In the past

In the past, I would wake up early and start reading the blogs and the on-line newspapers. That would usually generate enough steam for me to post half a dozen pieces on this blog. But now I paint. I still get up early but now I'm reading the blogs of artists along with my usual dose of news. Then I go to my studio (the garage) and work. I have at least four paintings in the works and hundreds more in my head. And I'm getting better. My skills are increasing and I'm not quite as scared of the white surface of a new canvas. Since I'm a painter of abstract art, some people will never know that my skills have increased...

We have a new order in our lives and it begins each morning (after the paintings are set aside) with a trip to Chico for our 4 mile walk in Bidwell Park. The park has already begun to show signs of the change in seasons and it's beautiful. Good for the soul! Then we go for coffee or do some shopping before heading back home. Then it's back to the art until I have exhausted my ideas for the moment and everything I have painted is wet. Around 2 PM it's time for a nap. Now that I have a CPAP machine, I strap the appliance on and 'oxygenate' for an hour or more. It works and I feel better, more energetic, when I wake.

Today I had to mow the orchard after I woke and I also picked tomatoes (a dozen!) and harvested a good amount of walnuts. The pecans are very close to being ripe enough to be shaken out of the tree. I should also mention that I saw the first tomato hornworm of the season. He was about 2 months too late but he was trying to catch up. His appearance made me angry enough to pick him off the plant with my bare hands (yes, I did!) and threw him as far as I could.

After that it's usually time to read for awhile. We will read for a few hours and then it's time to make dinner. I'm preparing some Red Snapper tonight and will try steaming it for a change.

After dinner it's time for a Netflix show. We watch one episode of 'The Good Wife' each night before going back to our reading. Yes, it's a pretty quiet life now and I'm not really sure why I decided to give you a play by play of today's 'life'? I just kept on typing and the words made their way onto the blog. Oh, well...