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

Driving Home - Art

It is a long hot summer!
I have been stuck in my house for the last couple of months, looking at my photos and tweaking my presentations for art groups in Phoenix Area.
I did a nice presentation for the Teme Artists League in September and I will be showing for the Mavericks group of quilters and fabric artists this month. There have been some amazing fiber artists who were AIR in the Park!
Recently, the amazing Rebecca Mezoff did some truly stunning work! and Bill Meed and Denny Peterson were recent quilt artists as well.  I am hoping to let them know that the program welcomes ANY artist that needs, can profit from and give something back from the opportunity
So that proceeds. I  am going to present in Mesa in November and Peoria in January.  They are great fun and I get to meet old friends as I have been a member of many of these groups during my life!

So...

I am close to giving up on landscape.
I tried another of my super strong images that evoked so much emotion to ME from my loads of pictures in the park.
I tried a tonalist style on it and was defeated at every turn....
Here is the work as it progressed and pretty well stopped.
Sketched in, I was trying to get the curve of the road and echos of the wonderful wind blown falling sky in the distance...  Lots of impending rain and at that time of the year, very little wet!
sketch...paint.....

Final version....well, lets stay, where I stopped.

It was actually supposed to be about the lines in the road and tail lights, but I settled for the tail lights...

My little casita is just over the rise, across the road from the Painted Desert Inn.   When I was AiR, there was so little weather, but for the constant breezes, I have hundreds of photos of clouds.  

It is a good thing to do in 100° Phoenix weather, to reminisce about the cooler days...

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....

For Real. Last Day.....For June.....

Seriously this was as wonderful as the last last day I had here! I woke up fully intending to hike, but had a headache and my knees did not work from all that sitting yesterday, so although it was past Sunrise, I went driving into the park.

First absolute excitement was elk!



Elk makes sense in the mountains, but not on the plains out here. I saw two, and they were running and running and running. I believe it was easily 20 miles to 30 an hour I would race forward beyond them, try to set up where they would be being, wait for them to come at me and boom they were past. It was pretty damned exciting!!!










Finally, they got tired of racing me and just crossed the road...

A little farther down the road I saw more Pronghorn but this time I saw two guys, hanging out, butting heads! Like, practicing for the real thing, and I even got some video!




But that was not all.
I saw a solo guy, who apparently had itchy horns, as he was rubbing them in the bushes in a dry wash.  Odd indeed, and I asked Andy, the biologist and he said he would talk to the pronghorn guy!!1

And just round the end, I saw a family of one big guy and his girls...
They apparently had worn him out, as he just decided to enjoy the early morning sitting down!

Because the trip went farther than I had planned and I thought it would be a good idea to use the restrooms at the South, which was not open, I figured it would be a good time to go pick up more rocks.
I got a big handful, and came home and wash them, and wrote Holbrook on the side of all of them, because I want to make 100% absolutely sure no one thinks I'm taking them from in the park. I suppose I should have showed them to someone when I came in the first time, but it seemed kind of dumb...


Jorge told me there are usually coyotes over by the parking lot and the propane tanks. He said afternoon. I just came home from sweating and its 4:30, but he probably means evenings...
With no photos it doesn't really matter when I stop the blog, I will fix it all up when I get home. Biggest problem is I have a whopping 30 photos left to take on my photo card!

****
Turns out coyotes do not feel like they need to be in my portfolio, but it was a great, cloudless evening.  WAY windy, but there is an amazing NON sunset that happens on these nights.
And there was a pretty spectacular clear, bright moon... WISH I had a real camera.....

....."She's Back!"

Yup.
I got recruited to help at the PeFo booth at Route 66 Days on Saturday in Holbrook!
Bringing rocks, although I just found out the early breakfast is sponsored by Hashknife Posse.  Not precisely the same guys I know, but .... Just rocks....

Got out a little later than expected and I will be only posting photos from the phone, because I forgot the loader for the camera card.  May take a while.. but GREAT FUN ALREADY!!

The other casita is at an angle.  The kitchen is bigger and the view out the door is pretty spectacular.   I  No protective wall and top to bottom view of that hill (the one the deer were wandering) and only the neighbor and road are hidden from view!
I immediately re-arranged it.
I was not facing the sunrise when I woke.  The cat might have been confused.  I can look at walls at home.  I moved the desk against the wall and maybe shoved the bed a bit into the corner, but makes the room very spacious.

I also met my neighbor.  I told her I had valued my solitude and she was welcome to talk the me, but I would let her be, so she could have it all to herself.... then proceeded to move furniture, drop things, talk to the cat and pretty much be noisy.  I just realized I talk to myself ALL THE TIME!

The bathroom is even cool!  It has a smaller tub and the same size water heater, so I am able to fill it warm!  Not that I am as excited about a HOT bath, as the casita had windows open and was 86 when I got there!  I know the nights are cooler.  That is what I am most looking forward to:  Silence and dark.  Wind blows most days and it is calmer at night... or it was when I was here!

Ran across the street for my ice cream and then I had to head over here (yes, the old visitor center) to find out what I am doing tomorrow.  The rumor is to meet at the Adamana exit at 7:30.  I CAN SO DO THAT!

Wanna know the best of the best of it all???

There was a Tony Hillerman book in the desk for me!!! I may be too tired to read, and THIS time I know what to do with all my spare time, but JUST FOR ME!!!
I am in heaven for a few more days...

********
Since there's no Wi-fi anyway, and data is a bit more reliable in the Casita and Wi-Fi at The Visitor Center, (where I saw a moth that was easily four inches wide)

I have a few updates in the first evening.

Is though the thing has found the outdoors very entertaining. He managed to squeeze through a rip in the screen. This one is not nearly as well put together as the other one. So I noticed out of the corner of my eye he was in the window and then kind of not in the window. Never quite figured out where he went but it was in the other room and I had gone outside to watch the Sun go down. When I went in I couldn't find him, and that's when I noticed that although it was somewhat small, there was a tear in my screen with lots of fur around it. No cat. I found him on the other side of the house. I had been outside the whole time. He just didn't come around that side.

I was rewarded with a pretty spectacular Sunset, which I usually get! However this one was from the other side of the building. And I was lucky to have witnessed my second full moon! This is it rising over the old place...

Holiday Weekend Pt 2

EXHAUSTION.
Woke up with mysterious belly ailment.  I did not feel bad, but spent the day (happily unsurprised) waiting for a second explosion!
But I had worked so hard on a few duplicates and was ready with a new one and it did not work.  I forgot the demo... why?? I do this all the time!?!?!
I took forever drawing a new head to paint from scratch.
It was old 43 the ram, again.
I always say, don't demo unless you KNOW how it will turn out. I try to look like a genius in front of people, and do all my experiments at home.  Although this actually was the fourth try, one first day demo, the original big one, the sketch I left at home, then this, I always feel like I will fall on my face.  It was a little slower but actually there was a lot more spontaneity in the piece!
It happened.  It was good, but have very little to show for it.  I was talking a lot and meeting people.
I think I will look at the cars parking at the PDI and see if it gets busy.  I am not a 7 hour a day worker any more...

Just loading in tonight to keep myself on track.  I don't remember even taking photos... so you have none!... (well this:

If I cheer up, I may spend a little time tomorrow seeing if I forgot anything...
OH...Not only did  I meet the guy from Central City last weekend, TODAY I met a guy from Catalina! Another place nobody can possibly be from!!!
So that was cool...

Demo Day for Holiday Weekend, pt1

I had it explained that this weekend is not going to be all that I figured.
It seems as though Tuesday will probably be the big day.  That is when kids are all out of school and families begin long vacations. This is the kind of place that usually is your first stop on a prolonged travel. Although this is a long weekend that would allow slightly longer trips, the Big Crush will probably not be for a few days. Kind of makes no sense but these people know more than me.

It was not what you would call either profitable nor productive, but I did get some entertaining interest from a couple from Germany who thought they might want a portrait. The logistics have yet to be determined, but the desire was there! It's a little like what they say about golf: any day golfing is better than whatever the heck the opposite is. And this is so much better than what the opposite is.
So this is the summary of the whole day:

The top is a partial piece from the morning visitors, two mule deer. The bottom 2 are transfer demos. You can see, why this process is not exactly straightforward....
The top one you can see is after touch up. It initially had no beak, no tail and a chunk of its back was gone, but I went in with my tiny little brush and repaired him.
The bottom shows how it looks when I peel the paper off...ugh
My posts of late have not been quite as lavish, as I have actually been able to avoid going into the visitor's centers for Wi-Fi! Do we call this a victory that I have given up on my little computer? Or do we just call it too lazy to drive the extra 15 minutes up to an hour?
I ended the day with a run down to the teepees for Sunset. I never had managed to do that.

It was definitely worth it. Photos were in the real camera, however and I'm not sure if any one sums it up. But it was quite spectacular.

Science Experiments

Having plenty of enthusiasm for finishing #43, I tried a seemingly elegant way to stabilize my sandstone from parts up and down route 66 and 180, Dismal failure.. so I spent the AM scrubbing off the "transparent" surface, and went for a simple fixative to see what would happen.  I prepped some up to demo my transfer method during the long weekend.  

Then went hunting reference for paintings... rocks or paper?  My hyper kicked in... Below are the rocks in progress and my experiment on paper for a painting... ONE of hundreds I have in mind.  NEVER make a dent in 6 days.

I have a beautiful idea for the scene of the four deer I caught on camera last week from the casita.  The stripes are the first round of dawn out here.  Very often cloudless and there is an amazing transfer of color from dark at the top and gold at the bottom.  So that is coming...
Here is a drawing for the big piece I think may wait, as the experiment above is so perfect for another, more intimate but similar piece...

As a reward for all the work... and how I felt I had wasted a really BEAUTIFUL day, I walked across to find the WiFi working like a champ at PDI!  

While typing, four more unfinished projects hit me.... back across and hopefully, to the PDVC to get a couple of prints made for my rocks of the ground squirrel and ram....

I can paint when I get home, but I really sort of hate it when my brain goes into overdrive here!  I can paint in the dark... the scene from the patio is perfect!  The weather is PERFECT...

Does NO ONE want to adopt a permanent Artist In Residence to live and work for them?  Somewhere that you can open your windows from June through September???

*****

Forgot this... Up way too late, nearly counted on tomorrow, the first experiment was successful.

Looking for Rocks

I am thinking of the long weekend.  I had so much fun with people on Wednesday that I think rock art is a great demo idea.  Maybe a few decals, if I have enough painted to get some laser prints made.  It is a pretty fun show and tell.  The people are intrigued and learn a craft project.
So, I have decided to go south.  I took my usual hour to drive to the south entry and am going to wander the road toward Holbrook, looking for good sandstone, local stuff, that I can work on.
(YOU HAVE NO IDEA how beautiful the litter of sandstones on the ground HERE are!  I have never had to resist so hard!)
****
Later.  I had a little jaunt up 180, and got to see the white horses again but unimpressed by the rock options.
Like New Mexico, the stones are very delicate (at least the easily found ones right off the road.)
The project has become trying to figure how to seal them so they don't crumble and still look like the dry colorful rocks of the area.
One would not believe it, but I had a very long day and as it is 3:30, I am pretty sure the rest of it will be full or projects.  Did not feel great today.  I may try to just walk, if the wind does not blow me away,  I don't LOOK like I am obsessing, but I have so many projects in my head (and trying not to think of the fact that this is my last Thursday in the park.


I do not like that...
But in years gone by, artists only got two weeks, so I will dive in and make this last 7 days look like the  BEST part of the project!
THEN cry...

****
Much later, I found myself, as is my habit, working at night, not in the demo spaces. The initial rock plan, to hold the soft pieces together with "transparent" acrylic gesso had to be completely washed off. New idea later.
But I was energetic so I finished my ram....

I hate a blog without pictures....

Big Party!

I decided I would be seen.
I loaded my rocks and goodies and walked over to see the doings at PDI.   The day was warm (they started calling it hot) and morning had no wind so I set up on the outside patio.  With lots of rocks holding things down, I had no problems.


It was such fun!  I met an actual person FROM Central City Co.  Nobody actually is from there!  We talked about the good old days before casinos!  There were Chinese, German and possibly Belgian folk and unusually a few non-English speakers, but lots of Coloradoans.  Felt like old home week.

I finished my little ground squirrel pretty quick.  Smaller than usual pieces because the big rocks are still at home.  OR in the suitcase all wrapped and tagged and unsold!

I even made a lot of progress on good old #43!
Although I was not there a long time, I was pretty tired out.  The early mornings are not for me.  I got up again, a bit too late to make it to my deadline on Friday but I keep trying.





The dust and wind finally did me in at the PDI, but I went home and with a dinner party pending, found I was actively doing a LOT of stuff and nearly didn't get there in time.  MOSTLY because the internet was a total pain all day.




I met up with Suzy and Steve, and Jim and Annie and a couple visiting Suzy and Steve and a neighbor in the park at the mobile home of my favorite ViP Dennis and his ViP wife,  Jo Lynne.

They fed us.  
MY oh, my did they feed us!! Steak and mushrooms with onions, big salad and baked potatoes!  We fought the wind, but honestly, I am pretty immune to the wind.  Perhaps the picture of my hair expanding around me, and ending in my meal could be disconcerting to the observer, but for some reason, it seems like the park, playing and hugging me... seriously, I feel embraced.


I was excited to bring the cookies my client had donated to the trip that I PROMISED I would save for pot-luck donation and not snarf all by myself!  We adjourned in to their luxury land yacht (which reminded me so much of my Mom and her husband, Tom's traveling home) and chatted until after 8!  Great company and elegant hosts!

My hostess gift was a small print (perfect for decor on the road) of the drawing I made the night before.

PROBABLY part of why I am not doing mornings so well.

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!!!

Jane - Demo at PDI

I got it started last night, and put the watercolor under-painting on this morning. It kind of looked cool! So I figured it would make a great pastel and around 7:30, I realized I'd have to start putting it together to demonstrate.
I drove across and saw Jane pulling in, because I had taken the photographs of her last night I was able to use them for reference but have the luxury of having my model sit, there so people really enjoyed watching it here's a few progress shots:

I got to set up in front of the observation window and she was off to the right making beads it was kind of a perfect spot to be. I also had some of my rocks and some pieces showing other pastels that I made and on the end was the display of all of the actual artwork that I've done so far.

This was how it looked when I started over there. I thought it was a pretty good watercolor which was a big mistake because when you make pastels over watercolor you want the water colors to pretty much cover the paper and be darker than the final colors. It was such a good watercolor..... That I kind of goofed it up.

And this is a few hours down the road.  I did not have any trouble working and chatting.  LOTS of nice folks and interest in my work.

I even scored ANOTHER FREE ICE CREAM from the ranger.


Do I look that hungry.?.. NOT!

 And here is how she looked at 5, when I closed out.

I am not unhappy, but I would not tackle the beautiful and intricate necklace in front of people. I told them I did not want them to hear me swear. I am not unhappy.... I think I just said that.

Forgive me folks I am ridiculously exhausted. I had to eat, and just remembered that I didn't go to the store on my way home. So it was spaghetti and sauce. I have a can of fruit cocktail that I think will be dessert.

Of all days, the wi-fi at PDI was exceptional. After I have recovered I will go over and see if I can edit this on my computer. 

****Well, I got here. Decent wi-fi and forgot to charge the laptop!!!  It is marginally better and I hope the wifi holds for my mail.

Tomorrow the plan is sustenance!  Much as I am not all that cool on driving to town, I must get a few bits of something to fill the coffers for a week.  HOWEVER I did get invited to a little pot lucky thing that some of the resident volunteers are doing for us artistic types on Wednesday.  I am not sure if I can carry on normal conversation with humans for a whole evening but I promise I will spend two days trying to remember how it is done!

Zombie Returns to Where She Belongs... for now.

I did an awful lot in what seemed like absolutely no time! From the Park, the trip home was not a waste:

I brought my own sheets so the loaners were cleaned and folded for the next tenant.  Took the rugs (Thing had some furball issues... and they were obviously not part of the general clean up) to destroy my home washer... and indeed they tried!  So the floor looks all pretty.

I had a hard time rounding things up to leave, as the cat still woke me for sunrise but I was running on 4 hours sleep today.  Only forgot the laundry soap and never got the RUBBER CEMENT so my my birdie will be finished when I get home.

I just kept throwing things in the car.

I traded out most of my paper art samples and brought a few more of my rock repros.  (Like I said... there is still Yellow Horse...)

But when I hit the road about 8, I was physically running on empty.

Nearly got dozey on 377, the last third of the trip and my favorite part of the drive. High chapparral, lots of shrubs and flat.  I started smiling again as I turned on 40 out of Holbrook.

I have a grocery list I gave up on.  I rolled in, and wanted nothing but to sleep.  It felt like a wave of peace and energy poured over me

I am going to try to be more visible.   

I had talked to a weaver and bead stringer named Jane who was up for me doing her portrait.  She was in PDI today, so I made myself walk over with camera and got a couple of good shots.

I determined to pull out my newly tidied-up pastels and see if I can remember how they work.   I am pretty sure I do not... 

I sat on the patio, put the thing in the cage and enjoyed the COOLNESS.  No wind, and just brisk enough to NOT be Phoenix!! I drew and dozed.  

Here is my start on Jane.  I am planning to see if I can do a watercolor under pastel.  I have not done it for a portrait for years.  I also know I will kick myself with the amazing necklace she was wearing.

My boyfriend says he is ready to see more art and less travelogues.  We shall try!!

Painted Late and Slept in

I actually tried to got to sleep when the cat jumped on the bed as if to tell me "lights out" at like 10!  Much later than my usual bed call.  Of course that did not last long.  BUT somehow, the day was just gray enough and I got to cut zzzz's until 7! (after locking him in...)
I had to get the PDI out of my system, so I worked way to long on this 5x7" mini, to show for my stay.  I finished it this morning... this is not the FINAL piece but good enough.

I am posting a bit prematurely today, as I did another hour long 20 minute drive to the south end of the park.  With excellent wifi, I just could not pass up a chance.

I have it in my head I MAY actually do a real live landscape.  The badlands call me but they are like a movie, that is not a single still shot.  You cannot do it justice without the addition of the taime and motion that being here adds!

I will update it when I decide whether or not to stop by tonight and check in up north.

I actually feel like I own it.  The Park is becoming my personal domain.  I am trying to memorize every mile of the 28 and a couple of loops.  When people keep telling me to go walk, I have managed over two weeks and am not NEARLY full of what I see pulling over at the designated stops!  Nothing but wonder.

I had another set of visitors last night.  Their conversation from the casita next door actually was what woke me.  I saw them load suitcases and talk on the phone. I swear, they did not look happy.  How could anyone not be so sad to leave a place like this!  Either tears of sadness or joy, but not just the usual pack and move on.... I have no idea how I will leave....

I could not resist, however, and got my first seriously tourist purchase.
It is a bit too big, but I got a PEFO long sleeved shirt.


Thingy was unimpressed...