Our Pals

 

Big Doggie, Brown's Greenhouse Flowers

 

Bridge Re-installed

A great tour inspired by 40-year-long pal Robert Petty and a tour for the YellowBay Biological Station of Flathead Lake students of Paul Watson. I met Paul while attending a summer Animal Behavior class in 1980, and he is now the instructor for that class in the summers, up from Albuquerque and here today. We  met the Raptor Ranch Raptors, toured the art, photography, and books and then a favor. Could you friends install the bridge across the slough, out since the spring high waters. YEP, great work, pals except Mose the dog would not stay out of the way, on top the whole time! Bridge on the left in the background.

Red Sunrise

  Our yard at 7 am today and fires over that-a-way....

Red Squirrel

 Our front yard denizen and star of the Claybord painting, June 1st Blog.

New Etching!

Drypoint with printing inks and gouache 9" x 12" 

MCAT Filmmakers

Today a tradition started about 30 years ago, Missoula Community Access Television MCAT Young Filmmakers Camp, and some of the best kids (and staff) ever. Video recording starts with "Counting down from 5," and then "....cut." Sonora, Little Billie, Sonny and Nigel and Portia the stars. Plus Mischa had a special lunchtime presentation on the front deck. They all wanted little photos of Mose, smiling.

 

LOVE the Back-chinned Hummingbird!!!

 

My Favorite Hawk

 The Northern Harrier and four fledged near-by. More shots on the way.

Magpieland

A few weeks ago I discovered a new magpie nest built right up against Sibley the Peregrine's building, the circle to the right. Last year there was an active nest above her spot, the other circle and parent magpie squawking away to the left. Then I found out why - at least three of the chicks had bailed. Mom actually charged Mose the dog!

Pheasant Fight

 A shot taken in late April, cockfight in the yard. The guy on the left won.

Gotta Love an Osprey

 

Here Goes

On Claybord with acrylic, printing ink, Arteza Brush Pens, lots of stuff and ...whew, putting that one to rest and next an etching! Got a pile of new PETG plastic in the mail from Blick Art Supplies, along with a magnifying glass arrangement on the desktop to get the details.

Raven Love

I have been working on a Claybord painting of a Raven for several days, and took it out of the trash this morning to give it another chance. "You can fix it," suggested Tom with great optimism. Or at least a good acting job...HA! Not the same Ravens here, but down at the river. We shall see about that painting, and just rolled on a whole second layer of printing ink, currently drying in the sun. Fingers crossed.

Happy Holiday

Have a great 4th! We have a fantastic fireworks display across the highway from us here in Florence, and I always sit in the front yard with the camera.

Hurray Osprey Today!

 

Cloudy Evening

 

Back Stage Pass

Yesterday's gig with Back Stage Pass, a fan base and travel group hosted by former Queensryche leader, Geoff Tate and our 5th "appearance" with these rock stars. It was yesterday south of here, and Nigel, Sonora and Little Billie were on their best behaviors, mostly. The leader of the band Disturbed was also in attendance, just heard him on Sirius XM Turbo a minute ago! (My secret old-heavy-metal side.)  Geoff is the greatest and touring now XXOO -"Operation:Mindcrime."

Sibley the Peregrine

 

Pals

Our friends the Graham family finally got that tour and visit yesterday, and a nice rainbow showed up as well...That's Sarah's Dad and pal from the Clinton days, George Stitt plus buddy Barb Smith in the center. Young Cormac got a nice bear skull as a prize for being so cool.

Eagle Experience

Yesterday afternoon I went down to the beach with the dogs, the female eagle perched at the top of the nest tree. I settled down to wait for her departure and just after she split, a HUGE splash of whitewash (poop) in the river right in front of me. I looked up and the male had been spying on us the whole time, about 40 minutes! Still there when I left. In April he landed right over our heads. Curious (fearless) bird.

Posers

Raptor Ranch

 Nigel and Sonny on the right, house/studio/garage on the left, and Tree Swallow flying by front and center.

Friday

 Raptors And Art Camp concludes with the students making portfolios of all of their drawings and paintings, and group shot with the paper mache creations. Great Horned and Snowy Owls, an Aplomado Falcon, two Turkey Vultures and a bunch of Saw-whet Owl Little Billy's. Oh, and one Little Lilly. The best kids ever this year!

MAM Rules!

This week we celebrate year 21 for Raptors And Art Camp at the Missoula Art Museum, with Bev Glueckert. Two days of drawing our models, then paper mache raptors then printmaking Friday. Plus this was program number 1900 for me since Raptors of the Rockies was invented in 1988!

One More Monotype

 From Deborah's and my weekend camping trip. Makes me want to try that again.

Monotype

A Friend on Facebook suggested that I go outside, a plein air landscape river painting. Probably not what she had in mind but a monotype of Rock Creek from the 1980's. Deborah Mitchell and I loaded up the printing press in the Subaru and spent a weekend en plein air, up Rock Creek and back on Flint Creek. It is like fingerprinting for adults, sepia ink on white plexiglass and run through the printing press which is pulled out from a shelf in the back, legs screwed in and one person holding the press down so we get a firm run. We might have made this up...HA!

New Etching!

Just the first one painted today and running 4 more prints tomorrow. 8" x 12" Drypoint etching with gouache paint - "Barred Portrait." Fun!

 

My Original Hobby

 My brother just sent this photo of me as a scuba diver when I was two years old in California.  HA!

Trip to New York

This letter was mailed 10 miles from here, over two weeks ago, and enjoyed a cross country trip to Mid Island, New York. I love that:  (State of MT (Montana))  

And my brother Jon and I fishing in Michigan when we lived in Saint Louis as kids. What a haul!!!

New Birds!

Man, we have some new residents now like Cedar Waxwings (here) and Brown-headed Cowbirds. And tons of Bullock's Orioles even feeding at the hummingbird feeders, one Western Tanager, and American Goldfinches galore. Finally, and my absolute favorites - House Wrens! Can't go down to the river now for eagle shots with the bridge out but maybe there is a way...?

Floating Bridge

Tom and I got the bridge across the slough out - the water way up and floating, tethered to a pole. We used a come-along, pry bar, and two wheel drive pickup truck! Took an hour+  but WE DID IT! Sometimes the water completely covers that island across the slough, river roaring. It is always a trick figuring out how to re-install the bridge in July. One time we tricked a bunch of people that came to see the birds. Actually, they volunteered...

Magpies Everywhere

We had 5 babies pop out of this domed, stick nest in the front yard and how do they all fit in there? Must be fun to be free! Youngsters have the short tails and blue eyes, red around the "gape" or mouth.

Brand New

I just finished this painting today- "Red Squirrel" on Claybord with printing inks, gouache paint, pen & ink, pencils, brush pens...Always an experiment and a piece of Claybord that previously had an eagle that didn't work, so I gave up and made that one an etching, that DID work. Squirrel 8" x 11" and framed on the wall, starting an etching now, a Barred Owl! I must harness this Art Inertia while it lasts. My term, but it fits.

Biomimicry Conference

Yesterday was an arduous journey to Seeley Lake for a program with the Biomimicry Institute. My friend Nancy Brown drove with her sister up front, me in back with the birds and should have been an hour and a half drive. Instead - a fatal car wreck between Florence and Missoula, crawling along, then terrible traffic, then road construction, stopped for 20 minutes, then bridge out, detour for 20 more minutes. I was way off to start with in the Powerpoint, but came around and the birds were brilliant: Sib, Sonora, Little Billie and Portia. Saints all. Two slides from the program and Brown's Greenhouse Rules! They will be open for another month here in Florence, the best plants ever and and check them out:

Woodpile Doggies

 

Muskrat for Dinner

 Not much left of it, but surely a big muskrat looking at that tail!

Chief Charlo Elementary Excursion

Forth grade kids here then down to Lee Metcalf NWR to see the waterfowl...and owls! Mr. Cashman is our favorite teacher. Okay, a few more but years and years of fun.

Nice Stick, Dude!