Always be yourself

Dessert Disaster

Oops!


So much for that cake.  It did a complete flip as I took it out of the oven.  We got out the broom, the mop and the vacuum cleaner, cleaned  it up and started all over.  That's the apple cake from an old Betty Crocker cookbook.  With caramel frosting, it's bomb.

Something New for Cliff Notes by Julz

I got reckless  and changed to a new template.  It offers choices in how you can view the blog with the pull down ("Classic") to the left.  It doesn't make much sense to me but it is kind of fun.  The background is pretty so I might keep it for a while.  Truth is, I haven't a clue how to get the old version back.  Oh, well!  Happiness is choosing variety, the spice of life.  I heard that on PBS.

The days are short

but they start off with a bang!

Splish splash, I was takin' a bath . . .

Frigid temperatures lately mean birds have no drinking water, so I've been helping them out with water bowls on the deck.  Every morning I swap the frozen for fresh.  Look what those silly birds did with their nice clean drinking water yesterday!

High above the Cote d'Azur

I could live here. Who couldn't?

Today we went to Italy

Ventimiglia, Liguria

And this is what I ate:

Tagliatelle con funghi porcini and the most tomatoey tomatoes I have ever tasted.  

In Dolceacqua, Liguria, Italia. Pop. 2000

After lunch, we climbed up through the extremely narrow and fairly steep arched alleyways of the old town to the ancient castle.  The ticket taker, whom I asked in the pitiful remnants of my Italian, how did they get any water way up there in ancient times, proceeded to enthrall us with a fascinating lesson in the history of the region in perfect but heavily accented English.  He apparently loved his job.

Here is the link to a video about the town.  It's in Italian but that doesn't matter.  The pictures are great and then it gets into some very funny old film footage tied loosely to the castle.

Http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pwvCwlG0Lic

I learned from this video that Monet painted the old stone bridge we walked across and they call it the Monet Bridge now.  That's why the bar we stopped at for coffee was called the Caffe de Monet.  Duh.

Villa Ephrussi Rothschild

Former home of Beatrice de Rothschild, who married Maurice Ephrussi, cousin of Charles Ephrussi, whose immense art collection included the netsuke of The Hare with the Golden Eyes.  This mansion houses Beatrice's own vast collection of art.  Built up high on the narrowest part of the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, the villa has stunning views of the sea.  Acres of gardens and musical fountains evoke the opulent life style of the wealthy during the Belle Époque.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sLKS8ZzKrM

We are so special up in this corner!

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Washington .

If you've worn shorts, sandals and a parka at the same time, you live in Washington .

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Washington .

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Washington .

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Washington .

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Washington .

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Central, Southern or Eastern Washington .

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over 2 layers of clothes or under a raincoat, you live in Washington .

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you live in Washington .

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Washington .


If you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash, you live in Washington .


If you know more than 10 ways to order coffee, you live in Washington .

If you know more people who own boats than air conditioners, you live in Washington .

If you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal, you live in Washington .

If you consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain, you live in Washington ..

If you can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Tullys, you live in Washington.

If you know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon, you live in Washington .

If you know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup , Abiqua, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Wenatchee, Spokane, Umpqua, Yakima and Willamette, you live in Washington .

If you consider swimming an indoor sport, you live in Washington .

If you can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food, you live in Washington .

If you never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, you live in Washington .

If you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain, you live in Washington .

If you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists, you live in Washington .

If you buy new sunglasses every year because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time, you live in Washington .


If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your Washington friends, you live or have lived in Washington .

More Marine Life

 A Great Blue Heron resting on the log boom seems to watch over the baby seals who occupy this spot all summer.  When this bird suddenly took flight, we were once again impressed by the immense span of its wings.


The Wonderland returning from a very successful salmon fishing season in SE Alaska.  That's my son on the roof, waving as they passed our house.

Bliss

Waiting for mother to return, baby harbor seal dreams of good things to come.  The mothers come and go and it's amusing to watch them hoist themselves up out of the water.  The babies now play in the water, too, and return our curious stares with their own wide eyes.

Some sketches from this summer's sailing

Ribbons of fog on Puget Sound

Peeking out from Shallow Bay on Sucia Island

Ganges on Saltspring Island

Off to a new home!

Harvest Moon, Hurricane Ridge. September 11, 2011

I am very pleased and honored that this painting was purchased in the spirit of a tribute to a longstanding, loving relationship that even sudden death could not destroy.

A chorus of winged Divas

Not exactly Wagnerian. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsW03H8gRSE

San Juan-derings

Lots of crabs in this bay.  (It shall remain our secret.)  We got several keepers out of all these.

The Stuart Island School, the new building, from the 1980's.  The original is now the library and the teacher's residence is a charming museum of island history.  Do visit the next time you come to Reid or Prevost Harbor.

The view from our boat to the NW from Shallow Bay on Sucia Island.

A "Tri-ing" Life

Here at home port Poulsbo, the birthing room for harbor seals.  Lots of moms and pups along the dock.

First day out of port, caught a big ebb and sped away at daybreak.  Bright sunlight gave way to thick fog as we got out on the Sound.  Could not see a trace of our house as we hugged the coast heading north.

Seven hours later, emerging from the fog, we saw Mt. Baker and an immense cargo ship crossing in front of us.  Yikes!  Earlier, off Whidbey Island, in dense fog, we were entertained by the roaring fighter jets from the NAS, invisible but deafening as they seemed to swirl around in full volume surround sound.  Very eerie.

Happiness from a crab pot!  Two big keepers first pull and three more the next day.  These crabs seem to love salmon.  Too freezer burned for us to eat, as bait it provided two big lunches of cracked crab, a pasta dinner and leftovers for breakfast.

Next, we anchored in Fisherman Bay on Lopez Island in time for the Saturday market and a bike ride for David.  From the lobby of the Islander Resort I hoped to post some notes I had written a few days ago when there was no Internet access.  I couldn't get blogger to work but now, at Friday Harbor, with a new app, things are going well.  Lets see if I can get those notes to post now.  Yes!!

Poulsbo Yacht Club. July 24, 2013

Dumpster diving, such a novel way of kicking off the summer cruise.  Poor David.  He could not find the new boat license tabs after searching the boat, the car, the boat again, the car again, all his pockets, my purse . . . So we figured it had been mixed up in some odd bits of stuff that I had thrown in the dumpster.  There we were, after dark, with a flash light. Poking around in the yacht club dumpster.  At one point, the lid slipped from his hand and smacked me in the head.  We found a bit of our debris but no license.  On the way back to the boat, he suddenly remembered where he had put it, in a sack full of bike gear(!) and there it was, stored safely away in an unlikely place.  Yes, the Stupids go Sailing, Chapter One.

Next day, 3 pm, the day of endless fog.  Not much to see today.

It is strange to be surrounded by fog near Whidbey Island NAS when the fighter jets are training.   The roar is deafening as they swirl around you but you can't see a thing.

3:30. What! It cleared up!  Huge cargo ship approaching from port.  Great view of Mt. Baker to starboard.  Lopez island ahead in bright sunlight!

Friday night, Lopez Island, Fisherman Bay, on anchor.  Brr.  Another cold night.  Thick socks on for sleeping warmer tonight.  Hot chocolate helped for a bit.  Today was notable for catching and eating the best crabs ever.  Using a small piece of the freezer burned salmon from Jacob's previous summer catch,  we got a trap full last night in Hunter Bay, only two keepers, then this morning three keepers out of about eight.  We had two for lunch and put three in the cooler.  Saw a beautiful schooner this afternoon, Martha, an old boat immaculately restored.  We had a great sail from Hunter Bay to here this afternoon.  Sailed through the narrow gap at Spencer Spit.  Too close for my comfort!  Haven't gone ashore for two days but tomorrow I can explore a bunch while D takes a bike ride on Lopez.

Presto, change-o!

This old expressionist nude, reworked several times, met up with a new concept.

A sheet of address labels with the corners peeled back randomly, inspired a new version.

The nude, now veiled, offers more comfortable viewing and possibly provokes a little curiosity.  Now I don't have to feel so badly for the poor model!

Razor Clam Cakes

This was the batter.  We ate the crispy brown cakes so fast I forgot to take a picture!

Now Showing in Seattle

The sight of so many cherished paintings stacked up against walls and whatever in my studio got really annoying the other day so I started thinking of venues where they could be put on view.

"Transitions"

"Letting Go"

  As luck would have it, the walls were bare at a certain long time favorite restaurant in Seattle, so yesterday I took a carload of paintings on the ferry and Voila!  Mission accomplished.  

"Contemplating"

 I am very happy with artist Charles Moss who did a great job of hanging fifteen or so pieces.  

The thought of hundreds of people seeing these pieces every week makes me very happy, too.  

"Harvest Moon"

While I was in the restaurant I got to interact with some customers and staff.  It was fun but I'm also happy that the responsibility for running any restaurants is no longer mine.

Puttering and painting is much more my style.

In the Seattle area, visit Julia's of Wallingford for breakfast, lunch or dinner 

and take a peek at my paintings!

love acrylic prints

I highly recommend Fine Art America as an entertaining site for browsing all types of artwork by artists from all over the world.  You can read about them and correspond with them.  You can even purchase prints of their work if something catches your eye. 

Very rare face off. 

 They have always chased each other away at feeding time.

Inspired by backlit ferns last spring, I painted them this winter.

Urged on by Johnny Walker (the beverage and the gallery owner!)  I tried my hand at some semi-nudes.