Feeling better and catching up

Thanks to a visit to my doctor and antibiotics, my cold is FINALLY over and I'm coming back to life! Barb and I did a couple of slow wanderings through Catalina State Park, where the poppies are starting to bloom and the streams are running.

Yesterday afternoon we went back to Catalina for one of its free outdoor concerts, called Music In the Mountains. This time it was a Celtic group, the Out of Kilters, and it was fun!

The flowers are also popping up at my house. Remember, in Tucson the weather is springlike in February even though many of you have snow. I pulled out my flowery wool mat, one of my first wool appliqué projects many years ago. The yoga bunnies like the flowers.

In another update, I couldn't go to my gallery opening in Louisville because I was so sick and my flight was canceled anyway due to the big snow/ice storm. But I've already sold a piece! If any of you are in the Louisville area this month, stop in and see the show. Details at PYRO Gallery.

Here are two of my pieces in the show ...

... and one by Charlotte (above) and by my sister Terry (the heron). We took over the whole gallery and even though our work is very different it shows well together. As Charlotte said, "There's a lot of feminine energy."

And speaking of art and feminine energy, my little Juniper is really getting into painting! She has a well-supplied art section in their living room.

To wind this down, this is where I'm spending today -- in my sunny back yard listening to the birds and my fountain and soaking up the absolutely perfect weather. I suppose I'll go inside later to catch bits of the Super Bowl, since the Seahawks are playing, and to watch Bad Bunny, but mostly I'll be outside today.

Have a colorful day

My opening in absentia and a rainbow walk

Here are some photos from my art opening in Louisville that I couldn't attend because (1) my flights were canceled due to the storm and (2) I'm STILL sick with a miserable cold and didn't want to spread it.

My sister Terry, above left, with the other guest artist, Charlotte, said the opening was like a big party and that we have already sold one piece each!

These are some of my photo/fabric collages in the show, at the PYRO Gallery. That's Charlotte again in the black dress. Below you can see the snow! I can't believe I had to miss the show after working for a year and a half to get ready for it.

Now onto a rainbow of plants that I spotted on yesterday's slow stroll through the neighborhood. I'll take you through in rainbow order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.

Lantana

Oranges

Globe mallow

Barrel cactus fruit

Not sure what these flowers are

Saguaro cactus

Agave

Lantana berries

Purple lantana in my front yard

Have a colorful day

Reflections in the desert

I'm still getting over the cold I picked up in Spokane, but I got out yesterday for a short hike including a long sit on the bank of a wash. You can see what I'm looking at in my sunglasses' reflection.

I wandered downstream away from the trail so I could sit in peace and listen to the water.

Our recent rains filled the normally dry wash, and I spent a good hour looking at and photographing reflections of saguaros in the water. Possible inspiration for some art, but definitely food for the soul.

The shot above shows straight saguaros in placid water, then a dog crossed upstream and sent out ripples that ruffled the image. Like magic!

The rain also produced thick carpets of lush, green grass. Yes, this IS the desert!

Poppies are just beginning to bloom here and there.

The rain has made the saguaros fat and happy. You can see them bulging with moisture, their vertical folds expanding to hold onto that precious water for when the hot summer comes.

Have a colorful day

Utah skies

 

I always get a window seat when I fly so I can take pictures, especially when we're taking off and landing. I shot these last week when we took off from the Salt Lake City airport on a cloudy afternoon.

The landscape was surreal, with water and clouds merging into layers of gray and pale washes of peach.

Not much else to report on. I came down with a nasty cold when I returned home a few days ago, so I've just been hunkering down in my pajamas glued to the political and winter storm news.

Have a colorful day

All things Juniper!

I just got back from a week in Spokane visiting Juniper, where we celebrated her 2nd birthday with a Unicorn Party.

There were unicorn cupcakes, unicorn decorations, stuffed unicorns, blowup unicorns, unicorn books, a unicorn costume, and everyone got unicorn temporary tattoos. (Although mine has lasted through several showers and scrubbing. I hope it's really temporary!)

After the cupcakes were all eaten we decided to make a chocolate cake, with Juniper helping, of course. My daughter is so patient with her. She gave Juniper her own little bowl and cake pan and she mixed her own ingredients for a play cake while Mom made the real thing.

Another day we made chocolate chip cookies and set Juniper up to lick the spoon while watching a Grateful Dead video. We're raising that kid right!

She's a whirlwind of energy that left me exhausted! Here she is washing her animals, which she does numerous times a day. That girl must know the names of at least 50 animals! Another day we rode the carousel downtown.

I didn't get any hikes (or even walks) in because it was so cold and damp and gloomy. This was the view all week from the living room, which was brightened by my daughter's dried orange slice garlands. But Juniper's smiles and hugs made up for the lack of sun.

This was my view flying out of Spokane at sunset on my way home.

Have a colorful day