Tag: spring

A Sunny Day in the Garden

A few miles up the road from me is the local botanical garden.  It’s located on a series of hills that cover several acres.  Trails wander through oak groves and chaparral.  Specific areas are planted for butterflies and birds, sage plants, California natives, rare fruit, cacti.  It’s always a pleasure to meander around in it as it changes with seasons.  Different times of day bring out different animals; as well, the light shifts and changes.  Early morning, sunset, high noon.  Benches  line the paths throughout the garden.  For a wilder walk, there are the trails along the creek.  I’ve seen squirrels, road runners, coyotes and hawks.  Critters like it as much as I do.  It’s even better when you are the only one there except the wildlife!

I went out to take pictures and to draw – it’s been several weeks since I was last there.  Rain and cold as well as being ill kept me home for a bit.  With today’s 70 F, it was hard to stay indoors.  I took a couple of cameras – one film, one digital – some paper and a pen.  I wanted to see the flowers in particular, especially the spring bulbs which come up at this time of year.  I wasn’t disappointed.The outing was soul-satisfying on a personal and artistic level. I’ll be back sooner rather than later!  There is little more satisfying than time spent in solitary and quiet appreciation of nature.

Aftermath of a Broken Wrist

I suppose I should also include the finger . . .

Hobbling around on a broken lower limb makes sense if activity levels are lowered, but a broken wrist?  Yep.  I didn’t go out scrambling on the trails nearby for the simple fact that I am right-handed, and if I started to take a tumble, the right hand is the dominant one.  Four weeks, five weeks later, a rather sedentary lifestyle, and I am sore as hell after going out to the local botanical garden, looking for the flowers I have been missing on my usual weekly jaunts.

Gardens change every day, and certainly after 5 weeks, a lot.  Spring is now in bloom and I was so happy to see so many flowers, wild and domestic, native and foreign.  A lot of work has been done, too, in the garden itself.  A new gate on one side.  Cleared brush and hillsides.  New plants, new labels.  Sheer heaven!

Yesterday I felt like a drunk all day, tottering around on extremely sore legs.  Oh, well!  A bit better today.  And, a few flower photos, too.  

Poppies

The studio is finally sort of back together.  It was torn apart for flooring installation.  Putting it back is slow – I didn’t realize how much stuff I had packed away in it, and how little I want to put back into it other than painting supplies, photography equipment, and books.  It’s not gonna be easy.

So what!  When in doubt, paint!  And poppies are the best in a California spring!