Finishing up

It's the end of the month and time to clean things up ... let's get 'em finished. thestreet scene is just a little 6x8 for fun thing ... relaxing and "loosen up time". Time to move these off the easel and get on with other WIP. There's always something going on down there in my studio. Keep active ... go do something fun that you like!

Sunshine after flooding rains

Well the sun shines again here is Florida. Enough already with the liquid sunshine ... I like the rays much better. See me up there on the roof patching? I didn't think so ... but I was there... everyday for the past few days attempting to patch any obvious leaks that I can see. Today I let it dry good. Tomorrow I inspect again to be sure I got 'em all. So how did I find the leaks.... easy ... I stood on the porch during one of the storms enjoying the view...... then.. ping, ping... drops of water landing on my head, quickly running over the side and down my neck and under my collar. Nice. I like that. If it had been any more I would have stripped down naked and taken a shower right ther on the upper deck. Ahhhh... but today the sun shines again.... and tomorrow and the day after that. The weather chanel says by Wed we should have clouds and maybe a 30 % chance of showers. OK. Tuesday I'm outta here.

The cloud picture is the last day of the big rain storm. This was a record breaking storm for down here ... but there is always some beauty somewhere ,,, lokka dem clouds.... magnificent!!

Go look for something beautiful today and smile.

Water Continues to Rise on Crescent Lake

Water, water, everywhere more water. The rain has been pouring for almost a week. The news tells us that Bunnell has received 28 inches since last Sunday.Some of those Western

States who need water bring your tankers and fill up ... we have a little extra we'll be happy to give you ...FREE. Look at today's fotos ... compare to yesterday's. It's still rising .... but it was not raining earlier today and it was very refreshing. A good day for a walk .... so I walked aroung the old part of Crescent City. didn't wee a car. Didn't see a person. Ahhh, such a peaceful quiet day. Very refreshing! Go out for a walk today ... even if it is just a short walk.

This year we have a little extra rain... we need the rain... probably would have been better if the entire year's rain did not come in just a couple days. Here are a couple of views with comparative shots. this is a fairly big lake... 20 miles by 15 miles +/- .... the rise = a lot of water. Good thing we are about 25 feet higher. Many of the Florida coastal cities are flooded big time.

Always something new at the Tuesday Watercolor Group. Another challenging meeting with the presentation of transfering from rice paper to watercolor paper technique. New challenges stimulate life! Go out and find a positive new challenge today.

Work in Progress 18 May 09

Ok ... so you thought I was not painting ... here is the work in progress. Fotos may not be so good but I just placed them on the easel and shot. I just started the Kid and his dog. I think it is 12x14. The diving seagull is a knife painting on a piece of panel. Sometimes I place the painting on the porch in the sun to dry but this one got rained on. Seems like the panel has buckeled a little. I'm brushing the bird over the knife painting. The rest of them are oil on canvas board. of various sizes.

This one is a knife painting on a piece of wall panelling.

The foto of my painting

of Baron is a little paler than the actual painting. When I finish it I'll try to get a better shot.

That's it for now. Do something you like... even if it's only 5 minutes a day.

Crescent City Yacht Club Regatta

Sunday, 17 May 09, began as a sunny day with beautiful billowy clouds in the east over Crescent Lake. It was the day of the first annual Crescent City Yacht Club Regatta. Probably the first regatta ever on Crescent Lake. A historic event. There was a fine turnout of sailboats and people. A couple power boats showed up. The event got off to a great start albeit a little slow. The breeze picked up a little later. As the day went on there were a few showers hhere and there to cool off the officials sitting out there on their pontoon boat. Finally the wind stopped altogether giving every one a rest fron all that excitement ... then came the showers... then the rain storm. There was no dampening of the spirits of this yacht club ... they all retreated to the food and beverage tent to end the festivities on a high note. Be sure to attend some of your local events.

As the time line progressed in Crescent City new businesses and new faces appeared. One of them was the Wine and Stein ... our neighborhood wine tasting shop right on Central Ave. Now here is a pleasant hang-out if there ever was one ..... and the proprietors..... they ain't talkin' ... they see nothing ... they hear nothing. Nice to have good neighbors .... y'all go out there and meet your neighbors.

It was a pleasant day in Putnam County today ... somewhere in the 80's and cloudy skies... felt real good.

Also adding to the good times was being invited to the Tuesday Watercolor Painting Group. Thank you very much ladies. You are very kind and I appreciate your inviting me. Here they are. A fun bunch of people. I appreciate being invited and I had a good time. I look forward to painting with them again. Of course, I had to go to work prior to the meeting and right afterwards returned to work...... that's ok ... I like to work. Love your work and continually look for other things in life to love. Find some new friends ... it'll keep a little zip in your life.

Sometimes in the journey of life we meet one of those unforgettable characters that we love and can not forget. My ol' buddy John is one of those people... just a great guy that generates only good memories.... like the national parks we visited.. the wild bears... the moose .... the trip to Boston in his Dad's 49 Buick which was the longest car made up to that date (or some such thing). John is one of those happy guys who laughs a lot and enjoys life. Well here he is ... painted by Unocchio from a picture that seemed like the size of a postage stamp ... so if the details smack a little of artist license that's the way it goes. Thanks for sending the pictures, John .... and thanks for all the good memories stored in the memory bank. Hey... you all look up someone you haven't seen in years ..... brighten up their life and yours.

We gotta step out of the house at night too ... ain't that beautiful.. the moon slippin up silent and peacefully into the evening sky. It was actually much darker than the pictures indicate... and the swingin 3 bananas rocks on into the Fri night.
You step out and take a look at the night sky once in a while.. it's worth it!

Ahhhhhhh.... it is always great to come back home to Florida..... nothing changes here... it's off the beaten path..quiet...pleasant..... and SEE...... there is the 3 Bananas as she sits today..yes..there really is a 3 Bananas. the weather is wam, people are fishing here at the lake..flowers are in bloom. Just plain nice. You go out and smell the flowers... that's gotta be good for you.

The plane leaves early tomorrow so I spent the night in Reno .... here we are looking out the window just as the sun sets.... those are the hills east of Reno. I don't often get a view from this elevation .. I'll be taking the elevator down, tho. I suppose I could run down the stairs..12 floors.