Celebrating the end of 2017

The local ski resort held a torchlight ski run and firework display to celebrate the end of 2017.  My mother, Mollie and I travelled to Nordic Valley, found a good spot to park, and wrapped up in blankets to stay warm in the car.  We first saw the torchlight skiers.  As they skied down the slope the fireworks started.  It was about a twenty minute display.  I took a few photos with my phone, then realized that I was actually missing most of the fireworks beauty by trying capture them in photos.

My Father's Pharmacy circa 1956

A photo of my father's pharmacy dated 1956 showed up on the Facebook Page "Remembering Ogden".  This photo dates from before I was born.  I spent much of my childhood at the pharmacy.  I sold candy while standing on a chair behind the candy counter.

Combe's was a drive-in owned by my aunt and uncle.  They would let me have a pink (strawberry) ice cream cone.  When the water pistols where delivered to the pharmacy.  We would run next door with our water pistols to try to get uncle Luther wet.  He usually won as he would use the dish washing hose.

Discovered Quote

In reading Debbie Macomber's Thursdays at Eight, she heads her chapter one with a quote.

"It's the good girls who keep the diaries, the bad girls never have the time."
                                                                                       - Tallulah Bankhead

 I don't know if this quote is an excuse or an explanation.

Steller's Jay

A avian visitor stopped by today.  When I saw him, I put some unshelled peanuts out as a treat.  Then watched this beautiful Steller's Jay carry the peanuts to a local pine tree to shell and eat.

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/stellers-jay

December Snow

Awoke to snow coating the trees creating a white fairie land.  When the sun came out the snow sparkled.  The sky was a blue counterpoint to the white snow.

Later, my Christmas light glowed in their snowy blanket.

November Sun

I work in a Victorian Home with fantastic beveled glass windows.  Today the November sun created rainbows and shadows.

Sunset View

Evening sky

Out my west bedroom window a gray periwinkle sky, and silver thin crescent moon is trapped in  a black shilouette coniferous tree.
Early the sunset painted the sky in pinks and corals.

Harvest Watercolors

A couple of small fall harvest watercolors

Halloween Art

Decorating for Halloween

My mother has put out her jack o'lantern.

And I have decorated above my bedroom door.

SouthFork Color 2017

Mollie and I took a Saturday afternoon drive to the cabin at Southfork.  The maple leaves were bright and colorful.  The Box Elder leaves have changed, fallen and dried.  The dried leaves make a most satisfying crunch under foot.

Fall Color 2017

The autumn color has come to Ogden Canyon. The leaves are starting to fall.

I thought that the dry, hot, summer would  make the leaves dry on the trees.  Then recent rain brought lots of color, and heightened that color.

 So excited to be surrounded with colorful red,  orange and yellow maple leaves.

Preparing for October

                                                           
Picassa, the cat at the Eccles Community Art Center where I work is checking out a Jack O' Lantern.

Fall Colors - Watercolor

I wonder if my watercolor set can capture the colors of Fall.  What do you think?

Visiting Caterpillar

I found this colorful caterpillar in the garden yesterday.

I can not decide whether it reminds me of a Pekinese Dog or of Albert Einstein.  Notice the hair.

Fall Harvest Continues

A Stettler's Jay has joined the local squirrel in harvesting acorns from the canyon's oak trees.

Acorn Studies in Paint and Photography

Fall Harvest

Over the summer, I have watched the acorns grow.  Now, they are being harvested by the local squirrel.  Acorn shells and oak leaves litter the grown beneath the oak trees.  This busy squirrel frustrates my dog Mollie.  It invades her yard but travels a highway of tree branches above her head.  I hear Mollie barking.  The squirrel must be working on its Fall harvest.

Abundance

On my drive home, I pass by the local botanical garden.  Their entry border is filled with an abundance of flowers and colors - red, yellow, purple, orange, green ....

My view of the solar eclipse

See the crescents in amongst the dappled shadows of the leaves.

Picassa, the art center class knew to also view the eclipse through the shadows.

One of the art center volunteers and one of the employees from the Ogden Symphony and Ballet shared their glasses so we all were able to view the actual solar eclipse.  Thank you!  And thank you Melissa Seamons for this great picture of Picassa

 

This Morning's View

Through my window, I watch the morning sunlight dance and sparkle off the iridescent wings of dragonflies darting above the river.

Weber County Heritage Facebook post

Weber County Heritage Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/WeberCountyHeritageFdtn/
In 1909, David Eccles, owner of Ogden Rapid Transit, and Simon Bamberger, owner of Bamberger Electric railroad began a race to see which company could be the first to finish a rail route up Ogden Canyon to Huntsville.

What a cool picture of the trolley that use to come up the canyon.

Summer Rain

Lightening, thunder, a downpour of rain moves on, the scent of a summer rain lingers.

Remnants

My drive  home each night takes me through a neighborhood of townhouses and condos.  This time of year fruit trees are in bloom, remnants of the orchard that use to fill the neighborhood.

Spring blossoms, Quince

Today on my drive home I noticed the spring blossoms.  Fruit tree are bloom, apricots, plums, and pears.  The choke cherries are showing petite green leaves.  The buds are green on the lilacs and on the maples in  warmer spots.  Oh, and there is a Quince bush in bloom.  It's pink, orange bloosom bright and cheery.

My grandma had a Quince bush in her side yard.  Its pink, orange blossom were much the same color as my mother's lipstick.  When we were children, we would pick a blossom, rub it across our lip much like we saw our mother apply her lipstick.

I remember in the fall, the Quince fruit look much like a small apple or pear.  It wasn't until much later that I learned  that it could be used to make quince jelly.  It sounded old fashion, so I didn't think much about it.  Today, I found a recipe for Quince jelly: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/quince_jelly/
The further research brought more possibilities:

http://www.thekitchn.com/quince-tough-fall-fruit-with-a-secret-reward-ingredient-intelligence-73041

And a sorbet:

https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/quince-and-vanilla-sorbet

Painted Snapdragons

I received a bouquet which had snapdragons, the perfect inspiration for a watercolor,
and more ink jet prints.

Another Spring first

I saw my first Spring butterfly today.  A lovely velvet brown Mourning Cloak flying from a pile of leaf debris.  The temperatures for the last three days have been around sixty degrees.  A taste of Spring.  The garden is filled with snowdrops.  I should be seeing honey bees, soon

Dawn Song

Spring most surely is on the way.  This morning I awoke to the trills and chirps of a bird singing.  The first dawn, morning song for me of 2017.

March Weather in Utah

Just fifteen minutes ago, a snowy blizzard raged outside my window.  Now, I see sunshine and blue skies.

February 2017 completed

So my challenge of writing a month of letters is complete.  It was a fun challenge.  Fortunately for me, Valentine's Day was in the month.  I was able to send a number of letters with my Valentines.
It was a succesful month, I think.  I received two letters, an email, and a text message in response.  I was please to send letters back to those that wrote me.

A Bouquet of Daffodils.

Yesterday, I purchased a bouquet of daffodils.  The day was snowy and gray, making it seem as if winter will never end.  The daffodil are bright sun bursts of yellow a lovely contrast to winter white.

Today,  the daffodils are a cheery yellow.  Outside my window the sun is shining and the sky is blue, although more snow is forecast for tomorrow.

Printmaking

I read an article about ink jet transfer prints.  I have been wanting to try them.  Today, I found a printer on sale, and purchased it.

For subjects, I used my new printer to copy a few of my more recent watercolors.  I printed them on photographic paper.  I tried  creating prints on cards, the paper's color came off on to the photographic paper.  I had a greater success using watercolor paper or a rag bond paper.
With the prints, I then created cards.

Season's firsts

The snow has melted enough that today I saw my first blooming snowdrop of the season.

Snow melt

Morning showers and warm temperatures have assisted with the snow melt.  Our mounds of snow have shrunken.  No longer a pristine white, but covered in grime and dirt.  I reminded of a  "A Patch of Snow" by Robert Frost:

There's a patch of old snow in a corner
That I should have guessed
Was blown away paper the rain
Had brought to rest.

It is speckled with grime as if
Small print over spread it,
The news of a day I've forgotten--
If I ever read it.

Handmade Valentines

 Received

 & Sent

Handmade Valentines are the best.

February 2017 revisted

So, I reread the month of letters challenge.  I am suppose to write a letter each day and mail it.  I guess I got carried away, writing twelve letters and mailing them on the first Sunday of the month.  I do enjoy writing letters, and think those that I receive in return as special little gift.
I did take a moment to write a letter to a friend this evening, as well as this note from Ogden Canyon.

A Valentine Doodle

Remembering Fall

Sunday, I  painted a small remberence of Fall color.

A Memorial Celebration for my Father

On Friday, February 3, 2017, we held a memorial celebration for my father who passed away on January 6th.  He had requested that we celebrate in association with an Art Stroll.  It was a reception and stroll for the Eccles Community Art Center's 20th Statewide Photographic Competition.  This was fitting as my father was a photographer, and in the past he participated  and received awards in this competition.
For the future, we have put aside the donations given in my father's name to present a photography award in memory of my dad.
My mother, brother, niece and I were so pleased to speak with all who came to share their condolences.
A great buffet was set and enjoyed.  A beautiful arrangement of red roses and pussy willows graced the table.  It was a good party, my father would have enjoyed it.

February 2017 continued

Today, I mailed my number 11 and number 12 letters in my challenge of a month of correspondence.  My challenge was less difficult  than I thought as I had thank yous to write for donation made to the Eccles Community Art Center in my father's memory and to send out Valentines.

February 2017

While reading an article on the Victoria Magazine website,  I was informed that February 2017 is write a letter/ correspondence month.  The website lettermo.com challenges us to write a letter, a postcard, a thank you, an I miss you note, send a picture or a clipped newspaper article, share a feather you found on a walkout a swatch of fabric.  Letters/correspondence are gifts which I enjoy sending and receiving.  As this is the fourth of February, I am behind in the challenge of mailing 24 letters.  I do believe that I will be able to catch up, and I am looking forward to writing a few notes to friends.  And as it is February, a few will likely be Valentines.

Seven Week

On Facebook, I saw a lovely picture of lilacs with the note that Spring begins on March 20th just seven weeks from today.  If you saw the snow accumulation in my yard this might be unbelievable.  Looking forward to Spring, but hoping for a slow melt so that the spring runoff is slow and able to be captured in the local dams and reservoirs.

Winter White

Another winter storm is traveling through the canyon.  The landscape is covered in winter white, a thick blanket of snow.

January Watercolors

I painted these watercolors on New Year's Day after reviewing the Janeville Blog for inspiration.  The first three are based on painting suggestions I found  on the blog.  The next two, the dogwood flowers and the shooting stars are inspired by photos I took in the Spring in my mother's garden.  An exploration of creativity for the New Year.

My father's obituary

Paul William Muller
October 5, 1922 - January 6, 2017

Paul W Muller, 94, passed away on Friday, January 6, 2017.  He was born on October 5, 1922 to Paul S Muller and Robina Gardiner Muller in Ogden.  He attended Ogden High School graduating  in 1940.  He served his country during WWII as U.S. Naval pilot in the Pacific Theater.  He attended the University of Utah School of Pharmacy graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy.

On December 20, 1947 he married Arlene Bachman Muller.  Together they opened and  ran Paul's Pharmacy on 12th  and Washington in Ogden from 1954 to 1974.  They raised and educated three children Pauline Muller-Orton (deceased), Debra Muller, and Curtis Paul Muller.  They have enjoyed knowing and caring for their two grandchildren MandiAnne Orton Poll (Spencer S Poll) and  Zackery Paul Muller.

In 1978, he served as the Executive Director of the Utah Pharmaceutical Association.  His duties included acting as the Editor of the " The Utah Pharmacy Digest" and as a lobbyist for Pharmacy Legislation at both the State and National level.

Paul raised and showed rough collies for confirmation.  Dogs from his Samarkand kennels were nationally awarded.  He was a President for the Utah Collie Club and the State Director for the Utah Collie Club of America.

Paul held a license with the Utah State Board of Realtors and was active in commercial real estate in the Ogden community.

An avid photographer and traveler, Paul's photographs have been exhibited and won numerous awards locally and nationally.  They have been published in magazines and calendars.  A member of the Ogden Color Camera Club since the 1950s, he was honored with a lifetime exhibition in August 2010.  The Eccles Community Art Center has established an award in Paul's name for the bi-annual Statewide Photographic Competitions.

He and his wife Arlene have had a long association with the Eccles Community Art Center.  They served as volunteer managers for the Carriage Gift Gallery and both are well known by those who attend Ogden's Friday Art Strolls.  A memorial for Paul will be planned  at The Eccles Community Art Center.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to your favorite charity in Paul's name or one to the Eccles Community Art Center, 2580 Jefferson Ave. Ogden, Utah 84401.
Services entrusted to Lindquist's Ogden Mortuary.  Send condolences to the family at:www.lindquistmortuary.com.

Avian Calligraphy

Under the bird feeder, footprints crisscross the new dusting of snow an avian calligraphy of stories that I am unable to read.

Continuing

With the celebration for the coming of a new year, we often reflect back on the year passing.  Instead of making unrealistic resolutions, I have decided to continue.  Continue my enjoyment of creativity, my search for the beauty displayed around me and to take time for simple pleasures.

 My first simple pleasure for the new year,  is the placing of clean, fresh sheets on my bed.  I look forward to crawling in to them this evening at bedtime.

As for beauty, Northern Utah is plagued this time of year with temperature inversions.  Over the years, the have spread their reach farther up the canyon.  We woke this morning to weak sunlight trying to break through the fog of the temperature inversion.  But we also woke to the beauty of the trees frosted with ice crystals.

And I believe this short note may suffice as an attempt at enjoying creativity.   Although, I am ready for any other creative pursuit that may come my way, along with simple pleasures and touches of beauty.