today in pictures

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turning the january page

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, has January. Ups and downs, with a lot of snow, torrential rains and flooding, extremely cold weather, and occasional bright days when I have gratefully taken hundreds of photographs.

My workaday world has been one of entirely treacherous footing, which changes nothing about the daily chores except that they take longer. It's a relief when there is snow to walk on instead of ice! I think Moxie agrees, as it makes her commute to the barn much more pleasant:

Piper has been spending a lot of time in recent weeks sensibly snoozing on her couch. She usually accompanies me on the short penguin-walk to the letterbox, but must wait for reasonably safe conditions before we go walking in the woods. We've made the most of it whenever possible!

The biggest January news in Goat World - apart from the ongoing hoof-trimming which always results in heating pads and icepacks for the trimmer - is that the handsome buck returned for a brief visit on Sunday. Now both Vinca AND Azalea may become mamagoats in June! I haven't gotten a good picture of either one this month, so here instead to represent the entire Cloud Harvest Cashmere herd is a January portrait of LeShodu, my Matriarch doe who turned 13 last May:

"And STILL the Boss!"

What I've really wanted to write about all through January - and in December, actually - is the wrapping up of the final "mystery" phase of the 3-part construction project. But I haven't, because it isn't. Wrapped up. In fact, there has been a series of absurd delays - not caused by me or by the carpenter, I hasten to say - beginning in November. November! And I don't want to say anything more about it, partly because it might give away the "mystery" and partly because my head might explode. So...

...moving on to a very different project, my Daily Markmaking effort of 2018 has progressed nicely. I've drawn or painted a little sketch every night in January. Here are a couple you haven't seen:

Something I really enjoy about watercolor is the way it looks close up. For example, here is a "detail" view of the above:

(I just enjoy this.)

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It snowed again last night, so February is starting off as February often does.

And on we go!

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sunday snapshot

This morning, Della tried a new way of telling me,

"Time to get off the laptop."

She was right.

Thanks, Della!

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the markmaking continues

 One of my clothesline posts.

This post was old when I was young.

One of the bells hanging by my temporary gate.

I jangle them when I pass.
The sound cheers me, and lets the goats know where I am.

Mushroom.

From a photograph taken a few months ago,

walking in the woods with Piper.

Shriveled fruits of a Maple Viburnum.

From a photograph taken this week,

walking here at home with Piper.

My sketchbooks are developing a unique topography...

an unplanned effect of painting with a very wet brush

on very inexpensive paper.

Most of the daily markmaking has been taking place at night, when I wake up and can't get back to sleep. This has unexpected advantages! For one thing, the process is unencumbered by the daytime pressures of all the waiting tasks tugging at my mental coattails. Also, it is extra-satisfying to create something in a period of time that would otherwise be fretted away in wakeful unease. So, keeping a sketchbook, a pen, and a few watercolors by the bed has turned out to be quite a good thing.

But still.

Really.

Between you and me?

I'm a photographer.

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pick a window

After a day of mild temperatures - very welcome, as you might imagine - we had hard rain for a solid day and night.

It was still raining this morning, which is when I took these pictures.

Quite suddenly, the temperature began to drop. To plummet, really.

 In three hours, the temperature dropped about 35 degrees.

Really. I checked it twice.

And then the sun came out!

And a bitter cold wind began to blow, which continued all day and was still trying to take my ears off when I put the critters to bed this evening.

The temp is dropping back down to zero tonight, and our highs are not predicted to rise above freezing again for a good long while...but at least the forecast is for single digits instead of negative teens.

I know not all of my readers are experiencing winter right now, but for those who are: stay warm and safe! 

And for those who are experiencing Summer: send pictures!

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