Scouting on the Edge

On my bucket list in my own backyard, before I jump in our lake, is to take a walk in the woods to see those yellow flowers that bloom in early spring in masses under the trees half way between our place and the lake. Before going to the studio yesterday, I ventured out to the edge to get the lay of the land--see what kind of shoe I would need to make the traipse. From the looks of things, aside from shoes, I was also going to a machete; the brush was thick. the terrain looked treacherous for a spotty knee. I took a shot of the lay of the land and fooled around with it a bit in Paint, thinking this would be a good reference photo for a paint-over Summer Shade, which either needs more shade or has to go. This scene would fit the 36 x 36 format.



I moved on up toward the second lake--which was probably part of the bigger one a couple of centuries ago when supposedly all this area was underwater. There, I came face to face with a couple of deer. We scared each other. But I wasn't so startled that I couldn't snap their picture before they bolted--and not so startled that I missed photographing their white tails, hardly discernible from the patches of snow, high-tailing it away from the scary intruder pretty damn fast.




On my way back to the house, I caught an old neighbor building her nest. The mourning dove was back taking up residency in the blue spruce where she, or a relative of hers, has every year of the eleven we've lived here. It's not a great picture, but I did catch a glimpse of the bird's beautiful underside. I imagined in flight, she must just fade into the blue of the sky.



There are still patches of snow all around and the grass is "wipe you feet good before you come in the house" wet, but the temps are warming and whatever snow-fall we have ahead, it won't last long. Those yellow bulbs will be popping early April. The snows were pouring off in the drainage ditch and beneath the dull dead remains of last year's glorious crop of cattails, there were spots of green promising more to come.

Then, instead of going to my windowless studio, I decided on the beauty salon to put some sunlight in my hair.



Have a lovely weekend Sadami painting your heart away. You too Evelyn. The rest of us bloaks have one more workday to go. Poor us.