Walking the Northwoods roads in autumn...the changes are so apparent. Although the leaves have not started to fall yet...I see "tinges" and "fringes" of color in the maples now. We don't have a lot of maples up here. Mostly pine and aspen and birch. They will come in the weeks to follow. But for now the early and subtle signs are here.
Green and brown acorns are scattered about the roads and although the asters are now gone...the milk weed pods are out and the last of the meadow daisies. The False Solomon's Seal has gone to berries.
They are my favorite as the berries start as green and gradually turn to pink and then to a translucent dark pink with tiny dots. SO pretty.
I sketched these about life size.
Here is the real thing up closer.
Poison Ivy has a pretty berry too so you do have to be VERY careful what you stoop to pick.
Temps at night are now in the 40s and daytime highs are sometimes 55 to 60. With the sun out we sometimes make it to 70. I am in jeans and sweaters every day now. It is invigorating and fun to bake cookies and make chili and bake apples. Football starts this week and Greg has the wood split for the fireplace. All things that just do not seem right in Florida in fall.
Speaking of which we continue to pray for Florida as hurricane Dorian bears down on the whole state! As of Sat afternoon the predictions are that it may miss landfall and swing north but with the storm at a level 4 and moving so slow, it is going to have an impact will still be very severe. Lots of wind and rain and storm surges. Evacuations along the east coast are in effect.
Julie made us dinner tonight...roasted veggies and sausage. Wow was that ever delicious! The broccoli was from her garden and the other veggies fresh from the farmer's market. Decided to keep THAT recipe handy.
Been canoeing twice while she was here. WHAT a lovely treat. The high water in the lake this year has made our shoreline so different. We have more islands that we used to!!! Fun to weave in and out. There are beaver, otters, eagles, and loons.
Julie leaves tomorrow morning and Rick and his family arrive Thursday at lunch. A quick turn over. But such fun to have them.
Greg visited his ear doctor today for a routine ear cleaning. He's one of those folks who get a lot of wax in his ears and so having them professionally cared for is essential. I asked how he felt after they removed the wax. He said it is "drafty". 🤪 What a goof.
The Sketch and Painting group met at Red Pine Camp for Girls in Woodruff, WI this week. What a lovely spot...VERY hilly and a little challenging for knee-sensitive folks like me. But I managed.
The camp was actually closed for the season...all the girls were gone and just the crews there beginning to put things away. Painting the boats and bringing in the swim floats etc. So it was quiet and nice.
Got there late so the sketch is pretty small. But weather turned lovely and sunny for us after a slow cold and cloudy start. Lucky us. There was a large group but everyone spread out and so it wasn't until later I realized who was there. The location is about a 30 minute drive for me.
I didn't stay for lunch as daughter Julie was driving up from Madison that day for lunch and a few day's visit.
Today (Friday) it is rain rain rain. A napping day. And then off to an art reception this evening.
Some sketches come with natural stories attached. Those are often special memories. You can, I hope, read the the little bit that I wrote right on the journal page.
Fascinating little story attached to this little bait shop now preserved by community members who want to remember. That's the real story, isn't it. That people care enough to remember. That they plant flowers, repair the roof and mow the lawn. No money is charged to come.
And that people love to come there and feed the ducks. They bring their children and sit on the pier and chat. Edith and Hazel must be so pleased. I can imagine them sitting in the shade of of that old porch facing the lake having lunch.
The photo of the "minnows" sign is from the side of the shop that I could not see from my angle. The articles from the "museum" inside are just a few...there are tons. And the entrance hall has been sealed in plexiglass so that you can stand inside and see everything, but it is safe and untouched. That took some work and planning. It's really quite impressive. Full of old tea pots, tackle boxes, lures and bobbers and tins.
Keep in mind I had to drive about 45 minutes from Lac du Flambeau to Sayner, WI to find this hideaway and there is NO sign.
You can google it and get directions on line so it's not a secret but they don't put up signs so in a way this is kind of nice that it is more word-of-mouth. I guess it's quite popular and people stroll down or ride their bikes. There isn't much parking...one or two cars. Which is good. The town is very small but there are a lot of cabins and fisherman and bikers and families who like to come to the area. AND fisherman of course.
I am including also a little photo of the sketch as it first started. I like to lay in the shadows first. The reason is that they immediately start to shift as you draw. During the hour or two that you enjoy the sketch they are in a totally different place at the end. I often pick the angle of the sketch based on how the shadows fall. Because cobalt blue is very transparent, it makes a nice shadow I can paint right over.
A very lovely morning (and lunch) at Sandy Cashman's home on 4 acres in Manitowish Waters today. Her bird feeders drew me in so I had to sketch them! She and her grandchildren painted all the birds on the cross bar together!
While I sat sketching the flowers to the right, her parrot talked incessantly to me and whistled at me from his cage on the front porch. So funny. She has two Bassett hounds named Ethel and Lucy who are characters and like to howl in unison.
Lucky me.
Lovely morning around 75 but getting to 80 in the sun this afternoon. Light breeze. No mosquitoes this morning! Wow.
We were all in jeans but very comfy.
