streams are bubbling and sparkling as they come down the mountain.

Tiny yellow violets are abundant.

This Blue Jay played a game of hide and seek with us as I tried to snap his portrait.

Those incredible blue feathers are a real forest standout!

Coming down off Twin Creek Road, the view up the Narrows is spectacular.

Also making the week a treat: Kim's give-away gift arrived in my post office box!  

 

I absolutely love this necklace!  Thank you, Kim!