Going Home

 Rambling thoughts today.

Cleaning up the Casita is the big chore of living there. Strange beasties and such think there is NO REASON for us to be there, and perhaps they are right.  The cat and I have successfully repelled things on all our trips.  Perhaps his chasing across the floor as I TRY to sleep and talking to himself is what scares them off. 

I pass on some wisdom to the next tenant in the book by the bed they call the Guest Log:

• My words of wisdom include refrigerating your trash.  It is semi-primative.  By today's standards, VERY.  Mostly no internet unless your data plan works up there. But there is electricity and fridge, stove, microwave.   Oh, and the cleanest tap water... sigh.... here in Mesa/Scottsdale/Phoenix, I have not sipped from a tap since I moved here in the 80s.  Just smells like gas, and tastes like fish.
• The Baby Navajo Taco is so perfect!  I like Pow Wows because there are so many fry bread booths.  BUT tacos are just huge.  This Baby is so just right.  Freshly made and a bit more merchandise than mama's handiwork, but it is the real thing.
• There are sundried goodies in our pantry, including plenty of spare sheets and beddings, but you have to wash when done. I just bring my own.  Since they traded queen bed for twins, I found I had a bit more than I needed:
  Not a problem.  I suggest a cat.
• DO NOT FORGET YOUR COFFEE, as they have a brewer and liners but if you need that cup, bring your grinds.

I really committed to the nothing of the experience.  I dawdled cleaning and made my third rearrangement of the furniture something I just feel compelled to do.  The cat in my car is smooth as clockwork these days.  Bigger car, and older cat.  He slept all the way up and was only mildly interested in a little walk on the leash before we left.  He is borderline boring.

I spent time in the visitor center in the Puerco Ruins.  There is a semi-stupendous slideshow (a good 15 min) that has all the archaeological discoveries.  I was mesmerized.  Normally there is so much to do.  I never actually DO anything.

On the way out, I made another pilgrimage to Newspaper Rock... not for the petroglyphs but for the omnipresent ravens.  They literally were feet away this time, hanging around, grabbing bugs off our grills.

I will say, this is sort of wondrous.  It is the first time I had people actually seem as excited to have me back as I was to think about my next return!!!

Festivities

 I was up plenty early due to the cat deciding to drag race through the house. I am hoping that means he's chasing vermin! It still doesn't mean he hasn't found every single thing to knock off every single table but so far only one really scary centipede.

I made my coffee packed for chili weather, which means I overdressed and lo and behold they're in the Painted Desert Visitor Center  parking lot was a gigantic truck filled with Christmas tree.

I arrived plenty early as the festivities weren't scheduled until 9:00 but luckily I got there just as the organizers said they wanted the ornament that was given to the truck driver (mine) last night to hang on the tree... that red space there at the very very back has clear windows and you can see a lot of the ornaments that have been given as special treats. I do believe the bulk of the ornaments beat the trailer to Washington DC. Because I goofed and left my phone in the car all I had was my camera which I can't upload from when I'm on the road but I did get a picture of me handing it to the representative.

(Seriously forgive me as I had to take the photograph from the screen of the camera which was what I handed to the gentleman who is their official photographer. See I told you I overdressed and I'm sorry you can't really see the ornament that well 😯. I have other pictures that I can post later. This is just what I can do with my cell phone.)

Aside from the free hot chocolate (which I vigorously enjoyed, having just escaped the hundreds and now into the high 90°s in Phoenix) there was a presentation which included an honor guard. And a nice little walk-through display from six Rivers National Forest including this gigantic slab from the bottom of the tree in the Box showing how old it was. Apparently it's one year older than I am.

I had plans to come and get fry bread on my way back in the evening but that was before I realized that I had slightly low tire pressure. From 100° to 39°. I believe that would account for it but it might be a better idea to check in Holbrook on my way out.

I spent the rest of the day doing the sort of things you would hope to do on a single solitary day in a single solitary place. I made myself drive out to the teepees and sit. Half an hour to 45 minutes in one spot just watching the clouds play on the badlands. And then I walked up to Puerto Pueblo and actually spent some time looking at it. I had already gotten some petroglyph pictures on a previous joint but this time I was more careful I didn't devour them hungrily I took photographs put down my camera and then watch them with my own eyes. As usual Ravens were doing their thing everywhere! And I think when Ravens show the rest of the animals are a little bit more shy.

I will tell you right now that one of the good things about this trip was I specifically tried to not take as many photographs I tried my best to experience so y'all are out the massive quantity of photo references I usually have, but I will say there are a few that are the memory evokers ...basically, casita experiences. Cats in the windows and sunsets....

Of course it's early on Wednesday and I'm going to have to clean up the Casita and pack stop in Holbrook and check my tires drop off my keys and mystery items provided to me so I could be identified as one of us in the park. A raven just flew past my window and I did not check for spelling errors... But so I can begin my day I'm going to just publish it and edit it when I get home I hope you all enjoyed this little adventure of mine. I do so love the Petrified Forest.

...A Post Script:  I just found if you still have Facebook... 

The US Capitol Christmas Tree Page

Little Visitors on the Flagstone

It is hot here in Scottsdale.
It is sweaty and the air never cools, but we did have a monsoon rain last night and I left the door open!!
That is all my excitement.

I have been working on  another one of my birch panels.  This is two little ground squirrels, snacking in the shade of a scrub brush, right outside the kitchen, when I returned in June.  It is only 10" square and I am feeling like it may need something.... later.

I am going to do another presentation on August 17 at the Tempe Artist Guild.  I will probably do some editing on the slide show and, of course, we have a few new paintings.

With a week to go, who knows what else will show up!

Will post the details in the next blog.

First Update

As part of the terms of being an Artist In Residence I have to do community outreaches back home.  Well the first one came quickly!
In April I was asking at one of the local Art Leagues if they might want to hear the report when I got back, so Scottsdale Artist League has scheduled me as their July speaker on July 11!
I am hoping to find a digital projector as most of my tale is images.  If not, I guess I will have to paint more....
I finally am at the first stop of my piece about the mule deer that walked above the casita one dawn....

I fear the photos is not showing well, and the piece is not quite the mood I was going for... but it is a pretty good sense of how I felt that amazing morning looking over my refrigerator in my kitchen!

I will keep showing pieces as they come and update you all about any events or follow up activities.

My plan is a presentation to the park in October, when I am on the way to my annual trip to Denver.  Poetic balance, I think....

Dawn...Day Two.

I am finding it is easier to blog as I find WiFi.  So here it is noon and the day is OVER!!
I tried taking the Thing's advice and when he got to digging holes under my head and the stars stopped twinkling, I decided to try this dawn thing again.
No deer today.  No lovely clouds so just the stripes of red turning from blue.
I brewed a pot to fill my mug and the sun was clearing the horizon as I jumped into the car.

I had never seen thelight from the East before.   I had determined that my residency was going to be about using all of the resources (well, not the extreme or terribly physical ones) that I could avail myself of and I had 12 hours alone with the place no other travelers had.

I have an unhappy (well, not so much as far as sleeping goes) report.  The Tee Pees are not exciting in the morning.  Not at all!  they are shadowed and gray and not the ever changing and radiant source of inspiration I have come to love.  I was not awe-struck... and I tried... but I do believe if I were a bit more fit, I would recommend others to see what happened in Blue Mesa and leave so you could see the sun paint the landscape.

But seriously, I was still hunting my wildlife.
Ravens had a couple of conventions in very odd places, just to defy me.  Bunnies were there but not too abundant, and I spied 5 pronghorn through out, but I finally found my Jacks!!
Not the BEST ref but they were out and about and with some editing, clear and usable shots!!
Also a great little ground squirrel on a rock, and I have already started a very small rock art for demo purposes of him.

It was productive!

I am trying hard to see if I can get more beasties under my belt.  I sometimes feel like I am doing nothing.   Yesterday I did work a bit more on Jane, but must say, my eyes get burned out on going through my photos, the wind and a day full of pastels.  Back to my glasses and they give me headaches!

I also got invited to go on a bird survey (which is the real reason I am practicing early rising) and I WANT to, but I seriously fear I could be an asset.  I would not whine, but do not want to be left in a pile while they go be busy and I gasp for water, or air or new kneecaps.   Will give it tomorrow and if I am not shaping up, go tell him I may no show.
AND the reason I am so anxious to help is that ANDY HAS RUBBER CEMENT!!! (Andy is the Park biologist.  FINALLY I am bumping into the correct people with the information I seek.  NOW, with one week left....)
Now I can finish my little house finch and see how it turns out!!!

Finally, I am going to prep another demo of good old 43!  I left a snapshot in Andy's office as the biology pro has yet to spot the lonely ram who has wandered the park at least since I saw him last year.




Perhaps these stone pieces will get some progress shots.
I tend to work at night to fight off a cat who needs entertainment and if I get moving in public spaces, I may find myself needing more chat breaks and snaps I go.




The excitement (other excitement) of the day was visitation by the plumbing crew to be sure my fire sprinkler system and tap water (which they have no idea what a blessing it is to turn on the tap and DRINK TASTY WATER is for a Phonecian who goes to the water machine every few days like the settlers went to the well!  It is heaven!!) and we chatted in the casita.
Good times!!!

Making Plans

I had thought of a really fast up and down to town today, but I got a sinus headache and thought about a possible income opportunity so I opted for Friday....
But when I woke, the sky was so amazing!  Contrails here are beautiful:

Waking up early is such a different way of life. I spend what seemed like a long time at my little desk, cleaning my pastels, as I am nearly ready for a try at them...

 And I had organized a lot of photos for subjects, thought about some more ideas and am going to be looking at Route 66 stuff. 

Went across the street to see my buddy Dennis. (HE is the guy who has never steered me wrong!  He knows where everything is and isn't) and he suggested a couple of spots in the park where the pavement still exists.

I must stay, it made me sad.  I can only imagine myself in a corvette (OF COURSE!) driving past the stunning view from this pile of torn up asphalt!

An afternoon of pretty windy weather, got me sitting on the patio in a break reading about  my possible BIRTHDAY celebration tomorrow as a jaunt to Gallup and a photo spree of great neon signage and remnants of the highway.  

As I sat, I realized I was upsetting my neighbors.

Two house finches (I am told... Or I think I was..) have built  lovely nest above my doorway.   They sat on various twigs and trees all around, waiting for me to vacate!

So I did.


Seems like Dad had a little look back as he went on a second run but mom's tail can be seen peeking out! I know these guys.  They are an honest to gosh couple.  They work as a team, looking for food, and they greet me with a loud WHOOOOSH when I go outside.  I can find them looking from the tops of the trees the whole time I am out.  They are pretty inspiring.  

He is happy to see me indoors.

Time and Place

A little less bright and although the cat still believes in 5:30, by working later last night, he was a little more cooperative when bed rolled around so we slept the whole night!

The clouds were billowing and today promised real weather.  At different times it was bright and sunny, then gray again. The weather over the PD was long black and blue or soft white right from the edge!  And real rain.


I headed to the compound for the blog posting and had a very hard time resisting the smell of the Navajo tacos.  I started in the cafe, but there was no consistent service.  My friend Suzy, the girl who is everywhere, suggested the conference room in the offices.  Such a joy!  Just sitting at a table in a chair... I mean it was no McDonalds but much faster and no falling on my face or bouncing from signal to signal.  A definite possibility leaving longer time to myself!
From there I had a weird idea that the birds might be hanging out where more people drop food.  So I aimlessly wandered and found this sign... how could I resist!






Then this...



And this.

Behind the walk way is a row of offices with great big windows for eavesdropping on hard work.
I had a really nice chat with Cathy from the Paleo labs. She was one of the women who was carrying the plastered fossils yesterday and showed me the breaker box. I told her she could not miss my demo in Holbrook on Friday and should find me on Saturday and Sunday in the PDI.  We discussed the dangers of carting in my Flagstone blanks!  I mean it is precisely like the rocks just flaking off my wall outside!  No pilfering allowed! So when I do my demos, I might just put an ink disclaimer on the side so I can explain how these were from scraps and construction left overs in Denver and Phoenix and no IN SITU rocks were harmed in their construction.

I headed home and snapped this shot standing by my car and over the top.  Such an amazing gift to be here!!!

Went in, and promptly curled up for a sleepy, napping mid-day. And the Thing and I did some epic napping! In and out until almost 3.  The head was just low enough to need a cover to curl up under and the dark sky trickled down... not poured.  Over the canyon edge the Desert was cloudy white.  Tourists poured in, as it was one of the great view points without wet, but we caught up on the nights without sleep.  I have a piece of a little bird sketched and ready so I didn't feel guilty.  Just warm and cozy.

About closing time, the weather broke and the land was visible again. I could not resist a pre-sunset drive into the teepees.
This sight made me beam!

 Every car is stopped in its tracks gasping at the amazing scenes revealed by wet earth and migrating clouds!  I pulled over in the main teepee pullout, behind three or four cars and we would point back and forth across the road pointing how beautiful the changes were while watching the other.

I stood in ONE SPOT for about 10 minutes.  Just snapped as things changed.  I know I took over 13 shots but these groups explain what I cannot show, or actually paint.

The land is less for 2 dimensional art than dance or theater.  This is scenery that needs the element of time to understand how the eroding piles of basically colored mud, change from viewpoint and clouds and moisture.  To stop at a single scene does not do it justice.  I have found myself stopping dead on a turn I have gone over maybe 10 times already, too narrow to pull over, and seeing if I can snap a shot only to get home to see... well a scene.  It is the wonder of a mound of white and read suddenly exploding behind a wall of purple.

I have three weeks to load these moments of wonder into my head.


I raced home and worked on my bird picture.

This is something that I CAN do.
My art is about capturing a moment in time.
Small moments, these I can do, but the scenery is to monumental for me.!

Getting Oriented.

There is something about having a REAL WINDOW SILL for a cat to settle in for the day, that makes this Thing, so much more cat-like.  Although he was still a total pain the first night and was banished for a few hours in the night (his plaintive cries did touch my heart..) he eventually actually curled up next to me and we slept.   Not really what you would call a long night (I did too much straining and stretching packing and the car ride whacked out my hips so I was up and down.  I even spent a while watching what I figure in the morning to be reflections from the OTHER window of the road out east. I thought it must be campers but they were  spookily nearby.  Ha.  I think this may explain the haunting across the road... reflections.

Before the sun actually came up (maybe about 5) a yellow orange glow fills the cloudless sky in the east.  Startling colors.  Not soft gentle pinks one is used to... but not enough to rouse me.  THAT happened a little over an hour later when the sun BLAZED in on my eyelids.  Once up and over the sill of the window, it was a perfect alarm.  I adjusted the center panel in the blinds to block the earliest rays and found myself brewing a pot of Mr. Coffee to load into my travel mug and see if I could play alone on the Painted Desert Inn patio and start loading the blog.

In the morning I realized the wifi was a phantom to chase, not a real thing available to me near home.  The PDI has a transmitter that only temps, not rewards wifi seakers.  But the walk across the Park Road was worth it.  Long before the the tourists and rangers showed, it was a chilly but not cold start of a day.  I found some amorous birds enjoying the shortening shadows with me as I slowed down again to sip my coffee and enjoy the view.  Every morning and evening, it is going to be different.  I am sure the  possibilities will overwhelm me.  I am going to try to just WATCH.

The actual environs around my place are pretty nifty. 

Aside from the greeting I got from a The landscape is full of blooming yucca. I  remember Mom valuing the pods for crafts etc.  

I also thought there was a scattering of actual litter.  White flowers individually stood boldly against the dusty, scruffy landscape. 

I wandered on the hill above the casita and got lots of little things... 

There were little jewels of rocks and shrubs.  I picked up two stray bits of petrified rock to admire in the cottage during my stay.
I saw a huge footprint of a wild beast.. fearing Coyotes or worse, I realize in a dog friendly park, Just good old Rover leaves his traces...
I met a Tarantula Wasp, and the little lizard (who I hope is not the one later in this tale..)

Late morning I went to the visitor center and scouted the wifi and laundry and loaded yesterday's blog. Kip was going to be at PVI all afternoon and I said I would bring the spare car magnet for visitors... Then I went off to see the museum in the ACTUAL Petrified part of the forest.

I had chatted with a cute woman from England who said her whole reason for being here was a discovery of Route 66.  

I am still working on  my theme of visitors, but it was initially following the ravens... all of whom have abandoned me so far. Packing up pencils as if I would do anything besides photograph, I filled up the card with the same amazing views as a year ago....then suddenly near Puerco Ruin, they found me.

My first painting will definitely be him, as he perched atop the silver vent on the restrooms, the 1/4 moon faint behind him in the bright day....

I met four lovely poodles on their way home from a club meeting in St. Louis.  They may be the second in my series.

A LONG eye-burning windswept trip through the park, found me exhausted but I managed to roll into the parking lot before the PDI shut and I walked the sign over to Kip.  I met my fellow artist, attempting to capture the vista across the street!  I am too daunted for that!

When I came back, the cat was looking intently at something....

It was a mortally wounded lizard who did not seem too excited to leave or to stay.   

After brushing him out the side door, I felt pretty sad.  

I had found a tiny broken egg this morning on the patio from the nest directly above my door and a petrified smaller lizard body.  

It is all natural, but it all made me sad.

We Have Arrived!

A really uneventful trip but late start, made me too anxious to just get there so I bypassed the trip into Holbrook, figuring a spare (they made it wrong..) SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito from Payson would make my dinner, with breakfast bars, coffee and sustenance to keep me from starving for a few days, I would be fine!  We got the key and used the cabin-provided sheets and such (I brought my own... too small...ugh) I made my own "Decorator Showcase"of a nest, complete with deep windows for cat viewing of the world!

Being a recently ingrained slug of a couch potato, I knew I was not fit, but seemed to pull a hip out of whack and 4 hours behind the wheel was not helping.  I arrived stiff and getting sorer.  "What a wonderful testament to how fun the park is for the handicapped" I thought as I finished loading in to my new home..... Dragging and whiny, I did take a walk across the main park road to the Painted Desert Inn RIGHT at closing. and wandered off into my own little reverie thinking of the FIRST wave of romance the park had inspired......

I circled the perimeter and looked out on to the Painted Desert as the shadows were lengthening.....

I began feeling the peace and calm.  

Returning to the casita, as it got dark, I tossed and turned and argued a little with the cat, but turned off the internet, read a bit of the journal of previous tenants in this historic structure and decided my task was to explore the wonders of actual silence....