Rain

Loving this Kinetic Rain via colossal. “Kinetic Rain” is composed of two parts, each consisting of 608 rain droplets made of lightweight aluminum covered with copper. Suspended from thin steel ropes above the two opposing escalators, each droplet is moved precisely and seemingly floating by a computer-controlled motor hidden in the halls ceiling. The drops follow a 15-minute, computationally designed choreography where the two parts move together in unison, sometimes mirroring, sometimes complementing, and sometimes responding to each other. 

 Changi Airport Terminal

Delicious

 

You know how much I love shooting these little people. Christopher Boffoli's Big Appetite series is delicious. 

Makes me want to haul out my box of little people again ;)

Pebbles

Finding her spot on the sofa! 

Seeing double

Looking for a little beauty today. 

La Mare aux Têtards - The Tadpool

Isn't this animation by La Station Animation adorable? Via Kuriositas.

Bill Dunlap

Am in love with Bill Dunlap's art! His project is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery in College Park, and is called "Poetic Aesthetic in Rural Maryland".

Crazy days

Saw these Crazy Daisies at the Edmonds Market and love them! Nothing could be more appropriate for the day. (Kids are moving in for real now ... all the clothes are coming in plus stuff we shipped off with them a year ago) :)

Making up

The first time in weeks I have put on some makeup ;) Headed to Arts of Snohomish Gallery.

And we love each other. With or without makeup. 

 
Jim shot some photos of the hydrangeas which are pretty spectacular. 

Thinking time

Thinking time is hard to come by at the moment. 

Trying to finish a website I promised (before I left on my 1 month road trip) the first week of July. That is stressing me out! 

My mom has been in and out of drs... my uncle is here to visit. We love having company! Especially my uncle. She is having a birthday soon.

I only had today to work on a few new pieces for Edmonds Art Walk tomorrow night. I have a few new pieces, but will grab some from the Arts of Snohomish Gallery (I am working in the morning.)

The kids have made a real mess of the house moving in. I know it will all settle down soon and I keep that as my mantra as I weave in and out of boxes and crap piled high in each and every room. I asked Robin if we could go back on the road while they move their stuff in and someone finds out what "crap" needs to be given/thrown away.

My husband has a sense of humor. Ask me if we wanted to take the brood to Chihuahua Festival 2012. Between Sophie and Pebbles, we have some pretty smart dogs. Pixel would not "lower" herself to such things.


Remember the poem, "I had a little shadow, she went in and out with me .... "? Pebbles will not let me out of her sight. Devotion ... both ways. ') All day in the garage with me. If I have the door closed, she is patiently waiting for me at the door. She and Sophie are BFF already. It is so very sweet to watch. She has the most beautiful gate ... she walks like a model on a runway, fast and agile. She is going "potty" outside. Is still very nervous but is really fitting in.

Saw this tonight on CBS News ... Spencer West was born with a genetic defect that made his legs useless, so much that doctors ultimately amputated them at the hip. As Scott Pelley reports, his disability never broke his spirit or stopped him from climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro for a charity. If you are feeling any self pity tonight, you need to watch this inspirational, personal story of courage.

Affordable art is coming to Seattle. I hope I can be a part of it.


Also, Thumbtack Press, where I have spent more money trying to get a freelance job that I got any freelance jobs and finally deleted my account ... now has Affordable art site. Worth checking out? Maybe.

Getting overwhelmed

It has only taken a few days to get completely overwhelmed again, with work, chores, stuff that needs to be done. A show coming up. Art I have in my head. Rooms to clean. How does that happen? 

Today is the perfect cold, rainy day that deserves to be spent on the sofa with a good TV show and a warm blanket. Not sure I can do that today but the pups are really having fun playing with each other this morning. Pebbles is feeling very safe and acts very happy.

Hello Hys!

Boy, did I miss you guys. 

 

Settling

Exploring the unseen world can be well worth your while as there are many gifts awaiting you there. From Daily OM. 

"What we see and don’t see may just be a matter of perspective, like the ladybug who sees the leaf on which she sits, but not the tree the leaf grows on, or the person sitting beneath it. And the person beneath the tree may or may not see the ladybug, depending on where he focuses his attention. Still, all of these things, whether seen or not seen by the person or the ladybug, exist in reality. Some people are more gifted at accessing that which we cannot see, but given an open and willing heart, anyone can tune into the invisible realm and begin to find their way."

I slept so hard last night my entire body is stiff. Peebles (we are trying to decide if we are sticking with that name ... as she does not really respond to it) is settling down nicely. All dogs are tolerating each other. Sophie, DYING to play with her. 

The kids are painting the bedroom and getting ready to move it. Yes, we are going to have quite a lively house very soon. Add a one more dog and a couple of cats ... it should be endless stories of fun and mayhem. I need to get off the sofa today and start cleaning for that event. Yesterday I watch all of the LONGMIRE episodes that I had missed. And PBS Endeavor (Inspector Morse) ... was so excited to watch that! The View is talking about drivers texting ... and I have to say, I was shocked to see so many people driving down the highway texting! Scary. Hello, People! Drive! Only!

Pooples? Buffy? Peanut? Peebles? Has found her favorite spot to hang out. On the sofa arm, where she can watch us all in safety.  She is so much smaller when standing next to the other dogs.

Wichita High School North

Before I jump back into my life, I want to note a few things that I loved. Wichita High School took my breath away! More of his work here. Thank you! Roadside Architecture Blog for these photos below. They are beautiful!

North High School was built from 1928-1929. The bas-relief sculptures are the work of Bruce Moore. 

  

Home again

I woke up to fog, cold and a view of wonderful hydrangeas blooming! My wonderful husband has the yard looking perfect for my return.

Pebbles woke up early to go out and seems to be adjusting okay for a dog who just spent 6 days in a soft crate and traveled across the U.S. She is very quiet. Sophie is dying to play with her. Pica is ignoring her completely. Pixel not sure what to do with her. 

The phone and text have been going off since 7 am. Neglected freelance work to look after this morning. I really have to take this day off before I start in to finish some things ... but making apology phone calls to those I have been neglecting for the last 2 weeks.

I ask mom of make me red beans for dinner last night. We rolled in around 5pm after 4 days of hard driving, fast shooting, quick dog peeing on the side of the road. It has not sunk in that I was gone for 1 month. Not sure how many 1,000 of miles we drove. But beautiful images are flashing through my head. Names and faces of people I met along the way popping up.

I am trying to get over a dizzy feeling ... I think from 30 days of constant movement! I finally took a shower after (insert number of days in here, mom will not let me say how many) ... drinking a real cup of coffee (not Starbucks). Will unpack my filthy clothes later today ... but right now, I am feeling a nap coming on. And maybe some shows that D has taped for me to watch.

Robin and I have seen the most beautiful landscapes! I only had a cell phone , so pardon my "drive-by shooting". I have tons of paintings in my head right now. And can't wait to get my canvas out!  (But right now, I am off to the sofa).

 

 

Small world

Last night we loaded the cart to take equipment in and ask where the elevator was to the second floor ... "there is no elevator"... we laughed. 

Had a great thunderstorm last night! The most beautiful scenery from Kansas to Boulder today! Saw wooded areas devastated by beetle disease. That was a scary sight.

Walked up to a house to ask permission to photograph something in Walton, CO. to find out that she was from Everett, WA. Small World.

The last leg? Or on my last leg?

"Every person on this planet has a story to tell, something that makes them unique adding to the whole." From Daily Om. 

This has been true throughout the last 4 weeks. 

We checked in early last night because we were exhausted from getting up at 6a and driving for 6 hours. Almost to the destination Pebbles started having "a little tummy trouble". (For a couple of hours). I think her being in a crate most of the day, not really eating or doing her business. She is a chihuahua, they are nervous little creatures. Thankfully, I know this about them. Am going to look for some rice to feed her this morning.

Between trying to make sure she was okay, washing out carriers, finding a laundry mat, etc ... in the heat. Well, you get the picture. She and I fell asleep arm in arm, before 9pm. The last two nights I have not had internet connection. Spent most of the nights trying to get on ... calling 800 help desk that never answer. Only this morning, while I am packing up, was I able to connect. My batteries have gone out on my mouse. The new rechargeable batteries are not working ;( 

I think I am down to a couple of pair of undies, all T-shirts dirty, maybe one pair of very wrinkle pants, had my prescriptions re-filled here ... we are on our last leg of the journey. Trying to figure out which route to head home one.

Day *whatever*.

Someone did not bring the cart back to desk last night, meaning, I had to make 4 trips from car to room. Lost my hairbrush days ago ... and no makeup in 3 days. It is 630a and I am packing the car (with no cart) for Kansas. Lost track of time. We are now making our way home.

Souvenirs that bark

I don't where I left off in our saga but the last few days have really been a blur. We have been following terrific thunderstorms and keep ending up somewhere that the electricity has gone out. Passed through South of the Border. I am not even sure where that was. 

 

We stayed with a friend last night in S. Carolina and I woke up to this with my coffee. 

Then we were off to Atlanta, where Robin was scheduled to adopt a dog she had found on the internet. Here is the deal ... we left with three! Two for her and one for me. I don't know how it happened ... but it did. This is Pebbles ... this is the photo I sent to David saying "do you think we can take another chihuahua"? (Please don't look at me ... very dirty, sweaty, tired).

 

This is Pebbles after her bath in the hotel room.

 

And completely exhausted from today's events. She is waiting for me to jump in bed right now for some snuggles.

Good Morning!

Each day offers us an opportunity to renew our resolve to the universe that we are ready for change. From Daily Om this morning. 

Watched a mom Northern Mockingbird feeding her hungry chicks this morning at sunrise. She was dipping into the car grills to find some bugs! I have never seen that before. 

More storms and high temps expected. 

 I have a great idea for a new painting, can't wait to get home and get after it. 


I want to get some sand while we are here. Maggie brought me some dirt from her house!!! And more treats. Can't thank you enough. ;)

Cooling off

Thank you, Maggie! I had the gift of pimento cheese spread for dinner!! xoxo. So great seeing you today. I wish it could have been longer.

Talk to my mom and David on Skype, and she said ... "what is going on with your hair?" So I brushed it while on Skype and all was well. My hair is one big frizzy mess after all the humidity today. David and I jointly paid bills via Skype and online banking.

Yes, I look a mess tonight. We were in a (outside in a) thunderstorm most of the late afternoon. When I say "in", I mean in the midst of it, shooting and filming. 

Today when we filled up with gas, getting out of the van was literally like walking into a sauna. HOT. HUMID. I now carry a stolen towel to wipe my face off. The night has cooled down to a wonderful 70? after that terrific thunderstorm. Just visited with the nicest man outside. So funny, meeting so many new people, hearing their back stories, in such a small period of time. 

Have much work to do. Good night! SC tomorrow!

My fave

La Quinta in Chapel Hill is my fave so far! Also, the more I watch shows in HD, that more I think they look like cheaply filmed soap operas. 

Watching Face the Nation while I do some freelance work that I have not been able to get to in the last (fill in the number of days, I have forgotten).

ps ... Maggie corrected me ... I was in Durham La Quinta ;) I loved it there. Wish I had a bathing suit today!