Parkinglot Flora & and a little fauna

 It is a grim day when I don't draw, photograph or get to SEE somebody else's art.  A day or two ago, the sun was heading for nighty-night, and I hadn't done any of those things, so while we were putting gas in the car, I took a LOT of photographs of what was close at hand.
First was the SKY.  Amazing clouds!  and constantly changing light.  Blues, grays, lavenders, pinks and later, oranges.  It gives me inspiration to look at, and headaches when I try to figure out how one would actually paint them!

 Do you know what this picture is?  It is asphalt "glue" between some concrete sections by the gas pump.  Yup. Really.  Have you ever noticed that more thngs stick to asphalt than concrete?  (Note the fibers and the staple on the left arm.) (If you want to see this or any photograph larger, and on black, just double click on it and it will open in a newer, bigger version.)

 A red-winged blackbird was singing and calling across the boggy marshes.  It took me a while to realize all the different songs he/she was singing.

 These daisies were fairly ordinary AND overwhelmingly prominent.  The little lavender flowers have only been blooming for a few days.  I especially liked the way they contrasted with the sky-blue reflections in the water.

 I don't know what kind of shrubs/trees these are.  I loved how the setting sun just caught the semi-transparent petals of the white blooms.  (I was also pretty proud of myself that I got them in focus while allowing the background to be in softer, fuzzier focus.)

 The bird was still calling.

And, of course, eventually, the sun went down.

More on the way to and from Lowell

 On the road that follows the Merrimack River out of Lowell, there were occasional wide sections of water, parts surrounded by trees and hills.  I took a pretty rotten photo, cropped it and edited it and came up with the  painting idea above.

 Talk to the hand!  (This signal was at the entrance to U. Mass Lowell)

 Also on the shores of the river were hundreds, maybe thousands of people having picnics and barbecues... and scull races later.  You don't see racing shells much in Texas.  The trailer above was one of about 6 that we saw within a half mile or so.  I wish we could have seen them being paddled.

 And there was a big, temporary carnival.  I was initially looking in the wrong direction, but I did get a drive-by photograph of the backs of some prizes!

 I didn't hear about any accidents, so I assume that the petting zoo and rides were all plenty safe!

 The bridge over the Merrimack in Tyngsboro is actually quite beautiful in an iron and lace kind of way.

 On the way home we followed a big "silver" trailer.  The reflections of the sunset and our headlights looked pretty neat. When we passed it, we saw that it had room for four horses.

Lowell Cobblestones & Retroactive Anniversary Dinner

We had a lovely, (expensive) dinner at Cobblestone's Pub in Lowell on Sunday evening.  We were searching via the GPS for someplace "close" that we could find.  Cobblestone's had lots of stars, and when I saw that it was owned/managed by the same people that run Moonstone, I was sure it would be a good choice.

It was harder to find than expected because the actual address was on a block that was ONLY 1 block long, and that block was not where the GPS thought it was.  When we finally spied the sign, the good news was that there was plenty of parking, a cute little train station (or switching station or something) across the way, as well as an off shoot of the Merrimac river and also a bi-lingual Episcopal church with its traditional welcoming Red Door. 

We started off with simultaneous shrimp cocktails (4 enormous, fresh, icy-cold shrimp) and I had a Harpoon 100 Barrell lager.  Hubby thought I should have tried a Smutty-nose Old Brown Dog ale or maybe a Flying Dog Raging Bitch IPA.  I hope he's not trying to give me a message!

We both had chicken:  Parmigiana for me and Marsala for him.

Then we shared a piece of what was apparently flourless chocolate cake WITH ganache.  Ooooooooooooooooh, yum!

  We found a Barnes and Noble bookstore via the GPS, too.  Regrettably, since it is/was affiliated with UMass Lowell, and it WAS Memorial Day, the store was closed.  I hope the store makes more sense when it is open than the sign did when it was closed.

Mixed messages anyone?

Perqs of being Gra'ma and Gran'pa

A little bird..

We had an invitation (which we accepted) to watch over (i.e. babysit) HRH the Granddaughter last night.

Everybody survived! 
That didn't really surprise me, but I was reminded me of some of the various terrors that I experienced when I faced some new situation or another with my first born.

We got the low down (and then got it repeated) from my son, and then my DIL (aka "the mom").  Their schedules, requests and recommendations coincided, so it was all good.  Snack.  Play. Dinner. Play. Bath. Bed time routine (which might need to be repeated to actually "work.")  Put the dog out about 5 pm or if he barks.  Double check that he is fastened to the outdoor leash/dog run.

Mlle. J woke up from her nap before Mom and Dad left.  She was happy to see us, and played with M&D before they left.  She is definitely at the "bonded with mom and dad, DON'T LEAVE ME, stage.  Fortunately, it didn't last for more than 120 agonizing, earsplitting seconds or so. She kept her distance but was mollified by some apple snacks and smiles and no demands.

SHE knew her schedule.  I think that even if without most of the parental instructions, we could have followed HER requests. 
Frowning and sitting really still = I have a wet diaper, please change it!
Heat tilt and gaze toward kitchen = How about some more yogurt or some pears?
Playing with blocks, puzzle pieces with total absorption = I don't need you now.
Frown and walking into kitchen = "Yo! how about dinner?"
(She laughed at how challenging I found the process of getting the high chair tray on the high chair.)
Rubbing chin and shaking her head = my face is dirty, please clean me up.
Brings book and says "up" = read to me, or let me pretend to read to you.
Sits alone and looks bored = Yup, I'm ready for my bath and bed.

I ran some tepid water, helped her undress and it was arms up, and into the tub.  She wasn't much for actual soap or scrubbing, but definitely did an initial face wash prior to sticking all the sponge letters to the side of the tub.  (Thank you, DIL for the padded knee pad at the side of the tub!!)

Skipped most of the drying off process, but was ready for fresh diaper and sleepy T-shirt.  Collected bear, blanket, monkey and baby doll and let me know they all needed to be rocked for a bit.  What a bit of heave to rock  your sweet-smelling granddaughter until she falls asleep.  A first for her and me.

Gran'pa got plenty of hugs and kisses along the way.  Put the dog out twice.  Both times the leash latch failed or something.  First time, we found the dog in the back yard looking at us like we were next.  Second time we didn't find the dog, so called DS and confessed.  DS said that he had already been called by a neighbor who had the dog.  Whew.

I hope we get asked back.  We could fix their broken light switch.  Maybe supply a new dog leash latch.  Let Mlle. J have the pleasure of falling asleep curled up on a bearded man!

Forgot my sketchbook...

So DH stopped and I bought a new smaller one (5 x 7) that will always be in my purse.  I had a lovely  hour (or possibly more!) sketching at the riverside in Newburyport. (The photos will be better when I get to unpack my scanner.)

 More photos tomorrow--Even if nothing really adventurous.  AND we get to babysit the grandbaby tomorrow night.  LOTSA pictures for that, I think!

 I read a new book on Landscape Painting last night with lots of "composition hint."  I hope it shows!

 

 

This is exactly how crabby we felt when we realized we had another 6 weeks of "hotel living" to look forward to (unless we set off traveling).  Oh, and there are 30 rooms with 4+ teenaged boys EACH surrounding us .  Teenage boys are NOISY.

Now What?

 

We missed meeting up with our Realtor who met the Carpenter Ant, and Mold Inspectors, but ended up heading off to the Town Hall to see if there was the equivalent of a plat map that would show where our (maybe) house is situated in relation to the property line and set backs.  There wasn't.  What we did find was a "proposed plan" for the septic system which sort of indicated where things were. 

We found out that there is a larger set back than the Realtor told us... which means a little less flexibility on where (or how big) the future woodworking shop can be.  Hubby was definitely upset , disappointed and frustrated.

 What surprised me was that all the women working in the Town Hall new the husband and wife from whom we want to buy the house.  He's active in the historical society.  She's on the Library Board. I find it interesting that the Town Hall looks like a cross between a church and a school.  (Small, but fully computerized!)

 We might look into this carriage festival... If we can find Amesbury.

 There seem to be almost more ponds than one could map, name or know.  But this one is Haggett's Pond in Andover, MA.

When we got home, we discovered another inspector's warning.  HIGH RADON LEVELS in the house.  (There's a great Wiki article on the hazards, testing and remediation process).  

We pretty much got grumpy at the same time.  I had a nice afternoon in the hotel lobby finishing the last (semi-posthumous) Robert B. Parker novel, reading the NY Times and talking to strangers.  Hubby had a long nap.

Wasn't it Kahlil Gibran that recommended you have "spaces in your togetherness"?  Good advice.

On a cooler note, one of the neat local traditions which we've indulged in once with my daughter is the Summer Ice Cream Stand.  We actually went to Sully's (heavenly peppermint and mocha chip, worth returning for!) in Chelmsford. (I'm sure they've built extra loyalty by offering free vanilla ice cream to anybody's dog.  There was a pony sized black mastiff who looked perfectly happy with his vanilla white mustache.)

I scoped out Yelp and Google for something closer to our hotel and found Jay-Gee's.  MOBBED on a Saturday evening!  LOTS of flavors and teen socializing.  This particular location has batting cages, go carts, and miniature golf (with a giant plaster giraffe).

 I liked the sign:  HAVE SOME FUN TODAY.

More good advice on any day.

 

Down the road they're doing some construction with heavy equipment.  I took a photo and made it artsy (sort of.)  Always a fun endeavor for me.

Art Saving Sanity

 

 I've been playing a bit with doodles.. especially those on the net and in books called Zentangles  (a copyrighted commodification/monetization of  doodling.  I'm not sure that I really think they are appropriate for "intellectual property" protection.  The sequence of making the designs may be proprietary, but the end results will vary just the way handwriting varies.  We can all make a "y" or an "a", but everyone's, while recognizeable, will be different.  And, actually, there are lots of ways those letters could be written (or drawn) that would end up the same, hence eliminating the need for an "official process."  

I bet the mandala and zentangle people will be irritated by my novice views.

At any rate, I'm enjoying the process in my own peculiar way.

 Sunday afternoon we went to The Irish Cottage Pub to watch one of the Stanley Cup semi-finals games and with some snacks.  The locals were much more interested in THEIR team:  The Red Sox.  I drew this woman who said she always came in to the pub (possibly after work(?) to watch the final three innings.  I also found it interesting that the pub seems to have different glasses for every brand of beer and ale.  Next time I want to try the Crabbie's Ginger Beer.

Groton Expedition: Blossoms and Beauty

DH and I took a wandering drive across HW 40 to West Groton.  One of the places we stopped was the Groton Nursery and Garden Center.

 The first thing I saw was this sign for Salt Marsh Hay.  Apparently hay is one of the substances used for mulch, and hay from salt marshes won't rot, doesn't pack down, AND doesn't sprout weeds because gardens aren't salt marshes.  AND it is a product only found East of the Appalachians. 

 I asked one of the proprietors about the difference between Azaleas and Rhododendrons.  I thought it might be a dumb question, but she assured me that it wasn't because they were closely related species.  Azaleas tend to bloom earlier and be smaller plants.  Rhododendrons have bigger (almost spherical) blossoms and bigger leaves.  Apparently there are also deciduous and evergreen varieties.

 I had seen heucheras in nurseries in Dallas, but I think they are better in the lower numbered zones of New England than the desert zones of Texas. I wonder if they are these colors ALL year, or just in spring with new growth... or what.  Off to research.

 A crocus in its own pot.

 Giant Allium/Ornamental Onion

 A spikey blue flowering plant that I forgot to write the name of.

 Iceland Poppy.  If they grow well here, I'm going to have lots of them!  Love poppies.

 A mystery plant that looks like it is made of spun fiberglass.

 A specialty "daisy".  don't they look like children's drawings of flowers?

 Fuschias

 There were lots of bird feeders and lots of birds feeding.  I think this is a downy woodpecker.

 Hanging baskets in abundance.  I need to figure out how this could make a good painting.

Apparently Red Wing Blackbirds like fruit.  Oranges anyone?