Wildlife

We met our next door neighbors, Fran and Jack; and they confirmed that the previous owner fed and watered the deer. I thought they seemed very unafraid. Anyway, I was taking some recycling out to the back porch and this little lady stood staring at me, no more than 20' away. I walked around the back porch, etc., and she just waited, staring at me.


So,OK, I can take a hint. I got a saucer from a flower pot and filled it with bird seed, the only reasonable thing I had. Sure enough, as soon as I put it down and went back up the steps, she walked calmly over and began to eat.


On the list of things to do: buy a deer block and set up some water in the back area too.

Scottie got bird feeders out today. We're getting there.

The move from hell!

The absolute ease of the sale of our home (with thanks for that to Team Diana) was more than counter-balanced by the everything-that-can-go-wrong-will aspect of the move itself. The mover, who had moved us into our Three Rivers home, arrived only to decide that while he had made it down our steep gravel drive with a loaded truck, he didn't think he could go UP that way. This necessitated a last minute rental of a small U-haul to do transfer loads up to the movers truck and the 26' truck we had rented. There was a delay of a full day. That was OK, 'cuz at the last minute the appraiser at the new house (and apparently they now hold much more power than they used to) decided a railing at the top of a spiral stair case THAT WILL BE TORN OUT nonetheless had to be re-done before closing could proceed. So, the loading/driving finished on Thursday.

Might I say that we have waaaaay too much stuff? This is in the packed up stage:


Upon arrival in Grass Valley with 2 26-foot trucks, the mover looked at our steep, but at least paved, driveway and didn't think he could get down it in the full sized truck. Sure enough, it caused him to high center, and I had to go rent yet another small truck. The 3 guys doing the moving had to once again do transfer load after transfer load, finishing at 11:55 p.m., with the U-Haul still to be returned. Just to do this required that all the boxes be unloaded into the one downstairs room, meaning I was going to need help getting everything up to the main level. This was after my 5 hour drive with 2 dogs and 2 cats - with my old cat being sick much of the way, a lovely smell in a small car. Since I'd left home at 4:15, that's AM, it was way too dark to stop and clean out her carrier without risking her running off. I had to drive over an hour with the mess until it got light enough to clean. By the time I stopped, let's just say that poor Lucy was a mess. Thankfully I'd brought cleaning supplies and was able to do a minimal clean up. Yuk.

Meanwhile, back in Three Rivers, Scott's truck, which was to have been done Tuesday in time for our projected Wednesday move - wasn't. He was stuck in an empty house, truly, literally empty. The promises on the truck kept being not met and he was left behind when the critters and I left on Thursday. He was still there on Friday when I got a call on my cell - I'm just getting up from the horrible drive and move in - from the folks who were to clean our house in 3R (and who clean for friends of ours) saying it was too far up Mineral King - 1/2 mile - and they wouldn't do it! We were left with a dirty, empty house there, Scottie still didn't have his truck, and the mover who moved us to GV was coming back there on Saturday or Sunday with the belongings of the people who bought the house. After a bunch of phone calls to friends and the cleaning people who work for friends, there was no one who could come that day. Scottie ended up calling a professional service who charged about four times what we would have spent with the original people. So much for dependability.


On Saturday Scottie's truck was "done" at least per a phone call from the mechanic, and Judy drove him to Visalia (MANY thanks to Judy!); only the truck wasn't done! Back to 3R. New folks' stuff to arrive Sunday 8 AM. Yikes!!! At about 6 o'clock that night the mechanic called back to say the truck was now really ready and Judy, ever the good friend, drove Scottie to Visalia again. He had to come back to 3R, load up garbage in the truck and deal with all that, load all the stuff like guns and propane, etc., that the movers wouldn't take, sleep on the floor and get out of there at dawn for his 5 hour drive.


I did what I could on Friday, and had found a guy who was willing to come on Saturday to help move boxes, etc. He turned out to be a gem! All the boxes - roughly 300 - got put where they go, and he even moved all Scott's tools, etc., into the storage under the house. After the week Scottie had been through I didn't want him to arrive only to have to get out of the truck and start moving things! So, much progress was made on that day. The new dishwasher got installed. Sears called to ask if I still wanted the new fridge that had arrived with a dent - I think not, so that's being installed this week. The phone people who I'd been trying to line up before we moved finally came today & we have both cable internet and cable phone. I'd say we are at least 85% moved in with the kitchen and all the parts that need to function done. The current stack of boxes, not including those unloaded downstairs and outside:


Oh we have to have an outlet changed in the laundry room, needing an electrician. Darn. Fortunately the realtor here has come up with someone for us, and that guy arrives today. Also due in today is someone to look at a couple of old pieces of furniture, family pieces, that need some repair. Not the movers fault, these were pieces that were fragile and needing repair prior to the move; it's just prompted me to get it done.

Buck has run off 3 times before I could finally get the electric collars working properly again. Through him we've met a nice neighbor who has a certified habitat yard, something I want to do also. Cocoa has been really good. She's needy as always and sticks close to one or the other of us.
They have declared the spot at the top of the stairs that lead down to Scottie's office their spot to lie around and guard. They have a view out the big windows to the front, and if you turn the other way there are big windows and a sliding door off the dining room:

Lucy Cat seems to have recovered from the shock of moving. She's entered the stage of dropping huge clumps of hair, something she does every time she is stressed. After spending two days shut in a small room to give her time to adapt, she's now exploring the house, here checking out the dining room. Both my super-sized table and the big ol' chest from New Mexico fit!!



Ellie rolls with the punches. Among Ellie's favorite spots so far is the living room where I need to get an area rug to cover an extension cord and ground the furniture in the big room and some sort of sun control for the windows. As a temporary measure I've put a cover on the small worm-wood table that I don't want to ruin:



When Scottie did finally get here on Sunday, all the animals greeted him very enthusiastically. In their own way, I think they were convinced I'd taken them and all our "stuff", which is way too much, and left Scottie!


The one downstairs room has been dubbed The Boo Room for my Sweet Babboo, aka Scott. He's getting it set up with desk, books, computer, tv, bikes, his own private bath, even a day bed. I may never see him upstairs. Oh - he did his first ride here last evening, long, hilly, and just what he loves.



So we are in, and the first visitor is due to arrive in little over a week. We'll be ready.

Although I've always loved to move, longed for new places and new vistas, I think I've had it. This move may be the Universe telling me it's time to stay put. Plan your visits! I'm not going anywhere for a while.

Grass Valley

Sold the house here and will be moving to Grass Valley - to THIS house:

The front entry is reached by multi-level entry decks that lead to double doors. I call it "stuck in the 70's" 'cuz it doesn't seem to have been updated since then.

Living room has a big fireplace and huge windows. This is only about half of the room. At the other end sliders open to an elevated deck.

On the opposite side of the fireplace wall is the dining room. The little nook to the side of the FP is about 6' long, giving an idea of the massive size of the whole thing.


Kitchen very much needs updating, but the cabinets are in good shape. I think I can oil the cabinets and change the hardware and be OK. New appliances will have to happen.


The other side of the entry has a small den that I'll make into a library. Yeah!!!!


Three big bedrooms, 3 baths, a bedroom converted to a laundry/hobby room, nearly an acre. Yep. I can live here.

The Artful Garden

Spring weather and the recouping from Studio Tour have found me wanting to be outside rather than in the studio. Sooooo.......

I've been wanting an herb garden right outside my kitchen door, but the layout of our house and parking don't give me a nice sunny spot. There is, however, a spot on the porch outside the kitchen door that gets nice sun.

Two old galvanized tubs with holes drilled in their bottoms + one small galvanized planter + potting soil + plants = a handy and movable herb garden. When the weather turns cold months from now, I can take each pot separately into my greenhouse for herbs over the winter. How cool is that?




For those who follow my art here, not to worry. Heat will soon have me outside only for very brief early AM hours, then in the studio for lots of work.

Moody

I wanted to paint this for Studio Tour but all the cleaning and framing and prep for Studio Tour took me away from the act of painting.

Anyway, I must be fascinated with Eagles' Nest these days as I keep taking photos of it. This is drawn from a photo taken after one of our wonderful overnight storms. It's pastel on sanded paper.

I know, I know, I said I was into my mixed media stuff; but this just needed to be a pastel to catch the drifty, dreamy, moody sky.

I finished it this morning after getting some sad family news yesterday evening & it may have taken on a bit more of that quality than I originally intended. There is, however, the dawn, the sunlight breaking through. Seems that's always there if I'm willing to look.

A style of my own

Every time I've moved geographically - and boy, I've done that a lot - it affects my art. This move, 5 years ago, is finally settling in. When we came to Three Rivers we lived in about 800 square feet of dilapidated cabin while we were building our house. With 2 big dogs and 2 cats, well, I couldn't find space to paint that didn't involve pet hair. And, with the process of building, I couldn't find creative energy.

Then, we moved into the house. We had barren soil around us from new construction, and much of my energy went into getting the outside in some sort of shape. That, of course, will be a lifetime process; but it's at an acceptable level now. And, that has allowed my creative energies to finally move into the realm of my art in a more dramatic way.

All this leads up to what I'm doing now:


This triptych represents Eagles' Nest peak, which I can see from the east window of my studio. What I've done is start with three 16 x 20 inch canvases. Each of those has about 8 different papers adhered with matte medium - rice paper, various tissue papers, etc. They are scrunched, one of those technical terms I love, and twisted and mounded, to give texture in places I want. Of course, the papers have a character of their own, and I have only partial control of the texture results. I like that. I want my paintings to tell me what they want to be.

After lots of paper application and drying, I can begin to paint. That's when the textures start to come alive. This one is all acrylic; some also have watercolor and/or pastel. So, it's paint, let dry, paint, let dry, and on and on. Finally comes the application of a varnish so the piece can hang without glass. I've chosen a gloss varnish because I like how it highlights the texture.

As a postscript, I'm so glad Studio Tour is over! It's utterly exhausting for me and takes my energy away from my creativity and puts it on the eternal "will it sell" - which I don't like. I'm happier making my art and letting it be appreciated or not. So there.

Harump!

Isn't that the noise cartoonists used to use to signify indignation, etc.? Well, here's me going HARUMP!

I really like working with a painting, having it indicate to me where it wants to go - - but, this one has become really opinionated! And, I'm not too happy about it all!

Anyway, I've added quite a bit more paint, still acrylic, but thinned out some now. The parts that insisted on being fallen trees look suspiciously like shadows of standing trees. So, I'll be needing to work on that. And, I simply can't catch in a photograph how the different papers and paints play together. The piece does look much better in person than when photo'd, something to do with how some of the papers reflect. More work to do.


When I'm taking a break from that particular frustration, I turn to what I'm calling "the little guys" - a series of 4 x 6 pastels in museum type matting but w/o frames. For reasons unknown to me they all want to be organic. These two, an extreme close up of leaf veining, and a sprig of manzanita are joined by one depicting lichen on a chunk of granite. Lots of greens running around in my brain. Hmmmm. . . could that mean lots of money on its way? Could be!