Studio

I often walk past this backyard building which is just around the corner from me and wondered about it. What was it, an artist's studio, and if so, why can't I have one like it in my backyard?? On Saturday, I found myself up early and going walking with the dog and the camera so I took a shot of it. Later that same day, I went for coffee at Moka's, which is fairly new and fairly close to my neighborhood, and admired the gorgeous paintings they have displayed. Should have taken the camera there! Paintings of musicians. Jazzy. You can see the artist's work here but not the jazz paintings, unfortunately. For that you'll have to have a coffee at Moka...and I must warn you that the turtle brownies are to die for...and if you can eat the whole thing, you might want to from guilt..(unless you worked for 6 hours in the yard like I did)...But I couldn't even finish my half!

This is Saskatchewan!

Old Man Winter is not done with us yet, it seems. Jeff had forecast some rain and snow on Saturday, but the Universe had seen kindly to delaying it an extra day, which really worked in my favor as I did a lot of cleanup on Saturday. I got up this morning to a blanket of white, very pretty and it is very welcome as we do need the moisture.

1964 Caliente

Couple weeks back, whilst out and aboot with the fam, we stopped at the Crazy Cactus for lunch. Ah, I spied a Comet Caliente, probably a 67, parked in front and I got a pic of meself in front of it. Unfortunatley, it seems I accidently deleted it so I had to copy another. This is more like the one I used to ride around in, with Terry Sinclair, but his was jacked up and painted metallic blue. Sweet ride. Btw, the Cactus is no longer a sweet place to eat. With jacked up prices and the owner serving as well as cooking, service is deplorable. And, just how much tacky can a person take. We left and so did the owner of the Comet without me getting a good look at him. sad to say....who knows maybe it was Terry....wonder if he knows there is a woman with the same name.....wonder if he still can still sing like Fogerty...."I can sing remember the old hound dog...chasing down a hoodoo there....born on the bayou...."

Will and Grace

Operating on sheer willpower alone can compensate for shortcomings in other areas, but I think if you do this long enough, you damage your will centres. Spring your will chakras, just like you overload your adrenals and burn them out..In my case to my surprise my will centres were huge and fast, when they were tested, which I thought was odd, because I feel I have no will/power. Not exactly eye opening. Not healthy.

This changed a couple of weeks ago but it did not last for me. I can only describe it as coming from the Creator, from Spirit, or the Universe, whatever name you choose. I had a "moment" where I felt like I got this big brainwave that I should learn to play the fiddle. Ha! I was never drawn to it in the past. Drawn to the music, yes, but not to learn to play. It was not the usual idle idea...this had something backing it! And at the same time I had great resolve in sticking to a diet, but I lost that too. One could say, so what, people get these motivations/ideas all the time. True, but this was different. And how was it that an art teacher happened to be in the same aisle as me at an odd time of the day..and we got chatting....so now I have an art teacher lined up for later.....But then, this feeling of grace I had......it left me. Then what is left is doubt, doubt that I can learn to play the fiddle, doubt that I am supposed to learn to be an acupuncturist....but yet there is that underpinning of knowing involved...and what else is left?

Wood stock

A w/e trip up to Smeaton to 'borrow' the stradivarius...fog was thick this morning and thought I'd get a pic in of the woodpile before I left, which was stocked up last fall. There's more than enough wood here to keep the folk's house warm all year as well as supply my tentative future retirement home out by Swanson all this winter as well. and then some to sell too. Logging has done well for my uncles in BC and Dad hauling it kept food on the table when I was in high school. Way behind the woodpile is old Benny's rotted log cabin but I didn't feel like plowing snow that far. I should have, since not much chance of bears this time of year. (I say not much chance) cause this is bear country and bears are not true hibernators.

Nothing is black and white

Except perhaps this magnet. Bought it years ago for someone but ended up keeping it and it eventually found its way to my fridge.

Today I read somewhere that this is a quote of Nietzsche's. I did not know this before! (although when I got closer to this magnet, it does plainly have his name on it!!!!) So that is twice this week his name has come up....Been wanting to read him for a few years now.

Music --can't live without it all right. Been listening to Viking metal, celtic metal, symphonic operatic metal. And Finnish folk music which I can't understand but who cares. Feel like Nick Cage in moonstruck.....

Back to the ol' drawing board

Dug out the old paints and tried painting today. Not at all happy with the results. So disappointed with myself....Granted I am way out of practice. I find myself wondering, is it these paints? Acrylic does not blend as well as oil, although Bateman does fine with it! Is it the paper? Is it the brushes? I no longer seem to have the high quality products anymore...the kids ruined my expensive brushes when they were little, later when I got more, the dog ate those ones....I need some classes!

Metal Guru

Developed quite a liking for metal a few years back.....started off with some candle holders, made myself a curtain rod from copper pipe..spray painted it....then happened across this divider last summer. It's never had a home...its been downstairs in the family room, then tried out as a gate at the kitchen entrance and now its finally found a place between the living room and the kitchen. I like the yellow paint with the black....I just don't care for the yellow anymore...never did actually...picked the wrong hue.....The invisible plant stand behind it was given to me as a gift just the other day...enuf already with the iron....it only works in small quantities unless you have brick and a very large warehouse loft...now i just have to remember to not walk into it in the middle of the night.......

Be on my side, I'll be on your side...baby

there is no reason for you to hide.....down by the river...I shot my baby....down by the river...deaaaaaaaadddddddd......so singeth Neil Young, granddaddy of grunge...but I digress...

What a Fabulous Frosty February day today! So I did indeed go Down by the River today, it was a fabulous day to take some pix..and it was cool to see all the camera buffs walking about & hanging out around Johns, Staquato, Sheraton and the Bess at lunch time with all their equipment, and me with my little tiny camera. I should've had the old AE1, needed a wide angle lens. Been wanting to get a shot of Gabriel Dumont but it was two weeks ago with the sun out and the steam rising from the river that would have made a real cool shot. As it was, I had quite a chore to get close to the statue. I've left the traffic light in this pic on purpose. Made a mile or two I'm sure plus plowed through some snow... Definately helps if you remember what side of what bridge you happen to be on...even tho you know where you are, and you know where the statue is...apparently the left brain doesn't always communicate too well with the right brain...But I was glad for the lithium (batteries, that is) as the rechargeable ones can only take a few shots.

These boots are made for walkin'

Ok so Nancy said that...but to use Tammy Wynette's words...Born a woman....does this mean all women are shoe/boot addicts or as I like to put it, aficionados? Guess I've been a boot gal for as long as I can remember. My parents can attest to that as they tell me how they could not get those rubber boots off me.....apparently even when it was about 80 Fahrenheit.

Being on holidays with not much to do except clean and organize (and lets face it, what kind of a holiday is that) especially when you know it'll be back the way it was inside of a month.....well, there's always shopping. Today I bought, with a fair bit of post guilt I might add, a pair of Born boots that I have been ogling on their website for maybe a year. But I'm still without my harley boots. But I done got myself a pair of Born boots....crown no less......no more....end of story.

Winter Shines

Went down to the Farmer's Market area where they have several ice sculptures going for the annual WinterShines event, as well as some aboriginal snow sculptures that were in progress. This year they have some of the ice sculptures under a tent where it is impossible to get a good picture, well maybe not impossible, but you'd have to know what you're doing. Afterward we went for lunch on Broadway and by the time we drove past on the way back, this place was packed with families and kids going down the ice slide.

First storm of 2010

There's almost always a "10" in every big storm. Jan 10, 2007-now that was a storm that people still talk about. That was a city-wide shutdown...people storm-stayed at stores....staff at hospitals doing double shifts....October 10, 1998-I'll never forget that one either! I only wish I had some pics of the trees on Sask. Crescent, weighed down and broken with the snow & ice....that really was a sight to see! I mentioned my theory (of storms occuring on the 10th) at work one day and one gal sitting across from me lamented, that she too would never forget that day, as it was the day of her wedding! Poor girl!

This weekend I have shovelled, and shovelled, and shovelled some more, and then some, and again, etc etc. Missing Mel's helping arms....I'm pretty sore...The snow & wind is stilling going strong.....people are getting stuck constantly in the T intersection by my house...not sure how I'll make it out of my crescent tomorrow morning...but there is always the bus if necessary!

I hope Whistler is going to get some of this snow...we need it for the Olympics!

Texture

Although no needles are left in January, the tamarac larch still exudes much character with its grumpy texturous bark....it makes me want to peel it away to see what lies beneath....today I went to Crocus Park to visit the "3 sisters and a cousin" --what I call the grouping of 3 larches and 1 fir that stands at the north end of the park just backing the doctors and dentist's homes. I have a particular plan for a painting that will include a larch tree resplendent in its fall colors...too bad I didn't get this idea in the fall.....

While your lips are still red

This is a song I stumbled upon on utube and I can't get enough of it....which means it will be stuck in my head for days...and nights likely while I try to sleep.....over and over....check out the video....and read the rest of the lyrics. Read these beautiful lyrics from the chorus...sung by Marco Heitala, of Nightwish, (Finland.) Amazing.

Kiss... while your lips are still red...

while he's still silent

rest....while bosom is still untouched.......unveiled..........

Hold another hand....... while the hand's still without a tool.............

Drown into eyes while they're still blind....

Love while the night still hides the withering dawn....

From the Movie 'The matriarch", music by Nightwish....very beautiful song...beautiful lyrics....piano....strings....haunting!