Steve Malley tagged me for this meme.
What were you doing 10 years ago?
Enjoying my life for the first time in my life, after having left my ex of 10 1/2 years. Lots of travel, adventure, new friends & magical experiences. I went to NYC for the first time in 13 years & to Florida (where I saw a live shuttle launch,) for the 1st time in 26. I lost 40 lbs. I inherited my beloved Dodge Intrepid (see photo,) & $4000 (as mom's primary caregiver--a result of a lawsuit.) I also took mom's cat (who had cancer,) into my home, as she wasn't a "cat person," he & I were great friends & I couldn't just let him die alone, out in the cold.
Five things on your to-do list for today;
1. See that the "Friends of the Park" get the panel I painted (see yesterday's post.)
2. Record last night's dream(s.)
3. Call the car shop & see if the part for my A/C repair is in yet.
4. Work, 2-6pm.
5. Choose 2 paintings to display/sell at the
Lacombe Crab Cook-Off Festival this weekend. (Note; This one's rolling over into "things to do by Friday morning" & may morph into further things, like getting a frame or two, depending on the paintings I choose.)
What would you do if you were a billionaire?
This is almost impossible to answer, as I can hardly imagine what that kind of money is like. Among ideas I'm entertaining are;
1. Book a trip to the moon, one way or another.
2. Procure a large, wooded chunk of south-facing lakefront land & build a modest home on it.
3. Put $2 million away for my nephews.
4. Help friends w/their debts.
5. Start my own art gallery.
6. Do something charitable regarding nature conservation.
What are three of your bad habits?
1. Too often impatient.
2. I don't exercise enough.
3. I can curse like a sailor.
What are some snacks you enjoy?
1. Popcorn.
2. Ice cream.
3. Chocolate anything (but not often.)
4. Fruit cups.
What were the last five books you read?
1. "How to Survive & Prosper as an Artist" by Caroll Michels
2. "Selling Art Without Galleries" by Daniel Grant
3. "The Mysteries of Druidry" by Brendan Cathbad Myers
4. "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Dr. Joseph Murphy
5. "Interpreting Your Dreams" by W. Lindsay Jacob, M.D.
What are five jobs you have had?
1. Public contract security (which involved just about every other job you can imagine.)
2. Computer parts buyer.
3. Carny.
4. Payroll/Accts Receivable Clerk.
5. Magazine proofreading & layout.
What are five places where you have lived?
1. Woodbury, New York, USA.
2. Austin, Texas, USA.
3. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
4. Metairie, Louisiana, USA.
5. Abita Springs, Louisiana, USA.
I'm not one for tagging, but feel free to participate, if you'd like!
A golden web orb weaver spider (working on a deer fly in its web.)
Bumblebee on an unidentified flower.
Pitcher plants & pink flowers.
A common wood nymph butterfly.
A flatid planthopper.
Katydid nymph on a bog button flower. The flower's about 1/4" across.
One of our local raccoons have been bringing her two babies around (in the middle of the day, which is odd.) We haven't been able to get a picture of the young'ns yet, but today I spotted & snapped this red bellied woodpecker chick.
Steve Malley tagged me for this meme.
Charles went into the shed today & told me that "our" local Carolina wren pair's 2nd brood has hatched. It must have been pretty recent; they're very small & still featherless with closed eyes. From what I understand, these wrens will not reuse an old nest (which explains why we saw them bringing in new materials a few weeks ago.) If that's the case, the wrens must have dismantled & discarded the old nest, because this nest is in the same spot (in the folds of our tent, again.)
If you're a regular reader, you may have thought (from the title of this post,) that I'm finished with the panel from the park. Alas, no. I'm working very hard on that all this weekend. What is "done" is my haircut.
First let me apologize to those who recently commented on my last post. I haven't responded personally lately, as my spare time has been spent working on the panel for the park, which is due this coming Monday. I've had to slow down on it over the last couple of days, because it's been fairly back-breaking work. Because I don't have any way to get the panel up off the floor, there's been a lot of crawling around on one hand & both knees, a paintbrush in my other hand. Although I had plans to put much more into the design, I don't know that I'll be physically up to it. At least the main subject (the Choctaw Ridge Oak,) is done, for the most part. As I'm into my last days to work on it, I probably won't be able to visit many blogs or answer many comments until next week.
I was excited to get this book. Considering that I haven't done a lot of formal research in marketing my art, I thought I had a lot to learn. Unfortunately this book suggests that I don't.
It's been suggested to me before & since it's a favorite photography subject of mine, I've decided to participate in Tom Wigley's Sky Watch when I can. This picture is of Thursday evening's sunset/moonrise. I was taking pictures of the other side of the sky & when I turned around to go back in the house, this was the image I saw. We get some stunning skies out here.
For those mystified by the middle picture in my previous post, the top center of this picture reveals the subject matter. Ta daa! Kudos to Marvin and Erik for figuring it out.
Because it wasn't quite so brutally hot this afternoon, Charles & I went for a hike at the Flatwoods shortly before sunset. I heard some blue jays screeching incessantly & found it odd, until I spotted a barred owl perched in a tree. A pair of cardinals accidentally flew into the chaos, but quickly realized their error & beat it out of there. Harassed by the jays, eventually the owl flew off (& they followed.) Shortly after that, a couple of great blue herons flew by not far away. There was also what was probably a Mississippi kite, doing some shallow stoops (like a falcon.) 
We've finally started seeing baby cardinals out back (click photo for larger image. All 3 cardinals there are young'ns.) Last year we saw them--many of them--as soon as they'd fledged, when their parents still had to feed them & teach them how to open sunflower seeds. The young would flutter their wings rapidly, needing attention. This year it seems we've missed out on that step. Many of the chicks already have color (including the red one in this photo.) Although I'm always glad to see any chicks, I'm slightly bummed to have missed the earliest stages of their post-fledged development. We don't have nearly as many chicks this year, either. I suspect that the clearing of a neighboring lot about 6 weeks ago might have had something to do with that.
Here in Abita Springs, the "Friends of the Park" are restoring & improving our town park, including a brand new children's playground & an awesome fountain (from what I hear.) The pavillion & new trailhead museum mentioned in previous posts are on the park's grounds.
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