Afternoons at the Farm with Dad

I went to the Farm today and spent the afternoon with Dad & Roxi. Here are some of his latest paintings, I don't know why my camera didn't get the color quite right, must have had the wrong setting. He keeps getting better. Brandi & I went to the gallery crawl last night and were unimpressed with most of the paintings. Bran pointed out that we are spoiled by Dad & Connie's paintings. Connie is his girlfriend and an artist and they paint together and live apart; the perfect arrangement!

As soon as I got there he read to me an article about a man who is a gun lover and he & his long time friend had two .44 specials customised together so they have matching guns. It made me think of those "Best Friends" gold hearts you can get that are scored down the middle to be snapped in half so each friend can wear their half of the heart, commemorating the bestfrinedship! So romantic.
I love being read to. Before I left he read excerpts from a wonderful book about a writer who loves Tolstoy...but I will wait to read it myself before I try to give the book report here.

We walked out near the back of the property; I marveled at how much the landscape has changed. There's no point in mourning the changes, so I find ways to accept them and appreciate the new scenery. Here is a view I hope will never change, a dog swimming in the big pond! This is a spot where Dad has built a beaver blind to hunt the adorable furry brown bastards who conspire to destroy the pond. They come back every year, and Dad would be disappointed if they didn't.

Roxi loves the water and gets thoroughly filthy every trip to the Farm, as she should. She gets covered in the brown/green muck that lines the bottom of the pond and fosters countless bacteria and critters of all types. Even though it kind of stinks I love the smell. It smells like netting and playing and swimming and brings a flood of memories; adventures with dogs, horses and my sister .

Later, back in Charlotte I bring the dog in the shower with me and we wash the mud out, watching the little river of pond water trickle down the drain, smuggling Farm microbes into the City water system.Take that city sewer!

I have to make fun for myself here in town, away from pleasures of the country. How is it that I live in Charlotte and not out in the country? Well, it won't be forever...

Subtle evidence of nature can be found here as well as out at the Farm if you just look where you are going. I found these tiny feathers while walking the dog this week. The little gray downy feather is so cute! I love miniature things and I think it begs to adorn the skull of one of these plastic skeletons that I can't get enough of. I found this tiny "pram" at a thrift store and painted over the "country home blue" with a more appropriate black. Those old baby carriages give me the ultimate creeps! They look like they are going to eat the baby to me; I don't trust them...

I'm going to position this skeleton to be pushing the baby carriage, they are in perfect proportion to each other. I think it might be too creepy to put a baby skeleton in the carriage, so maybe it will just contain some little treasures like acorns and feathers; the skeleton pushing around these collected valuables like a deranged bag lady. Either that or I will paint a tiny acorn like a baby skull and wrap it up in the shape of a swaddled bundle of joy to lay snug in the carriage...we shall see.

It was a gorgeous October Saturday and I still have Sunday to look forward to!

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?