Pumpkins and Birdhouses

This sweet little scene was right outside the cabin I stayed in while in Fairfield.  Loving the cheerful birdhouses and festive pumpkins, it caught my attention first thing in the morning.  It took me a couple of days to get to it, but I finally caught it in the perfect light!  I painted the whole thing while catching up with my youngest daughter on the phone, sitting at the picnic table outside the front door.  I love the sounds of the woods, birdsong and squirrels chatting all around me.  The leaves are already falling, and heavy nuts are dropping on roof and ground, adding a little drumbeat to the song.  Life is sweet, indeed.  Painting number 3185 in 3185 days. 

Dawn at the Cabin

I've been waking so early - hours before sunrise, wishing the sun to arrive.  Normally by 3:00am, I know it's nearly dawn, only to find I've hours longer to wait.  So on this day, I hopped out of bed anyway and enjoyed a couple of mugs of hot tea with lemon as I leisurely readied for the day.  At the very first streaks of light, I got out there, picking the perfect spot to capture cabin, pond and woods as the warm dawn light washed over them.  Serenaded by crickets, frogs, and bucks crashing through woods, I finished this early painting immersed in the landscape.  What a beautiful way to start the day!  Painting number 3181 in 3181 days.