Looking for Adventure

There are few things that make me happy in the simple way that waking up to sunshine in the morning does. Waking to blue skies gives my heart a lift. They seem like a guarantee of the possibility of adventure. So yesterday, I decided to turn my daily bike ride into an adventure. 

I set out to find how many miles I could do in one ride. So far this year, my max has been about twelve miles, with some nine and ten mile rides, but mostly around six or seven miles at a time. Usually, I just hope on my bike and go, with no special preparation. For this ride, I packed a jar of water and a couple of snacks. There's something about actually preparing to do something that can turn the routine into something out of the ordinary.

On my way to the riverside bike path, I stopped at REI. There was a time when almost all my adventures started with a visit to the popular NW institution, hooray nostalgia! I picked up some fruit chews and eschewed getting more gear, which is always a temptation. 

From there, I looped onto the riverbank path, going north to the footbridge and then south as far as the path goes and then beyond into Springfield, which is where I turned around to come back. After about thirteen miles, I stopped to rest for a bit. There was a stretch of path with great views of the river. I drank my water, nibbled my apple, and felt like I was really on an adventure. A small one, but still an adventure.

I took a few pictures from my rest stop and ran them through Waterlogue, which is a very fun smartphone ap that essentially applies a watercolor filter to photographs. I love the soft effect! It's a huge temptation to turn all my photos into watercolors.

Fogs of January

Winter continues. So far this year, I've been concentrating on getting myself into good daily patterns, like riding my bike every day that I can, and making progress on my various resolutions and goals for the year. It helps that the valley is in the middle of one of the driest winters we've had in a while. Riding in the rain always feels so purgatorial for me!

But I ride in the cold and fog because improving my health is probably my most important goal for 2014. And sometimes the beauty of the world smacks into me like the wind, even when – maybe especially when – it would be nicer to be home in the warm, with a nice cuppa. Riding in the fog yesterday morning, gathering frost on my hat and arm warmers...it was worth it for the beauty. 

One of my other big goals is to whip the house into shape. It's slowly coming together and feeling tidier and homier. My basic strategy has been to do five things per room per day, which may seem like a small, but it starts to add up and I never really feel overwhelmed. Even when I'm really tired or don't feel like doing anything, I can still get myself through five things in each room, even if it's just picking up a stray sock or putting a book on a shelf. 

I need to get back into making art soon, though, with my first show of the year coming up next month. 

Beauty in Ice

We spent a few days in southern Oregon with my mum. She'd been feeling poorly and needing a bit of support and company, so down we went, through ice and snow and freezing fog. I have mixed feelings about where I grew up, but if nothing else, I learned how to drive in the snow.

The sun came out in time for us to drive home, but for a few days, the landscape was rimed in frost and ice. I found amazing beauty in Mum's backyard.

Of course, I brought my knitting, pencils, sketchbook, and ACEO blank cards to keep my hands busy and my heart happier than it would have been otherwise. This little fox looks like I felt, alert and a little wary. He's available in my Etsy store now.

2013: Looking Back

Oh, 2013...I'm so glad you're almost over.

I thought a lot about art. I got over a bad case of creative block and started making art again.

I waited patiently (sort of) for winter to be over. 

Spring came around at last.

There were delicious salads.

I said goodbye to my lovely aunt.

 

As she approached the end of her life, she was grace, strength and love personified.

I was never so grateful to turn towards the last leg of the trip home as I was coming home, after she was gone.

I looked for beauty everywhere to help remind myself that life is beautiful even when it's hard.

Fall came. Waking up on the first of September felt like we had "made it" in some undefinable way. October was gorgeous. 

I had many a cup of coffee.

The first frosts sparkled.

We spent Christmas in Seattle with Bear's family. I caught a glimpse of the Olympics, briefly unveiled by the clouds, and it felt like a good omen for us for the coming year. 

Toby is curled up next to me, purring.

Bear and Pyewackett, deeply contented. 

Winter Wonderlaaaaaand

I know that for a lot of people, the recent snowstorm meant nothing but inconvenience and bother, but for me it had so many moments of beauty. I just wanted to go around with my camera all the time. I rode my bike in the snow almost every day. It is just about gone now, and the last couple of days have felt almost balmy by comparison. I'm still wearing layers and big fuzzy socks, though. 

Layers of cotton and hemp and fleece didn't really feel warm enough for a few days, so I pulled out my old wool Viking apron dress that I made for medieval reenactment. This is not a highly historically accurate garment, because I made it to wear for things like setting up camp, grubby weather, and so on. It is warm and comfortable, though, and I got compliments when I wore it out and about. I wore it with a long sleeved black t-shirt and yoga pants, and a thrifted knit shrug. Oh, and a fleece hat.

I've never worn it in modern context before and it worked really well. I'm going to make another version or two, only those will have pockets, which is the one thing it really lacks.

Wonderful things are happening locally, both in nature and in the community. One morning, Mr. B and went outside and we found that a bunch of spiders had gone nuts overnight. There were a lot of frost-kissed webs up and down our walkway that weren't there the day before.

One of our friends sings in Sorumundi, our local lesbian chorus. They were performing at the Holiday Market on Saturday, so I went over to listen for a bit and show some support. The market was totally crazy! I decided to leave after the little girl sitting on her daddy's shoulders almost kicked me in the face for the second time. 

They were really good, though. I'm going to go try to see them at another performance where the public isn't quite so rowdy. When people get together in big crowds, so many totally forget their manners where shorties like me are concerned, and I get tired of being blocked, elbowed, stepped on, and so on.

Fall and the Beauty of Little Things

Beauty Everywhere

Summer is my favorite time of year, but fall is so gorgeous! Maybe even more so because each sunny day might be the last before the cold gray wet sets in again. I beguile the last warm and lovely days of the year by being alert to the beauty found in little things.

Fuzzy Pye and Toby Fat Butt

These are my fiance's cats, who have, by some mysterious process of love and adoption, become my cats as well. The fuzzalorum calico is Pyewacket (her name comes from Bell, Book and Candle), aka Pye, Princess, and Butterfly Girl , and the marmalade boy is Toby, aka Tobycakes and Toby Fat Butt.

Don't let this image of domestic tranquility fool you. They don't actually get along. But I recently managed to catch them having a rare moment of co-relaxation, with Tobes in his usual jelly roll curl, and Pye sprawled out in a distinctly undignified manner, on the off chance that someone might come along and offer her belly skritches.

With my allergies, I never thought I'd be able to have cats, but here we are. Toby in particular has adopted me as his Preferred Person, and I love that maddening little orange furball more than I can say. I love both of them.

Happy New Year!

We're Gonna Need A Bigger Plate

What we have here is a eating machine.

All Work and No Play Makes for Lousy Art

So, I played a bit yesterday. We drove out to the coast on the spur of the moment, towards mid-afternoon.

 We arrived close to sunset, at one of my favorite places, Arcadia Beach.

We walked down the beach.

The water was beautiful.

Even the sand was beautiful.

Someone built a driftwood lean-to.

It had its own rock garden.

And a gorgeous view.

Earth, sky and water.

A path across the waves.

Happy New Year

In a Blur

I can't believe it's already the sixth of December! The month is going by wicked fast.

The last two weeks have been one long adventurous blur. I went on a long road trip with my boyfriend, Bear, to spend Thanksgiving with his family. We drove in the snow through the Cascades (150 miles driving on chains!), through the Mojave Desert, into Sedona and up through Flagstaff, through the mountains of Utah and Nevada, and along the Great Basin. We came through the Donner Pass (chains again), the Sacramento Valley, and home again, with many stops along the way.

I saw snowflakes and starlight, mountains and monuments, Christmas lights and cactus. It is a beautiful world out there.

Goodbye, Summer

Taken at the fountains outside Keller Auditorium.