They will complain of physical hardship, these sons of the pioneers. Not for long; once they rediscover the pleasures of actually operating their own limbs and senses in a varied, spontaneous, voluntary style, they will complain instead of crawling back into a car; they may even object to returning to a desk and office and that dry wall box on Mossy Brook Circle. The fires of revolt may be kindled-which means hope for us all.

-Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

I couldn't resist posting on the giant banana
I find meaning in the lavish amount of money used to fund such a noble artistic venture. Perhaps I will write a grant to fly a giant cucumber over Canada.

The term NOTAN, a Japanese word meaning "dark, light", refers to the quantity of light reflected, or the massing of tones of different values. Notan-beauty means the harmony resulting from the combination of dark and light spaces-

-Arthur Wesley Dow - Composition
(sigh:-)

Something fishy...

Of all the souls to meet why these two?
One, old and dark, furious as a shrugging ocean.
The other, shiny, fresh as a winter morning.
Of all the souls to meet why these two?

-Why This One? Cowboy Junkies

Woodstork vs. camera

this is why you should sit on the higher part of the tree, otherwise...

Selkie

Painting all day is similar to lying in bed with a lover. You are seduced and unwilling to leave the warm, comfortable space but are forced to for the necessities of nature. It is intoxicating and absorbs me completely. The day passes and I don't seem to notice the time. Suddenly it is dark outside and my body is tired. I knew I had to quit when I dropped my palette. Luckily it fell paint side up. Tomorrow will likely bring the subtle bitterness of an impending work week, that will take my time away from my passion. I will dream all week of working on it again as if I am indeed giddy with a crush.

I will have the amazing luxury of painting all day today. I have been waiting weeks for this and hopefully it will be a day of accomplishment. So without further delay...I go...

Megaceryle Alcyon

He dropped from the branch, called, winged downriver, his image doubled in the water. He heard the call again, closer now. If she returned, he'd dive into the river, greet her with a fish, fly around her, feed her beak to beak... He pumped his wings harder now. He heard the cackle closer, louder, more insistent. He recognized her voice. She was hurling her way upriver.

Any moment now: she'd fly into his vision.

-from Birds in Fall by Brad Kessler

Leapin' Limpkin

some bad choices made by a hospital regarding art here

and I was going to market my pussycats playing bridge picture to hospitals, damn.

Words

I had this thought a while ago,
‘My darling cannot understand
What I have done, or what would do
In this blind bitter land.’

And I grew weary of the sun
Until my thoughts cleared up again,
Remembering that the best I have done
Was done to make it plain;

That every year I have cried, ‘At length
My darling understands it all,
Because I have come into my strength,
And words obey my call’;

That had he done so who can say
What would have shaken from the sieve?
I might have thrown poor words away
And been content to live.

-William Butler Yeats

Brown Pelican

I love the way pelicans fly. They fly effortlessly for their size. It almost seems as though they are sitting back in an easy chair on the air.

Unfortunately they are having trouble with the red tide

Happy New Year

May you have a year of peaceful co-existence, or
a year of knowing you have a tough enough shell to take some chances.