Making it to Murphys

Song - Casadh an Tsugain/Frankie's Song from the movie Brooklyn by Iarla O Lionaird

Saturday Mr. B and I drove to Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, CA to drop off some paintings that were accepted into an upcoming show. It was a beautiful day for a road trip!

The California central valley was as green as Ireland.

We drove by hundreds of old barns, many collapsing and returning to the earth.

Wildflowers were abundantly sprinkled on the hillsides in purple, blue, orange, yellow and red.

And snow could be seen on the distant Sierra's.

We arrived after a few of Mr. B's "short cuts" (ie - dirt roads, roadrunners, wrong turns, need gas now warnings, cliffs, etc.)

Ironstone is hosting the 2016 Spring Daffodil Show for Northern California and they had barrels of beautiful bulbs blooming everywhere!

We will be heading back up there next weekend for the reception and opening of the Spring Obsession Art Show! Beautiful country this time of year.........

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." --Mark Twain

Now Exhale

Song - Dark-Eyed (Oregon) Junco with a Mirror Fixation


What began as going to a wedding in the Sierra's, became adding a few extra days to the weekend to celebrate my birthday, which became two weeks of bliss in Lake Tahoe!

Here is my escape partner in crime.....

Mr. B came up on weekends and I had a friend come up for a couple of days but other than that it was just Mika and me.

Painting.....beach......meditating.....reading.......music......journaling.....wildflowers......bird watching......star gazing......walks.......ahhhh.....

The fresh young leaves on the Aspen trees against Tahoe's amazing blue sky took my breath away.

And every morning about 4:15 the birds would start singing their little hearts out.  They were busy finding food, a mate and designing nests.

I had one bird (a Junco) that loved his reflection so much that he would not leave my back bumper alone.  All day long and day after day, he would admire himself.  Until the last day when he brought a friend along to check out how beautiful he was as well!

I came home on Monday with about 4 inches of bird poop on my bumper!

Mr. B took me to Sunnyside for my birthday dinner.  We had one of our favorite tables right by the lake so we could watch the sunset.  Good food, great wine and wonderful company - what more could a girl ask for?

Well maybe a clean bumper????


"Perfectly ordered disorder designed with a helter-skelter magnificence." --Emily Carr when looking at a forest