Enough About Art

So here's what happened.  Meeko pulled me aside and I think 'Oh no, this won't be good'. He was pretty direct.  Briefly, he thinks I've been devoting too much blog space to art, Etsy, snow, family, that kind of thing.  He wants more Meeko now or he is threatening to hijack my blog (he's done it before, so I need to take this seriously).  I don't think the theme of today's blog needs any further explanation.

 And finally, here is Meeko with his favourite toy from Christmas.

And 532 kilometers away Meeko's 'cousin' and good buddy Marlowe (photo sent by my sister-in-law).

(Don't be too jealous of our snow. We had freezing rain this morning and now are in the middle of regular old rain right now--in other words, a sea of slush.)

Paintings As Gifts

In December, I worked on two paintings that I couldn't show you previously because they were Christmas gifts.

I did one painting for a very dear friend who moved to a new house this past summer. I painted her former home complete with her sweet cat sitting on the front porch.  She spent many years in this house raising her three great kids. I can say that because I know them. :) (In case you are worrying, her cat was not left behind. He sits on the front porch of the new house now.)

The second painting I did was of my parents' Golden Retriever named Ginger.  If you have been following my blog, you will know that Ginger was a sweet girl who died in December at the age of 12.  I held my breath through most of the painting process as it was so important to me that it really look like Ginger.   I have never done a watercolour painting of a dog before.

Both gifts were very much appreciated but I made everyone cry which I didn't intend, although I knew that I had chosen subjects with emotional weight. I know that they were all touched and I told my friend and my parents that I wouldn't be hurt at all if they put their gifts away for a while.

For Ginger

Well I guess life won't throw you one curve ball when it can throw you two.  I got a very sad email from my parents saying that they had to say goodbye to their 12-year-old (almost 13) Golden Retriever today.  Ginger was operated on this past summer for a tumour and bounced back rather beautifully. Unfortunately it returned recently and in a way that did not leave treatment options.

You know the old adage 'A picture is worth a thousand words'? You just have to look at the above photos sent by my Mom and Dad to know the dog that Ginger was.

Ginger was a gentle soul, a worrier (oh my, did she worry) and a devoted companion.  She was beside herself when my father went anywhere without her. She did not like when anyone was in the lake--kind of a difficult attitude for a cottage dog. She loved her people and they loved her. She liked being with the other dogs whenever there were family gatherings and was always a very gracious host.

Ginger and I developed a special bond this past summer when she realized that I always have dog treats in my pockets (a necessity for the owner of a wayward puppy).  All of a sudden, she was trying to outspeed the younger family dogs when I asked for a 'Sit' or 'Lie Down'.  It was pretty cute.

Marlowe, Ginger and Meeko.  Not in the photo: Mabel.

A huge hug to my Mom, Dad and sister Karen.  Ginger was so loved and well cared for.

And if they could be there with you right now to offer a little canine comfort, I know that her buddies Meeko, Marlowe (my brother's family dog) and Mabel (my sister's family dog) would be.

I think it is hard to hear of a pet dying without feeling the weight of all past pets.  So in this moment, my thoughts are with Ginger but also our childhood dogs Peppi, Mitzi and Toby, my cat Mackenzie King and my sister Karen's cat Whiskers.  I give thanks to all pets everywhere for the wonderful comfort and companionship they bring us.

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.
Anatole France

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I wanted to close this post with four lovely photos kindly sent to me by Émilie who is from Brittany, France. As she said, these rainbows are not in the sky but they are beautiful all the same. Beautiful indeed.

Mucha stained glass in Prague, Czech Republic

Windows in Manchester cathedral

Painted horse in Rotterdam

Cathedral in Jumièges, Normandie

When I look at these photos, they say to me that rainbows are all around us.  We just have to look for them to find them.  And I guess on some days it may be a little harder to see them.  Merci Émilie!

Thank you to all my blog readers for your kindness and thoughtfulness. You warm my heart.

Hello, My Name is Meeko

I've hijacked Kathleen's blog today.  I think I am far more interesting than paintings and flowers.  I mean--look at me!

I understand that blogging can be cathartic and I could use a bit of that.  I've been really quite good during the past few months, but a combination of recent events is changing that.  First of all, I celebrated my 18-month birthday last Friday.  I can feel my puppyhood slipping away.  I've been told by many people that by the time I'm two, I'll be acting in a mature and calm way.  That just makes me want to make these next six months count.  Also, I can feel the seasons changing and it's exciting. I mean really exciting. There are new smells in the air and it's making me feel edgy and just a bit crazy.  And, oh yes, two of my owners went back to school almost three weeks ago and I am really missing them during the day.  Some people, when they are dealing with too much emotion and change, well apparently they eat.  It's kind of like that for me, except that I eat things.

I'm losing count of the times that Kathleen has chased me, cornered and tackled me in order to extract something from my mouth so far this week. (She's so fast that I didn't get to digest any of them--really, she's no fun at all.)  Here's my snack list from the past few days:

• one of the back cushions of the sofa
• a tube of Polysporin (I didn't eat the Polysporin part, just the cap)
• socks
• a dust jacket from a very nice gardening book
• a bobby pin (that made Kathleen very worried and she spoke to both girls about never leaving small objects like that around me)
• a sheet of Halloween stickers
• a big plastic clip from the bread bag
• a package of Post-it notes
• tissues (dirty, clean, they're all good)
• a pine cone (got it outside)
• the wire protectors that Kathleen made for the irrigation system (I've removed three so far this week:   a new version of my old tricks!)
• socks
• a bra
• a vacuum attachment
• the root of one of Kathleen's beloved trees
• a case for the Wii remote
• a beach towel
• more socks (I really like socks)
• my blanket (it's normally sacred but this is no normal week)

This morning, she got up at 5:00 a.m. because she couldn't sleep.  She started cleaning everywhere to make sure there was nothing left on the floor or on the furniture for me to take.  Since her clean sweep of the place, I have swiped a box of eye drops (I am really tall when I stand on my hind legs so I can reach things in high places), I squished myself into the tiny space between the back of the sofa and the wall just for fun (I haven't done that since I was a few months old!), I chewed on the corner of a wicker chair, I took one of the girls' art papers, I flipped through, actually ripped through, the L.L. Bean autumn catalogue (by the way, the flannel shirts look delicious this year) and it's only 9:22 a.m.!

Got to go.  Kathleen is about to take me for yet another long walk.  She's muttering something about needing to exhaust me.  I don't know what's wrong with her.  She's looking a bit tired herself.  As for me, I'm having the time of my life and I'm thinking of expanding my services.

Tiny Painting of Muscari

Here's a little painting I've been working on.  I've photographed it in my hand to give you a sense of scale.  (I think that photo makes my hand look gargantuan which it is not...so I will give you the actual dimensions of the paper too -- it measures 2½ x 3¾ inches.)

I love working small and used to paint miniature formats exclusively.  Now I also paint bigger at times too, although 'bigger' to me is not the same 'bigger' to someone else. :)

I have also been working on my Pathway painting, adding details here and there.  I wonder if you can see the difference?

It is a grey and rainy day here, but I'm about to brave the elements, as my fluffy, four-legged friend doesn't mind any kind of weather. We're off for a rainy walk.  We may even walk along the pathway.

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(Speaking of my canine companion, I have just discovered that, while I was writing this post, he was eating the corner of one of our sofa cushions.  I heard him chomping but thought he was working on a toy.  I most definitely need a walk now!)

Skies and Snakes Alive!

Today, I owe thanks to fellow bloggers and artists Geninne and her friend Margie (both have beautiful blogs, so do have a look) for my inspiration. When I 'walked to work' this morning, I got a certain distance from the house and then ran back for my camera. The sky was absolutely amazing! Maybe it's because I've been painting clouds this week that I'm more in tune with my atmospheric surroundings. Or maybe it's because I'm adopting the eyes-wide-open way in which both Geninne and Margie view and record their worlds. Both of them encourage their readers to go outdoors and soak in the details of nature around them. Today's walk brought me some stunning skyscapes.  (Oh, my painting hand is itching.)

I also got some lovely shots of wildflowers, seed pods, chestnuts and berries.

Other photos might have been lovelier if they were in focus. I didn't include them. (Dear self: please remember to bring your reading glasses next time so you can actually see what is on the LCD screen of your camera.)

We are very lucky to live in a picturesque suburban neighbourhood but both Geninne and Margie I think would make the point that there is beauty in every backyard and neighbourhood.

My morning walk also brought me some unexpected sights. Yes, indeed. Can you spell S-N-A-K-E? Eeeeek! I am not fond of snakes. That is a polite way of saying that I hate them. In the end, it seemed as frightened of Meeko and me as I was of it. It slid off the path and then remained stationary--perhaps hoping that we would pass by quickly. Meeko was unfazed. Brave? I'm not even sure that he noticed it. I was still shuddering when we were well past it. I even shuddered when I was looking at the photo on my computer. I'm shuddering again right now.

And it was an interesting role reversal for Meeko. Usually he's the one tugging me to allow him to stop and sniff.

Today, I was the one tugging him and asking him to stop as I saw scene after beautiful scene that deserved to be photographed in my very own neighbourhood.

Muskoka Morning

On the dock in my beloved Toms shoes (one of several pairs I own)

Tuesday had the perfect beginning: calm water, beautiful sunrise, a loon in the distance; my canine companion, a coffee cup and book nearby. Meeko often tilted his nose upwards to catch the lovely early day smells. A duck and her ducklings lingered close to the dock as if begging for a photo but I think it is more likely that a neighbouring cottager is feeding them.

Yesterday's weather was more unsettling with a tornado watch most of the day and evening but thankfully we only experienced light thunderstorms.

I am working on a painting today and will post it in the days ahead.

Muskoka

We are enjoying a week on beautiful Lake Muskoka--a week of family time, reading, walking, arts and crafts, and lake activities.

The weather is a little cooler and rainier than we hoped for but it doesn't diminish the fun.

My youngest daughter Chloé went out in the kayak and was greeted at the dock by our dog Meeko. (Meeko loves to swim but hasn't mastered a kayak yet.)

Meeko spent ages swimming in the lake with his best buddy and super dock-diver Marlowe.

On one of the rainy afternoons, we sat around the big dining table and made rubber stamps using a method taught to me by the wonderful Mexican artist Geninne. (I was lucky enough to attend her recent workshop in Toronto but she also has a free tutorial available on her lovely website). My daughters, niece and nephew made many, many beautiful stamps. I made a few and even got my dad to try making one. So we had three generations working together at one time!

Garden Pest

I mentioned in one of my last posts that I had been recently dealing with a particularly challenging garden pest.  It's actually been more than a year now.

I have spent hours dealing with the aftermath of this pest's activity.

I have had to remove plants and move plants.  I have had to accept plants being in less than ideal condition.  I have had to regard 11 years' worth of work in my garden in a totally different light.  It's no longer a case of it being enough that something pleases me to be included in my garden.  I have to ask myself:  does it still belong here, is it resistant, will it survive?

This has not just affected the softscape of my garden but the hardscape as well.  We had family guests this past weekend and my sister-in-law, a fellow gardener, came back from a stroll around my garden and asked me, 'What are these strange metal things everywhere in your flower beds?'

I had hoped that maybe they looked like miniature garden sculptures.  They certainly took as long as an art project might have.  I spent at least two days carefully cutting 75 squares of fine chicken wire, wrapping each one around a copper pipe so that it maintained a circular shape and then attaching them throughout the beds of my backyard garden.

Are you starting to feel a little worried that maybe your garden will be victim of this horrific pest next?  It sounds more challenging than aphids or slugs or squirrels, doesn't it?  I wouldn't be too concerned about this pest's activity in your garden.  I'm pretty certain that a good fence will keep it contained in mine.

Would you like to see some photos?

Meet my garden pest.  His name is Meeko.  He is 17 months old and he is a soft-coated Wheaten terrier.  Isn't he cute?  On some days, his cuteness is his saving grace.

Those 75 miniature garden sculptures?  They are armour for my irrigation system.  Meeko systematically chewed 25 (one third) of my sprinklers this past spring.  Imagine looking out the back door and seeing this fluffy fellow joyfully bounding by with a sprinkler in his mouth and the tubing trailing behind...25 times.

And that is the key.  His joy. 

It is hard to remain angry too long.  In the end, it's my problem isn't it?  I either need to teach him not to do it or to deter him.  Spraying the sprinklers with tabasco only worked for a short while.  Being beside him constantly could work, but that's ultimately impractical.  In the end, it was up to me to figure out a way to protect my irrigation system while I taught him not to chew it.  The ugly chicken-wire armour is working for now.  Plus, I now know how to repair our irrigation system and can add that to my long I-Fixed-It! list in my back pocket.

When I planted my garden initially, I was thinking about making it safe for toddlers and, as the years passed, I became less concerned about the toxicity of plants. If it was beautiful and it suited my soil, light conditions and zone (which is complicated enough, right?), in it went. Since Meeko's arrival, I have moved my lily-of-the-valley to our front yard and I have fenced in our tulip and daffodil plants.  I've positioned other fences in a criss-cross fashion to curb his back and forth runs through my perennial beds.  I've trimmed the berries off of my holly bushes and plan to either plant them in the front or give them to a friend.  I have removed my autumn crocuses and have been plucking out all morning glory vines as they reappear. 

Last summer, when he was a young puppy, he couldn't pass by a plant without taking a biteful. This summer, his garden activity is, in many ways, calmer.  With time, I can see that the plants will be less of a concern although I think I will always have to content myself with a less than perfect garden.

In an article in The New York Times last summer, Ian Dunbar who is a noted U.S. veterinarian, animal behaviorist and dog trainer said, “Dogs look at things in the garden, and they have two questions: can I chew it or can I pee on it? That really is the depth of their philosophy. And they’re happy with that.”

As for me, am I happy with my new gardening partner and his simple philosophy?  He's challenging but yes.  I love him dearly and wouldn't trade him for anything.  And things are getting better.  This morning, as I mulled over writing this post, I thought 'At least he hasn't dug any holes lately.' 

And then, not too much later, he ran in from the backyard with his muzzle covered in dirt.  The joy of the moment wins again.