For Great Uncle Bill

"February Song"

Where has that old friend gone
Lost in a February song
Tell him it won't be long
Til he opens his eyes, opens his eyes
Where is that simple day
Before colors broke into shades
And how did I ever fade
Into this life, into this life

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
When all that I've known is lost and found
I promise you I, I'll come back to you one day

Morning is waking up
And sometimes it's more than just enough
When all that you need to love
Is in front of your eyes
It's in front of your eyes

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
Sometimes it's hard to find the ground
Cause I keep on falling as I try to get away
From this crazy world

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
When all that I've known is lost and found
I promise you I, I'll come back to you one day

Where has that old friend gone
Lost in a February song
Tell him it won't be long
Til he opens his eyes
Opens his eyes



-Josh Groban (a bit more easy listening then my usual but it fits, my uncle has cancer and it cannot be treated)

Winged Hours

Each hour until we meet is a bird
That wings from far his gradual way along
The rustling covert of my soul, -his song
Still loudlier trilled through the leaves more deeply stirr'd:
But at the hour of meeting, a clear word
Is every note he sings, in Love's own tounge;
Yet, Love, thou know'st the sweet strain suffers wrong,
Full oft our contending joys unheard.

What of that hour at last, when for his sake
No wing may fly to me nor song may flow;
When, wandering round my life unleaved, I know
The bloodied feathers scattered in the brake,
And think how he, far from me, with like eyes
Sees through the untuneful bough the wingless skies?

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Rejected, and I am surprised? For a moment I had hope and I wore it around my shoulders like a shawl. Artist, artist, yes.... but of course the letter came later. Declined, how polite of them. Ah, well I am used to such an easy hurt, I hadn't carried hope in some time. It's weave felt good as it drifted around me. I was brave like in the old days before I had been ripped down to nothing. I wish he could have seen me then before I sunk back down to what I have become. I was so free once and believed as the young do, that everything was within my reach.

Mallard Hen

One reason for this could be that the mental image we form of any three-dimensional object takes the viewpoint which presents the maximum amount of information. To recall any other view requires a special and conscious effort. Birds, quadrupeds, and fishes reveal most of their salient characteristics from the side. Insects and other arthropods reveal most of theirs when seen from above. Molluscs or their shells may be viewed in various ways because they have such varied and often asymmetrical shapes. The most evocative image of any species is the one which provides the most information.

-The Art of Natural History -Animal Illustrators and Their Work- by S. Peter Dance

Adder's Tongue

I am not the fish

Isn't color subjective?
No one should dare tell you how to paint your work.
This is not a collaboration and if it was, he would not even be considered, I have far better choices.

The space is all askew, well welcome to my life. If it were all so simplistic wouldn't it become formulaic? Why do you crave me repeating what is done over and over? ...instead I smile, simply nod and watch him try to catch the fire of the sun. Lucky for me, I have a good set of wings. Caw Caw

The First Butterfly

I had a recent conversation with some younger people on jobs. Here is a list of some of mine:

Paper girl
Fast food worker (yes it was horrible)
Retail Sales Clerk
Front End Manager
Mailroom Girl
Art Teacher
House Sitter
Nanny
Cocktail Waitress
Pub Waitress
Market Research Interviewer
Assistant Night Manager
Operational Manager
Nursing Home Activities Assistant
Animal Trainer
Naturalist
Graphic Designer
Artist

Tom

The warm weather is working it's magic on me. Going outside and looking at the plants pushing up and seeing the birds returning home always lifts my spirits.

A huge Tom Turkey was on the median at the grocery store. For some reason he targeted my car and did a full display. I slowed to look at him and he promptly jumped down in order to better attack the front of the car. Everyone was laughing in their cars as he held up traffic. He eventually gave up and moved back into the little grove of trees nearby. He was really gorgeous, but I didn't think to bring my camera on a grocery store trip.

Unfortunately this coot has swallowed fishing line and it is wrapped around his foot. I could not catch him.

So much stress and when I got home my face wanted to just slide down to the earth. Sometimes it would be nice to have a moment that is uncomplicated and comforting to the core. Today is not the day to discover such things. I pull myself up, take a breath and put on my usual mask. Hopefully no one will notice that the features are a bit more etched.

On a lighter note enjoy some hummingbird courting