Fog and Rhodora Blooms on Campobello Island

The daffodils and tulips and forsythia have passed and now we have copious apple blossoms, horse chestnut candles, and rhodora blooming.  Next up will be lilacs and finally lupines in mid June to complete our Spring bloom here on the Island.  The Eagle Hill Bog is abounding in beautiful blooms right now just calling for photographs made into kaleidoscopes.

Rhodora Colors

Bird in Spruce

Cotton Grass Splendor

Spruce in Fog

Moss and Sticks

Life will be very busy for a few more months with gardening as a diversion.  

We hope to slow down when we get settled in a new location this Fall.  The new location is near an old location for us which we are excited about returning to after 15 plus years.  Hint is the state's name has Mexico in it, but it is one of the 50!  We left a different area of the state around 11 years ago and although we cannot afford to be near the "city different" which is an art capital of the US as well as a governmental capital, we will be in a beautiful area with lots of native americans living nearby.  I expect to be grocery shopping in a native american pueblo as that will be the closest grocery store by many miles.  Multiculturalism at its finest is found in this state and tolerance is part of the culture.

Colorful Flower Kaleidoscopes and Beautiful Lubec, Maine

The heat of summer has descended.  This is not my favorite time of year as I enjoy Spring and Fall much more, but there are beautiful colorful blooms in my garden now.  Especially hydrangeas, daylillies, hostas, astilbe, and fireweed.  An amazing range of color in these kaleidoscopes!  I also caught some beautiful evening light on some of the Lubec Landmark buildings the other evening so I will do kaleidoscopes of some buildings which sit in the tidal waters as well for this posting.

Now for the buildings!

Changes

My theme lately is changes.  The flowers blooming change weekly within the framework that our lives are always changing.  Our 16 year old dog is beginning to age, with reduced vision, hearing and some loss of mobility, but she stays cheerful and willing to try to do anything we suggest.  We do not plan to replace her, nor could we if we wished, so we are trying to spend significant time with her this summer.

We have 2 historic houses up for sale, one in Lubec Lubec Home for Sale and one on Campobello Island Campobello Island home for sale, and hope to be moving into my parent's barn by the end of the summer. (Both have sold) If all goes well, we will have seasonal studios in the barn and no retail studios next year so we can just work on our projects.  As Michael moves toward retirement without a pension or any serious savings, we will be downsizing our lives to the bare bones and he will be reducing his teaching schedule after the next 2 years.  The first step is the move to the barn which belongs to my parents, then we may at some point go to living in a vehicle like a small rv which would still allow us to do some travelling which is a major interest of mine and something I hope to do in the future!

Tomorrow, July 16, 2016 and next Saturday July 23, 2016 we will be participating in a studio tour in Lubec, Maine.  Come see us:  http://www.artsipelago.net/studio-tour/

Mint and Barn

Monkshood and Lawn

Fringed Pink Poppies and More Traditional Red Poppies

Seaglass in the Garden

Yellow Yarrow in Full Bloom

En route to home via Art Barn in Indiana

Michael has a 3 day workshop at the http://www.artbarnin.com/ where he has taught every year for many years.  The founder of the Art Center recently passed away so we are missing her cheerful presence.  When we were in Santa Fe I took lots of photos so it is time for some new kaleidoscopes.  However, before I do the Santa Fe pictures, I am doing a few of the flowers and architecture I saw in Indiana and Illinois.

Bleeding Hearts

Bark and Fungus

More Bleeding Heart Flowers

Colorful leaves or Green, Green Green

My sister's Purple Front Door

White Trillium

Many Violets

Copper Sculpture

Grate and Flowers

Hostas and Yellow Tulip

Picket Fence and Purple Flowers

The New Puppy Thea(my sister's)

Time Again to Migrate to Campobello Island, NB CANADA!

People seem to be fascinated by our migratory way of life.  We live on the Bay of Fundy 6 months of the year on Campoobello Island, NB near Lubec, Maine and 6 months in the desert/riparian Verde Valley Cornville, Arizona area near the Red Rocks of Sedona.  Michael paints and teaches in both places and without moving with the seasons to teach we would not make a living as artists so it is both necessary and enjoyable which is an uncommon combination.  This week we are packing up to begin the migration East and North.  We both hate hot weather so it is not coming too soon this year as we have had amazingly warm temperatures since early January.  In fact, we barely used the heat in our home all winter.  Of course it helps that we like it 58 degrees inside!  The thing I find hardest to leave is the landscape and my gardens.  So I took a few picturew this week to remind me that this is one of the best Springs of my gardening life.  We had jonny jump ups blooming all winter, only a little frost damage on my agaves, and my giant alium bulbs and my iris's are blooming or getting ready to bloom.  Also cholla cactuses and other cactuses are getting ready to bloom as well.  We have had wildflowers nearly all winter...  We stayed one week longer and with the early Spring and the extra days I am seeing lots more vegetation blooming than usual.  Enjoy the images below:

subtle agave

barrel  cactus replicated

jonny jump ups and cactus combo

orchid in my kitchen

daisy fleabane and my fence

green in Arizona or soon to be blooming irises

a red rose, the roses have been prolific this year

Giant alium and bee, I do my part to have flowers for the bees

Teddy Bear Cholla

Spring Wildflowers in Sedona

I just returned from a 5 day photographic expedition to Moab, Utah, my first vacation in years when I had no responsibilities!  Took lots of pictures of rocks, trees, amazing geological features like arches and spires, rock climbers, petroglyphs and even a pretty waterfall.  I have 1,300 plus photos to sort through, and obviously a few kaleidoscopes will be made!

In the meantime I took a hike in Sedona while Michael was trying out a new easel and I spotted lots of wildflowers blooming in Sedona.  Verbena, black footed daisies, indian paintbrush, basin bladderpod, london rocket and others.  The best source of information about the plants, trees and flowers of the Verde Valley is this web site:  http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/, I believe.  I know what these flowering plants are, do you!