Late February

Andrew Wyeth
loved this time of year
sere, stripped bare
garbage clearly strewn

I guess someone has to
it's not all pretty flowers,
and lush growth
hiding the snake in the grass

Sometimes
it is mice
skittering across bare fields
praying for their lives

Sap rising

The sap's rising
earth creaking
shifts, tension,
and release

Held in dormancy
to force new growth

growing pains,
pressure,
splits and swellings
annoyances
and irritablities

times of change
times of growth
pain remembered
released

Beaches of Mexico

Wouldn't it be lovely.

Shades of the Northwest

More from the watercolor class, skies and water.

Late February morning

May this day be pregnant
with possibilities

By this time some years
there have been crocuses blooming

Now though there may be
the slightest swelling of magnolia buds
the reddening of maples and plums
the faintest greening of  willow branches

the portents of spring
are barely readable

except for the gray doves' pairings

Saturday breakfast

There is salmon, potato, asparagus, onion, tomato quiche with dill and parsley and old Bay seasoning.
And 2 pots of coffee, one dark roast, one decaf cinnamon hazelnut, and a pot of decaf spiced tea.
Haven't yet decided on the fruit, grapefruit and oranges have been popular lately.
Maybe we will just have the cherry,  chocolate chip, almond, oat, maple cookies afterwards, who knows.

A fall day at the lake

An early plein air painting.

Out my window

The sinuous curve of ivy
flows down along the back yard
softens the sharpness of fencing
in a most elegant sward

Little brown sparrows hide there
away from the claws of the hawk
turtles and snakes sometimes bide there
cats come to sniff and to stalk

Changeable weather

Sleet pelting
the windows
books stacked
all around
bed
beckons

Startled awake
as I dozed
by a car horn's sound
passing thru my house,
thru me
I realized
we are all particles
we are all waves
we are all - all

Eveningsong

Indigo velvet furs
bare branches of twilight

alley acropolis
glimmers palely

Day's end softens
morning's brashness

Bright as a brass bell

Bright as a brass bell
sounding out this morning

Rumblings of the garbage trucks
lumbering along the street

An early morning cough
still tickling my throat

Quick flights out front and back
grabbing bin and tossing out

Slapdash feeds of cat and birds
to chase away the frosted air
before it grabs under clothes

Bush and window, post and branch
chiseled in the sharp clear light

Clear, bright, cold, dry

A bracing start to the day.  The dawn popped up all bright and shiny.  Lovely Sunday morning stillness, Inspires one to plan a walk for later in the day.  More painting and quilting on the slate for today as well. 

Snow feathers

Looks like someone is shaking out their down pillow this morning.  Bursts of snow dancing in all directions, swirling and drifting and gently descending.  The cardinal a bright scarlet flash amidst the bare grapevine hung above the white ground.  The house still and the dogs' barking from the neighbors' muted.  The sky a silvered matte describing the lines of bare branches.  The stillness ruffled by passing autos blessedly quickly fading away.

Daffodils

I have gotten word of daffodils blooming on the other side of town.  Yesterday it certainly felt like spring's possibilities were in bud. 
Worked on my sunset, cloud, sky painting, I still need to brighten it up a bit with some orange amidst the lavender.
That is how the bare branches appear outside my window against a clear cobalt sky this morning.

St. Valentine's Day

A bright and beautiful, sunny, snowy Valentine's morning here; to warm up into the high 40's so no worries.  The men of the family are off on travels, those left behind cossetted with good books and shows, quilts, chocolates, and roses.
Wishing everyone a lovely day!

Frost scrying the auto's windows

A foretelling of wet weather to arrive again this afternoon.  The grass is a crunchy, frozen mat but the sun is rising to soon soften it.  The doves come in pairs in the morning now along with the sparrows, finches and jays.
I study the sky all day long watching its many changes, last night it held a slender smile of a moon, the Pleiades and Orion; this morning, at dawn, small, gray shells of clouds washed up on a pale horizon.  
Each day I explore more of the mysteries of watercolor painting to capture these delights.

Clouds scudding by

Mild but breezy morning.  Blowing in a touch of spring fever.  A rummage in the basement for more art supplies, an outing planned with various small errands.
Creative projects percolating, two paintings to work on and the quilt goes on.
Photos need to be taken, menus planned, cleaning and polishing to be accomplished.
Oh, how lovely, to be awakening from the winter slump!

Hints of spring

The tulips are pushing up in the sunny front bed, the birds are much more vocal in the mornings waiting for their seed.  Though snow and ice are still in the forecast, there are days when you can see the buds swelling on the trees.  And the sheltered corners are warmed by this brighter winter sun.

Sunday menu

Cran-blueberry maple oat muffins to start
Bagels with cream cheese sweet bologna and bread and butter pickles for lunch
Pears with cottage cheese for tea
Sole with lime butter, vegetable rice pilaf and whole grain rolls for supper
A lovely mid-February day here at 45 and sunny.

Happy 28th to our youngest!

Wishing you a wonderful day and year and life!