a day of surprises

 

What an intensely joyous day I had yesterday.

A little slow getting out of bed on a Sunday morning, I suddenly heard what sounded like a cell phone set on vibrate outside the bedroom window. 

" Brrrr.....Brrrr.... and then, Brrrr.... "

I looked out the window, but couldn't see anything suspicious.  I went into the kitchen and signalled Wally to come with me.

"What is it?"

"Listen" I whispered, "I hear a cell phone." 

"That's not a cell phone," he replied. "That's a woodpecker."

"But it sounds too close to be a woodpecker," I said. (I've heard woodpeckers, and believe me, they can be loud.)

Wally left and I went into the bathroom and out the window, lo and behold:

 

 



Brrrr!

 

I couldn't be more tickled!

 

and here's the new trick I'd like to share:

I took these pictures through the binoculars!

While they're still a little blurry, I wouldn't have them at all otherwise, so I'm delighted!

 

Then what happens?  I sign up for an online workshop on art journals. I'm terribly giddy when the phone rings and it's my new friend, Pam, inviting me to an afternoon workshop.

 

Armed with my not-so-trusty camera I'm off to join Pam and fibre artist Marilyn Rand for another workshop at Ross Creek Centre for the Arts where we painted in gouache on old encyclopaedia pages inspired by the works of Rick Stultz .

 

Why lose a shot just because it's blurry?

A little tweaking and it becomes a pointillist painting!

 

Of course I have to take a picture of the ubiquitous abandoned building

 that seems to be my latest fascination.

 

After the workshop, which was more like playtime, family art day at the Centre, we headed off for the Ross Creek beach that Pam and Marilyn so love.

 

Another opportunity to play with exposures and colour.

 

We wandered way out on the sea floor at low tide, precariously hobbling over all kinds of stone

which Pam knows so much about having a geology background.

 

I was fascinated by the trails of welks that were left over rock and stone.

 

So small and prolific, welks are supposed to make good eating

in months that have an "r" in them, though Pam and Marilyn discussed

 how that might have to be amended with climate change.

 

What a good time I had with these 2 amazing women.

 

This was one of those magical days, stolen from the original plan,

 and made the day more memorable for it

 

And at the end of the day, my souvenirs:

seascape on the kitchen table

Lunar landscape on a placemat

 

and the unfinished gouache I did on papers from an old encyclopaedia

 

remembering that life is what happens while we're busy making other plans