Who Knew?

Song - Ali Baba by Los Garcia

Our son Jon came up from LA for a friends wedding this weekend.  On Friday I took him to Benicia to see my current show "Black - White". 

 But when we arrived......

They were closed and didn't open for another hour!

So I decided to take Jon on a little tour of historic Benicia 

which used to be our State Capitol for about a nano-second. 

 The "tour" included the Old Arsenal buildings that are being used as Art Studio's, 

Historic Downtown and of course - The Camel Barns!

 Camels in Benicia?????  Who knew?

The camels were a U.S. government experiment in the mid 1800's prior to the Civil War. They wanted to use them for military travel through the arid Southwest and for future railroad survey crews.  

The camel barns were built in 1855 and are built from some amazing chiseled stone. And even though the camels preformed beautifully in the experiment it turned out that they were too smelly, hard to handle and upset the horses.....

so you now can actually have your very own wedding in a camel barn!

Around the back we noticed a bunch of old wood that was protected by an open structure.
   

Jon spotted a hole where the anchor came though.......It was a ship, the Galilee from 1891. 

Next we headed out on the pier where a few birds, several fishermen and one shy sea lion greeted us.

Every time the sea lion came up for air, I would try to snap a photo of him 

but he was too quick and after 706 photos, I still didn't get a good shot of him. 

I think he was just messin' with my mind!

So I just decided to take a picture of someone who was a little more stationary.

Then it was time to head over to the show!

Samples of Light - Medium - Dark

The gallery is set up to move from lighter paintings to the darker ones........

 My painting "The Sound of Silence" is in the "medium" section.

These self-portraits were done by the group of women that I paint with - Bay Area Studio Artists.

Top: Suzun Almquist 

next down left "yours truly" on the right - Sue Bonebakker  

Third row down left is Joanne Taeuffer and right is Marcy Wheeler   

 Bottom row is left - Ellen Reintjes and right Sharon Tama

On Sunday - Nov. 15th we will be having an 

Art Talk & Tour of our work from 1-3pm.

Hope to see you there!

"A camel makes an elephant feel like a jet plane." 

-- Jackie Kennedy

Ahh....that Smell....

Song - Life is Just A Bowl of Cherries by Rudy Vallee

Woke up to a warm Fall morning in Napa and this was the view outside of our hotel bedroom. And while Mr. B attended a business conference, I drove up to Yountville for a little breakfast and to people-watch.

The line to get into Bouchon Bakery was down the street which is normal for them.  I waited in line anticipating what was inside while enjoying the bakery scent wafting from the door. Mmmm....

Once inside the door I could get a glimpse of what I might want to order.....definitely a loaf of bread to take back to Mr. B and a couple of plain croissants.....and......

...I might need one of those chocolate & almond croissants......and.....

.....they had a few things ready for Fall celebrations.....

(Sorry I can't let you scratch & sniff....it was so wonderful that you will just have to believe me!)

The baker was just pulling out some fresh bread from the oven to test and turn.

Nuff Said......

Quote for the day:

Trick or Treat

Song - Season of the Witch by Donovan

My brother Tim (in all white with the ears? Horns?) anyway - I think he is supposed to be a bunny with a carrot in his pocket - happily trying to hold on to his uncooperative baby bunny (a neighbor)

Heading to a Halloween party in the 60's. My parents (mom is wearing the old fashioned bathing outfit and dad is the clown) and their friends.

Early evening moon several nights ago.

"It's said that All Hallows' Eve is one of the nights when the veil between the worlds is thin - and whether you believe in such things or not, those roaming spirits probably believe in you, or at least acknowledge your existence, considering that it used to be their own.  Even the air feels different on Halloween, autumn-crisp and bright."  --Erin Morgenstern

Boo!

Song - Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett

My grandparents are on the far right in this Halloween photo, my great-grandmother is center left and Great Uncle Harold on the far left. Circa 1910.

L to R - Jon, Sean (my nephew) and Andy.  Circa 1990

A costume that my dad painted for my older brother David.  Pretty creative!

Andy's sweet pumpkin from several years ago......

Have a "SPOOK-TACULAR" Halloween!!!

It never fails 
To make me pout
When I must blow
The pumpkin out

--Rusty Fischer
 

Scary Spells.....

Song - I Put A Spell On You by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Guess what holiday is coming soon?

David, Tim, Dad & me - circa 1960 at my grandparents home

And guess who's favorite holiday it is?

Mr. B's!

Watch you guts around him!!!

My dad's Uncle Harold (l) and my grandfather (r)

Witch and Ghost make merry 

On this last of dear

October's Days.

--Unknown

H is for Hawk

Song - Bird On A Wire by KD Lang

Ever since we returned from Tahoe, I have been waking up with the morning sun.  To my delight it is a beautiful time to enjoy the birds.

The little Black Capped Chickadee.....

.....and the Oak Titmouse waiting his turn at the feeder......

.....several American Goldfinch's nibbling at my Salvia........

.....a grumpy looking Black Headed Grosbeak - that plops onto the feeder and chases all the other songbirds away......

And almost every morning I wake to a hawk calling but he seems too close to the house so I go out on the deck and spot a bird about the size of a Robin that is making this hawk-like noise.  But he is too small and does not have a raptor type beak. As he flies away, I notice the red feathers under his wings and realize that he is actually a Northern Flicker!

The next morning, I am ready for him with my camera.

 

Isn't he a beauty?

Love that morning light on him!

 (If you click HERE, you will open a new tab from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Then click on the top call - The Kyeer Call to play - doesn't it sound like a Hawk?) 

I also caught this little Hummer sitting patiently waiting for the sun to warm him up.

And yesterday afternoon, I spotted this Red Shouldered Hawk in front of our house.  A big guy with beautiful wings that I saw when he got tired of his "photo shoot" and flew away.

"Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings."  --  Victor Hugo

 

Hair Quandry

Song - Almost Cut My Hair by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young


 So for the last few weeks I have been going through my parents old albums and scanning photo's to share with my family.  One thing really stood out for me was my hair.



First mom had me looking like a little Kewpie Doll....

Next she took me through the uneven bang stage.....

I look very confused by it all!

All dolled up and my big brother is taking me to the Easter Parade.  But still, check out those bangs!  Maybe I was frigidity while getting my bangs cut, or maybe mom was figidity?

I am the one in the middle but it looks like my mom got ahold of my cousin Kari as well and gave her the "Betty Special"! My little brother Tim looks like he just woke from a nap with bed hair. Cute though - love those corduroy rompers and dimples!

OK.....here is where mom really lost it.  She must of trimmed my hair while I was napping????
My brother David and I were busy painting the house with water in this photo. 

Looks like it is finally growing out after several years.....or maybe I just learned to tip my head in a certain direction so my bangs look more level?

We're getting better.......

And I think we have a winner! 

The boys were easy - dad just shaved it all off, I think it was called a "butch cut". 

I think this was during mom's "Toni" permanent wave stage. Remember the pink plastic curling rods, paper wrappers and stinky smell of the permanent wave lotion?  Can you pick me out in this crowd of brothers and cousins?

Finally mom must of just given up and let me grow out my bangs and curled them into little pin curls.
(This was my Grace Kelly look while having tea with my friend Judy and our dolls - very chic)

I know, I know.....quite the rain outfit right?  But my wonky bangs are still peeking out!

Free at last of my funny bangs but it looks like Tim is in need of a haircut....oh Dad time to get out the clippers!

Later in life I went though my own hair phases but that will have to wait for another day......


"You're only as good as your last haircut" --Fran Lebowitz