Archive for August, 2007
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Friday, August 31st, 2007
Beauty – the moon, the sun, and a routine of daily painting!
Peace by our back door
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
This is the second time around for doves nesting in the wreath by our back door. I’m sure it’s the same pair who devotedly cared for two eggs, taking turns in shifts as they are now. The chick in the second thumbnail is from the first brood hatched in May. It mysteriously disappeared after two days and the other egg didn’t hatch. There was no trace of that chick anywhere..no body, bones, feathers..nothing. It was not old enough to fend for itself – could the parents have eaten it I wonder? Maybe there was something wrong with it, or the parents were first-timers. The lizards and salamanders around here are too small to eat a meal that size, and other birds would not have been brave enough to come so near to the door I don’t think. Nature takes care of itself though, so no tears. Hopefully these ones will survive and we can watch them mature.
Sept. 3rd: One of the chicks hatched! There were about six Starlings on the roof overlooking the evestrough, which is not usual for them – at our house anyway- so I’m thinking maybe they are interested in robbing the chick from it’s nest. Maybe they were the egg-robbers from the first nest.
Sept. 4th: The chick appears to be so much larger today, and it’s the first time I’ve seen it so exposed. It seems so vulnerable on that small flimsy nest.
Sept. 5th: The chick has been left on its own a lot in the past 24 hours, also becoming quite vocal. The other egg is unlikely to hatch.
Sept.9th: The nest is overcrowded. The chick ruffled its feathers and snapped its tiny beak at me when I took these photos – the instincts are strong – how sweet is that?!
Sept. 11th: When the parent sitting on the chick is up in the air above the nest, it’s time for little chicky to leave! That’s what I thought the day before the chick flew away, and sure enough it was time. It’s so funny when the parent sits on top of the chick trying to hide it – there is hardly enough room for two in the nest, and she/he is not fooling anybody!
Sept. 12th: Fortunately I walked out just in time to see the chick fly from the ground to the fence nearby. There it remained for about 90 minutes then it was gone. That night I wondered where it would be sleeping, and if it was truly on its’ own now without parents, how it would survive. Less than a month before it was not even in the form of an egg!!
Sept 13th: didn’t expect to see it again, but while sitting outside at dusk, there they were, the mom (or dad) and chick. It was so pleasing to see them sitting on the fence together.
Sept 16th: I still see the little one come into the yard, much bigger now. It is smaller than an adult, and I’m sure that must be the same chick. Full circle!
Crepe Myrtle
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
7 a.m., spider webs on the Crepe Myrtle, Lewisville, Texas
Rude Awakening
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Three quaint old apartment buildings in the Strathcona District on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, Alberta were demolished to make way for a large condominium complex — a shame, considering all the new windows that were just replaced a few years ago. To remove them beforehand would not be financially viable for the new builder, but it’s not the way things are done in oil-rich Alberta these days. Everything: fridges, furnaces… someone’s home the week before — smashed and crushed within 36 hours.
Individuals would gladly use these second-hand materials, even volunteer to take them out. China would kill for that wood. The trip to Mexico is still fresh in my mind, and of how they utilize everything, even wire frames of old mattresses as fence material. This destruction was wasteful, almost painful.
On the other hand, it was very interesting to watch! It’s these sorts of extremes that conjure up perplexing conflicting emotions, and all the travel this year leaves me with so much revitalized energy to draw upon for a long time. I haven’t been painting, but these kinds of experiences are where all worthwhile art originates.
City Mountains
Monday, August 27th, 2007
Mountains of houses as far as the eye can see in Irving, Texas. There’s a hill in Irving that looks down onto numerous cities in the DFW metroplex, where you can see miles of grey-black rooftops.
Moonlight at Sunset
Friday, August 24th, 2007
Moonlight, the sky at sunset last night
Sun Shower 03
Thursday, August 23rd, 2007
When I water the flowers in the front yard usually the Oak tree gets a shower too. There were a number of impressive photos from this session, but the clump of leaves in shadow contrasting with the bright sunbeams in spray brings this photo a little above the rest.
Sun Shower 03 was accepted into Studio 2600’s Holiday Light and Sparkle Exhibition at 2600 Hibernia, Dallas TX November 2007 through Jan. 2nd, 2008.
Summer Storms
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007
Evening storm clouds accumulating at about 5:30 p.pm. mid July in Stony Plain, Alberta
Sky appears to be falling, Airdrie Alberta, July 2007
Train and storm, Montana in July
Garden Toad
Saturday, August 18th, 2007
I was gardening today, and saw the brown-grey soil shape itself into a toad…it was like one of those “magic eye” pictures. This little toad has excellent camouflage!
I’ve done a lot of traveling this year, and now company arrives tomorrow. Too much hopping around means no painting! Photos will be the convenient art of choice, probably for the summer.
So how was your Flight?
Wednesday, August 15th, 2007
Flying is not the thrill it used to be, and not necessarily because of unpredictable weather. Above, barely noticeable amidst the wide, beautiful, stormy cloud cover, is a plane, upper right.
I would much rather drive anywhere than fly, partly because of the extra time it takes crossing through customs since 9/11 and some of the ridiculous restrictions. Crossing the border into the U.S. at Calgary Alberta, Customs officers took away my dangerous tube of toothpaste. Lighters OK, but toothpaste?