January 17, 2003

 

Happy New Year!

 

We are still in a drought here; less than 8 inches of snow and rain in the last 12 months.  Luckily we had some snow in October and the temperature was colder than normal so it stayed for a few days.  The cold was welcomed after the long hot dry summer.  Driving down our private road one day the cottonwoods were laden with snow and still had their yellow leaves.  It was quite a lovely picture and we are including this with our latest tale.  Hope you can receive it.

 

We have seen several mature bald eagles alongside our driveway.  They are magnificent creatures and I’m sure they are lured here by the prairie dogs.  (I call them prairie rats.) 

 

Little did I know when I took the picture of our driveway that I was documenting the last days of this lovely overhanging cottonwood. A couple of weeks after taking the photo our trash removal service, Western Disposal, advised us that this cottonwood tree was scraping their collection truck and if it was not removed, they would not service our and our neighbor’s home. Ken and our neighbor had to cut down the offending tree. Given a few more years it would have fallen across the driveway.

 

Ken has been busy all winter welding parts for the Suzuki.  It’s quite an ambitious project. He has designed and built a complete suspension system to make the Suzuki capable of higher speeds over the rough and rocky mining roads.  The project includes a bigger engine and more ground clearance to crawl over even bigger boulders.

 

In November we drove to NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) in Boulder for a 3-hour hike.  (It actually took 5 hours.)  We climbed Fern Trail, descended on Shadow Mountain Trail and then connected to the Mesa Trail to return to our start point.  As we climbed, we got to a point where the trail was covered by snow and ice. We did not think these conditions would continue, but they did – all the way to the summit at Bear Peak.  It was cold, windy, slippery and difficult (at least for us).  At one point, however, a young woman, probably a CU student, came running uphill over the ice wearing shorts and a long sleeved cotton shirt.  Her dog scampered up before her leading the way.  We stepped aside and I marveled at youth and their boundless energy.

 

In September, after returning from our trip to the Grand Canyon, I earnestly set about painting to Mahler’s 6th Symphony and some of his vocal pieces.  After painting five works, I had them framed for showing in the Muse Gallery for the “Visualizing Mahler” event that was held January 3, 2003.  This show will run thru to the 18th of January.  One of the pieces was a view of the Grand Canyon and measured 60 inches long by 33 inches high.  It is my interpretation of morning light in the canyon and has some bold colors. Showing my paintings is quite exciting and the press has given us some good coverage. Our son, Scott, picked out one of these paintings for himself. I’ll deliver it when we next drive to the GC in Arizona. 

 

In the December 17 edition of our local newspaper, the Daily Times Call, the obituaries section had the following item:  “WOOD, Diane, 65, of Longmont, died Monday, Dec. 16, 2002 at Longmont United Hospital.  Complete obituary to appear at a later date.  Lewellen-Longmont Memorial Chapel is handling the arrangements”.  We were getting calls from friends asking if I were dead.  I picked up one call just moments after Ken did and it was one of my artist friends and when I heard her I said, Hi L.K.  Her response was thank God you’re not dead.  So, I had to spend at least 2 hours making calls telling people I was still very much alive. I called everyone we had invited to the December 20th party to let them know I was still alive.  So now I can borrow that famous quote of Mark Twain, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”.

 

We once again hosted four Christmas parties at our home from December 12 to December 20.  The 12/20 party was the largest with 35 people.  It was the artsy group - a really nice and conversant group of friends.

 

We had some warm weather in January with temperatures reaching 68 to 69 degrees.  We had lunch on the deck in the warm sunlight and Ken has been mountain bike riding in shorts and a tee shirt.  This week we are back to more normal temperatures.  This morning at dawn it was about 21 degrees and at mid day is 50 degrees and sunny.

 

I’ve had a lot of activity with art associations and have been booking venues to display my art.  The showings start in earnest in March at the Galleria, April at the Longmont Recreation Center where I display my art and do a demo, May it is at Lumenaria, June at North Boulder Recreation Center, July at East Boulder Recreation, July and August at two venues in Louisville. In addition I’ll be in the Boulder Art Association’s Art Show in April.

 

In August Ken and I drive to Creede, Colorado, high in the San Juan mountains where I have a week long outdoor workshop with Stephen Quiller, a color theory master. Today I booked another venue in Louisville for November and December.  The Longmont Rhythm on the River takes place again in July and I plan to participate in their art tent.  A manager from the Broker Inn in Boulder saw photos of my work at the Louisville Art Association and asked me to have a show at the Inn. WOW!  This is exciting.

 

With all this happening I hope to sell something to help with the cost of supplies and workshops. If you don’t show your work, you will never sell; so I’m trying.  Hopefully I will be moderately successful. I’ve not gone to galleries because once you do that your art doubles in price to cover their overhead.  It must be framed, etc. and so the frame is marked up 100% also.  With the art associations I belong to, if you sell your work, the association receives a more reasonable 20 to 30%.  That’s enough about art for now.

 

On New Year’s Day Nick and Debbie, our friends from Denver, came out and we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park and hiked up to Mills Pond.  This is not an extremely long hike, probably only 5 miles, but the scenery is spectacular.  This year the weather was cold, but the wind held off while we had lunch at this remote lake.  We have included a photo of the trail to Mills Lake.  Isn’t it beautiful?

 

 

Keep, healthy and active and live life to the fullest.  We’re sure trying to do so ourselves.

 

Love, 

Diane and Ken