chickory

Haiku Monday

2012-01-23T19:02:00.000-05:00

Heavy woolen skies
endless dreary drizzle; still,
Chick-o-meter 10.

Haiku Monday is a multi-participant blog competition, hosted each week by the winner of the previous week's contest. Join us! You will find this week's theme and rules at Anya's.

Haiku Monday: Nocturnal

2012-01-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

By moonlight she flies

her silent shadow preys; strike!

frosted field mouse treat

Dead of night hooting

persistant, urgent; Mama

I know that was you.

Haiku Monday is a multi-participant blog competition, hosted each week by the winner of the previous week's contest. Join us! You will find this week's theme and rules at http://preservingthesouth.blogspot.com the new blog home of my charming friend Scout.

Winter People

2012-01-02T10:25:00.000-05:00

A cold start to the new year, blustery and bright, leaves and little birds are swirling about in the turbulent sky. Dead leaves are crunching underfoot as I pass corn field graveyards on my walk. The worms are deeper than a hen scratch and visitors are clogging the little highways headed home. Some people have tucked their cabins in tight, cut the water, winterized the pipes and set the alarms until they return in the spring. Me? I am "winter people". It may be my favorite season actually, when the community boils down to locals and there is a bit of a hardship factor that makes ordinary outdoor tasks an adventure. Today is opening day of winter: the high will maybe reach 34 and tomorrow will be much colder.

On our New Year's Day walkabout the forest evergreens were very green and lush from all the rain we have been getting. The weather pattern has changed - its wet winters and dry summers the past few years. Thats not good - but at least it fills the aquifers so the well has plenty to draw if summer rains are scarce again this year. The woods were curiously empty of living things -no sign of any other animals or even birds..it was as if the forest had gone sterile.

It will be quiet today, if you dont count the sound of chimes and whispering pines or little seed pods and sticks hitting tin roofing. The wind is so high right now, it sounds like ocean waves only not with the rolling fade back, but a constant soft roar. My little studio is bright and merry with the last of last quarters projects on my desk. Then, I can turn my attention to my garden which I have neglected through the entire fall season. Tomorrow will be too late - the ground will be frozen and I will have to wait until next week. For now, my garden work involves selecting seeds and deciding on what kind of spring chicks I might want to order. I need a dark brown egg layer. Then my farmers market mix will have pink, white, green, light brown and dark brown.

My new year's resolutions are typical and boring but I will share one. I want to be a person that is serene and somewhat untouchable by external forces. I do not want to be drawn into fruitless and futile debates or into other peoples' dramas. I do not want to waste much energy on things I have no power to change. I will be putting my energy into doing the best I can with what I have, and what I can change while maintaining a cheerful attitude. If I do anything, let me do it well: no lazy shortcuts, and no half-assed anything. I have a tendency toward pessimism (they say that is a dog year characteristic) but there is nothing attractive about that and even if I feel it, let me refrain from expressing it. Better still, how about say as little as possible this year? I used to carry a little sheet of behavior mod goals in my pocket and I always had ten. The first one was always "shut up". If I could stick to number one, the following 9 would almost be superfluous.

The shed is finished, well almost. I ran over budget and didn't get the cedar shingles on the top triangle things like I wanted. But I am scraping the old paint off the vintage door and little by little getting it ready to house my tools and pots and seed packets and little reminders of my mom who would love the view from the little porch in front. I have to till up more of the field to set planting beds around it, and at night I consider the possibilities perusing the seed catalogs and plant nurseries. One thing is certain: I will train a Cecile Bruner rose to climb its southern face. It was my mom's favorite.

To all the fine people who visit this page and kindly leave comments, have become friends and confidents; I wish you a very happy new year. I wish for you strength and fortitude, the power of discernment, richness in its most satisfying sense, laughter, triumph and peace.

Haiku Monday: Sweet

2011-12-26T18:51:00.002-05:00

the Christmas piano

Boughs of greenery
candlelight, vanilla. Next?
A day for lovers.

Haiku Monday is a multi-participant blog competition, hosted each week by the winner of the previous week's contest. Join us! You will find this week's theme and rules at the Curmudgeon's Complaint.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:18:00.002-05:00

Acorn Caps

2011-12-17T09:25:00.000-05:00

Two by Day and Night

2011-12-16T10:20:00.001-05:00

caption this photo: prize to the winner

When it Rains, it Pours

2011-12-06T12:14:00.001-05:00

an illustration for a fine string instrument company

How is everybody? I am covered over with an oppressive deadline. I had a very good open studio sale, started slow but finished well. I will be back this weekend and looking forward to catching up on all the blogs. Merry, merry!

Preserving the South

2011-11-29T21:14:00.001-05:00

Scout in her costume from the school play in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

I want to alert everyone to a new blog: Preserving the South. It is written by my friend Casey who has sometimes participated in our Haiku Mondays, and won the California challenge in August.
Please visit her new page and welcome her into the fold. I think you will enjoy her southern stories and practical wisdom. No comments this post so go on over and say "hey" to Scout.

Live Blogging Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T16:09:00.001-05:00

My official thanksgiving cheers is the post below but now we goin' LIVE

A grill and a grill

Southern elegance is inherited; it cannot be learned.

Elemental life: Man and Dog

Congratulating ourselves for not having to drive anywhere or do anything we dont want to do. Nobody knows when the turkey will be finished. This meal is a mystery every year.

Happy Thanksgiving from All of Us at Chickory

2011-11-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

The Harvest Hen one of 12 felt hen ornaments made for my Handmade Holiday starting Dec. 2

Thanksgiving miracle! Easter in the laying box trying to git 'r done.

Kobayashi Maru looking all Field n' Stream

from the "you know you're a redneck when" collection: chickens just asking to be thrown in a smoker

Nutty Brown headed in to investigate the turkey proceedings

I started the morning, after a lazy and cozy sog under the quilts, with Paula Deen's recipe for squash cassarole. Since I started growing food, my tradition is to cook my frozen summer squash on Thanksgiving day. Its made with sharp cheddar and sour cream, onions and a top coat of Ritz crackers. Its the worst thing I make, health wise. Then I made sauteed green beans with almonds and a light sauce of turkey broth and a tiny shake o flour. Next I made apple crisp because V read that pie crust is the absolute worst thing you can eat. So I found a recipe with mostly apples and a crunchy top made with rolled oats. I also made some chocolate whoopie pies to try for the Handmade Holiday opening night, and they are a go. Delicious! Then I peeled my sweet potatoes (also home grown) to mash and my part is complete. V handles the turkey, the asparagus and the booze. I bought him a brand new Weber smoker on monday for 41 dollars - a close out down from 299! He is thrilled because it got a great review in Cook's magazine. At 3 pm i will have champagne and hope I can stay awake for the meal. And the rest of the day will be shot.

Yesterday I was up on the mountain where I got lost a few weeks ago and looked over the ranges of 3 states from the summit. It was so beautiful watching the still somewhat turbulent sky make its pinks and cool blue cloud sunsets. You only see those colors in winter. The wind from the south had calmed but there were still whispers in the pines and the maraca like rattles of brittle leaves clinging to maples and birches and ash. My love for these mountains and forests of north georgia is so big sometimes I think I will burst of joy for living here. It is a privilege to live in such a natural setting that still has some wildness to it, and I am indeed giving thanks.

I wish everyone in my blog family, a very blessed day, today, tomorrow, each and everyday and extend that blessing to all that you hold dear. xo Chickory

Winter Wolf

2011-11-14T10:41:00.001-05:00

Christmas cram school has spun into full tilt freak out at ande cook studio. The next weeks are the hell weeks of every year. I will have having a Handmade Holiday out at Chickory in a few weeks and of course all my clients need their Christmas RIGHT NOW too. Forgive me if i neglect your blogs for a few days. I will miss you! xo

Hens and Hound

2011-11-13T06:12:00.001-05:00

You never feel so alive as when you survive your dumb ass

2011-11-09T21:37:00.001-05:00

I had a mind-blowing afternoon. Around 4:20 I decided to walk across the street to the development that has great climbs and great views. I had to beat the rain which according to TWC was coming around 7pm. But there was heavy cloud cover and with the sunset scheduled for 5:41 I didnt have a ton of light. I had with me a dog, a leash and nothing else. No water. No compass. No food. No rain gear. No cell phone. No flashlight. In other words, not a single thing on the "10 essentials for survival" list. I left the house for a walk I had done many many times and then made a series of compounding errors in judgement.

When I got to the place, I went up the other mountain I never go to because its posted property, and actually the highest peak and a longer walk. But I am trying to do harder and longer treks because Id like to hike the AT the next few years. I took the gravel road as far as it could go and then the trail; climbing climbing climbing. It was great exercise and I was delighted at how the padding of fallen leaves make it a little more difficult to get traction, making me work my core keeping my balance. At this point I still had Trout leashed. I got to the summit and took in the 360. I was surprised at how fast the weather was moving in and I have to say, it was a sight to behold. It was one of those moments where you feel really dazed and happy with physical exertion combined with a beautiful nature moment.

On the way up, I was so focused on getting to the top, I never noted any landmarks. I was not on any trail because I was looking for ways up that had the clearance for me and Trout. I came down and thought I was going to connect with the trail that leads to the gravel, that leads to the road home. But I didn't connect with it. Right then, I should have gone back to the summit and tried to get oriented correctly. Instead, I thought Id shag over a bit and catch it at the bottom. I didnt ever see it again. Shoulda turned back, but didnt because by now, it was raining, and it was getting dark the way it does in woods when its still daylight in a field. I let Trout off the leash as it was difficult to hike down on the wet leaves. When I failed to connect to the trail once again, I had my first thought of how stupid it was to go off trail this late in the day, knowing bad weather was coming and with no means of managing a night in the forest. I mean how bad could it be? I was in a development for Crissake.

Speaking of Christ, it was at about this point where I started asking for help from Him and my Mom. Something similar to "Jesus, Take the Wheel". I would walk on a ridge and could not believe I couldnt see a cabin or field or anything. If iI had been on the other side I would have recognized familiar landmarks but I was on the side I never go to! I was soaking wet. It occurred to me that a night in the low 40's when you are wet puts one in danger of hypothermia. I 've always thought that would be a good way to go but not tonight. I walked the ridges for a while, saw nothing and started contemplating what I would do if I had to stay. For one thing, I would have to get out of the wet clothes and lay in some leaves under some thick hemlocks or something. Im serious. At no time (well, briefly) did I consider whistling (I have a mega whistle) or yelling as I had been trespassing in the first place, and I still thought I would eventually figure it out and could avoid the epic embarrassment of getting lost in my own neighborhood. Trout was no help because her nose was to ground on prey and not at all looking like she was heading home. I went low to a creek bed and followed it until I found a trail. Eventually that trail lead to another trail; a maintained forest trail and I was relieved.

But it was almost dark. I started running which I never do because of all the hardware in my neck. (The compression is hard on a skeleton.) When the trail came up on a wilderness boundary line I paused in disbelief. I sure didnt expect that and yet I knew I was within a mile or two of a freaking neighborhood. The final decision was when the trail came to a fork and there was a sign tacked to a tree that simply read "pond". I took the other way. I admit at this point I had no clue where I was but I knew I would find a road to something eventually and have a possible long walk home. By now it WAS actually dark dark. When its this dark it doesnt matter if its 6 pm or 2 am - its edgy. It was raining even harder and my boots were now soaked through and my jeans were sagging and heavy. It was like a nightmare where your progress is seriously impeded and you cant move as fast as you need to.

Probably around 6:10 I came up on a cattle gate, climbed over and started walking. There was a barn and cows and an open field. Yes! Now I was out of danger of mortal embarrassment and/or possible physical consequences. By 6:30 I realized where I was and was astonished that I could have gotten that turned around and that far. I knew it would be about 10-11 miles by the road to walk home and even though I now knew where I was and how to find the correct trail back, I could not even think of going back in the forest. So I had to suck it up, and knock on a strangers door.

A voice called "come in". I didn't. I was waterlogged and I had a wet dog too. A man eventually came to the door and I said "Hey. Uh, I know this is a little weird, but I got lost today and just got out of the woods, and wondered if you would give me a ride back to my house on ****" He said sure and that he was on his way to church anyway and we loaded Trout into the pickup bed and we headed out. The man (I know his name now) started laughing after a minute and I said something like "I know, what a doofus. You dont know how foolish I feel. I am truly humbled" and he said "No, I was just laughing because at church everyone has been telling me if I want to meet somebody I have to get out there. They said no lady is ever gonna come knocking on my door" Eventually we got to the part about me being married and all -and how he got lost once on his own acreage in Kentucky, and yes, its mortifying. He also mentioned that people had gotten lost that section of the Cohuttas before and that search and rescue usually has a good track record on finding people because of their cars being left or people wondering about their lost hikers. Of course I had neither of these. The first time V would start wondering about me is maybe tomorrow afternoon.

It took almost 10 minutes to get to my house.

The hens had loaded on their own. I left a glue gun plugged in at my studio. No outside lights were on. I came in and dried Trout off, fed her and started pulling the heavy wet clothing off. I had a really good anxiety relieving laugh. It is astonishing that things could go sideways so quickly but they did and it was because of lots of really bad decisions I made and in areas where I know better! Now I am in my flannel and having a cup of tea. It's like nothing happened, but I had a little miracle today; a little grace I didn't deserve. You never know how it will manifest. Yeah, I've already signed up for a survival orientation overnight course in March. I have more than physical training to do if I plan on walking the AT. But tonight, I feel good. Really really good and alive. Alert.

Grrrrherherhaha.

Trout at the Regatta

2011-11-08T09:29:00.001-05:00

I took Trout with me up to Chattanooga last Saturday to check out the market they have set up along the Tennessee River to see if I want to participate. I don't. Its way too hard. I was a little worried about taking Trout because she doesn't like little children - and by that i mean three feet tall or less - and she can also get aggressive towards other dogs when she is on a leash. V and I decided to split the dogs up for a while because their pack behavior was bad on Halloween night -they rushed the door anytime someone knocked and we couldnt make them get off or sit or do anything. So I took Trout and he kept Koby and we are working on having them stay seated when the door opens and waiting for a command to go through the door.

Trout also needs more socialization. She is free to roam around these woods and come and go as she pleases. She is not often on a leash and not often around lots of people. So when I arrived at the riverfront to find thousands of kids competing in a regatta I was concerned. There was so much activity and noises and food vendors and other dogs that I thought the day would be a drag of behavior management. But no.

Trout was excellent! She was charming. She was chatty. She was a ham. She climbed up the bleachers to look cute college girls in the eyes. She was given some steak jerky by a vendor which resulted in much "circus" behavior, barking and spinning. Trout the personality parade!

It was a beautiful perfect day too. A very pleasant way to spend a saturday afternoon:

from the pedestrian bridge

moonrise over one of the TVA lakes on the way back to Georgia

Painting on Black

2011-11-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

chicken and corn 16 x 20 acrylic on board

I miss Calvin

2011-11-04T08:56:00.003-04:00

In Harvest

2011-10-27T20:33:00.000-04:00


In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.


Drive your cart and your plow over the bones of the dead.


The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.


Prudence is a rich ugly old maid courted by Incapacity.


He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.


The cut worm forgives the plow.




Dip him in the river who loves water.


A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.


He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star.


Eternity is in love with the productions of time.


The busy bee has no time for sorrow.


The hours of folly are measur'd by the clock, but of wisdom: no clock can measure.








-William Blake

Golden

2011-10-26T11:11:00.005-04:00

the view back toward the Cohuttas

A field in morning light

an incredible display by mr. hickory tree

seed pods travel on silken parachutes

dont know what this is but looks like a good seed harvest

a work in progress

I find my self in an unusual situation: covered up in work! I have several pressing deadlines and havent been able to work on my garden in weeks. Hopefully this weekend I can get some manure and leaves and compost on the beds before first frost, which is close. Ive been shooting jewelry again for a company in NYC. I love doing this work, it pays well, and its much much easier than illustration.

I am also still working on the movies for the Chamber of Commerce and have some more video work lined up. Then I am planing on having an open studio sale the weekend after Thanksgiving. Handmade Holiday. However, today I have to illustrate a holiday card for a local bank. I painted 2 yesterday and dont like either one. That's rare for me, I usually get it on the first try. So I start my workday today with a psychological deficit. Let's hope the mind clearing country stroll worked its magic. Have a terrific day!

Haiku Monday: Ghost

2011-10-24T20:23:00.003-04:00

Candy corn fangs and

ghost infested hemlocks; Jack

grins with sweet promise

Haiku Monday is a multi-participant weekly contest. For details please visit Ether Capacious.

Riffin' on: 29 Black Street

2011-10-22T00:34:00.000-04:00

In an effort to avoid my actual work, I took an afternoon off to play. I decided it would be fun to do a series of paintings riffing on the work of other artists. Fittingly, I chose to start with a piece inspired by Susan Black of 29 Black Street, because she had taken a class where I believe this was one of the assignments: riffing. Here are the pieces I used for my reference:

I composed my 4 bird painting by dissecting Susan's Dandelion piece; I drew the birds and then began to layer paint in each birds' background, then adding the linear details and finally, the collage elements. I liked her warm palette with black punctuation. Instead of watercolor, I used an opaque acrylic gouache and I added a bit of sea green to the palette - just enough to show through the warm layers.

I had this old frame and mat laying around and made the bird painting to fit it. The image size is 7 x 11. After it was framed, I determined that red dots were desperately needed to bring this tepid frame into the land of the living. Now we have a modern folk art vibe! I gave the piece to the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Center to auction off at their Spooks and Spirits benefit tomorrow night, but I really wanted to keep it! Thanks, Susan! xo

A solid 9 on the Chick-o-meter

2011-10-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

I look like a junker, but I've got a shiny new engine and transmission

Mid-October Mixed Grain

2011-10-17T23:19:00.002-04:00

Haiku Monday: Homecoming

Flower of the field,
daredevil flying low; crash
into eternal

*****************

Halloweenish in the air lately:

I shot a little video of the changing leaves on my street, set to the music of the most elegant horror movie of all time. (guess) ****only 24 seconds!

You know you're a redneck when.....

this is your actual living room.

How'd that thing you were in turn out?

You may recall the week I spent posting about the process of making this painting of Flannery O'Connor. You'll be happy to know I managed to eeeek out a 2nd place prize which involves actual money. It was the perfect reward; it left me the "best of show" to aspire to. It was an excellent exhibition 0f 143 pieces whittled down from 600 something. This year I got lucky with a judge that wasn't married to realism. The grand prize winner was way off the reservation. Big paintings are the way to go.

Yet another excellent (and free) internet platform:

Edging into my blogging time is Pinterest. I have always been an image archiver with most of them loaded into a hard drive and retrieved when curating little essays, like, say, on bad easter rabbits. But Pintrest makes it fun to organize content. Here's a screen shot that shows a few of my collections. You can "follow" me there -and anybody else too. Or follow by topic or search imagery. Its great, I love it but it is addictive.

You know I also have a Tumblr. Pillbox Elk. I use it mostly to store GiF's that I like. And movies, like the Luche Libre video featuring Javier Solis singing "Payaso" and an introduction to sacred geometry.

Have you looked at your blog in dynamic views yet? It looks great! I will be making the switch. The sidebar goes away, though, when you do, so I need to figure out some ways to work around that. I've also been trying to use my Google Voice phone more too. The coolest thing it does is when you click on a person on your email list, google calls them, and rings your cell phone when their phone starts ringing. In a very google big brotherish way, it pulls up the person's picture as it appears on your cell phone. Oh yes.

My friend Started a Blog that is about a big public art piece she did. She doesn't know anybody on blogger, and isn't likely to become a frequent blogger, but if you have a moment, would you pop over there and answer one simple question? By participating, you expand the project, keeping it alive and in flux. The address is: http://www.onemillionthoughtsofjoy.blogspot.com/

What's everybody doing to celebrate this gorgeous autumn we are having?

City and Swamp

2011-10-03T22:26:00.002-04:00

the view from our room at the Monteleone

As a kind of valentine to my Mom, I traveled to New Orleans and Baton Rouge to visit relatives on her side of the family, mainly my colorful uncle Tommy, her little brother. They had different fathers; Mom had the wild irish railroad man, and Tom had grandmother's second husband, a well-known bookie and gambler. My uncle(s) and cousins have carried that tradition on as they are all professional card players. Banned from most north american casino black-jack tables now, they can only play poker against other players - never the house. They are card-counters and work in teams, bankrolled by some outfit in New York. They have to leave the country to play the house and even that has become difficult. This was a source of endless fascination for V, which was good because life at my uncles can be boiled down to a few things: LSU football, food, drinking and cards.

The first night I planned for us to be in New Orleans where we stayed at the beautiful Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street. It is known for this famous carousel bar:

The seating rotates around the bar offering patrons views of the French Quarter, the opulent hotel lobby, various Frenchy works of art and of course other drunkards. I didn't go for the typical Nawlins drinks, I stuck with my usual "deer and a beer":

deer and a beer

A high school friend picked us up and gave us the million dollar tour of the city. It was a low humidity evening and the streets were lively. As cities go, New Orleans is unique in having a very distinct look and culture. It is steeped in history and beautiful architecture; that is a given. But the people themselves are a cohesive population, bonded by their love of the city itself, by surviving Katrina, and of course, LSU and Saints football. Its probably the most racially integrated city I know as well, with everybody in the restaurants and clubs eating, drinking and partying their asses off to great music everywhere you looked. I like New Orleans, always have. It's livable. Walkable. And the best thing is, it has an identity. It has grit (literally). Its a little dirty but combined with lush sub tropical foliage and fragrant blooming flowers it works. It doesnt look like the generic american city dotted with chains and strip malls. (Im sure there are areas like that -but I didnt see them and prefer to remain ignorant of them)

We had a great meal at Jacques-imos cafe where I had another glass of Cazadores and pan fried drum which was delicious. It was fun to be with an old friend and his lady, to see how well he turned out and to be with somebody who knew how to show some out-of-towners a good time. After dinner we headed to his side of town, "the bywater" where we went to his office aboard a massive ship anchored in the Mighty Mississip'.

looking at the city of New Orleans from the ship

Later we saw a great performance by Kermit Ruffins at local dive-ish bar, Vaughns. He was an excellent performer but he kind of got famous for driving around a cadillac retro fitted with a grill so he could cook barbeque between sets. There were a lot of Mad Men looking chicks in the club: vintage dresses, cat eye glasses and pearls. The men looked scruffy. I tried to take an iphone movie of the band but wondered who in the hell was in the picture when the man standing behind me said "wait! that's me". grrrrrherhahahha. *a cazadores moment* Damn iphone I couldnt figure out how to turn the camera the other way and never got the video but had a grand time. We went home on the early side which of course is what old-married-middle-aged-overstuffed-intoxicated-whitebread-people want.

The next day we had breakfast at the famous Cafe du Monde for a sugar rush of beignets and coffee with guess what? Chicory! I snapped some hard working city birds while we packed on the pounds:

Just a few hours later we were stuffing our faces again with barbeque shrimp at Mister B's. I give that dish a solid 10. It's so messy, they tie a bib on you before they bring it out. When we raved the server brought out a cookbook with the recipe. Only 3 sticks of butter for a two person serving! When you finish eating, instead of mints, they bring out pipe cleaners so you can ream out your arteries and heart valves. ;-)

We drove to Baton Rouge. I was entertained by the ever changing sky. The clouds were the kind you only see over flat land with lots of water. It was like the clouds over Okeechobee Florida; high rising cumulus clouds sure to form thunderheads by afternoon. You do not see this in the north georgia mountains. Ever.

We arrived at Uncle Tommy's and took a tour of the massive LSU campus. I spent a lot of time watching him; desperate to see some sort of family resemblance to my mom. Now and then there would be a little expression that would remind me of her. Mostly, they talk alike, both having expansive vocabularies and a unique sense of humor. Tom is funny because in this mega Catholic family, he is the president of the Southeast Louisiana Freethinkers Society, an atheist group. He is a lot of fun and I adore my aunt as well. I saw my favorite cousin and the other ones I haven't seen in decades. I know my Mom was pleased.

Saturday is all about college football. Festivities began promptly at 7:30 a.m. (A.M.!) for a game that was to start at 7 pm. The day was an unhurried journey of drinking and football with a parade of friends and family coming and going. The afternoon was spent preparing lebanese food -kibby and stuffed grapeleaves. We ate then settled in for the big game. The entire living room is set up to watch football on a massive 83" screen with no couches just lots of individual swivel chairs. It was cool but it was all day. When I realized it would be the same on Sunday for the Saints game, I got on the internet and booked a tour of the Atchafalaya Swamp. When I informed V that we were going to the swamp, he smirked and snorted, which means "not interested". I said, "that's cool. You can hang out and watch the Saints game tomorrow, but I must have nature or I will die!" So we went to the swamp. Here's some photos:

The tour was 3 hours of looking for birds and enjoying the landscape. Our guide was a good-looking cajun guy who talked literally all three hours. But I liked him. He found a nest of baby alligators and caught one for us to meet. I felt a little guilty about it. He kept crying out for "mama" with that muffled little sound from down in his throat, but he was returned to the water after a few minutes and he rejoined his family. The cajun loved the swamp and its creatures and had spent his life exploring it. He did a nice job of keeping it fresh and exciting even though I knew he had done this trip a million times.

We saw Ibis, Egrets, Herons and Hawks, but not as many birds as you would see in the spring, many of them have migrated on. We did see plenty of snakes and turtles though.

The best thing about the trip though was seeing my Mom again in the landscape; or remembering her when I would smell green decay in water, highlighted with a hint of sea salt. It was me and her against the world for five years in southern mississippi while she went to grad school and I slogged it out in high school. Now I am back at Chickory on the first round of cold evenings. Last night the low was 37.
I just checked the thermometer, it read 40, so I decided that was cold enough to go out and turn the heat lamp on for the chicks. When I checked on them, I discovered a baby possum in the coop! Guess I know what tomorrow's first chore will be.

But for now, I am content under a crisp starry night and low-hanging half moon, looking forward to another day in the country in the best month of the year.

Shed and Chicken Fancy

2011-09-15T09:13:00.000-04:00

Ski: around 4 days old

It's time for me to start planning a garden shed. I have collected the windows, a door, an old ceramic sink and counter and the metal roof for it, now all I need to do is think about what kind of design I want. My wish list is long; my budget short, so I am counting on creativity in using materials to get me there. Of course the shed is to hold tools and to dry flowers and pot up seedlings; but I would like to have a built in cold frame or mini greenhouse so I can get a jump start on spring food in winter. I wouldnt mind having a little deck around it so I would have a hang out place. Eventually, I will run power out to it; or maybe hook up a little solar panel to run some lighting.

This shed will be a kind of shrine to my Mom as well. She left me a tiny bit of money and this is how I intend to spend it. She would love my plans - the seed of Chickory was planted back when I was in high school when Mom bought a small river property and we used to talk and dream about what to do with it.

When Easter was a baby

I would also like to attach to the shed a field pen for the chickens who spend most of their time around the barn and in the woods. I take them out to the garden to work with me, but they always inch toward the tree line and run (they are so funny when they are really running; only Easter flies) to the safety of the canopy. And they are right: overhead predators are their biggest worry because the dogs handle all ground threats.

Lately I've been looking at some lovely photos of chicken pens and housing:

I like this "mutt and jeff" fencing - reminds me of the coyote fencing in Moi's neighborhood only using the sticks horizontally. The only downside is it looks like not enough light is getting in. Light is critical for egg production. Though my hens spend a lot of time in the forest, they have loblollies where they lay in the sun, stretching their wings out like solar panels to absorb heat.

This is wonderful. It reminds me of my grandmother's house. I've sourced this double loop wire fencing. It is expensive! It runs about $300. per 100 foot roll. We actually have about 30 feet of it on our back fence which I plan to take for the garden. I look for it all the time on Craigslist but never find any. I do see it around in older neighborhoods. With all the tear down and in-fill they are doing here I might try and vulture some from developers. I found some antique wire garden gates on Ebay too.

This is kind of what I am thinking for the greenhouse section of my shed. I check the Habitat for Humanity thrift store about once a week for windows. Its getting slimmer as I think more and more people are into recycling then just going to Home Depot and getting new windows. The quality is actually better on the old windows anyway. Once my truck gets repaired I can start ranging out in search of old building materials.

You know, this isn't what I had in mind, but I could live with it. Chandelier is a nice touch. I could use the plexi chandelier Boxer made me in the shed though.

Chickens at Saint Agatha by Gustav Klimt

I am open to suggestions, ideas, links about interesting materials that I might incorporate into the design that would look cool and be affordable. And then we will tackle the matter of the goats.

Haiku Monday: Birth

2011-09-04T19:06:00.003-04:00

Caterpillar. Then,
a transforming chrysalis
makes Black Swallowtail

*************

I counted 47 Black Swallowtail caterpillars on my parsley crop. They love any plant in the carrot family; dill, Queen Anne's Lace and of course parsley. I've harvested plenty and am leaving the rest for the butterflies. I saw the eggs nestled into the cup like leaves before I went to California; when I got back to Chickory, the 'pillars were fat and fine from heavy feeding. When they are alarmed, they discourage predators with their osmeterium; a forked orange gland that makes a horrible smell. That's why the chicks won't eat them. (They love tomato hornworms though)

Here you can see the osmeterium "stink gland"

I froze my parsley in ice trays and bagged the cubes. When I make soups and gumbos this winter, I will just drop a few parsley cubes into the mix.

While clearing the garden in preparation for fall, I startled this Mantis who flew into the hedgerow

Back in Atlanta this afternoon, Koby broke out of the yard and was brought home by the POLICE. He said that he followed her home from about 5 houses away, and that she was a pretty big dog and could "scare somebody". Scare them with a big dose of affection, maybe. We found the problem: a dead tree fell way in the back of the yard and smashed down the fence. V got to use his chainsaw; chopped up the tree, repaired the fence and now she is stuck at home with her boring ol' pack tonight.

Now I have one autistic dog and one outlaw dog. And four "shitresses". And 47 caterpillars and one praying mantis.

Update on Two Summer Contests

2011-08-30T14:02:00.002-04:00

Good News! Bohemia Beer purchased this painting. It was a contest that Troll hooked me up with. Usually I avoid internet contests because they are won by popular vote; and well, I ain't that popular. But this one was juried by a panel of judges, so on the day of the deadline, I looked around, found a piece of plywood, stained it and painted this piece and got it uploaded to the contest with about 4 hours to spare.
I did not win, but after the contest I was contacted by Bohemia and was told that mine was among their favorites and would I sell it. Im glad they wrote when they did because I was on the verge of gessoing over the piece and painting something else. So a hearty thank you to my friend TROLL. I plan to reward you with art - Secretariat in bottle caps, perhaps? grrhahahahaha.

"The Baptism: Flannery O'Connor" was accepted into the SAAG National Show. I am very pleased because I was worried it wouldnt make it in. 143 pieces were selected out of 600 entries. If you followed the week of blogging called "The Process" you know that I hope to win a prize. We'll see. Now that it is in I can rework some areas I think are weak like her hands and the water. In general, just make what I already have be as good as I can get it before the judge sees it in person. That show opens in October.

To all my bloggy friends that read this page and leave comments: Your support is such a gift. You are wonderful creative people (or else, why blog?), all of you, the ones Ive met and call real life friends, and the ones I hope to meet someday. Thanks a million! xo, Chickory

Haiku Monday: Memory

2011-08-29T09:55:00.004-04:00

California;

seeing Mama's memory

in Evening Primrose

*******************
About the Haiku:

Apparently my grandmother gave my grandfather the heave ho. So he stole my mom out of the house in Louisianna and spirited her away to a dusty place in California. She was raised by a wild outdoorsy irish man and his mama, my great grandmother, and an extended cast of characters rich in aunts and uncles. I've seen the pictures, know that she was bit by a snake or maybe it was almost bit and often traveled by train because my grandaddy worked for the railroad. The fragrant air of New Mexico and the flowers in California brought my mother's voice to me; telling stories about her childhood out west. She would have spent a trip in the same way I did; in a love affair with the plants and animals and farms and weather; tidal pools and rabbits on the road and the dogs; my mom would want to meet all the dogs. What follows is a valentine to both my moms. Thank you Judith, for a wonderful visit and for being such a good friend to me. Thank you Mom, for the eternal flame of love that burns like Polaris to guide me through this extraordinary life.

California Notebook: Harley Farms

2011-08-24T08:59:00.002-04:00

I have to get some goats someday.

By Tuesday I had mostly completed my Mom's website . She rewarded me with a drop dead gorgeous drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to Pescadero. This is where, or how I would live. The beach is marvelous, but I would want a farm, or at least acreage. This was an agricultural town, with a tiny main street and a few charming little houses with nice gardens and fun architectural accents. We went to Harley Farms; a goat milk farm nestled into a green valley about 2-3 miles in from the coast. The skies at the beach were a heavy low white, but here they shared at least half of the sky with idyllic blue.

the view from the top of the barn

The youngest kids this late in the summer were in a smaller pen, and getting lots of attention

Beside the goat pen, a flower and herb garden to flavor and decorate the cheeses

The sign says it all

I was completely smitten with this little fellow

Every inch of this farm was meticulously maintained

There was an awesome soundtrack for the farm coming from the barn: classic rock, heavy on CSNY

Farm-to-table dinners are held in the hayloft of the barn.

Whatever the goats give, the farm uses; a respectful, inspiring approach to animal husbandry

The goat shop had classic (and prize winning) cheeses; I bought the sun-dried tomato blend

Before leaving Pescadero, we had a snack at this gas station/taqueria

I had the carne asada; but the chile and cheese burrito was even better

The drive home was delightful, the spectacular coastal vistas and the farmland stretched out before us. I was greatly inspired by Harley Farms. We joked about how in the world could I add goats to my menagerie; I already haul 4 hens and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks back and forth in a car. One day, there won't be any "back and forth" and I can flesh out my little homestead with a few goats. I learned how to make goat cheese a few summers ago at the Sustainable Arts Society and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was shocked at how hard I had to tug on the teat and how forcefully the milk shot out. But even if they didn't give milk; I would love goats. They are beautiful creatures and loaded with personality; the crazy positions they would get themselves in cracked me up. I never got a photo I was truly satisfied with, because I couldnt get in the pen with them. As it was, if any other visitor came, I would leave for a little while and only return to the pen when I had it to myself. I wanted to be "alone" with the goats.

I cannot wait to get back to Chickory and see my own garden again. Im sure that all I have left growing are winter squashes and watermelons. Im guessing the tomatoes have burned up and that the summer squashes are exhausted. But I look forward to prepping the soil for fall crops and finally getting the long overdue garden shed built. One day, I hope a visit to Chickory delights guests with the sweetness and goodness of life that I felt at Harley Farms.

Haiku Monday: Walk

2011-08-22T08:44:00.000-04:00

intoxicating
mercury waves and poppies;
no wicked witches.

We Have a Haiku Monday Winner!

2011-08-18T00:25:00.005-04:00

ho hum. another gorgeous vista from NorCal

Hello, all you fabulous poets,

The question is not -- to judge or not to judge, but rather how to judge. I am both honored and humbled by this daunting task that was set before me. I've done my best and enjoyed every minute spent with your wonderful haiku poems. What unique talents you have. Even though you all addressed the same subject, your creative efforts led you in diverse directions. That's the beauty of the beast. Each haiku is special. Thanks for all the new things I learned. What an inspiration you have been to me. You have my love and appreciation. Keep writing. I'll be reading and may join you and write myself from time to time. One day we should try an exercise in Cinquain. That would be fun. I invite your comments and will welcome your insight. Please contact me at: allegro_88@comcast.net.

Sincerely,

Karen

Here we go, my dear poets.

(Troll)

A boy or a girl?

December's choice warms or cools.

Real Climactic Change.

Once I realized the boy and girl were El Nino and La Nina (duh!), our famous California winds, this made great sense. Well written. Contains the traditional seasonal reference.

Corp of Discovery

Courageous Captain:

"Ocean in view. O! The Joy!"

Wet winter awaits.

Best classical haiku and traditional use of kigo and kireji. Exuberant exclamatory kireji cuts this clever haiku, leaving us to wonder which ocean, where is he headed. This immediately called to mind "Master and Commander." We hope he is somewhere in the southern hemisphere for this winter journey.

**********

(Karl)

High translucent crest,

roaring into the shoreline

Cowabunga dude!

Having surfed (or tried to) at Doheny State Beach, Dana Point, CA in the sixties, I can definitely relate. Exciting image of catching that perfect wave. Because this great verbal exclamatory kireji is at the end, we feel a heightened sense of closure; he rode that wave all the way. Cowabunga!

**********

(fishy)

Riotous colors

expressed b'neath half moon light,

Cowabunga blooms!

Seasonal implication. "Riotous colors" vibrantly fills the imagination. Once again, an exciting kireji that expresses a bursting forth. Nice visual imagery.

Chickory photos:

Hydrangea envy,

Pacific pinks for your Mom!

Mine look like bruises.

Evoked similar feelings of my own black thumb. Best friend's perfectly Pacific pink flowers put mine to shame. This haiku paints a perfect picture, both visually and emotionally. Love it! Made me laugh.

**********

(Fleur)

Golden Mountain

Land of Golden Dreams

lures with shimmer, and betrays.

Mirage, far from home.

Title calls to mind something glorious. But we are in for a surprise. This haiku runs the gamut of emotions -- hope, disappointment, even despair. Excellent use of imagery in describing our fair California. Having lived here off and on for years, I can relate to her siren song and abrupt betrayal. This kireji slams us to the mat. We feel the deceit and question our choices.

(Fleur)

Hawaiian Honeymoon

palm fronds and flowers

blushing limbs and seaspray tang

lava buries us

This haiku elicits both visual and olfactory senses. The ending suggests inevitable destruction

Cedar Closet

Mohair sweater hangs;

a bittersweet souvenir

of Sausalito.

A modern, rather than traditional, haiku. Evokes an emotion all of us have felt at one time or another--perhaps for a lost love? I can just see that sweater hanging there.

**********

(Czar)

South---. Swimming in it..

Like Rodgers', Hammerstein's heirs:

Nothing like a dame.

This brought a smile as I conjured up visions of Bali Hai, beetle nuts, and Nellie Forbush. Clever that you omitted "Pacific" to keep to 5 syllables; hmmmm, what would the master say? Great kirejic cut with the traditional colon, which establishes a connection between the two parts, implying that the last line represents the essence of the former. Cleverly conceived.

September plunge brings

Santa Monica surprise.

Warm sun; sea fall fresh

Classic kigo and kireji invokes the southern California autumn. Nicely written.

**********

(moi)

Neither hippie nor

holy holds the key. Peace, bro?

Fight the current's flow.

This one could have some deep meaning, in my opinion. I really like the "hippie" and "holy" reference. Excellent choice of words. Society's ills presented simply. I like the mid-kireji question. The answer is up to each of us. Great haiku; however, typically they "shouldn't" rhyme.

**********

(foam)

Vortex of refuse ..

Great Pacific Garbage Patch:

Plastics, sludge, debris.

Definite visual, albeit negative, imagery. Dredges up not only the literal litter/trash image, but also one's emotional sludge as well. The traditional colon calls for inward scrutiny of both parts; perhaps asking ourselves, are we doing our own individual part, however small, to protect our environment?

**********

(fishy)

Pacific vibe:

Churlishness declined.

Raman's peace shall reign upon

all unwasteful guests

Those who have not been to Raman's Coffee House in Half Moon Bay might not appreciate the depth of this haiku. Is the writer speaking only from the pictures and commentary on the blog; if so, he or she caught the essence of the place and of Raman himself. The kireji that ends the first line invokes that line's importance to the whole. I think I'd use a dash instead of a period, for emphasis.

**********

(pam)

Cranky baby cries;

his bottle is not ready.

here's pacifier.

This one inspires a common vision and emotion experienced by all moms. Clever to think of "pacifier;" not quite "Pacific," but no matter. Simply stated, in keeping with the goal of haiku to give voice to the ordinary daily events of our lives. Great traditional usage of the kireji, although I'd use a colon after "ready" to entwine the two parts. I can see this frazzled mom, especially in the "olden" days when we didn't have the speed of the microwave.

**********

(pam)

California dreams

were manifest destiny.

Young man going west.

History presented simply -- Gold Rush, Pony Express, "Paint Your Wagon." May I suggest here that poems have different meanings for us at different times, depending on our current frame of reference. Having recently watched "Paint Your Wagon," I instantly thought of Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin and the title song, "Got a dream, boy, got a song. Paint your wagon and come along." Nicely conceived.

**********

(princess)

Great Barrier Reef

Coloured kaleidoscope

Beauty lies beneath

Lovely visual imagery leads us to vividly imagine the beauty that lies beneath. Beautifully expressed. You must have been there, princess.

Battle of the North

Japanese unrelenting...

Them Yanks sure could fly!

We can visualize this magnificent air battle. Perfect emphasis and tie-in made with the use of the kirejic ellipsis instead of a colon. And, yes, them Yanks sure could fly! Go Jimmy Doolittle and raiders ("Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo"), just four months after Pearl Harbor. Please clarify your reference to the "Battle of the North." I'd be interested to know more.

**********

(aunty belle)

Pacific Pinnipeds

Remember how we

climbed mist sprayed rocks--And the

stench of Sea Lions?

Cool! A new word for me. Guess I don't know much about sea lions and walruses. This haiku awakens senses of touch, sight, and smell. Oops! I see only six syllables, but I definitely smell the sea lions.

**********

(aunty belle)

ESALEN

Ghosts of Kerouac,

Huxley; Human potential--

clothing optional.

This thought-provoking haiku caught me literarily off guard. I must confess I googled Jack Kerouac and Aldous Huxley for more in-depth background, which enlightened me immensely when it came to understanding this work. I learned that Huxley espoused visual communication and sight-related theories--hence, "clothing optional."

I enjoyed learning something new. Thank you. Interesting how you put together these few syllables. Oh, I also learned that Esalen is an actual place, a retreat.

**********

(boxer)

Lake Burning, car full

travelling to a new coast,

my forever home.

I see you moving across the country, something I know a lot about, having experienced it more times than I care to remember. Evokes images for anyone who has ever relocated, hoping this move will be the last. Nicely put.

**********

(Karl)

Watching bubbles rise

Decompression pondering

Half Moon Bay haiku

Great picture of the thought process as you contemplate what to write. Superb visual picture of the diver searching for words.

**********

Seductive Sarongs

Trade winds, baguettes and Bordeaux

Tahiti beckons

After reading this delightful haiku, we'll all be on a slow boat to Tahiti, not China. Evocative imagery.

**********

August Forty Five

Uranium's fury

Ends Pacific War

Again we have extreme visual remembrance from only a few syllables. Amazing what images words can conjure up. Well written. Just need 7 syllables in line 2. Powerful!

**********

(buzz kill)

Wild waters to left,

Certain death highway - pshaw!

Frisco here I come!

Having traveled north and south several times on California's beautiful, curvy, magnificent, treacherous Highway 1, I clearly see the visual picture here. Love the kirejic exclamation and joyful, devil-may-care ending. Alas, there are only 6 syllables in the second line, "pshaw" being pronounced with a silent 'P'. Perhaps, "Oh, pshaw!" to make 7 syllables? This was fabulous. Loved it. Write more.

**********

(fishy)

Pacific:

Phosphorescent waves

heave upward, reaching point break,

curling into me

Once more we see vivid imagery. Can almost hear the pounding surf.

**********

Casey Haiku Submission #1

misty bay captures

ancient secrets carried west

burned up by the sun

Hauntingly mysterious. Stirs the imagination. Beautiful.

**********

Casey Haiku Submission #1

Land of fruits and nuts?

Sunshine...coastline...wine and weed --

Methinks thou art blessed!

This one brought the biggest smile and loudest laugh. Conjures up all sorts of images associated with California. Fun! Good honk! Clever indeed. Double entendre? Great use of ellipses to give emphasis. As the reader, we want to pause for a deep savory "ahhhh" breath as we visualize each word picture. Love the idiomatic "methinks." Yes, we Californians are blessed, despite the taxes, lousy politicians, and high gas prices (taxes again!). Yep, gotta be grateful.

**********

(xl)

Pele's fiery hand

slow to caress the ocean

quick to give the land

Absolutely awesome imagery. Beautiful choice of words to invoke the Volcanic Goddess. Perfectly painted picture. Some may take exception with the first line, but I must go with Webster's first choice for pronunciation of "fiery" as "fir'e" in opposition to "fi'e'ry."

**********

(who wrote this?)

'Neath moonrise glided

waves an ancient of the deep

rises--blue as lupines.

Summons forth a haunting image of the Blue Whale, largest animal to have ever lived. These whales look true blue underwater, but on the surface they appear a mottled blue-gray. Beautiful imagery. Was fun to read about these whales. Thanks.

**********

(bob)

Judgement of Haiku

Where to place the kireji?

I'll be out of town.

Wait till I get my hands on you, bob! Leaving me to judge these awesome haikus alone. You know Libras can't make decisions. "Where to place the kireji?" Typical of bob, with his conscientious aviation background and meticulousness. My friends, should you fly into SFO, he'll be controlling your plane once it hits the ground. If you're departing, find a sudden gate change, and have to make a run for it, he will have done that too. But he really is a nice guy and an awesome guitarist, singer, and songwriter.

**********

Thank you, Ande, for this amazing opportunity. I feel honored and unworthy of this judgmental position. To the Haiku writers, your amazing talents made this very difficult.

I've taken the liberty of issuing my own "awards" as follows:

Most Classic/Traditional: Courageous Captain.

Seasonal: December; September; August '45; Courageous Captain; Hydrangeas; Riotous color.

Evokes Emotion:

Golden Mountain; Cedar Closet; New coast/forever home; Captain.

Historical: California Dreams; Flying Yanks; August '45.

Sensuous (not sensual, you hooligans): Hawaiian Honeymoon; Pacific Pinnipeds

Action: Cowabunga Surfer Dude

Simple and Sweet: Baby; New coast.

Humorous: Hydrangeas; nothin' like a dame; land of fruits and nuts.

Visual: Riotous colors; hydrangeas; Hwy 1; Vortex of Refuse.

Most obtuse (had to search for the meaning): Boy/Girl; Raman's; Kerouac/Huxley; Ancient of the Deep.

Best Painted Pictures: Barrier Reef; Tahiti; Phosphorescent waves; Misty Bay; Pele.

Whatever: Hippie/Holy; Bubble/Decompression

And the WINNER is:

CASEY!

Land of fruits and nuts?

Sunshine...coastline...wine and weed --

Methinks thou art blessed!

This has been such a joy! Thanks to all of you.

Karen (aka Allegro)

* NOTE FROM MANAGEMENT: CASEY IS A MEATSPACE FRIEND FROM BLUE RIDGE WHO ALSO COMPETED IN THE CHICKEN CHALLENGE. (Casey, you cannot get your prize unless you show yourself in the comment section of this blog. just saying -prove your reality! ) CONGRATULATIONS TO CASEY, AND A VERY GRATEFUL THANK YOU TO KAREN FOR AN EPIC JOB WELL DONE.

Haiku Monday: "Pacific" ....still working on a winner

2011-08-17T11:34:00.000-04:00

The theme was, appropriately enough, "Pacific". The entries were incredible this week, one of the toughest competitions in Haiku Monday history. I couldn't begin to pick a winner, so a real live "california person" was drafted into the duties of judging. You are in for a treat, Haiku People, because this judge is exceptional. She knew haiku, but took the responsibility of judgement seriously and even studied in preparation for the task of evaluation. We have discussed your haikus at length, their merits, originality, formal structures...our judge is funny, generous of spirit and spot on in her assessment. But a decision has not yet been made. (any day now, right Aunty?) The consolation for this delay is that every single haiku entry has received commentary. So hang in there.

in the meantime:

"Nest" the junk shop by the sea

HMB Marina

California people

We're just looking for a handout, not a hand

Ornaments for the ocean home

Where I would live

Sister Moon (nothing like the Sun)

2011-08-16T12:23:00.005-04:00

A rare celestial sighting
four directions; one feminine side
shared chalice
seagull silhouettes against the moon
the missing are called to the circle
moonlit kayakers gather
for the August child, a blessing in one word
herons call from the evergreens
to the labyrinth by the sea

Farmer's Market / Half Moon Bay

2011-08-14T10:57:00.001-04:00

* Still accepting Haikus. See this post for details *

Haiku Monday Challenge: "Pacific"

2011-08-13T13:27:00.011-04:00

As the winner of the Haiku Challenge "Veneer" I am honored with both the Badge of Great Honor and the duties of hosting. This week, the theme is, appropriately enough for my 20 this week, "Pacific". I do believe that the word has a broad spectrum of meanings not limited to the ocean, or North America or even nature. Although, as we have learned from Master Basho's Ghost, indicating a season is a good practice.

Two early entries:

The Wild Pacific.
And over Sado Island:
River of Heaven.
- Troll

High translucent crest,
roaring into the shoreline
Cowabunga dude!
- Karl

You may enter as often as you like. The haikus will be assessed and judged by a panel of California people that my Mom has assembled. The winner will be announced on Wednesday morning, and will be awarded the Badge of Great Honor and a fine archival print of one of my best Pacific photographs.

**************

Seeker: "where can I find the best chai on Earth"

Babaji: "This secret must not be reveled to the undeserving. Therefore, I will whisper it in your left ear once, just like the rishis of ancient times did when they imparted deep secrets to their students. You will find this nectar in Half Moon Bay, California at 101 Main Street"

Raman's Chai Shop. I loved it. I have had chai maybe one other time. I asked Raman to prepare it as he would like. This seemed to please him. It was very very good with pieces of fresh nutmeg swirling in the elixir. I was amused (no, delighted) by the signs in his shop. Instead of writing "Please don'ts", his notes offered opportunities for character development, and spoke with some degree of authority as well:

A folk art duo played their original songs in the shop which was attended by a nice selection of generations; mothers and children, road worker guys, us, lots of ladies and couples sipping chais at tables arranged around a stage set under a hindu painting Hanuman a part monkey and part man figure bowing prostrate before Surya. While Raman was in the back of his shop, a lady came in and started calling for him. When he emerged, he instructed her to not be so impatient. I just smiled. I really liked Raman.

After Chai, we stopped at the Hastings House, which is one of the most lovely gardens I have ever seen. In addition to being a riotous explosion of color, the composition was masterful. Consideration of shape and texture was a priori and the artist/gardener Linda said that photographing a garden in black and white was a great way to work on garden design so that you are not distracted by the colors. Clearly flowers love cool consistent diffused light. Proof:

Last night on my way to the beach at dusk, I saw this rabbit. I miss the companionship of animals; the Rhodesians and my hens. I think the reason I don't travel more is I hate to leave my animals. I miss my husband too - but I never worry about him like I do our beloved pets. Im sure he is taking great care of them, and appreciate him loading the hens and traveling with them. It takes a special man to endure that.

Today, we are headed to the farmer's market, and of course the Moon Ceremony is tonight. Have a great weekend everyone, and don't forget to submit your Haiku.

Half Moon Bay

2011-08-11T22:57:00.003-04:00

*click all photos for large view*

the front yard

a hummingbird rests in a bottle brush tree

the unbelievable density of gorgeous vegetation before the dunes

very "western" plants

the beach trail full of rabbits and little birds

I am in Half Moon Bay California. It's cold, foggy and misty wet and I am thrilled at the refreshing break from endlessly heavy and humid sunny sunny days. I am here to build a website for my Mom - V's mom actually -but we have agreed that we will be "daughter" and "mom" from now on; neither of us likes tacking on "in-law" to the titles. She has so many fun things planned for us to do that I am a little worried about getting the project completed; the idea is to also teach her to manage and update this site so that she is no longer reliant on another person -and also will not have to pay them anymore either.

I hope to post often the next 10 days. I know we are going to a goat farm in Pescadero, a poetry reading, a full moon ceremony, a folk music thing, and the farmers market. The first thing I want to say about this landscape is if you do not have a rocking garden here? Then you should be spanked. Because literally, amazing flowers are like weeds here. Native geraniums, wild fennel, thistle, red hot pokers, agapanthus (millions of them!), yellow mallow looking flowers, all kinds of pink wildflowers. It's crazy! The conditions are perfect for flowers. And food actually. We passed lush fields of brussels sprouts just a mile or so down the road. There are lots of succulents, and grasses - the grasses! And I thought I had a lot of grasses. Wait until you see all the kinds I can gather in just the "front yard". Down the path is a vast eucalyptus forest that is always shrouded in fog. It is on a high cliff over the ocean.

I do intend to host Haiku Monday for 8/15. The theme is "Pacific". You can enter as many as you like (Fishy!) and all will be judged; by a panel of california people at dinner where we will drum, make a zen garden and burn sage. grrherhahaha.

Poultrygeist

2011-08-07T22:46:00.002-04:00

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The Process: Epilogue

2011-08-01T22:07:00.007-04:00

photographed at 8 pm in low light

"Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay. I'm always irritated by people who imply that writing fiction is an escape from reality. It is a plunge into reality and it's very shocking to the system."
— Flannery O'Connor

I'm fairly certain that a great many people think that the path of art is one big play day after another, slinging paint around, letting the lighting bolt of good fortune strike and flow through your soul to your fingertips so that images might manifest themselves as if by magic. It's not that way for me. Making art is a spiritual path that operates on the faith that I can face a blank piece of wood and turn it into an original work of art. Like faith, creative work can ebb and flow when the physical reality of painting and my own skill limitations intersect and crash into the idealized vision of what I want the work to be.

Yesterday ended badly for me and I went to bed discouraged. I knew I would not submit the painting as it was to the show. But when I woke up this morning I went right into the studio and began again with faith that on this last chance day that my problems would be resolved. Here is what happened today:

changed the background to blue and made sure there were tonal variations in the color (you really cant see it that well in this photo -but its not a solid color)

worked on the peacock body so Flannery's hands would show better.

painted new water where the tail used to be

worked on the cone of grace

erased the tail, changed its position and repainted the feathers.

changed the silver lining to a golden lining.

It is finished. I will photograph it tomorrow for the show application. If I make it in, the show is in October and I can tweak it a bit before then. I feel pretty good about the piece, it looks professional, the surface is lovely and it's size makes it impressive. I am very glad I tried something out of my comfort zone. I usually avoid painting people like the plague and I rarely paint an image as large as this. In my illustration background, most of the work was painted to be reproduced in a book so it was always quite small - like 11 x 14. But I like the power of big - its more impressive and there is no getting around that. By the way, the reason I painted large is to get on the wall with the good lighting. (if i get in, that is)
It's the only space in the show venue that can accommodate this size. Next I am going to paint Harper Lee with mockingbirds flying all around her in crazy flight positions.

yesterday -vs- today:

Thanks to everyone for joining me through this series, for your support and great suggestions and comments. xo Chickory

The Process: Day 6 and 7

2011-07-31T21:43:00.006-04:00

I am finally sick of it. It would have been so much easier, and probably more fun, and certainly less stressful, to bang out one of my animal and plant multi-layered bright paintings. I cannot believe how tired I am tonight. I literally rolled out of bed and started working and knocked off at 8:30 pm. Im still not finished but any major work is over and it is all finessing and tightening up now. Win the prize? I hope I can even get in the show. I had some technical problems that set me way back. Am I sorry I tried to paint Flannery? No, and I am looking forward to another large painting of somebody -maybe Harper Lee - in the near future. So. What went wrong?

When we left off on day 5 I had not yet painted the feathers on the peacock tail. I did, and I liked them okay but they were too bright and too strong for the rest of the painting. I needed to take the brightness of it down and added and overlay of sheer circles and texture with a spray of droplets. I liked it better, but realized this evening as I knocked off, I need to curve that tail even further toward the right of of the board.

Fittingly, it was putting in the devils that started my troubles. I deepened the background color and free painted these creatures, drawing heavily from the Bosch style of demons:

It looked fine until I began to paint layers of sheer color over them with the idea being that eventually the devils would be taken down to a very subtle presence. But it started to rain and the paint didnt dry as fast as I was used to and when I laid the next layer down, the paint stuck to the dried areas but lifted off the paint where it was wet leaving a very unattractive mottled surface. It was so humid everything was sticky and difficult to work with. I kept trying to work around the situation but could not get the paint to do what I wanted. I dont know that much about acrylic to begin with. As an illustrator, my medium was gouache which is very different. But you cannot paint large pieces with gouache. Eventually the background got too dark and it looked horrible.

See how uneven and smeary the color looks? no matter how much I tried to match it or fill surrounding areas to even it out, the paint wouldnt stick or it would be too dark or not match. I was extremely frustrated and sat before it trying to decide what to do. Here is a close-up of the mottled background:

This is not acceptable. Not only should a painting be an interesting image, but the surface should be a thing of beauty and in some way indicate proficiency with the material. I failed on this part and made a hard decision. I scrubbed the surface with nail polish remover because it contains acetone. I was able to get most of the sticky layers off but was left with a horrific surface but at least it was able to accept paint.

This morning I woke up and scrubbed the surface again with soap and water and tried to paint around the figures and bring the background into something, if not even, at least pleasing. It didn't work and I realized I would have to cut my losses and gesso the background back to the beginning. So I lost at least a half day of work.

I tried again to work in the devils and demons and gave up after 2 hours. Then I tried to make a pattern instead by laying branches of an ash tree on the background and spray painting yellow. I waited for it to dry and it never did. Instead, it made like a powdery surface that I could just wipe off with a rag. It looked pretty though, and had it dried, I couldve layered that (it was sunny and dry today) and had a pretty background. Instead, I had no choice but to paint the background a solid color. I have a little darker tinting on the edges, but not much. Its very flat and I am disappointed.

I worked on Flannery's face, arms, the peacock and tightened up some of the water. I also added the thing on the crutch that LX noticed I left off.

Here it is with the flat background. I lost control of this painting. I might *might* try and redeem the background tomorrow. I put in a tree line on the horizon that will need some finessing tomorrow. I can give about a half a day to this painting and then I just have to accept it as it is because I have other things I need to accomplish this week. I am a little disheartened tonight and hope that the little pops of detail will help. It this point, the best thing I can do is go for broke and just have fun with it. I can try some ideas; paint kind of free and loose on top of this. I love the light, the baptismal droplets and Flannery; everything else has problems. I think I have learned a lot for next time, and hope that I get to where I can make acrylic look beautiful. I use it to make my folk art pieces but those are very very different from what I tried to do here.

*sigh* I can just say it was a hard week at work. I will show you the final art tomorrow. Thanks for joining me on this journey!

We interrupt "The Process" for a Garden Report

2011-07-31T09:52:00.000-04:00

Harvested this morning: Cherokee Pink tomato, blueberries, Green Zebra tomato, Black Prince tomato, Big Boy tomatoes, yellow (yaller) crookneck squash, green beans, parsley, oregano, jalapenos, red salad scallions (not pictured: the one red potato I dug up to check progress), sunflower, zinnias and cosmos.

Back late tonight with a final "The Process" post. Have a blessed day everyone!

The Process: Day 5

2011-07-29T21:26:00.000-04:00

Somewhere around the year 1995 I did an artist residency in Milledgeville Ga. This was where Flannery went after finding out she had Lupus, and lived on her mothers farm Andalusia. I lived and worked at the John C. Marlor Art Center. While I was there, a symposium of Flannery's works was held at Georgia College which drew people from all over the world. Milledgeville is also the site of the state asylum, so its fitting that Flannery would draw upon weird country people to play out her morality tales of redemption, salvation and grace. I do feel some degree of pressure to present this great author correctly and to have it be worthy of her.

I thought I might start todays post with a shot of the studio. Its a wreck. Tomorrow I have to rearrange so that I can hang the painting on the wall. I need to look at it from a distance more now. I didn't get as much done today as I would have liked. Koby had a rough day. The dogs were restless so we played in the creek; I threw sticks for them and they chased each other until Koby ran through a yellow jacket nest. Im ashamed to say it was funny to see the moves she made; I slapped all the ones still stuck to her down. July and August are horrific here. It is buggy hot and humid.

First thing I did was dry brush the water and add the crutches. I paint them fully as if they are going to show and then as I worked on the water they became less clear. I am very happy with how they look now; not so clear but more of a suggestion.

I am not entirely happy with the water and will have to work on it yet again. Im almost embarrassed to say how much time I put into it and not be fully satisfied. Self doubt has started to creep in...typical in any piece that is a stretch. I couldve done one of my layered pieces that is bright and fun. This is a piece that is about something more than a decoration so it is harder. But I do love being with Flannery every day!

Another awkward stage. I worked on the arms and will need to redo the peacock feather under the hands. Here you can see how the crutches look in the water. I am very happy with that. The photo doesnt show the water well - that worries me a little as I have to submit photos to get in the show. I will work on it some tomorrow. I also touched up Flannery's face a little tonight...just took down the shadow on her chin and I think it softened her face a bit.

Layered peacock feathers. I will tighten them up a bit later and make some of them bright areas of light for contrast. I did a test near the bottom of the painting and it looks good.

This where I left it for the evening. Does it look like much happened? Not really!

Tomorrow: more water work, finish the peacock tail and wing, refine arms, and start the devils. I actually need to finish the devils. Sunday needs to be a day where I can just finesse a painting that is basically finished. Have a terrific weekend everyone. Thanks for tuning in.

The Process: Day 4

2011-07-28T20:46:00.003-04:00

If anecdotal science is accepted here, then I say that bee venom is indeed an effective anti-inflammatory and pain killer because I felt great today. No headaches, neck pain or even pain at the site of the stings although that area was itchy. Next time I have severe neck pain, I plan to go harass some bees. I called the fella that built my studio and asked him if he wanted to come over and fix the well, he did, but I had to kill the bees first as he is allergic to them. I went out there with a can of wasp and hornet spray and couldnt pull the trigger. So I got a shovel, picked up the hive and moved them to a hole in a tree about 200 feet away. It worked; there were only a few hanging around this morning when Mike arrived.

Most of my day was spent here. But I think it was a good thing because when I finally got to my painting I saw it with fresh eyes and didnt like some things. I didnt like the peacock's neck. In the first photo of this post look at the neck under the beak. Its a little too thick and I think it makes him look goofy. Now I have tucked that in a bit and he looks more elegant -as he should. You can also see I am beginning to correct that bad hair on the right -it will take layers and layers to overcome that van dyke brown. I should not have used that until I was sure it was correct. You see how rough this painting is when you look at it up close. The last two days are all about refinement, refinement, refinement.

I painted out all the areas of white so there wasn't anymore distraction from its brightness. Some of what is painted is just place holding; a general color that helps me move forward. I work on lots of areas in a day because if I work too much on one thing it can throw off the balance. I like how stylized the God cloud is, and its an indication of what is to come in the water...this painting will become more fantastical each day and then at the very end I will rough it up with strikes of bold hot color on the surface. Highlights are another way to think of that. One thing that was killing me is how the tail of the peacock went in too similar a line with Flannery's dress so I changed it to flow back into the water more and it looks much better. Im not thrilled with the God eye - thats a placeholder. I thought it might be black with fire inside..but it reminded me of how Sauron was portrayed in the Fellowship of the Ring.

Here is the full painting with *some* of the offending areas labeled.

Today's studio animal is Easter. I caught this photo of her flying up on the painting.

Here I have fixed the peacock tail. Once I get the water painted and the feathers finished this will make sense. I also covered over Flannery's legs and I think that is fine. I just laid in the underpainting for the dress roughly. Tomorrow I am going to cram school and get in a full rock-breaking day. I will finish the water and the peacock and will definitely have something major to show tomorrow (if something don't break before before then.)

And now, its time to chill with some heirloom Green Zebra tomatoes and Project Runway. See you tomorrow, and I promise that will be a better post. Thanks for joining me on this process!

The Process: Day 3

2011-07-27T21:47:00.004-04:00

A few set-backs today. I woke up with a "bad neck" and got started later than I wanted to. I had to medicate which fuzzed me up a bit and caused me to work slower. Then this afternoon I heard a weird sound coming from what I thought was the road. As I walked up my driveway I could tell the sound was coming from my well; it was the sound of forceful water hitting the top of the cover. I turned the pump off, returned to the well and removed the soggy insulation that I had wrapped around the well head last winter. I discovered, by way of multiple stings, that there was a bee hive buried deep inside the insulation. A nice puffy hand will take your mind off a hurting neck every time - and I think it may have even healed me because now that I am in for the night - I feel pretty good. Or was it the delightful bath I had buck nekkid in my cool creek that did the trick? Either way, Im ready to relax and review todays painting progress.

I mostly worked on the peacock. The painting is in a very awkward stage right now, and I have written about that before. It is in these times where doubt tends to creep in, but my minds eye has such a clear vision of how this should be that I didnt panic when I had to stop for the day with so many rough areas unresolved. The tail of the peacock is a labor intensive section. I started with black which makes it look too strong for the rest of the painting right now. I will shade that down a bit in some areas, but that background will be critical for the linear work that is the part of the feather thats airy. Somehow Ive got to figure out how I am going to morph the tail into the water...it won't be under the water like Flannery's legs, it will float on top.

Speaking of floating on top, I've decided to have the forearm crutches that Flannery used to do just that. I downloaded a good clean photo of that kind of crutch from a medical supply company for reference. I think it will be tricky to have them in the water and know what you are looking at -I mean, if a viewer is not familiar with Flannery, I still need them to know there are crutches in the water.

I use my computer all day looking up photos of things. You can see a reference image of a peacock on the screen as well as my layabout do nothing Trouter.

Here we have yet another shiftless creature. Both have been in trouble with me today for chasing away the doves from the feeder. You would not believe the grooves in my deck that are from the dogs charging off after doves and squirrels and falling leaves.

Working back to front on the tail, I will refine several times the edges of green and brown and black. The black and white striping of the peacock is a lot like my own hen Vera's feathers. I like the face but its not quite where I want it to be. The body of the peacock is mostly done, it will need finessing at the end but its about right. Once all the turquoise feather lines get painted in that tail and the water is deepened and tricked out the painting will be back in balance.

Here you can see the rough underpainting of Flannery's hands. This is very "illustratory" as human hands are about as big as the face they belong to. Go ahead, try it. Put your hand on your face with the heel on the chin and fingers extended to the hairline. Open your hand and you will see it mostly covers your face. Flannery's head is about 5 times too large for reality -but I like it that way because it emphasizes the container for her incredible brain, her thoughts and her literary gift. This is a device that you see in african art often. I am also reminded of the work of Romare Bearden who in his jazz portraits, emphasized hands because they were important, making the music.

Thinking about Flannery's writing today I arrived at what I am going to do with the background. In the areas outside of the cone of grace, there will be demons and devils. They will be barely perceptible in the end. That's one of the neat things about acrylic painting that could never have happened with gouache, which was the paint I used as an illustrator. I will be able to paint the devils - and paint them fully and well - and then add layers of QNAG (explained in the previous post) until they fade into a pattern only to be recognized upon closer examination. I love the idea of the painting having a life beyond the first look -where things materialize and the content becomes as rich and layered as the surface of the wood.

I remembered today a little room in Barcelona Spain, where the great architect Gaudi slept as he worked on his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, the great sand castle cathedral. The little room with a single cot was located in the basement of the cathedral. It got to the point where he didnt even bother to go home at night. The work was all that mattered to him. Sometimes when I am working on a project like this and I have time pressure I feel like I am living in an alternate universe and can identify with Gaudi being so single mindedly focused.

Even though I have the well problem to deal with tomorrow, I hope to have a very productive day and be able to show you some resolution in the tail and water tomorrow night.

Thanks for joining me!

The Process: Day 2

2011-07-26T20:54:00.001-04:00

Day 2. Started late around 1 PM and that is not good. The light is best from 10 - 4 and I should never be anywhere else during those hours. But my neck was extra tight so I walked up the mountain and over the other side for an extended 2.5 hour hike. It was good -but oh so humid. I was soaked through when I got back, took a freezing shower, had a salad with my heirloom Green Zebra tomatoes and hit the studio.

I started by adding another background layer of goldens and reds. I lightened the cone of grace that Flannery is standing under. I just needed to get the gist of how that will look so i can figure out the overall color balance. The cone of grace will need several layers to hold the detail of drops that will come later.

I could not live without Golden Fluid Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold; it is the most indispensable color. QNAG adds a warmth to any color it overlays. It will take a lot of paint (a LOT of paint) to get the background where I want it but that can come later. Today I needed to deal with Flannery's face and that was what most of today was about.

I did the classic green shadow underpainting. Frankly, I havent done this since college. This is the kind of thing that can get me panicky and abandon the process, but I worked through it and all the weird awkward stages to follow. Note how the drawing is kind of skewed and asymmetrical. I tend to leave those lines and fix them as I paint; I try not to have the image be too perfect because its this very wrongness that gives a final painting its unique character. (I think)

I painted about 4 layers of different colors to create the flesh tone of her face. You cannot just squeeze out a tube of flesh colored paint and call it a day because it just doesnt have any life to it. I use a mix of flat and slightly shiny paint - it looks weird now but later when I varnish the painting all the layers will "come up" and it will look deep. Rich. Make sense? I mean that you can look down into the painting and see all the layers but it still reads as a fluid surface. See how crooked her eyes are? I'll fix that in a minute. Its hard to see the importance of that halo of lighter yellow until I get her dark hair painted. Right now the whole thing looks pasty and bland. Note how deep into the lines of the Flannery drawing I take the background color. That is critical for nice clean edges. Painting is a discipline where you are always thinking back to front and trying to plan for later by laying a foundation early.

Flannery's hairline is to die for; the illustrator in me loves the lack of ambiguity. You just do not see this kind of hair anymore. I really like how the left (our left) looks - Im going to have to fix that right side but its going to take some real skill to overcome that dark with the light. I used a ruler to measure the distance from hair to shoulder line and its still off. So thats something to be corrected as well.

The face is very rough here but I know that the super refined work is days away. I just need to have her look back at me for the rest of the painting because the connection with her eyes is what every other thing that follows has to sync up with. Literally, the peacock, the pond, the trees, the leg braces, the cloud - all of it must be in service to those eyes.

* describing this process is a challenge*

There is barely enough room for me and the board (40x40) and the paints to fit in here. But both Trout and Koby tend to lay in here all day. Its too hot and humid for them. They mostly lay around in the summer. I took them to the waterfall on the break around 4. Some times the chickens come in too but they have a tendency to fly up and land in paint. I just wave my dry rags around at them and out they go.

I added the eyebrows and that was very important to the look of Flannery. That mouth needs work - not alot though. I couldnt have her smiling a big wide smile so this is the face I am going with. I need her face to look a bit more relaxed and that is going to mean doing something with the smile line shadows. But not much! Too much is too much and letting go is as important a skill as any other aspect of painting. Im happy with the dress detail. I was working from a vague photo so I am sort of guessing here - the vibe is about right and that is good enough.

I thought about my mom while painting this. She was the one that taught me about how the upper lip is darker due to the shadow and that light hits the middle of the lighter lower lip. Its absolutely true. She was a good artist, and drew women's faces beautifully. Most of the day I was trying to figure out how I was going to work in the leg braces that Flannery no longer needs. In my original drawing I thought it might go something like this:

How's this for an impressive preliminary drawing? grherhahahaha! I saw her tossing the braces away and then I noted how damn big a peacock is. You are not going to stand in water holding a bird that heavy in one arm. Not even in my fantasyland. Now I am kind of seeing a Frida Kahloesque device where they might be bound in ribbon or something sort of floating away...we'll see.

This might give you an idea of how large the piece is. It is hard because typically, I spin my paintings around and work from every direction. I paint upside down a lot. Its a great way to work for some reason I can see certain things more correctly that way. But not being able to move the painting around is making it a bit more difficult. By Thursday, I will have to get it on the wall because standing back away from it will be essential to getting the final work right. Im not sure I can stand back far enough. Everything has to "read" from a distance and in case the work is hung higher. (This presumes I actually get IN the show)
I will probably have to move outside which is problematic as bugs fly into the paint all the time when I do.

Flannery is standing in water so I really dont have to paint her legs very well. Yay! I just have to have the suggestion of them beneath the water color. Same goes for how the part of her dress is submerged - it should just read as slightly darker than the water color. Koby's paw print is still very visible, but it will disappear by tomorrow. This is the end of the work day - its getting too dark and the lights make too much reflection which makes it hard to see what the paint is doing. Natural light is the only way to go. It really is.

You can get an idea of how that works here although this is just the first of may layers. This water will have a lot of life: it will have concentric circles radiating from Flannery as well as light waves and tonal variations. The water will take hours. Hours and hours. And I need that dress to look floaty, so that is an engineering problem for tomorrow.

I put up a little motivational poster for myself. Like I said, Ive won a prize in this show before, but I would like to win a MONEY prize. But even if I dont, Im kind of stoked that I am painting a real person -however stylized. I havent done that in a long time and its a fun challenge.

Tomorrow: making beautiful water, more back ground, and laying down the peacock's first layer. Thanks for joining me!

The Process: Day 1

2011-07-25T20:52:00.003-04:00

Okay I said I was going to take a hiatus, but instead, I am going to post at the end of everyday this week to show the process of making a painting. I have been thinking about Flannery O'Connor a lot lately and had a vision of her standing in water. Then I went to Aunty's blog and she had a post about Flannery and I took that as a sign to go ahead and paint the vision.

I am doing this painting for an upcoming national juried show; the deadline to submit a CD with photos of the painting is this Sunday. That's the deadline to just get in the show. The actual show is in October. Im motivated by prize money and achievement. Painting a person is kind of out of my realm, but I plan to maintain my surrealist approach to the challenge. Today I picked up the wood substrate from my friend J.T. and gessoed it. It is 40x40 which is pretty big for me. My strategy is that by having a work that is close to the size limit, I can get on the 'big wall' with the good lighting. I printed out some source material and did the drawing. I have had the vision of how it would be for a long time, so when it came time to draw it flowed pretty well.

Koby, of course, stepped in the wet gesso and I plan to do nothing about it. This footprint is in the part of the painting that will be water. The composition is Flannery at Andalusia standing in the pond holding one of her beloved peacocks, whose tail flows into the water with the design of the feathers becoming very large in the foreground. Above her, the eye of God breaks through a cloud and rains down grace in golden drops. It is a kind of baptism. Ive tried to work in having her leg braces (a result of having Lupus, which is what killed her) falling away or maybe being at the bottom of the pond - because they are not needed anymore.

Right now, I am waiting for the first layer of the background to dry. Its a very rich layered golden yellow with the edges going deeper with an overlay of transparent red. There will be a lot of blues in this painting so this golden background will be critical to warming the final art. I leave my drawing kind of dark so I can see what I am doing and paint a little over the lines to make sure I have good paint coverage where colors meet. I can always make corrections later but I tend to have a fairly tight drawing before I pick up a paintbrush. At the end, the textural stuff and last minute flourishes that make the surface sing are added as needed. But that would be on day 5 or six.

I hope you will join me this week to see how this painting develops. Suspense! Will I make deadline? Stay tuned.

Tomorrow I will probably work on Flannery's face a little bit because if I can't get that right, or to a point where I know it will be right, all the other labor will be wasted time.

* Yesterday, J.T., my friend who prepped the wood for this Flannery project, brought his wife over to get the painting he traded me in exchange for painting the outside of my studio. I think she was really excited to get it, and know that he feels it was a good trade. It is a 24 x 24" painting of a "Rain Deer". It looks Indian (as in Hindu) to me. I just finished it on Saturday - a good warm up for this week's work although what I am planning is more restrained and controlled than this piece:

Heartbreak!

2011-07-22T10:33:00.000-04:00

My truck has a dead cylinder. It will need a new engine to run again. Anyone who has ever loved a truck will surely understand the choice facing me...repair it even though it has other issues; rust, and possibly a transmission problem down the road or say goodbye. The truck was unique with the cab lights and flat primer gray - I never took out the rebel flag with a bass headliner. It was the best farmer's market truck ever, I got more compliments on this truck than you can shake a stick at.

It had character and it was fun.

I have a garden full of flowers to sell, but the farmer's market is over for me. I dont even think I could fit the flowers into my car - my car which cannot do any of the farm chores this truck does. Losing the truck is like losing a lifeline to a way of life. So much of what I do here at Chickory revolves around this truck! Shooting video for the county: the truck goes down dirt and gravel; it can get scratched and dirty. It hauls all the garden supplies; takes the dogs out; and my favorite thing...driving around at sunset just "looking at stuff".

Im crushed and that's all there is to say about it.

Marigolds

2011-07-18T12:03:00.001-04:00

Marigolds do not get much love as a cut flower. Most people use them as a companion plant for tomatoes; they have a natural insecticide and a fragrance that repels critters like rabbits from your garden.

They are absolutely fool-proof they never get any kind of fungus or other heat and wet related problems. It is this ordinariness that prevents many from seeing their possibilities as a cut flower. Now that they have been growing since early spring there are stems long enough to cut and arrange.

I put Marigolds together with Bright Lights Cosmos, Bi-colored and Red Coreopsis, Pinwheel Zinnias, and Persian Carpet Zinnias. The Marigold has a nice ferny leaf so leaving them on is all you need for filler.

Flowers are the most profitable and successful organic thing I offer at the farmer's market. From now on any food I grow I am keeping and eating, giving to friends or canning. Its just too hard to get enough to be able to sell it in bulk, and its not worth it to see all that work walk away in a bag for a few dollars. Food always was my loss leader, Im really there to sell folk art. But with my truck in the shop and my freelance jobs backing up I will probably only do the farmer's market every couple of weeks or so.

Im going to be on a blog break for a few weeks while I paint for a show with a 7/31 deadline. This is a national juried show with good prize money. Ive come close -honorable mention which wasnt a money prize but I did get a great easel and some paint. This year I actually have a strategy and hope it pays off. The show isnt until October, the July deadline is just to see if you can get in. I had one painting get in last year but the other one was rejected. So, I need to focus. I'll be back in August. Enjoy the dog days everyone.

New Mexico Part 2: The Folk Art show and Santa Fe

2011-07-16T13:56:00.000-04:00

none of the people in this photo are us

Let's just get right to the point: what did we eat that was good? Well, it was all great from Moi's phyllo wrapped fish served with salad on arrival night, to Pete's roadhouse and live band venue's Christmas chile plate with pork to the awesome awesome salad at the "Flying" something to the Grove sandwich. But the best was at Cafe Pasqual in Santa Fe. Moi and I ordered the carne asada and it was very tasty. The peppers especially were wonderful. There were 3 varieties and each had a distinct flavor with none of the heat taking over that flavor. But if there is one regret I have from this trip it is this: when I tasted the corn cake with veggies special that Boxer ordered? I should have called the waitress over, handed her my plate and ask her to box it up, and then ordered what Boxer had. Life is too short not to have done that. I am still thinking about what I missed. Because that was the best single bite in the entire 3-day trip. Way to pick it, Boxa!

This was the late lunch we had after going to the International Folk Art Show. I have to say, Santa Fe puts on a great event. I did not take any photos of the artists in their native dress, it seemed exploitative and I also didn't want to photograph the work just in case they were worried about design theft (like many artists are). I will just show you some of the things that I purchased. I didn't have much of a budget because my big bang was spent on getting there. But here are a few, not all, of the things I bought:

Four desert plates from artist Abdullo Narzullaev from Uzbekistan

Assorted cheap and colorful papier mache toys from Mexico; one devil is of particular interest:

All the summiteers think that this fellow "looks like somebody". Like a character actor or maybe a guy in a band. Or maybe it is a "type". Whatever it is, we have all seen him before - in human form.

A hand painted Sacred Heart cross. I love it. Im going to buy more from this shop for gifts. I also gave V a Sacred Heart (with the flames coming off the top) as per Moi's suggestion. It was a great idea, he loved it and it is in our kitchen over the window - a place he selected. Much better than a t-shirt from the airport gift shop.

A scarf from India. That's about it - I did buy a ceramic bell shaped like a mouse and a few trinkets for the children in my life. We had planned to go to Jackalope a famous folk art emporium but I put the brakes on that - having exceeded my budget quite a bit.

We did not see that much of Santa Fe. I was expecting poshy poshy but it was more eclectic and earthy than that. The prices of things were very high though; I briefly admired a blouse until the price tag said 198. and I let go of that sucker like it was red hot. Moi and I agreed that the lacey western dresses were almost but "not quite" the right garment to wear with cowboy boots; they needed to be not so white and a tad less girly girl. I looked hard at a concha belt. But in the end, I walked away. Yes! I loved the town square, the zocalo of green with people laying out on blankets and having kettle corn and ice cream. We also visited a gallery that carried the work of Boxer's brother. It was wonderful to see his work in person as he is a very accomplished painter.

On the way back we drove through a little town where I believe Moi said they just gave away land to whoever would come and live there. Naturally it is an artist haven. Outside of that town is where Boxer and I took photographs of the fire (see previous post) and of our Lady Driver of Patience:

Moi, I want to thank you again for having us out. It was a wonderful weekend and you made it really special. Thank you for the wonderful gift bag, the meals, the deers and beers and your charming company. Loved the dogs, SB, that newport lighter, the art you had, hittin' golf balls for Maddie, seeing Ivan come through the dog door, the neighborhood dog-gauntlet walk, learning about how much I hate white flower based perfumes, laying in the hairy dog bed and, well, ALL of it. XO

Hundred Mile Horizons

2011-07-12T00:44:00.006-04:00

*click it to big it*

New Mexico: A high-contrast landscape under a cerulean half-dome; the inverse of the view of Earth from space. The air was thin and dry and fragrant with sage and juniper. That was my favorite thing, the aroma. It was the opposite of my forested southern home, heavy with verdant decay, dirt, sweet smelling flowers, and creek. Speeding along on the highway the colors seemed a homogenous dun; visual relief dependent on shapes and textures. But up close, the beauty is diverse and subtle. For a person that never has a view of uninterrupted sky, living shrouded in diffused and filtered light through ten thousand sparkling greens, the light and space was nothing short of a miracle.

The blood of cowboys and indians seemed to burst forth in the form of cactus flowers; the shocking pinks punctuated the spiny hosts with cheer. The grasses were tipped at times with tails as bushy as a coyote's. Others were crowned with whispy fans of white seed pods waiting to set sail over the desert. Lizards peered from behind rocks, and there was fencing everywhere. "To keep out" said Moi, "not to keep in". I fell in love with the coyote fences, made with saplings bound tightly together in upright rows. The uneven lengths and color variations were delightful, and I resolved to make a southern version for my garden.

the fires blending in with the clouds *click it to big it*

There was a fire. There were many fires. You could see it burning far away and you could sense it just beyond the horizon. You could also see rain several places at once all around you. Gray curtains were falling in a very small area while right next to it the sun shone through clouds like the eye of God. It was an endless flat vista dotted with globular green shrubs until a steppe would rise abruptly from the plain, and beyond that mountain ranges in blue cooled the eye. Moi told of imagining a Navajo youth having this entire landscape open to him; of course there would have been no notion of ownership, just a life on a land alive with adventure and danger. So uninterrupted by structures and power lines, the area we traveled is used for western movies because it actually looks as it did centuries ago.

the courtyard at San Felipe de Neri

In Olde Town we visited San Felipe de Neri, founded in 1706. It was Spanish but spare and very european in its decor. It seemed so formal in contrast to the dusty adobes outside. It opened into the town plaza, a green square surrounded by shopping and eating destinations.

We shopped of course. I was looking for a new straw hat to add to my collection. I selected a rather stiff hat made of palm in Guatemala with a perfect shape and a unique banding on the underside of the brim. I love it. I found plenty of small things that I liked; trinket like in price range but all having a quality that I found agreeable.

A collection of tin trimmed Santos

The bubble ring with the Blessed Virgin inside. I bought it and I am still wearing it.

Back at Moi's lovely home in the hills we were surrounded by chirping birds and plenty of hummers; titmice and western bluebirds; three species of doves and a gold finch with a black cap. The dogs were a study in contrast, the elder statesman Ivan with the regal and exotic face and Maddie the border collie with mad focus and a loving gaze. From the patio where we enjoyed our evening cocktails we could see collections of conifers, grasses and flowers, and the skeletons of cacti strewn about on a pastiche of rocky hardscaping.

Moi outfitted us with gift bags and mine had a special shot glass for me to enjoy my libation: a deer and a beer; which is a shot of Cazadores tequila and a long neck mexican beer. Her selection of a shot glass was an amusing choice - spot on humor - and I am sure that she would never have guessed that it would now grace my dresser as a vase to hold sweet little blooms that keep the perfumes and bracelets company.

"cuz I, some how, some way, come up with funky ass sh*t, like, ever-ree-day"

Next: We go to the International Folk Art Show in Santa Fe.

Flying

2011-07-06T23:41:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow I will enter into the slave training program at the airport, where I will submit to either radiation or a pat down by agents of state tyranny so that I might enjoy the company of some fine women, beloved bloggers Moi and Boxer, for the weekend. I can tell you such excursions are going to become rare as I find this ridiculous sham, "homeland security", intolerable. I'll take the pat down, not the death ray, and be sure to remind the minion who feels me up that they are an agent of darkness and a creature of oppression. Unfortunately, I didnt have time to make another "Training Submissive Americans" shirt for this trip. (That one was an iron on, and it didnt look as good as I wanted it to, so I plan to screen print one before I have to fly out to Cali in August.)

On the other side of the security gauntlet I will settle in for some quality people watching. I'll notice the creative and unsightly ways people have chosen to deal with not having to completely undress at the security checkpoint as I did, having removed cowboy boots, a belt with metal buckle, bracelets, and a silver pocket rosary. There will be lots of flip-flops. I despise them as I do crocs but people resort to it because it is easy - like walking through a scanner is easier than a pat-down. They accept it so they will not be inconvenienced, and it is this observation that worries me -there ain't never gonna be no revolution. It will be too hard.

Maybe I will work in a few rounds of Angry Birds, or watch a YouTube on my android. I usually download a podcast or two to listen to on the plane. This time I actually have a book: "What the Dog Saw" by Malcolm Gladwell; a collection of essays. I've got some juicy fruit gum packed, cinnamon altoids and a wide assortment of homeopathic potions and pharmaceuticals for pain, anxiety, irritability, muscle tension, and inflammation. I've got an apple for fiber, and from Valentines day, I have a little red construction paper heart that V made that says "I love Peanut."

On the plane I will look out the window and see the grids of land sectioned off traversed by roads and highways. I'll see the color change from my eastern greens as it fades into a deserty warmth. I'll see clouds reflected in bodies of waters; I'll look for farms and rivers and forests and wonder about weird structures of repetitive geometry. While I am looking at it all, it will seem quiet and beautiful but I will know that there is so much to be alarmed and vigilant about. But I will give that a rest for the weekend and get my mind right about being in the present and savoring each moment of the trip with my friends, because that really is the stuff of life, isn't it?

While I am gone, I encourage you to visit aunty belles back porch and read her very important post on yet another epic State control program -this time for rural communities. If you have not yet begun to take an interest in food, and food security, this weekend would be a great time to start.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I'll be back next week with a full report and loads of photographs.

2011-07-05T09:01:00.000-04:00

'the collector' by chickory

Nest No. 47 original fine ar... GollyBard $95.00	i can fly... marlenelondon $58.00	Call, 7 x 7 Fine Art Prin... artocard $25.00
dandy lion No.5 - large orig... 29blackstreet $100.00	Print Giclee Art by Ana Gonz... anaglez $22.00	Landscapes and Creatures Sev... benconservato $450.00
Seednest etching Foxnest $75.00	Circular Sea Monsters Greeti... benconservato $5.00	TREASURY ITEM...Vintage Repu... renewedheirloo... $255.00
Seed of Life 88editions $45.00	Greenhouse At Night - Archiv... jeremymiranda $25.00	Faust and Mephisto/ Laser cu... IsabellasArt $19.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

This week I am preparing to attend the 2011 Blogger Summit with Moi and Boxer. One of the highlights, other than spending the weekend with two stellar individuals, is going to the International Folk Art Show in Santa Fe. I've been in a collectors state of mind, and did a virtual collection this morning On Etsy while I had some coffee and planned a little menu of food to take over to my best friend's house, who lost her mother yesterday. We traveled the same path this year with a dying parent, and now we are bonded yet again in our grief. Hope you enjoy this little curatorial exhibition, which features our own blogging friend, Susan Black of 29 BlackStreet.

I have a very small buying budget, but I am determined to find something wonderful and authentic that I can treasure always, and have to remind me of what I know will be a delightful adventure. You know, Im really looking forward to this - its been a bit of the blues these past months, and I am looking forward to filling my eyes with beauty and wonder, having some laughs and exploring a part of the world I've never really seen. I'll be sure to exploit the trip for this blog's fodder; of that you can be sure.

A Collection and a Status Report

2011-07-03T22:45:00.000-04:00

I've been sick with one of the worst colds I have ever had this past week. The days passed slowly. Within minutes in the garden I was so hot I could not see straight or even stay focused on the tasks before me. So I limited each visit to one specific chore, like just collecting japanese and flea beetles.

I walk around with a jar of soap and water and push the beetles into it where they drown. In a few days, their decomposing bodies produce a most unpleasant scent that works very well to keep other beetles away. I learned this trick when, on my first year of food gardening, I bought a japanese beetle trap that used sex pheromones to attract beetles to the bag and theoretically away from plants. But what actually happened was I had more beetles than ever on my plants, even though I located the bag far from the garden as the instructions stated. On the box of the japanese beetle trap it said to be sure to change the bag after it rained because the bodies would decompose, stink, and render the product useless. When I read that, I knew what to do. The smell of death repels the beetle better than the scent of sex attracts.

The drought seems to have given way to a pattern of daily afternoon showers. All manner of fungi have sprung up on the rotting logs and in the springy damp mosses of the forest. I've noticed how much better the garden does with real rain than it does with being watered with the sprinkler, no matter how thoroughly. I have a garden toad that lives under the log of the second row bed with the asparagus, although I could not find him today. I was glad when I discovered him as I have been worried when I had not found even one salamander this season, though I have seen many snakes swimming in the creek this summer.

Yesterday, I finally threw in the towel and went to the walk in clinic and got a shot of steroids and some antibiotics and some codeine laced cough syrup. Im a little better now, still very hoarse, but in a day or two will probably have the essential raspy voice for a good outing at the country music karaoke at Donald Rays Brother's Place (no joke, that is the name of the bar) up in Copperhill TN. I have accomplished very little this past week, and it makes me feel as if the world is passing me by.

Easter has been broody and creating havoc within the flock. She will not allow any other hen into the nest and so who knows where the eggs are. If any eggs are laid in the nest, Easter sits on them and when I come to take them she screetches at me, puffs up like a turkey, and when I toss her down she comes over and gives me a good dose of the "flying foot". I take her and immerse her in the creek where only her head is above water and hold her down for about 5 minutes to drop her body temp. It works for a little while but sure enough I find her back in the coop on the nest. This has been going on for days, and I am over it. Easter is in jail now. A pen with no comforts whatsoever. no shavings at all. just newspaper laid flat and no way to cuddle up or nest. I am unmoved by her mournful peeps and trills, however, I am trying to locate some fertilized bantam eggs for her to hatch. She wants to be a mother so badly I am willing to give it a shot even though it is no small feat to travel with 4 hens and 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks. I can't imagine adding one more creature to this equation

Speaking of Ridgebacks, It was a lucky break for me that a rat has taken up residence in my barn. I call the rat "the babysitter". I have been able to nap some with this cold without worrying about where the dogs are thanks to the babysitter. This rat keeps the dogs busy for hours, no exaggeration, at a time. Eventually I will have to trap and kill this poor creature, but I swear, I have actually become fond of him. Its funny as hell to watch him toy with the dogs. I made a little video of it -very hard to do because I have to try and shoot while using a long piece of trim to motivate the rat. The sound of the dogs voices in slo-mo make me laugh every time. I need to sample those sound effects for future video work.

Thanks to everyone for your support regarding the Frida Kahlo challenge sponsored by Bohemia Beer. I did not win a prize, but I did receive an email yesterday inquiring about buying the painting for the Bohemia collection. I have given them a price and we shall see. If they agree, the day I spent on that project will have been well worth it.

As Per Trolls request in comments, here are the winners of the Frida Kahlo Challenge:

first place: Ernesto Cammacho

second place: Elizabeth Ortiz

third place: Jose Luis Padilla

you can see all the entries here

Cosmos and Friends

2011-07-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

Art-o-Mats

2011-06-28T23:26:00.103-04:00

Does your city have an Art-o-mat? There are about 90 of them in the United States. Atlanta used to have one at a Whole Foods but it disappeared without notice. The only one I am likely to encounter now is the one at Sam Flax in Orlando Florida. Art-o-mats are retired cigarette machines; thats right, in case you didn't notice there are no vending machines for cigarettes anymore. When you insert 5 dollars in quarters you get to pull the knob and receive an original work of art wrapped in cellophane and about the size of a pack of cigs.

I love this for so many reasons. The recycling of the machines themselves for starters. These old mid- century designs are still very cool with their funky peg legs, chromey looking hardware and old school advertising designs. Check out this page of machines. I love the idea of looking in the windows, making a selection and pulling the knob and having something new to unwrap and examine. You cant really know what's inside, you gotta hope the packaging is a solid clue.

I've been thinking about submitting a design for Art-o-Mat, which would clearly be a labor of love and just for the sheer novelty of it. Of course, I would enjoy figuring out how to make something unique and desirable and designing equally as cool packaging for it.

You know who is an Art-o-Mat artist? Alicia Griswold, who does the judging of Haiku Monday when I host. Here is her piece:

Alicia's is pretty sophisticated with the plexi cover bolted on. Some are just little canvases with paintings, others are photography and there's a lot of collagey works. Some of them are awful and I would be very disappointed to have chosen wrong and end up with some of the weak work I've seen. But here are two that I really like:

Joane Lipinski

Wendy Krabbe

Here is a short news story on the Art-o-mat:

What do you think? Would you buy art from a vending machine? Have you ever seen an Art-o-mat? Should I do a photography piece or a little painting? (There are a lot of both already) Maybe the "Creaturas" I used to make as my guerilla art: those little fetishes that I would leave in the trees at the park or on a table at a cafe. Why did I do that? Just so that whoever found it would have a little mystery for the day. Same thing with the Art-o-mat. It is not something you do for money. To make these fetishes for an Art-o-mat, Id have to make a mold first for the skulls. Or else, it would be way too much time. But Ive got plenty of sticks, feathers and alpaca fur to git-r-done.

A bit labor intensive for this project

I don't know. But I'm pretty sure I am going to submit something to Art-o-mat this fall. Maybe a tiny accordion book. Maybe a tiny wooden folk art chicken. Maybe some cool gift tags or something to be used and not just kept. What would you pull a knob for?

The Kahlo Challenge

2011-06-13T18:51:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, Troll sent me a heads up about a contest called the "Kahlo Challenge" sponsored by Bohemia beer. Wanna take a guess as to when I started this piece? Yep. This morning. I finished and just uploaded it to the Bohemia site with 5 hours to spare before deadline. Thats pretty good for me.

I really enjoyed making the piece and hope I win one of the prizes. No matter what though, it was good to follow through and take a shot at 10K (or 5K for second, 2K for third).

details:

Best. Treat. Ever.

2011-06-09T13:17:00.005-04:00

V gave me an electric ice cream maker and boy have I given it a workout. I've made peach, vanilla, strawberry, cookies and cream and coffee ice cream. I've made frozen yogurt, various granitas and frozen drinks with it. But I hit upon the best frozen treat ever when I changed a recipe I thought was too heavy and I'd like to share it with you. Everybody that has tried this says it is the best ice-cream sandwich they have ever tasted - and because they are petite; about 3.5", they aren't too fattening.

You start with this classic custard recipe. (The recipes that require cooking are the best- without the custard base, the ice cream doesn't hold that creamy easily scooped out consistency after freezing)

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cook the first five ingredients over medium heat stirring constantly. It needs to reach about 160˚ and then chilled in a bath of ice and water. The consistency should coat a spoon. Now add the vanilla, and put it in the fridge overnight or for a few hours.

I made ice cream with this recipe and thought it was too sweet and too heavy. So I took half of it and added an equal part of half and half. Next I added a few drops of coconut extract. With half the sugar and half the fat, the ice cream was still tasty and creamy but not too sweet and full of flavor. I tried to use coco loco coconut milk but it was WAY too oily and sweet. Extract works better.

Put the mixture into the ice cream maker and when it gets to where it has nice peaks and shapes you are ready to make ice cream sandwiches. Don't let it hard freeze or it won't spread right.

Get some Famous Chocolate Wafers. They are on the baking isle.

Take one and get a spoonful of the ice cream and plop it in the center. Don't let it get too big because when you put the other cookie on top, you want to press lightly so the ice cream spreads out to the edges. As you make them, put them in the freezer on a plate uncovered.

When building the sandwiches, if too much ice cream eeeks out of the side just take a spoon and run it around the edges and it looks really tidy.

When they are nice and solid - like 10 minutes - individually wrap each sandwich in either parchment paper affixed with a sticker or wrap them in plastic bags. If you leave them on a plate, the cookie will stick. You know how the cake part of an ice cream sandwich gets kind of soft? Well, being with the ice cream makes these cookies soft so they need to be packaged.

That little hint of coconut gives it a tropical vibe and enhances the chocolate. It's just a pretty and easy treat that has impressed everyone that has tried it.

*************************************************

Haiku Monday players may recall that Moi won the chicken haiku challenge. The prize was a custom made folk art piece based on the winning haiku. I finally did the painting. Here is the winning haiku again:

Faithful feathered friend—
chopped, plucked, garlic-stuffed. Sunday's
sacrificial lamb.

I chose to focus on Moi's observation of chicken as the defacto sunday dinner. And I was thinking about all the ways she indicated it could be, er, processed. Then I started thinking about the charts that show cuts of meat and thought about the ways a chicken was used. So I ended up with a kind of silly butcher's chart for a chicken. Moi - I hope you like it. Its not pretty, but I hope its at least funny. If you don't like it, you can always use it as firewood. Oh and congratulations on yet another haiku win.

Field Trip: Chattahoochee Fish Hatchery

2011-06-07T09:24:00.004-04:00

I spent most of my day in the Chattahoochee National Forest yesterday. With the temperatures in the 90's it was a cool respite under shady greens with flickering sunlight dancing through the leaves. I took the forest road out to the fish hatchery and was blown away by the scope of the project. They are hatching our native Brook Trout, Brown Trout (a European native) and Rainbow Trout from out west. There were about 24 long pools of fish and a building with smaller pools for the tiny rainbows. Outside of the hatchery, you could find fish in the Toccoa river very easily, and of course, there were plenty of fishers there just pulling them out of the water constantly.

This hatchery is slated to be closed after 2012. The reason? The budget. The financial sector of this country has bankrupted the nation and while a tiny percent has made a fortune on top of their already obscene fortune through fraud and corruption, their debts must be paid. And so we lose the hatchery.

Driving back to Chickory through the Skeenah gap area I was on the verge of weeping at the beauty of the valleys, still green though we've had little rain. Fields had been cut and the hay was rolled dotting the landscape with their familiar cylindrical shape. The mountains, gentle and ancient, were very blue and the clouds bright and rising high until finally releasing the much needed water in the afternoon along with dime-sized hail. It was the first real rain I've seen in two weeks and it was the perfect endnote to a perfect day.

I can't believe I live here. Whatever I was doing before, I only thought I was living. Now I know what it is to be really alive and connected to the source of life. It is a privilege to live in a landscape that is still relatively wild and so breathtakingly beautiful. But it is fragile, just like the tiny fish, so it must never be taken for granted. Being present and awake in each moment is a discipline that must be cultivated and nurtured, so that I am worthy of this life.

Grass

2011-06-02T21:39:00.000-04:00

Your Dad Called

2011-05-30T18:44:00.028-04:00

He said he wants a Beer Bull for Father's Day.

Painted on 100% scavenged beach house.

Several colors; one bad attitude.

New for the 2011 Blue Ridge Farmer's Market

Haiku Monday / Cliche

China shops tremble

Grasp the horns, order now!

Bull Art. No B.S.

Sisyrinchium montanum (Blue Star Grass)

2011-05-20T17:27:00.003-04:00

this gem can be easily overlooked in a field of flashy buttercups and queen-anne's lace

Around here, we call it "blue star grass", but it isn't grass, its a tiny perennial of the Iris family. I mentioned it a while back, and Aunty said she had never heard of it so I am posting these photos for her. These are very small, about a quarter inch bloom on a spindly grass-like stem.

I have some problems with my field. A horrific weed has taken over. I am reluctant to use herbicides on the field because it is very meadow-like with its mix of wildflowers and grasses. I dont want to kill the blue stars! So I take a section every afternoon and dig up the bad weeds. It might take a year and Im not kidding. What I would do if money were no object is to plow and reseed the entire thing with a meadow mix.

blue stars on the indispensable distressed sideboard in my studio

I've let the field grow high so that the seed pods of the grasses can drop. Now that it is so overgrown I can see what I have: oxeye daisies, buttercups, clover, rye, fescue, wild yarrow, rudbeckia, a variety of early asters and the blue stars. I used to keep the field cut and trim, which is pleasing to my eye because it makes my place look tidy and bigger, but I think I made the weeds worse by doing this as the grasses didnt get to seed but the fast growing uber-survivor weeds did. So, that is a policy that has been amended.

What else is going on in the garden? (not much, we are in transition from spring to summer food. I harvested all the lettuce, spinach and radish. Carrots are still growing and tomatoes, squash, beans and pumpkins arent much to look at right now. In the meantime, heres this):

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I will be getting footage around the county for the Chamber of Commerce tourism videos. Planned stops: the fish hatchery, u-pick strawberries at Merciers Orchards, tubers on the Oconee, and whatever else I can find. Wish I could get some decent footage of the bear whos been tearing down my bird feeders. (I started bringing them in at night) Right now, I am going to have a glass of iced sun tea on my back porch and watch the hens scratch around. See you Monday!