Sunday

Chanel 106 is having an "Andy Griffith Marathon", so my television is on .  I can watch a lot of the Andy Griffith Show, and have a book close by so I can tune out the commercials.

************************

Here is the finished drawing of Bogie in his Fourth of July scarf,  I can see I need to work on the bottom of the drawing and not make such an abrubt stop.  I'll extend the scarf and hair on the right side, maybe some lost edges - - - -



Saturday

The Internet was down for a long time yesterday.  By the time it was back, I was out of the mood to blog.

What a nice rain we had last night

I ordered a new footsool.  I use it at my drawing table and in front of my rocking chair, because my legs don't reach the floor.  This is what the top of the old one looked like, and one leg keeps falling off.  I know I could recover it, and some carpenters' blue would probably keep the screw in on the leg it keeps losing.  Too lazy.  The top of the new one lifts and you can store magazines, etc. in it.

This is not quite the use I had in mind when I bought the new footstool. 

******************************

I should finish the colored pencil drawing today.  Still not the right paper, but better than the first attempt.  I hauled the big sheets of drawing paper out of the closet yesterday and sorted through what I  have.  The paper I should be using is Canson Mi Tients.  I have a pad of it, and some full sheets, in  lucious colors.  Note to self:  Use the right darned paper next time you start a drawing.



Thursday

I took the colored pencil drawing with me to art group yesterday, looked at it for a while, and ripped it in half.  I have started a new one, on a soft green paper, and so far am happy with it.  The first was on a piece of off white paper that I thought was good paper.  But maybe I got mixed up on my papers and used something that just wasn't working right with the pencils. 

************************

I did a little "Googling" this morning, looking for images of horse muzzles. Just as I suspected, even without any pressure on the reins, the corners of the mouth turn up a little with a bit in the mouth, and turn down a little without a bit.  My horse in the reference photo I used for the drawing had a snaffle bit in his mouth.  I didn't draw the bridle and bit, but the corner of his mouth turned up, like the bit was still in it.  Judi was the one who picked up on it.  She said "your horse looks like he's smiling."

***************************

 Still trying trying to "unclutter" my life and cleaning out dresser drawers and closets.  It was hard to throw this old shirt out.  The kindergarten class took a field trip to the ETC shop and Carolyn Bing made them all tee shirts.   A good day in Kindergarten!

Tuesday

I've done a little cleaning this morning, and worked on the colored pencil drawing.  The drawing has not improved.  I hate the paper and am not liking how the drawing is progressing.  Maybe I won't waste any more time on it.  Find a new sheet of paper, and a new reference photo.  I can usually tell pretty soon whether or not a drawing is going to turn out okay, and this one is not!

**************************

I got out the fan yesterday and turned it on.  I guess I better drag my portable air conditioner out of the closet and get it hooked up. 

Missing the afternoon shade of the big pine trees.

This photo has been posted on the internet a lot lately.  Cute, huh?

This is definitely my house!



Monday

Warm, lazy day today.  Temperature at the airport is 79 this afternoon.  We don't have much wind, just a nice breeze.

The fire has now consumed 64,000 acres, and is 55% contained.  Looks promising.  And I did hear that some ranchers were able to return some cattle to their grazing allotments.

*************************

I started a new colored pencil drawing yesterday.  I don't feel good about it yet, but it's too soon to tell, I guess.

The new neighbors are making a good impression on us.  I wasn't sure about them at first, but I think I like living next to them.  Barrie went over and introduced herself to the man.  He and his fiance live there, and he  has his little girl for the summer.  She looks like she is three or maybe four. 

They have mowed, weed-eated, raked and trimmed dead stuff out of the yard.  That yard has never seen such care before!  He has hauled several loads to the dump in his pickup.

I really do this!!



Sunday

Lots of activity at the humming bird feeder this morning.  There are now two hummers, and of course they fight over the feeder.  Kat is mesmerized.  She lays on the table in front of the window and watches.

************************

Kasey loves playing in the yard when she gets home.



Here she is standing in the spray from the siphon.

She is enjoying the swing so much.  You can see the grass is already looking a little yellow under the swing.  There was a time, a long time ago, that the ground under the swing was bare.

She jumped out of the swing, and told me, "I can do that now that I'm five."

*********************

Watched my new video on drawing animals yesterday.  Made my hands itch to get my pencils out!  And of course, I had to order a couple of new "gadgets" that the lady in the video used.



Friday

Beautiful fireworks, as always.  Enjoyed watching them.

The little horse I drew earlier this week now has no nose.  I erased it, and will try again to see if I can get it right.  The horse in the reference photo was wearing a bridle and had a bit in his mouth.  Maybe that is why my drawing with no bridle and bit turned out so goofy.

I did this quick sketch using charcoal yesterday.  I really like charcoal and would like to be able to draw something worthwhile with it.

The fire is now 25% contained, and it sounds like things are looking up.  I still worry about the ranchers in the area, as they have lost their summer grazing, and I think most of them have moved their cattle into irrigated meadows, which will damage their hay crop. 

These rules are for my daughter, Tracy.

Wednesday

Happy Fourth of July everyone.  Stay safe.

*****************************

I finally have a hummingbird using the feeder at my window.  There may be more than one, but I've only seen one at a time.

I finished this small drawing this morning.  And as usual, as soon as I look at a photo of a drawing on the computer screen, I can see things wrong with it.  The horse in the reference photo had a face almost like an Arabian, and somehow, the muzzle got oversized when I drew it. 

***********************

A message to my daughter, Barrie, who doesn't like me posting pictures of her butt on my blog:  Just watch your back, girl!!!

Tuesday

Uploading a video in Blogger is like pulling teeth.  I finally gave up.

When Barrie picked KC up from kindergarten, the teacher told her they were teaching her to "pump" in a swing.  Kasey's little swing was one of those that she couldn't do much except have her mom push her.  So Barrie went to the Food Basket (Yay Food Basket) and found Kasey a "big girl" swing.  Happy kid, and Barrie likes it that she can sit in the shade and watch.

********************

The frogs have been very noisy lately.  Sounds like they are on the hilllside by my house.  A new hatch maybe?  The  ones in the hay field are noisy too. 

One year the girls and I found pollywogs in the puddles on our street.  We caught some, brought them home, and put them in our aquarium.  We turned them loose in the yard when their legs grew.

I know nothing about the frogs here.  I don't know how big they get, but all the ones I have seen are onlly about an inch long.  They turn up in strange places.  One time there were a dozen or more in the corner of my basement, and one time there were a bunch of them in one area of my lawn. 



 Tracy at the Waldo Canyon opertion center in Colorado Springs.  She and the other woman went there for the weekend to assist with public information operations.  she said it was a valuable experience for her, as it's possible they could face the same situation in Summit County some day, and she is the Public Information Officer for the Summit County Sheriff's Department.

The President had been there the day before, so she missed seeing him.

************************

  I thought this coffee background would make a good bobcat drawing, but it didn't turn out the way I wanted.  Oh well, it's just paper.  I've got more paper, more coffee, and more time.