The Siren Song of Sunshine...

We had an amazingly gorgeous day of light. I had the car for the first time in a few days so ran a few errands - postoffice, bank, eye doctor and library (to pick up all the books I'd reserved on Lapland for this reindeer project). It was clear and beautiful out. The trees all down the main drag are still brightly golden with piles of amber leaves at their bases. We've had such a cool, yet mild autumn there are still leaves on a number of the maples. After eating lunch, I kept looking at all the sunshine pouring down and decided to at least take a *walk* around the yard before going back to the studio. The walk expanded to a mini-harvest of calendula blossoms and coriander seeds. I then raked leaves out of the chipped paths. We don't have that many deciduous trees in the yard, but the neighbor's towering Pulomia hangs over the fence and drops huge, velvety, heart-shaped leaves (as well as huge seed-pod clusters) all over the north lawn and beds. The leaves really need to be gathered because they smother anything they stay on too long.


Late afternoon sunshine pouring in the windows. Herbs drying on the wall. Cut things from the yard on the table. It still amazes me that it is totally dark by 4:30. And we still have a month to go to get darker earlier still.I spent the late afternoon pouring over books on Lapland and reindeer. Wanted some more authentic Laplandish costuming or at least decoration for this winter promo piece. K went straight from school to french horn and J had wrestling - so I had a very long and productive afternoon by myself. Hope to finish this drawing this evening....