Sunday, February 27, 2011

one more snow


Deezel and I enjoyed the soft, new snow of this recent storm. The woods regained that lovely silence of the white. 


 I took another picture of the forest spirit.
Even though, I'm ready for spring (I cut back my  house geraniums this morning), I've loved this winter's heavy, and frequent snowstorms. Sadly, rain is in the forecast for tomorrow.
The kitties perch in the window watching the birds feed. This is Zeek and Buck Wheat.
I've been finishing a page in "Art Journal 2011" with the forest spirit I wrote a Haibun to go with it. It appears I am stuck on this image and theme for a while. Love those trees !!!

Friday, February 25, 2011

clay pot

This is a sample of pots made of polymer clay. I'll be introducing this in conjunction with an Artist in Residence visit with Emile Birch.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

wood spirits,cold spells, animal sightings

The cold has turned the snow I had enjoyed into cement, slippery cement. Deezel walks very timidly on the well-packed, icey trails and avoids the areas between the trails. No more woods excursions fro a while.

We took a walk down New Road yesterday, despite the cold and wind. I spotted deer and turkey tracks along the bit of dirt on exposed shoulder. And, for the second time in a week, saw a fisher cat skulking over the snow. He/She must be very hungry to be wandering into peopled areas and in mid-morning.  They are predators as well as scavengers.Its fur was very dark brown and I could understand why they were attractive catches.
 The weather looks like you could be outside enjoying the sunshine, but it's too cold. At least I get a lot of reading done. I finished People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks last night.  I couldn't put it down and yet hated to see it come to an end. I definitely will read March , her Pulitzer Prize winner.
I bought a "Doodle -a- Day" calendar at the Currier. I saved the gone by days, did a couple I like. Yesterday's and today's stumped me earlier today - maybe later.
Clearing out old papers in storage upstairs and organizing paperwork for taxes certainly do not inspire me, but not that it's done, I can concentrate on creating something. I'm hooked on "Zentangles"...                     
                                                     What do you see in this photo?
This is a photo I took a few weeks ago. I call it "The Wood Spirit". I printed it twice- one for the Art Journal and one to cut out the tree to use in some art work alone. I'm sure it'll bring forth some poetry.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Art journal 2011

Here are some pages from Art Journal 2011:Jan-

Sunday, February 13, 2011

birds, adapting to the hard packed snow

We've had a busy morning at and around the birdfeeder.The bluebirds are back in a flock as are the robins. Goldfinches, nuthatches, chickadees and  titmice are enjoying the feeder. We've tried to discourage the squirrels by making noise when one comes around.
The soft snow that I enjoyed has changed. The trails are cement, slippery and uneven to walk with or without snowshoes. The snow beyond the trails is okay. But Deezel follows me when I wander there. He has a hard time because he sinks and the crust is sharp. I've taken him to the firestation/dpw parking lot for some running after a tennis ball and some walking for me.There were a couple fishermen on the ice yesterday.

Monday, February 7, 2011

snowshoeing challenges, raccoons, birds

It's clouding up again. Earlier today the thermometer in the sun read 55 degrees.
Deezel and I took a walk through the woods. The snow is becoming the snowball/snowman type for a change, and it's very challenging to break new trails; I have to pick my shoe up to clear the surface since the snow is too dense to allow the shoe to slide along. The packed trails are sticky also.

I looked again at the raccoon tracks through the field and into the woods. It must be enjoying the January-type thaw, as am I.
The river view looked lovely. This photo was taken earlier this winter. Ignore the treatment plant in the lower right and it's a dramatic view.

The chickadees and nuthatches have found the food, but I haven't seen the bluebirds again.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

February catch-up


spruce with solar lights


bird bath in garden 1
 I've missed several days of posting, but the theme was becoming repetitive - snow photos in the woods. We had storms on the first and second of February.
Last night it was an all rain event for us on the coast. Roger and I spent yesterday getting the plywood  on the improvements under the porch wrapped (which meant cleaning out the snow banks first), making a path around our neighbor's house to access her roof, and raking the snow from our porch and her house , and a trip through the woods with Deezel.

And for all the work that winter can bring, I still am loving this wonderful snow.I love the world's appearance; its sharp contrast to all the other seasons. And time's rapid passing appears to slow down.

I have been doing more than daily snowshoeing expeditions.Thursday, Mimi and I met for lunch at Ceres Street Bakery. Friday evening I attended an opening at the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery in Portsmouth with Ila, Anne and Bruce. We saw Wen Redmond's work in a collaborative exhibit with sculptor Deborah O'Leary.

Check out  Wen's work at http://wenredmond.weebly.com/  She has a piece at the New England Quilt Museum's current exhibit "No Holes Barred". http://www.nequiltmuseum.org/


The snow influenced several pages in my 2011 Art Journal. This page  has a copy of "The Snow Storm" by Ralph Waldo Emerson with a paper snowflake.
I'll link more photos in a few days.