A Host of Farm Animals and More ... or ... More Paintings Soon!!!

Crescent Beach - a small marina

Lovely sky and water reflections

Beautiful peach-colored hollyhock near the old farmhouse

Stewart Farm - heritage site of farm home and outbuildings

Two very photogenic toms

Their chatty lady-friend - she chattered away the entire time I was there taking photos.

Here she is.

The toms were in display the entire time.  Maybe the hen was sweet-talking them???

Then along came the family of Chinese geese. Dad was very protective, so I kept my fingers close to myself! 

The kids

Next door to the geese and turkeys was a huge pig pen.

And almost home, I stopped to take some photos of the local sheep.

I don't do well with a lot of noise and loud people. My landlady was having children, grand-children and great grand-children, and assorted other people, so I decided to head out at dinner time and see if I could get some reference boat photos for a painting I'd like to do. I missed out on the boats, but when driving around, did get lots of animal photos. The turkeys were hilarious, with the hen chattering and chuckling and squeaking to me [or herself], and I was trying to talk turkey back to her. The toms were on constant display, all puffed up, with tails fully flared, looking utterly alien. And the geese were delightful - mom and dad and four goslings. 

The area where I live is farming country - small hobby farms and a lot of wooded areas. And close by [about 10 minutes away] is the ocean, with miles of beaches, piers, boats and a long promenade. So I got a bit of everything today with my camera, and came home a happy camper!

Thank you so much for dropping by!

Christmas Cards and a Lovely Dog Rescue Story

I haven't started anything new for a while, after finishing the dog portrait. She will be delivered this week, in time for Christmas.

The owner told me the story of how they got her. The story brought tears to my eyes. Her son works for a local rehabilitation program. The pup was well cared for, and had been living in a homeless man's back-pack. The man wanted to enter a drug rehabilitation program, but no dogs were permitted in the rehab. house. So the son asked his parents [the artist I know] if they could keep her for a while. They brought her home, and she instantly wandered over to the husband, and leaned into his leg for support and comfort. The two have been inseparable since then.

Roxie, finished! If I touch this any more, I will ruin it. :)

Thank you for dropping by!!! Your comments are always welcome. 

Damn Cold, or ... as My Dad Used to Say ...

It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. [why a monkey, I don't know] 

Some locals on a little farm down the street

You guessed it - a close-up

Very wooly right now

From High Point, with mountain view

Pat, my inspirational walking buddy

   Pat and I , and her two dogs went out for a good hour and a half tromp through the park and up the hill into High Point. It was quite lovely in the sun, where protected, but very cold in the shade with the wind blowing. The weather is forecast to get even colder next week, with a fair bit of snow to be dumped on Wednesday. Yeah, I can HARDLY wait! I'll have to turn Bruno into the Michelin horse, with extra blankets. And I'll have to start carrying buckets of hot water from the house to the barn. But it does look lovely, so I thought I'd post some photos, and hopefully a painting post tonight or tomorrow.