Bye and Bye

In the early part of the day it was a little overcast. Sunlight was filtering through thick, slow moving cumulus clouds while my daughter and I worked on canvases in the back yard.

In the big blue sky afternoon it felt so good to be painting in the warmth of the sun. There is nothing like working in natural light. The sound of birds fluttering from tree to tree and the as-close-to-getting-to-it-as-I-probably-can.... ummm fresh air and enough paint to fill my brush. This is the life. Yup, good tunes and great company. We listened to Jesca Hoop for most of the day. And to the Roche Sisters and some Dylan too.

Oh, this verse, I love this verse of Bye and Bye....

I'm paintin' the town, makin' my last go-round
While I'm scufflin' and I'm shufflin' and I'm walkin' on briars
I'm not even aquainted with my old desires
I'm rollin' slow, I'm doin' all I know
I'm tellin' myself I've found true happiness
That I still got a dream that hasn't been repossessed
I'm rollin' slow goin' where the wild roses grow

Those words took hold of me and I stopped painting and just thought on the feelings they stirred for awhile.

I wondered why some times happiness and contentment are so easy, so breathable.

And why other times it feels like there are sections of life that I thought would make me happy that have dissolved into the mist of time and are so far removed from where I am now that I don't even have a sense of what it would be like to have them realized anymore.

I wonder if a lot of people get to that point in life when most of their dreams have been repossessed and this frame of mind sidles in and tells us, "Hey, you're off the hook. Just go with the flow and let the rest go." And that's good. It's peaceful and good. But some times I wonder about it.

Of course, I continue to work on canvases that may never sell and I'll keep on working on organizing speaking engagements and book signings for the book I've published. And I'm still hoping to take a road trip out west one more time. And I'll make a seed list for spring planting and take a bit more of the lawn away in exchange for another fruit tree and berry bush and beans and squash. And if books sell and paintings sell and seeds get planted and I get to take a road trip, that'll be great. But one thing I'm real clear on, I'm not going to miss a minute of appreciating this day. What a beauty its been.

Anyway, here are some nice shots of the garden.

The sun was filtering in through my white sheers and opened windows, all rosy and orange and I had to go out and try to capture it.