musings

Friday, March 13, 2015

Snow, sun, cold, warm ...

and the silly apricot tree thinks it's spring!

Love my native apricot tree, love the flavor of the little apricots, but it is a very messy, messy tree.

I'm not sure whether I'm happy or sad that I'll not have a bumper crop this year because it is sure to freeze again!

While I may no longer be enamored with Santa Fe, the community I was born and raised in,

I will always be in love with the terrain, the climate and in knowing it is truly God's country.

Yesterday morning I measured 8" of snow on my patio table, this morning there was none.

Once the snow falls, regardless of the temperatures, the sun shines, and the snow melts;

my trees are happy, my garden is happy and I'm happy!

Mr. Groundhog predicted we would see 6 more weeks of winter

and normally being only 40% accurate,

he came out and was surprised to see he was correct!

New Mexico webcasts their legislative committee hearings, which I have become addicted to ...

When I don't have specific bills that I'm tracking and I'm not required to be at the Capitol,

I am able to listen to the bills that I may have an interest in.

Which means I sit in my office, listen to the hearings and play, all at the same time!

daydreaming

Today is cold, yesterday was cold, tomorrow is supposed to be cold,

therefore as I listen to Senate Corporations, I'm daydreaming about spring!

I'm still painting ... trying out different "techniques"

and find I have gotten into a quite a water mode.

Photo taken in 2004 in Portugal painted in the style of Van Gogh

Photo taken in 2005 in San Diego with chiaroscuro style lighting.

Photo taken in 2013 in Greece painted in oil.

last, but not least, and quite different from the seascapes ....

Photo taken in 2006 of a stream in Ucross (WY) painted with pastels.

I'm trying out a new "painting program" from my favorite software developer Topaz Labs.

This is a totally new direction from what I currently have by them,

and I'm still trying to decide whether or not to purchase it.

The program allows me to choose numerous styles, brush strokes and size,

amount of paint, opacity, lighting direction, canvases and canvas size.

Impressionist style

Oil paint style

The photos were take at a cutting event at the end of August of JC and Joel Carson.