The Flooding of Oak Creek

Last week I blogged about the color of ice and this week we had flooding!  Fickle and wildly changing extreme weather is our plight during this period of global warming.  Both Spring and Oak Creeks jumped their banks with trees bravely hanging on as water streamed around them.  They were flowing very fast this morning and we took many videos and photographs.  The last time the water was this high in the winter was at least 3 years ago.

The photos became the inspiration for this weeks kaleidoscopes.

Mighty Warriors
8x8 $50 framed

Flooding in Winter
8x8 $50 framed

Here are some more of our flood pictures!

Bald Eagles on Campobello Island 50th Year Bridge Celebration

Kaleidoscopes at bottom of blog--see the bald eagle in these photos!

This was a big weekend on Campobello Island as we had two events celebrating history and many important people visiting the island such as members of the Roosevelt Family, Senator Collins, Senator Harkins, Member of Parliament John Williamson, and the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Healthy Living in New Brunswick.  As usual the Roosevelt Campobello International Park Commission and Employees did a fantastic job putting the events together.  One of my favorite moments was when a bald eagle paid a visit to Mulholland Point just moments before the Bridge Celebration began.  I decided to do 3 kaleidoscopes from 3 different pictures this week each featuring the bald eagle.

Campobello Island is a beautiful place and I truly hope the proposed wind turbine doesn't drive us and many others to sell our properties and leave this wonderful paradise in search of a less industrialized and quieter place.  I don't travel 3500 miles twice per year to live for 6 months within earshot of a wind turbine and I am sure others will feel the same.  We hope our nascent town government makes the appropriate decision and does not issue a building permit or endorse this poorly sited project in the heart of historic Welshpool.  Join us in our fight!  http://campobelloheritage.ca/links.htm

Bald Eagle on Post at Mulholland Point

 

Bald Eagle in Flight at Mulholland Point

Bald Eagle on Post by Beach Roses

a trip to the art opening in St. Andrews

Last evening 9 residents of Campobello Island, plus our Captain Brandon Flynn made our way to Michael's opening in St Andrews by the Sea.  He has the entire Gallery at Sunbury Shores with 37 paintings of "Buildings in the Landscape".  At North Road Wharf, I snapped a quick picture of some of the boats there and it proved to be a great picture for a kaleidoscope.


Original photo was this:

I also took quite a few beautiful sunset photos over the water, so you might be seeing a kaleidoscope of one those photos next week...

Cotton Candy Grass and Labrador Tea in Bloom

On another walk to Eagle Hill blog, the cotton candy grass was in spectacular bloom along with the labrador tea.  So I made two kaleidoscopes this week!

Original photo of the cotton candy grass was this:

The labrador tea was equally as impressive:

and the kaleidoscope of this plant brought out the blue color found in the board walk:

"Exploding Lupines"

Week Twenty Six.....What and Where is this?

To celebrate my first half year of blogging, I took pictures of a spectacular display of lupines at my parents which I call "exploding lupines". 

Original Photo below.  The lupine field is about 1/2 acre of three different colors of lupines! 

 For sale for $50 framed, 8 x 8

Early Morning on Campobello Island

Week Twenty Five.....What and Where is this? 


This kaleidoscope is titled "early morning on the beach". Notice the beautiful shadow on the beach "pebbles".

Early Morning on the Beach

8 by 8 inches, $50 framed

Bog and Rhodora Bloom

Week Twenty Four.....What and Where is this?


This week brought some beautiful days and some foggy days.  On one of the foggy days, we visited the Eagle Hill bog in the Roosevelt Campobello International Park (also know as RCIP) because the rhodora are usually at their peak around the first of June and they were.  The kaleidoscope below shows the bog, the walkway, the rhodora, and give you a sense of the fog:  

8x8 inches, $50 framed

Original photo was this, but I did not include Saba in the kaleidoscope.  She still gets around very well at nearly 12 years old:  

detail of rhodora by boardwalk

 some fantastic pitcher plants I couldn't resist throwing in!

Ancient apple trees and lilacs

Week Twenty Three.....What and Where is this?

The past 10 days on Campobello Island, NB have seen the passing of the daffodils, wild pear and forsythia blooms, but now we are having a simultaneous bloom of lilac and apples. We are lucky to have 17 old apple trees on our property, many are older than 100 years old.  They make great organic applesauce in the Fall since we do no spraying, but have cleaned out underneath these trees in recent years.  I decided to do two designs this week using the celtic cross design:  one for apples and one for lilacs. 

 As always, they are $50 framed in an 8" by 8" format.

Below are the original photos:  

Week Twenty Two.....What and Where is this!

Finally back home on Campobello Island!  The grass and gardens are growing like crazy.

The photo I chose was taken at Liberty Point at the Roosevelt Campobello International Park (RCIP), but I did not use the rocks in the photo, but was interested in all the colors found in the grasses which are spectacular in the spring and even into summer. This photo was actually taken after mid July last year, but the colors were still vivid in the grasses.  It is spectacular here now in the Canadian Maritimes and in way Downeast Maine.  Come visit us at:  http://friarsbaygallery.com/ We are open by appointment for a few more weeks, then the summer season is in full swing!

Original photo was this:

Week Twenty.....What and Where is this!

We are packing up and preparing for our multiple week trip East.  During the trip through Tornado Alley Michael will be teaching 3 classes.  We are hoping not to encounter any tornadic winds!

My kaleidoscope is from a picture I took at Zion National Park where we had a wonderful painter's retreat.

Original photo is this!  

Now back to preparing for leaving for 6 months!  I will probably take a 2 week break from blogging...

Week Nineteen.....What and Where is this! EARTH DAY

I am fortunate to be spending Earth Day 2012 in Zion National Park in Southern Utah.  During my early morning walk I came across quite a few wild turkeys and decided I had to make a kaleidoscope out of their image.

The kaleidoscope of the turkey.

The original turkey image!  

Week Eighteen.....What and Where is this!

Butterflies in my garden.  Because I don't use herbicides, I have lots of butterflies, bees and other bugs in my garden.  Last week I was able to catch a photo of a really large colorful butterfly on my lilac bush.

original photo was this!

 Michael and I are enjoying the First Annual Plein Air Convention in Las Vegas.  Lots of great lectures and demos by prominent Plein Air painters.  This afternoon there was a paint out at http://parks.nv.gov/parks/spring-mountain-ranch-state-park/ which was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and just 15 miles out of the city limits of glittering and strange Las Vegas.   It was just announced that next year the Plein Air Convention will be in Pacific Grove, CA at Asilomar.  Hopefully, we will be able to attend next year!

Week Seventeen.....What and Where is this!

This post is called "weeds in my garden" due to my HOA's classification of all green things as weeds. Unfortunately, here in Arizona, it is considered normal or even "correct" to poison all the green plants that pop up on your xeriscape.  It is nuts.  You see people spraying herbicides everywhere....it makes easterners concern about dandelions in the lawn like child's play.  These guys are serious about their weeds so they spray herbicides constantly on maintenance programs.  It is incredibly scary since herbicides are poisons and many are carcinogenic!  Meanwhile I have beautiful butterflies which I will feature in the next post and my neighbors are lucky to have anything other than fire ants in their yard!

While the fleabanes are often dismissed as 'weeds' because of their ubiquitousness during the summer, they are actually rather cheerful plants that are beneficial to many small insects that play an important role in the functioning of the ecological system.  The big news yesterday is that pesticides are causing the colony collapse disorder:  
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2012/04/06/common-pesticide-implicated-bee-colony-collapse-disorder/

Americans are crazier than coots!  I can say that as I am about to return to a more sane country--Canada.

Week Sixteen.....What and Where is this!

I love water so I am continuing on that theme in this series of kaleidoscopes.  It is very early Spring here and really no leaves yet at Red Rock Crossing area of Sedona so I went to Oak Creek for inspiration and created "10 ducks in the water"

8 by 8 inch print framed $50

Original photo was:  

anyone know what type of duck this is?  I think a common merganser?

Week Fifteen.....What and Where is this!

Water is a recurrent theme for me.  We had a large snowstorm earlier this week in the high country north of Sedona and then it became quite warm so now Oak Creek is really rushing!

The kaleidoscope was created of a picture of Cathedral Rock with a rushing Oak Creek in the foreground.

Tomorrow I attend a Native Plant Workshop in Sedona so I can identify better all the beautiful spring flowers that are beginning to pop up everywhere.

8 by 8 framed $50   Rushing Water

original photo capturing the energy of the water!

Week Thirteen.....What and Where is this!

Cows and the Open Range of the West!

I am enjoying exploring the area around my winter home which is open range for cattle between here and Sedona.  This time of year the cows and calves are everywhere and the grasses are just beginning to green up for Spring.  This morning we came upon brown cows, black cows, black cows with white faces and every other variety of coloration.  Saba loves them and the wide open vistas of the west are truly stupendous.  I walked for an hour this morning and took 54 wonderful photos which are destined to become kaleidoscopes.  The first one is called white cow face!

 

8 x 8 in black frame $50

original photo below!  

Week Twelve.....What and Where is this!

An intriguing old stone building in my winter home town of Cornville, AZ an unincorporated community adjacent to Sedona, AZ where a surprising number of exotic animals are raised:  emus, llamas, goats seem to be in many dooryards!  Strong elements like fences, and hazy skies seem to compliment the composition don't you think.  8 by 8 inches framed, $50.

Original photo:  an old building on one of the ranches.

Week Eleven..What and Where is this!

A beautiful agave.  The strong light and dark patterns made choosing the section of the photo difficult as I created many different versions.

8" by 8" framed $50

Original photo below

This week was a blur of activity.  If you are looking for a reasonably priced home, please consider one of our arizona homes.  I am working full time on 10850 E Oak Creek Trail remodeling it so it can be someone's home in the sun.  For details see:

http://oakcreekvalley.postlets.com/  or my blog describing my efforts at:  

http://sedonahomeforsale.blogspot.com/

Week Ten..What and Where is this!

The ultimate Sedona scene created a wonderful kaleidoscope this week.  Winter grasses, red rock canyon walls, pinyon trees and blue skies created the palette of colors.

Original photo was taken on a hike a week or so ago.  If you think you might want to live in this great weather and hiking paradise, consider investing in real estate.  We are renovating a nice home in Oak Creek Valley, located 20 minutes from the hiking trail below.  See home for sale for more information.  Cost will be 99,000 and much of it will be new!  It is an incredible deal in this area and you get a great neighborhood along with it....