More Sketchbook drawings

Sunday Evening

Across a field of blue sky, a ethereal cloud dances, is its partner the breeze or the limestone mountain cliff above my home?  The canyon floor is in shadow, the day cooling.  The canyon breeze teases my hair, then stills. I am reminded of the afternoon heat.  Its taste and scent evident in the still.

Mollie and I walk the dry, dirt road to the cement bridge over the river.  The river rushes under us, an increase of water has been released from the dam to assist the farmers in irrigating their crops.

Flashes of color capture our attention.  Scarlet tanagers fly from willow to cottonwood trees.  A lovely yellow tiger-stripe swallow tail butterfly feeds on the pink star flowers of milkweeds.  Then a surprise, an orange and black butterfly - a monarch or viceroy.  Just a fleeting glimpse.  I recall seeing them in my childhood, but they have been rare in recent years.

The hard dirt road has lead us back home to mom's  color filled garden and cool green grass.  Mollie ends her walk with a good, back scratching roll in the grass.

A lovely Sunday evening, and wishes for the same for you!

Bits and Pieces; Notes and Observations

I have bits and pieces with notes and observations written on them spread around.  I thought I share a few with you.

Last Week:

Over the mountains
Cumulonimbus clouds puff
Like heated popcorn.


Friday Night before the cold front moved in:
A muggy warm night
The tempting spray of sprinklers
A quick cooling run....


Friday Night:
A jar of seashells
Collected along the shore
Ocean memories.


Today, around 7:30 p.m. while leaving Layton:
Between sun and mountains a line of clouds fill the sky creating stripes of light and shadow on the mountainside.

Rain

And the rain came pouring down.

Mollie came in this morning with raindrops in her fur.  She snuggled in close to share them with me.

Our April showers have finally come at the end of May, to water our May flowers.  May has been warm and dry, so the rain is welcome.

Old Friend

I am so glad that you stopped me to say Hello.  I have thought of you often in the past and so happy to see you.  I hope that we will run into each other more often.  You reminded me  of times we spent together at Gramercy Elementary.

Another Bonfire

Saturday, I enjoyed my third bonfire of the season.  Friends invited me to a local camp ground for an evening picnic and bonfire.  We had a great time!

Sending Best Wishes

Happy Mother's Day! 

Surprise

My sweet niece surprised us this evening.  She flew home from Hawaii to share Mother's Day with us!

By the light of the moon

I awoke last night awash in a puddle of silver blue moonlight as the full super moon peeked in my window.  It stayed for a moment or two trapped in the neighbor's pine tree, then travelled on across the sky.  And I returned to continue my slumber.

Rites of Spring

I just washed the heavy scent of bonfire from my hair.  It was spring clean up at our cabin this morning.  As mom raked up leaves, I burned deaf fall branches in the fire pit.  The only dancing done was that done trying to escape the smoke and heat of the fire.

Field 0f Blue

Across a field of blue
A herd of small white clouds graze.
Golden morning light.

Sketching

Connection reestablished

I have been unable to connect for a few days, after receiving technical help I am reconnected.

Sketchbook

Been away from my computer, but had a day to draw in my sketchbook and to paint.

The scent of a bonfire

It snowed yesterday; not just a dusting, but a few inches.  Snow covered the bright yellow daffodils and clung to the flowering fruit trees.

Today, the sun is out. The snow melted, except in the shadows.  The day seems perfect for enjoying an annual family tradition: Eastering.  My Grandfather Bachman started this tradition of going Eastering - getting out to enjoy the spring day the saturday before Easter with a hike, a picnic and baskets hidden by the Easter Bunny.

We, the children in the back of my grandfather's plumbing truck, the parents following in their vehicles - my mother in her station wagon, would head to the foothills.  Upon a arrival tables would be set up then filled with picnic food.  We would put together stone rings for fire pits, and roast hot dogs and marshmellows.

Today, the scent of the bonfire reminds me of my grandfather's Eastering traditions.  His family has grown so large with great grand children and great great grand children that we have split into smaller family groups.  Our family, with mother as the head no longer head to the foothills, but go instead to our cabin in Southfork.  The older members of our family appreciate being indoors.  We no longer have hot dogs and marshmellows, but settle for cold cuts and potato salad.

Just up the road my cousins are also Eastering at their cabin.  They continue the tradition of hot dogs and marshmellows cooked over a bonfire.  Thus the scent of memories.

Pretty little pansies of purple and gold...

I have a pot of pansies on my doorstep.  The have such sweet faces that follow the sunshine.  A sign of spring!

We had morning snow, but after yesterday's near 80 degree temperatures it did not stick.

Now, the sun and clouds are playing hide and seek with each other.

April Fools Day

My Grandfather was born on April 1st, April Fools Day.  He didn't let this get him down, he decided to own the day and enjoyed playing April Fools jokes on people.  I am not sure what type of jokes he played on others, but the ones he played on me were usually pretty tame.  He would call to tell us that his dog had kittens or that he had witnesses an accident - Washington Boulevard ran into Canyon Road (they do intersect).

This morning, in his tradition, I sent a text to my niece who lives in Hawaii that I was at the airport wondering when she was going to pick me up?  The following text said April Fools.  Yes, I know a pretty tame April Fools day prank.

I hope that you had a laugh or two on April 1st.

Spring

The apricot blossoms are starting to drop, peach trees and magnolias are blooming.  The leaves of the chokecherries have popped out.  Butterflies flutter by.  Spring is amazing, especially at how fast it appears.  Unfortunately a spring snow is expected on Sunday.

Beauty of a Spring Day

The crisp white snow on Mount Ogden and Ben Lomond glistened in relief against the backdop of a blue sky filled with fluffy cumulus clouds.  Blossoms on the apricot trees and forsythia bushes burst open.  Daffodils and violets are in bloom.  A beautiful Spring Day.

Correspondence

Yesterday, I received a letter from Honeysuckle lane, Honolulu, Hawaii.  What a surprise, and lovely gift from my niece.  The gift of handwritten correspondence, so much more than a call or a text message.

My mother received a similar gift.  We enjoyed sharing our letters with each other.

Thank you ~ MandiAnne.