Quiet Time

Thanksgiving dinner with the family is finished.  I am pleasantly full without being overly so.  It is quiet, everyone has gone home or off to other thanksgiving commitments.  

I am curled up on the couch, enjoying the crackle and pop of the fire.  Fingers of yellow-orange flames curl around the blackening wood.  The burning wood has a pleasant spicy, woodsy scent.

Mollie is lying in the hall watching the water in the river flow by.

The sun has traveled up the mountainside leaving the bottom of the canyon where I am in half light.  It is a restful, quiet time.

Thanksgiving wishes

The scent of roasting turkey fills the house.  Mm, and then there is the anticipation of mom's dressing with apples and celery.

Mollie and I have returned from a crisp walk in the late autumn sunlight.  The ground is still covered in a layer of snow.  At the end of our walk we collected a log of split logs for an after dinner fire.

Other family members will be joining us soon, for food and conversation.  Here is wishing  you a day of warmth, good food, family and good conversation.  Happy Thanksgiving day!

Enjoying Time together!

A shot of the family, enjoying time together!

The perfect paw print

I often sign letters with my name and a paw print.  Isn't Mollies paw print the perfect impression of love.  See how her pad creates the impression of a heart!

It is snowing

It is snowing, a perfect late afternoon to stay in to read.  I just finished the novel "A Guide to the Birds of East Africa" by Nicholas Drayson.  I need to go through my stack of books to pick a new one to read.  Any suggestions?  But first Mollie wants to get out for a walk.  I guess it is a perfect late afternoon, snowy day to bundle up for a canyon walk.

Snowfall

Yesterday brought snow.  It fell most of the day, frosting mountains and trees.  Today, brought sun, blue skies and sparkling snow.

Are Oak Leaves Individuals?

On our morning walk, we noticed a great variety of the shapes of the oak leaves.  Maple leaves seem to be perfect copies of each other.   They have very little differences, with the exception of size and their fall colors.  Oak leaves are individuals, at least those of the Gambles Scrub oak.

Foggy Dragon Breath

This morning, clouds like the foggy breath of dragon's hang on the mountain slopes among the pines and spruce trees. The oak leaves have changed to a golden, orange, while the maples leaves have dropped covering our trail with a carpet of orange dotted with yellow and red splashes of color. On the morning breeze is the taste of the scent of bacon and blueberry pancakes. Yummm!

Dotted Path

Tonight our path was dotted with fallen leaves of red, yellow, and green.

September Beauty

Usually in September, we notice the beauty of the changing leaves; this year has been a rough year for the trees.  A June filled with rain, then very little rain during a hot July and August.  The leaves are curled and spotted with fungus or have burned crisp. 

And still moments of beauty surround us, a sunrise of pink & lavender with a bright sliver of crescent moon punctuated with the pin point light of the morning star, Venus; a piece of rainbow amongst storm clouds in the eastern sky, while sun rays breakthrough the tumultuous clouds in the west.  Then on another day a bold double rainbow, and last night a yellow, gold sunset that paints the abundant late summer flowers with reflective light.

Take a moment or two this September to enjoy its beauty.

Signs of the change of season

Mollie's morning walk.

Before 7 a.m.:  Mollie is impatient this morning.  She is ready to get out for her morning walk.  Once out, I see why.  The morning air is cool with just a slight breeze, that plays the deeper tones of the neighbor's wind chimes.  The sun rising in the eastern sky peers golden through the canyon slot gilding the tree on the mountains.  Small Fluffy clouds dot the sky, grouped here and there like sheep grazing in a field of morning blue sky.  The start of a lovely late summer day.

Evening Walk August 7, 2009

The air is cool tonight.  After the weeks of high temperatures and the lightning, wind and dust storms yesterday, everything is sighing in relief.  Oh!  Wait!  That was me.

Sun dried sheets

I enjoy sleeping on sun dried sheets.  We have an old fashion line and wooden clothespins.  I wish that I could say that I dry my sheets in the sun for socially significant reasons, but I enjoy the scent and the chrispness that the sun and the wind gives my sheets.

Simple Things

Looking back on yesterday, I realize the simple things gave me the most enjoyment.  

The simple bouquet of sweet pea blossoms that i picked on the walk with Mollie after we mowed the lawn at the cabin.  Today it brighten a spot of my desk.

Stopping to give a ride home to a friend, who was standing at a bus stop.  

Sitting with my niece near the river.  While she cooled her feet in the water, we enjoyed the activity around us and a conversation.  A small brown song sparrow belted out an impressive song.  Yellow canaries, waxwings, and dragonflies dart back & forth feeding on insects.  Fish jump creating concentric circles in the water while they feed.   Robins feed on the ripening berries on the dogwood bushes that line the river. A hummingbird and dragonfly are perched on branches in the same tree, observing, before the dart off on their next flight.  Just before we get up to finish our chores for the day, we watch the small brown song sparrow bathe in the shallows, jumping and splashing.

I hope that today you will take a moment to enjoy a simple thing.

Sunday Morning 6:30 a.m.

It rained overnight or earlier this morning.  Not a hard rain, as the path has dry shadows under overhanging branches.  The tree are a fresh green, washed. Leaves hold reflective water droplets, jeweled prisms that remind me of the cabochons of my moonstone bracelets.  Roadside dandelion seed heads have the  indignant look of a wet cat.  The dandelions are waiting for the sun to dry their whiskers so they can float on a spring breeze.

Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Our walk has been delayed

Tonight the rush and the roar of the Ogden river in runoff is a constant in the background.  The apple blossoms have flown away on the spring breeze like parade confetti.  Lilacs still scent the air, and now the tall spiked clusters of flowers on the horse chestnut tree are ready to burst.  The repetitive chirp of insects underscore the territorial bird songs.  White dandelion puffs dot the edges of our path.  The sky is a brilliant blue with bright white wisps of cirrus clouds.  Another lovely evening.

Monday, 7:30 p.m.

Apples, chokecherries and lilacs are in bloom.  Dwarf iris reminiscence of Van Gogh's masterpiece in shades of blue and royal purple cover a portion of the hill.  The evening has cooled from the warmth of the day.  The canyon is n shadow.  only the peaks are lit by the evening sun.  Lilacs scent the air- sweet.  The birds trill a territorial song.  A perfect evening walk.

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

I have always thought that Mourning Cloak butterflies are beautiful.  Their brown wings are like velvet with ivory lace edging and sapphire dots.

Mid Morning Sun

It is Saturday.  A wonderful day to explore the garden and the way the sun highlights the flowers.

More Teaching

Today, we had 60 students visit the Eccles Community Art Center from West Weber Elementary Schools.  I helped them paint watercolor landscapes.  They created some fun watercolor, and even though we all started out with the same concept, each painting was unique.  

Jill, the center's curator of education taught a packet using prints of paintings from the National Museum's "Pictures across America".

Cynthia took them on a tour of the Historic Home.

Leann lead them through an original Art Center packet.

We each did 4 presentations.  I had a good time with the students.

Teaching

This afternoon, I had 10 students from Dee Elementary school come to the Eccles Community Art Center to create art.  We did two watercolors that we used as the front and back of an accordion fold book.  (Thank you Adele - the book that you taught me worked well with the students).  We then had the students place the books into a bag with a pencil.  They were told that they could fill their books with art or writing.  The books turned out well.  I enjoyed the class, I hope the students had a great time, also.

Mother's Garden

My mother's garden is a lovely blanket of color and flowers.  This morning she is adding more plants and flowers for color later in the season.

Nature the master

Last night the moon washed the clouds in tones of pink, lavender and turquoise.  This morning, before sunrise the clouds blushed pink and coral.  Sunlight gilded the snow capped peaks.  Nature paints beauty that only artists, writers and photographers can hope to imitate.

Another Rainy Saturday

Errands, and chores are done and it is still raining, the perfect time to start reading one of the books I have piled near my bed.  Mollie is already snuggled in close, which book to read.

Signs of Spring

Mollie and I visited the cabin yesterday.  We took a walk looking for signs of Spring.  Here are just a few of our favorite signs.

Book Making Class

I had a fun time at the book making class with Adele.  I learned how to make accordion folded books, and sewn binding books.

Compare and Contrast

Last weekend, Mollie and I hiked dry creek canyon.  The yellow bells and dog tooth violets were in bloom.  This weekend rain is expected.

Mollie loves hiking.

Spring Flower Class

Yesterday, I taught an art/science class.  It was a low key class, only three students.  We looked at a variety of flowers: tulips, daffodils, catkins, and dandelions.  The students viewed a few of Georgia O'Keeffe's flowers, then created their own masterpieces.  They also made some flower nature/sun prints, and created tissue paper flower sculptures.

Spring again

We have had a number of days of snow and winter like weather.  Today it is finally another day of Spring.  I got out and planted spring flowers to brighten our patio.

The First Day of Spring

Friday, March 21, the first day of Spring, and a day off from work.  It is a warm sunny day.  A day perfect for a walk with Mollie.  

Mollie and I are escorted along the upper road by a myriad of butterflies.  The butterflies a drinking water and minerals.  The water is melting from near by snow banks.

We are accompanied by lovely brown mourning cloak butterflies, and orange butterflies.  The mourning cloaks are live swatches of brown velvet edged with old fashion ivory lace.  The orange butterflies (I need to research what type of butterflies they are) are orange with brown spots with wings that look like torn paper.  They are able to disappear on a tree trunk when the close they wings together, and then when wings open there is a flash of color.

We walk near the valley of snowdrops.  They are in bloom.  There scent fills the air with the perfume of spring.  It has drawn emerging honey bees to harvest the snowdrops pollen.  The snow drops are prettily dancing on a slight breeze.  The outershirts of three white petals open wide providing a glimpse of the green underskirts dotted and edged in white lace.

Near an old wall of blue limestone and cement, we find a few violets in bloom.  There scent reminds me of the violet perfume candies that my grandmother bought for us as children.  I pick a bouquet to take this touch of spring into the house.

Mollie and I complete our walk, still accompanied by butterflies.  

The weather forecast is for winter to return.

Nearing the end of Winter

The weather has started to warm.  The snow is starting to melt.  

Walking Mollie has become very interesting as the melting snow on the road has either turned to ice or has the consistency of sugar.  In both cases you slip and slide.

But this is a great indication that winter is nearing its end.  And then Spring!

Spring with the renewal of life, flowers blooming everywhere, and the bright green of newly leafing trees.

Mom's New Creations

Mom designed and created these fun lady bugs, bees and dragonflies. She will be showing them at the Carriage House on February 6th.

Charm Bracelets

I found charm bracelets at the craft shop, and have been able to attach my charms to them. I will be showing my bracelets at the Eccles Community Art Center.

Out of Ogden Canyon

Yesterday, the sun came out!  Earlier in the week we had days of snow, days that were white.  The sun brought color, especially at sunset.  

Create Charms

I recently got my January/February issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine. It inspired me to create some felt charms. I was able to put together a garden set, and a dog set. I am working on a cat set. I wish the pictures were just a little better. The charms are only about an inch to an inch and a half big

Holiday

We had a busy family holiday.  I hope that yours was fun!  And wish you a fantastic 2009!

Mom decided that this year we should draw our faces on a paper bag.  This is just the start of the creation of masterpieces.