Paintings and Cards

A painting of a cardinal that I did last year.  He’s living in the home of a friend now.  The following are some of the paintings and cards that I made last year.

Moon, Clouds and Water

This month’s almost full moon rising over the eastern hills.  I love to see Herself in the daytime.

There were some interesting mid-level clouds hanging around last week.  Our poor, parched hills are starting to green up, but they won’t stay that way unless we get lots more rain this winter.  So far, our rain total amount is only 15 inches.  

Took a drive down the desert side of the San Bernardino mountains to Cleghorn Canyon.  Not much water in Cleghorn Creek, but the sky was a beautiful blue.  

Beautiful Nature

Two pretty sunsets from last week, one taken by Lake Gregory and one taken from Highway 18, also called Rim of the World Highway.  I love sunsets, even though I find them a little melancholy.  

But I find fallen acorns very hopeful and life affirming...each one might become a beautiful oak tree, or feed a hungry squirrel!  

Winter Woes and Blessings

This has been a hard winter so far...and there’s still three months to go!  Thanksgiving was pretty much canceled up here by a huge storm that dumped nearly four feet of snow and knocked out the power for five days.  This was the first time the power had ever been out for this long. I didn’t move anything out of the refrigerator, because I was thinking the power would be back on any minute, so lost everything.  This storm also killed my trusty, dependable 2003 Ford Eddie Bauer Expedition by knocking a tree down on her.  Killed her DEAD.  Thankfully, no one was in the car when the tree came down and it missed my little cottage.

Things were just getting back to normal by Christmas when another huge storm swept in on Christmas Day dumping two feet of snow.  The kitties and I had our Christmas dinner however, because I roasted our turkey on Christmas Eve.  Ha!  Take that, crummy weather!  And this time I lost nothing from my refrigerator because I had a large ice chest ready in case the power went out, which it did for three days.  Happily my Christmas present to myself made it through this storm unscathed.

Her name is Ruby Subee, and I love her.  She’s a 2020 Subaru Ascent Limited and she has so many gadgets she practically drives herself!  I was a little apprehensive because she only has all wheel drive, not four wheel drive, but she did very well in the Christmas storm.  

I’m hoping the rest of the winter isn’t as bad as November and December, but we still need all the precipitation we can get, so I’m not hoping too hard.  I’m just hoping it comes as rain instead of snow!

Cold and Snowy

This is the photo that goes with yesterday’s post.  

Happy New Year

This year is starting off cold and snowy-well, really it’s been that way since Thanksgiving.  I hope 2020 is a good one for you!

(No photo, I'm trying to do this from my iPad - apparently the Blogger app doesn't work as well as I had hoped it would).

Merry Christmas

All the decorating is done, presents wrapped, cookies baked, candy made.

The mice are making merry in Mouseford Falls... 

And Alyce and Rita are getting ready to dream about what they'll get for Christmas.  I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year!  And, you can find me on Instagram at brushstrokes 6400.

Beautiful Autumn

This Steller's Jay seems to know that the yellow autumn leaves are a lovely contrast to her (or his) feathers.

Malcolm and Max are loving lounging on the couch...of course, this is a year round hobby for them!

This autumn has been one of the most beautiful I can remember.

It's really surprising, given how water-starved the trees are now.

Everyone who lives up here is hoping for a really long, wet winter to refill our lakes and nourish the forest.  That's Lake Arrowhead in the photo above. 

I hope everyone has a good November!


Linking with Saturday's Critters

This 'n That

This Northern Flicker was posing on my bird feeder so, of course, I took a photo!

Lake Arrowhead was looking especially beautiful yesterday.

My cottage is all ready for Halloween. 

The color of the trees up here this autumn are really spectacular.

This photo is from five years ago when Alyce was a kitten.  She just loved playing in the Halloween tree! 


I hope everyone has a great Halloween and, if you have critters, be sure to keep your pets inside to keep them safe. 


Linking with Saturday's Critters

Skywatch Friday

Autumn is well under way up here in these mountains. 

The cooler temperatures remind the forest creatures that they need to fatten up for winter, but I think if these raccoons and skunks were any fatter they might burst!

Preparations for Halloween are all done, although if I get any trick or treaters I'll be surprised.  Last year I got exactly none.  Back when my husband used to make the yard into a haunted house we got them by the hundreds.  The churches and the merchants of the little village I live in do quite a bit for Halloween, so perhaps the parents just feel it's better not to let their children go to strangers' houses.  I hope your Halloween, if you celebrate it, is a good one for you!


Linking with Skywatch Friday

Well...

I said in my last post that I'm back and could post more often...well, something must have heard me that didn't want me to post, because two days later I somehow injured my back and was laid up until now.  It's feeling better, but I still can't sit for long periods.  That's Alyce Eloise in the photo getting ready to leap up on her cat tree.  I wish I could be as flexible, graceful and athletic as my cats!

We're getting some pretty autumn colors up here and we even got over an inch of rain yesterday!

I've been doing some fall decorating and it's been cool enough for a fire in the evenings.

Malcolm thinks he's helping... 

Clouds receding over Lake Arrowhead.  Hopefully, this will be a really wet winter for Southern California, we need it! 


Linking with Saturday's Critters

I'm Still Here!

I finally got an antique desk for my home office to house my computer, so hopefully I'll be blogging a little more regularly. We've been having lots of beautiful thunderclouds from July through August, but they have only given us 2 tenths of an inch of rain.  Talk about stingy!

I've been working in my studio and back garden, making cards, painting and growing flowers. 

Taking walks through the forest... 

and taking lots and lots of photos.  I mostly take them with my iPhone X nowadays, but I'm finding that although it takes good photos for a phone, it really can't match my Nikon and Canon cameras. 

The hydrangeas were beautiful this summer, but they've all turned green now. 

I bought a new rose bush, "Frida Kahlo" and she is wonderful!  Lots of blooms, great scent, and the blooms vary in color. 

The wild blackberries are ripening all over these mountains.

The shops up here have their fall things on display.

The temperatures are dropping, especially at night, and the kitties are staying cozy.  (That's Sophia wearing more stripes than usual). 

Stella looks like she's getting ready for Halloween! 

And there have been lots of beautiful sunsets at Lake Gregory. 

Linking with: https://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/