Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Monday, November 13, 2017

From Start To Finish

Last week, I posted my latest WIP. 
(acrylic on canvas)

Start- background and trees.


How it gets to the finish(ed) painting.
Add more trees and grass... "grey it out".

Colourize with acrylic glazes

Add sunlight (gesso glaze)
"Autumn Sunshine"

It's finished!

Sharing with...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~



Tuesday, November 7, 2017

WIP

My latest Work In Progress


Acrylic on canvas

Next step...colourize with glazes

Cheers!

Sharing with...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Autumn Colours

 
 
Autumn sunsets are my favourite.
 
Lake Huron, Ontario
 
Sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
 
 

An Update

It's been a while since I have posted here, over a month actually, just before our sweet little dog, Merfy, had surgery to remove kidney stones. I am happy to report, he came through the operation with flying colours! They removed 11 stones from his urinary tract!

I too, have had some issues... with the MonSter, MS (Multiple Sclerosis), but I have managed to get through a major relapse, although a little worse for wear.

For now, we are "all good" here, and thankful for every day that we are granted.

A photo of Merfy and myself taken last week at the beach on Lake Huron, at the Pinery Provincial Park. One of our favourite places in this world.


 
Cheers
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Friday, September 15, 2017

Not Posting For A While

My sweet little dog Merfy, is very sick. He has kidney stones. The symptoms started the last week in August, when were at the cottage.

He is scheduled for surgery to take out the stones on the 21st of September.

Please include him in your prayers, and send positive vibes our way.






Cheers

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Ralph

The resident Great Blue Heron (Ralph), at the cottage.
 
 
Morning and evening, Ralph came to fish at the rapids in front of the cottage. A patient bird, waiting for hours to catch a bite. I enjoyed watching him for hours as well.

 
sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
 

Monday, September 4, 2017

Summer's End


Wow, that was fast summer!
 
It's officially over for us as we arrive home from Crowe River.

 
Tranquil, serene and very scenic on this little piece of paradise.

 
Beep mastered the paddle board, and spent a lot of time on and in the river.



One of the many resident critters at the cottage. (White-breasted Nuthatch)

sharing with...
Our World Tuesday
Nature Notes
Wild Bird Wednesday

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monday, July 31, 2017

A Day In The Life of...My Dog Merfy

Nooooooooooooooo...Not The BATH!!!!!




I have something to tell you... my mom tortures me. She does it at least once a week. And dad helps.

They both call this devious torture...a BATH, and try to make me believe it's a good thing, but I am not buying it! I know that what they are really trying to do, is make me look more like them...which means less hairy!

There is a big white tank in the little room down the hall, that is used for this weekly ritual. They fill that tank up with wet stuff and plop me in it. Then mom grabs this hissing snake from the wall that spews liquid out from it's head, and she douses me with it! I fight, I try to jump out, but dad holds me down.

Once they have me totally soaked, mom reaches for the container that holds the smelly stuff. Oh it's just dreadful, it smells like a flower. She pours this icky scented stuff all over me and tries to rub my fur off with it.

I guess it doesn't work, because after she is finished with that, she gets that snake and sprays me all over again with that VENOM! Then she grabs another container with pink stuff in it. Pink stuff...can you believe that?! It smells worse than the first batch of hair remover.

Again, she rubs it all over me, and you just know this stuff is gonna work 'cause both mom and dad are smiling, telling me how bootiful I am going to look and smell. But the pink stuff didn't really work, I still have all my fur, so I think they have finally given up. They lift me from the torture tank and wrap me a some kind of straight jacket thing.

This is how I look right after they remove me from the torture device.
I know...it's pretty sad isn't it!  You can tell by the look on my face, how traumatic it has been! Notice the straight jacket!!!!!!




You'd think after all this, they would know that they can't defur the dog, but ohhhhhhhhhh nooooooooooo, they still wont give up. They have a new plan...lets see if we can melt and blow the fur off the dog!! Taking aim, mom revs up a hot air gun and points it at me. I look up at dad with pleading eyes that say, please make it stop! But I know these two are in it together, and lose all hope of a reprieve, when dad turns me around to face the barrel of that gun.

After 5 minutes of assault by hot air, mom realizes, this too has failed. But, she has one more trick up her sleeve - the double clacky snipper knives!  I cringe and whine softly as she cuts away my fur. When the shearing ceases, mom looks quite pleased with herself, tells me what a good boy I have been, then kisses me on the nose! I think they have accomplished their mission. I must now be completely devoid of fur.

As dad cleans up the torture chamber, eliminating any evidence of what has gone on in that room, mom picks me up and holds me in front of the big reflecting glass. At first I am frightened to look, but mom holds my chin up, and says, "Look at what a bootiful boy you are." I hazard a quick glance...and I am amazed!

This is what I see.



WOW...I still have most of my fur, I look marvellous, and ya know what...
I do smell kinda nice!


sharing with...

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Trilliums

Found these beauties in the forest. 
 
I love trilliums, the official flower of Ontario.
 
There is a still a common belief that it is illegal in Ontario to pick white trillium flowers because of its status as the province's emblem.
While there is no such law, it is not advisable to pick the flowers because it takes so many years to produce one and the plant may take years to recover from the damage.
 
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Summer Retreat

 
Every summer we head up to "the cottage" aka "summer home", or "cabin". This year, a brand new retreat, only 3 hours from home, as opposed to the past year's 6 hour journey.
 
This gorgeous river front home is on the Crowe River, near Havelock Ontario.
 
We re looking forward to spending our time here, with Beep, our granddaughter on the "lazy river".
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
Lots of scenery for Beep and I to paint!
 
Cheers... see you in September!
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Spring In My Yard

I always look forward to seeing the return of two very special birds that visit my feeders in the spring.
 
They don't stay long, just grabbing a nibble on the way to their summer homes. 
 
 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)


 
Baltimore Orioles


Juvenile
 

Male


And, I always enjoy the flowering of my Aquilegia Canadensis.
(Canadian Columbine)
 

sharing with...

Friday, April 28, 2017

Adventures Ahead

Going shopping this weekend for one of these. Not the majority's choice, but we have always marched to the beat of a different drummer.

 
Jeep Patriot
 
We just LOVE the "squareness" of this vehicle.
 
~ ~ ~ ~~

Friday, April 21, 2017

Battling The MonSter

Oh...MS you MonSter. 

A nasty relapse over the past few weeks. BUT, I finished a painting, despite the blurred vision, pain, and intention tremors.

I am pleased with it!

 
"Edison light bulbs with bokeh".
Acrylic on canvas
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monday, April 10, 2017

A Stroll On The Beach

I went for a stroll on the beach today...
along with this guy.
 
 
And of course, accompanied by this guy,
my dog, Merfy.
 
 
His response to..."Come back here Merfy!"
 
Sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thursday, March 9, 2017

But, is it art?


Acrylic on canvas by me.

Art is not in the eye of the beholder,
it's in the soul of the artist.
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Finger Painting

My granddaughter (Beep) and myself, painted this afternoon. A cold snowy day, we are looking forward to spring.

The paintings were created with our fingers...no brushes.
 
Impressionist style, "Blooms in a vase"
(acrylic on canvas)
 
 
CHEERS!
 
 
 


Thursday, February 16, 2017

Been Painting

Back to painting this year!
Yay me.
 
(Wolf Howl On A Frosty Night)
 
I painted this to give to my daughter for her birthday at the end of the month. She loves wolves.
 
Cheers!
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sunday, February 12, 2017

A Sad Day

A sad day. My pet Australian Bearded Dragon died this morning.

He was 17 years old. I will miss him terribly.

FYI, the oldest (recorded) bearded dragon in captivity lived to be 14 years old.


 
Way to go Tucker my boy, you beat the record!
 
RIP old friend.
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Feed The Birds

 
I have multiple bird feeders in my backyard. I reckon the best "feeder" in my yard, for this guy, is the birds I attract with those feeders!
 
A Cooper's hawk on my patio fence.
 
sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~