Monday, September 4, 2017

News from Eugene

painting for wet painting auction

News from Eugene
The trip to Maine was wonderful, and that I could stay in my home on Back Cove that Doug and Christina bough and live in. Doug has built a foundation under the house. No more animals living under the house, and no more movement caused from frost in the ground, a tight ship as the expression refers to. They said the fuel bill was cut in half. All the boulders that held up the house are piled in the yard and it will be interesting to see what creative way they will be used.
I saw most of my friends, and went to galleries and shows to see as much art as I could. I swam in the cove, and painted in my favorite places along the shore. I took part in the wet painting auction in Waldoboro and saw many of my painting friends. Chris came for a week for a rest and reprieve from working on the farm. Christina cooked all the meals which I appreciated and she also made most of the food for the party Aug 13th. I had my fill of lobster and sea food. Chris and I  both went back to Eugene on the same day, Aug. 15th., Chris from Boston  and me from Portland ME. We had the same flight from San Francisco to Eugene where Diane picked us up after midnight. 
I watched the eclipse at Chris’s farm, 98%. It was a clear bright day. Doug came out on the 28th of Aug. to help with the construction of another building. It is hot and smoky. Working outside at the farm they are wearing masks which filter some of the smoke and help breathing.  Forest fires are burning east and south and smoke settles in the valley. 300,000 acres have burned in OR. Many other western states also have fires, and then there are the places that are under water. As bad as storms are, people help each other putting aside racism,inequality, and prejudice. War multiples conflicts, storms unite and bring forth compassion. The radical weather patterns all over the globe will eventually teach us to live in places that will sustain us and we will learn to stop plundering and destroying the earth. The earth is alive and we need good air and water to live.  Change is in the wind, even though it seems like two steps backward and one step forward, I believe we are moving toward a healthier planet, a healthier way of living together.
Doug goes back  to Maine Sept 12th. I would like to hang out at the farm with them but not with all this smoke and heat. News  Paper headline, "Eugene air quality reaches hazardous levels". The next couple of days around 100 and then cooler temperatures for the rest of the week. 

cool cloudy day for paint the town

the rock I painted



a day at Birch Park

sun bather

always things ti find in the tidal pools

a walk along the shore

Doug, Chris and Christina with foxy

Chris



beautiful

some interesting photos

tools

rock details


rock details




I love this sculpture by Mike Bigger who lived in Newburyport way back when

Doug mad paths in the woods


rock collection


Christina in new green house, vegatables for winter

morning glory

chard

double lily



party

good food




smoke

smoke
smoke


Monday, July 3, 2017

JUly 2 Happy 4th

                                                                                                      
Breezy Day

Hi everyone
I will be in Maine soon for a month, from July 12 to August 14.Doug will pick me up in Portland after a 12 hour red eye trip, change planes 3 times and long waits between flights. It is wonderful that I can stay in my old house that Doug and Christina now live in. I miss the place and the cove, rocks and salt water, and friends. The phone number for the Back cove house is 207 790 8360 Doug’s cell phone is 978 609 1255. See you all soon.
 I paint at the farm, mostly  the tall pines. Now there is a big vegetable garden so I can make paintings of the cabbages. They are huge and already many cabbages and broccoli  harvested by the workers, 
I have been to the river almost every day for a dip. The water is cold so I don’t float around to long. It is fun to watch the ducks, geese, dogs and people
 I have painted 2 paintings of Maine. The Breezy Day is a made up scene.
Happy 4th of July


River Scene

Field road


At the farm

down at the river

Keeping cool

Monday, June 19, 2017

Father's day

Scotch Broom  Chris's farm
 My last post was a month ago and now it is Father’s Day. It has been a cool spring with more rain then usual. Normal is not normal anymore. Today was beautiful and I went to the river to check out the water for swimming, still very cold. Went by the rose garden and walked about. Everything in bloom now, reminds me of Monet’s paintings of his gardens. Everything is lush and grows in profusion. Christopher has a vegetable garden at the farm and I have never seen cabbages and broccoli as big as his . The leaves are two feet across and the cabbage heads are fully developed about ten inches in diameter. 
I go to the Saturday market to buy any vegetables I don’t grow. This is the height of strawberry season. I get out and walk everyday and I have my own little garden plot. Lots of things to do here, the time zips by. I have made my plane flight and I will leave for Maine July 11 and return to Eugene August 15. Hope to see everyone when I get back East. Chris will be in Maine for a week during the time I am there so we will all be together as a whole family and I look forward to that. Doug as you know owns my house in Maine and he has been working on it since he and Christina moved there last summer. The upstairs attic bedrooms are finished and the house and barn have a foundation. I believe he has pictures on Face book of the work in progress. I am sending lots of photos, better then words can describe.
Weathervane


Chris's step daughter Haley

Haley is a dancer. This is Friday Art walk entertainment


Saturday market

boxes of strawberries under table

beautiful displays

lots of carrots


my peas

Chris's broccoli

Chris's cabbage



me in the water at the river

geese and goslings

A little early to do this. Floating down the river, cold water


wading

The rose garden