Parade of Animals!

Hi everyone...I'm back from the Bay Area! Thanks so much for all your sweet bon voyages...I read your comments while I was there and they made me feel all warm and toasty.

It was a fast and furious visit and I'm feeling a little brain dead today...but I wanted to share a few photos with you. One of the highlights of our trip was to meet the menagerie of animals at a farm just above my mother's farm in Petaluma. My mom's friend, Lisa runs this place...where she takes in animals that have nowhere else to go. There were goats, pigs, chickens, roosters, rabbits, geese, ducks, horses, donkeys and tortoises to name a few. I was in heaven! Thought I would post pictures of some of them because they were so dang cute. The cow, Miss Lulu, belongs to my mom. She's kind of a stand-off'ish cow most of the time...but this trip she let me scratch behind her ears. I love you, Lulu!

Be back soon with a new painting!

Tallulah and Me
(this is for YOU, Katherine and Amy!)

Cleo
(elderly but still full of pig power)

Lulu
(my mom's pet cow)

Marshall
(a little shy but sweet)

"I can't remember his name" Goat
(liked to chew your pants)

Back in the saddle

"Ridgecrest" by Kathleen Lipinski, 48" x 48" oil on linen

First of all, the painting above is by one of my favorite Bay Area Artists, Kathleen Lipinksi. When I think of Marin County, where I grew up...I think of her gorgeous landscape paintings that capture the beauty of the area. There's nothing quite like seeing the fog rolling in over the golden summertime hills.

Now on to the main course...wow what a trip! I have been so exhausted today that lifting a pinky finger seems hard. HA! Our trips to the Bay Area are always that way. We have so much family and many friends to see there so the days are packed full without a moment to spare. It's always a whirlwind and hard sometimes but seeing all of those dear, special people make it all worthwhile. Usually after we get back...I need a day or two to regroup and take it all in.

I wanted to post some photos for you but the dang camera went blitzo on this trip. Somehow my card got corrupted so I lost most all of the photos I took. This was a particular bummer because Sunday was a very special day to remember. I had a reunion with a girlfriend I hadn't seen in almost 27 years. We had been best friends way back when we were both going to Sacramento State University. We lost touch over the years but were reunited about two years ago by the magic of Google. You see...there were three of us...myself, Sue and Maria. The picture below is of us when we were all about 22-23 years old. Anyway...we all went our separate ways shortly after that picture was taken and unfortunately didn't stay in touch. Maria googled me a couple of years ago though so now we have all been reunited. I have since seen sweet Maria...but had yet to see Sue again. Long story short (too late I know)...Sue and I finally met up on Sunday. It was a wonderful reunion. It was like we had seen each other yesterday. I love you girls!

left to right ~ Sue, Maria, Linda (hippy chicks)- 1980'ish

So tomorrow I will be back to painting and hopefully will have Pandora the Pig to show you soon...among other work. Back in the studio...back in the saddle. It's a good place to be. It's always good to come home!