It's Alright

Song - Don't Think Twice, It's Alright by Bob Dylan & Eric Clapton

The guy in front of me at a Dylan concert in Berkeley

Right now we need to be thinking twice

and

I hope it's going to be alright!

Stay Safe Out There!!!



"Some people feel the rain. 
Others just get wet." 

--Bob Dylan

Called On Account of Rain

Song - All We Do - Oh Wonder - Cover by Sierra Eagleson


It's raining again here in California, so Mr. B and I decided to head to the art museum in San Francisco to see the Monet exhibit.  We timed it perfectly so we wouldn't get stuck in commuter traffic or the Giant's home opener traffic.  Off to the Legion of Honor! 

I showed the lady our online tickets, picked up our audio guides and went to walk in and saw.......

 ....this....

....and this.....oops.....that does not look like Monet!  It was a Rubens exhibit......did we miss it?
Nope.  I had the wrong museum!  So while we did take a quick peek at the Rubens show (not really our cup of tea) we quickly headed over to the deYoung to see Monet.

 Now that's better.......

 Just look at all the colors he used in this close-up........

The exhibit was titled - Monet: The Late Years and included about 50 pieces of art that he did from 1913-1926, where he spent most of his time at home in Giverny, his home near Paris France.

 He loved his garden and was passionate about his Lily Pond. He would often paint the same view at different times of the day to see how the colors changed.

 Once again, amazing color on top of color.

 In his later years he developed cataracts and eventually had surgery to correct his vision.  His palate changed from blues and greens to orange and yellows.

 But still powerful color....

 Also at the deYoung was a Gauguin exhibit that was interesting and is the first one at the Fine Arts Museum dedicated to the work of Paul Gauguin.

 He met and married his wife, a Danish women, Mette-Sophie Gad and they had five children.  After 11 years their marriage fell apart when Paul Gauguin decided to paint full time. 

This is a tiny portrait of his wife - about 3 x 4".

 Paul Gauguin - 1848-1904

 Similar to Monet, Gauguin had layer upon layer of color.

Amazing color in the water..... 

While Mr. B and I did get to see three amazing exhibits, we did miss our first home opener with the Giants in 19 years.  While returning home we saw the fireworks from the freeway and I had my camera ready for the fly-over (my favorite!) but alas we either missed it or they did not do it this year.

The only fly-over I saw was a big black crow flying over our car!

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers." 

--Claude Monet

Rain Drops Keep Falling

What to do on a hot, humid, rainy day in Nantucket? (it was 98% humidity)

Paint! Knit! Make some beautiful jewelry!

This is from a reference photo I took yesterday in Hyannis Port. Still need to do a few final corrections but I was pretty happy to be able to paint today while Sydney knitted and Jackie designed some bracelets.

This morning as soon as we got up we headed into town to do our grocery shopping. It was muggy out but felt like it wouldn’t be quite as warm as yesterday.  We brought our groceries home & fixed a yummy lunch of tomatoes, carrots, broccoli slaw, various cheeses, deli meats, olives & sliced baguette.

Then we headed to the art store to get me some Turp (can’t fly with turp) and to a bead shop for Jackie to buy some supplies. Then over to Sayles Seafood Market & Cafe to buy something for dinner as we did not want to turn on the oven!

Everything outside has moss and lichen growing on it

A little wren looking in my bedroom window

I decided to sit outside in the fresh air to paint but by the time I had gotten everything set up some big rain drops began to fall so I came inside & set up in the huge mud room.  Just as I had begun to paint, the girls talked me into painting in the dining room with them where there was a nice cross breeze. We all enjoyed our creative pursuits until dinner when we had fresh prawns with a delicious cocktail sauce & creamy clam chowder & salad.

A storm approached and we had some thunder & lightening while we had chocolate chip cookies & discussed restaurant ideas for tomorrow.

Tomorrow we head to the beach!

Pitter Patter

Song- Relaxing Forest Rain Sounds

During the night and early Thursday morning a storm blew in.  The clouds were flying across the sky.

And YES California finally has some rain.....

...and more importantly we are getting some snow as well!

Woke up on Thursday morning to eight little California Goldfinch birds on one feeder.

They were singing so beautifully from the trees.

I'm thinking that they are happy with the rain too!

This sweet Dark-eyed Junco feeds on the ground like the Mourning Doves.  They pick up the seed that other birds (or squirrels) have dropped.

And the rain just keeps up it's delightful pitter-patter all around me....loving the sound.

Rain is grace; 

rain is the sky condescending to the earth; 

without rain,

 there would be no life.

--John Updike

Listen

Song - Rain by The Beatles

Six days into the new year and I hope you have had time to curl up by a fire 

and read a good book after all of the busyness of the holidays! Sigh....

It's finally raining in California!  It was so wonderful to hear mother nature's "pitter-patter" on the rooftop. There was a certain amount of calmness about it but then we had an earthquake later that night that jolted most people awake, so that was the end of "calm" for awhile!

My Sweet Peas have begun to bloom - they were just a little 

confused by the warm, dry winter weather.

The Daffodils have begun to emerge from the ground.

And the Snowdrops have begun to show their little white bells.

The birds began coming to the feeders a little more often as if in anticipation of the rain.  Above is a female Nuttall's Woodpecker who seems to have made herself quite at home in the bowl of seed!

 And the hawks have been calling to each other in the early morning sky.

 My roses are about done for the year but it's fun to catch one blooming in January! 

I think I will wait a few more weeks before pruning them back for the winter.

What do you hear in your garden?
Have you been listening?

PLUVIOPHILE 

(n) a lover of rain; someone who finds joy 

and peace of mind during rainy days

Unfurling

Song - Primavera by Santana

Did you celebrate the Vernal Equinox on Monday? It is officially Spring!

Between the few rain showers, I have been enjoying watching my garden awaken as well as the animal life around our home.

The apple trees are full of blossoms

And the big tree ferns are all unfurling

My Freesia's have never had so many buds

 While walking around my garden the other morning, I noticed these dead bits hanging out of a Privet tree on the side yard and when I peeked inside there was a nest.

 Must have been from last year as it is on a bush that I prune back each spring and fall.

Not sure what kind of bird may have created it but I am hoping they will reuse it this Spring!

Meanwhile the Mourning Doves did not visit their nest for a week or so.  I figured that they must have found a better place but......in the last 3-4 days they have returned and mama is sitting on it daily now!

I caught Zipper with his hand in the "cookie jar" (draining the bird feeder) this morning looking very regretful.  I guess I will have to call him by a different name as he is a she.....and she is nursing her babies.  I guess I will have to stop throwing ice and lemons at her too.......sorry little mama......

 Peony's

 Bearded Iris

More ferns unfurling

"Springtime is the land awakening.  

March winds are the morning yawn." 

- Lewis Grizzard