Panorama Photos

Route 17, Addison, Vermont
Snake Mountain (center)
Green Mountains in the distance
Left Photo

Right Photo

Cropped center left
Note the cumulus cloud

Panorma View
Route 17, West Addison, Vermont

To paint from photographs, I sometimes create a panorma image. 

I crop from a point where in both pictures, there is an identifiable feature. In the photo above, the cumulus cloud with the dome is a good place. From there I can see the section that overlaps in each image.

The scale of the painting is another story. I can condense, and lose the vastness of the landscape or I can go wide vertical to capture the breath of the image.

This particular landscape is perfect for a 4 season photograph. The fields in early spring will not all be plowed. In summer, there will be corn growing there. In fall the corn will be dry and in the stages of being harvested. In winter, there will be snow on the fields and/or on the Green Mountains.  

When the pictures were taken, the ground was in the process of drying out from lots of rain. You can see on the left center where some of the fields are plowed (dark soil).

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

Once again it is overcast, dreary, and raining. I managed to have a sound uneventful sleep last night, and a nap this morning. I'm reducing my stress by switching my get out around people more, (a chore for sure) by going to a library no hassles just show up gathering. For exercise today, laundry. For soul fun, a few watercolor sketches of the photos above.  And for the brain, watching the Moorsea calming video from the YouTube channel, My Tranquilitee.

Have a Lovely Day!

Baby Bison Attempts To Lead Herd Back To Yellowstone (Short Version)

Shocking
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An April Afternoon

Upstate New York, Lake Champlain
at Fort Saint Frederic
16  April 2024

It was a beautiful Spring day.

And here at 1 AM in the morning, my

throat is sore from a screaming nightmare

that woke me up. 

Vivid person appears intent on

harming me in the dream. Out of nowhere, 

at a place I don't know, fearing being there,

hearing somebody following me.

Not a good thing for that person

Anger is powerful, my anger.

The scream is louder than usual 

because I am certain there is

not going to be  good outcome.

Ergo, I awake. 

Cough drops at the ready.

Later that morning... 

I fell back asleep. Around 4 AM , I woke to a louder scream, different person, same danger though. My throat is slightly scratchy. Beautiful sunny day, I went out and had a relaxing time, bought and planted violas, lunch at McD, and a thrift store stop. I picked up a few lovely small containers for my picnic basket. 

There's a gorgeous ecru leather sofa there that I would buy in a heartbeat if I had the room. I also bought a small postal scale for letters from April 1988...1st class...$0.25 cents!

Anyway, I believe the nightmares are due to a heavy (for me) stress event this week that I volunteered for. As it is, I think it is best to let that go; and try a less stressful event.

Painting in Spring

Park at Asnieres in Spring 1887
Vincent Van Gogh 1853 ~ 1890
oil on canvas ~ wikiart.org

In the spring, what I look forward to is seeing...the first robin, the first daffodil, flowering trees, sunshine, and sandals on my feet.

For painting, as a child I loved the subject of spring the most. The joyful feeling of so many colorful flowers out of winter's white was magic to me. 

If you can get out and about, then consider taking pictures of the flowers and trees of spring. 

Paint your favorite image of spring.

Buds, Videos & the Gimbal

White Lilac Tree Budding 2024

The trees and shrubs are often neglected for photographs when they are budding. This year I set out deliberately with my old Samsung phone to take pictures of the bits of green showing.  

I was disappointed in the many pictures I took. The photo above is heavily edited. I use the Samsung cell phone camera because it is so easy to upload the images to my computer; and, it takes much better pictures than my iphone 13, way better. Unfortunately, the cell phone LCD screen doesn't display well enough for me to take quick pictures that will turn out well. 

At present, I'm still heavy into daily watching YouTube wild camping videos. There are about a half dozen campers that I regularly watch with 3 of them being the most watched. It takes talent to put together a good video. The 3 that I watch a lot are excellent video creators.

Are there homemade videos that you regularly watch?

What do you look for in a video the most (that makes for good viewing)?

Crocus 2024

Smoothness. The the camera's stability as it moves is tops for me. Most of the campers hike as they record. Without using a gimbal, a device you put the camera on to balance the movement, (think gyroscope,) the video jumps too much to make for comfortable viewing when the video maker is walking on rough terrain. Long arm selfie sticks or GoPro like extension arms to mount camera are what some hiking video makers use.

Music. If the music is too loud, overly dramatic, or just does not fit the atmosphere of what the films is about, the entire video can become not so great to watch. 

Talking. If there is too much talking going on, then it interferes with my enjoyment of the scenery. 

Sadly, there's a wonderful YouTube channel of travelers who hike, that just about describes every detail of what is being filmed. As in writing, don't hog the audience experience. Show, don't tell thing.

Baked Kale Chips

Baked Kale Chips & Garlic Powder

The first time making baked kale chips with garlic powder is probably my last.

They are a fun texture to eat.

They are not a fun flavor. Note, that my sense of smell and taste has been greatly limited since the covid booster in 2022. Sadly, I was able to taste the kale chips.

I had to shovel them in, chew, and chase with spring water in order to tolerate them.

I didn't use any oil, just wash and bake on low.

I might use them crushed up to add to another veggie or salad. 

 

The Return of Old Growth Forests

This is a very interesting documentary. There is good information about trees, and the forests. Enjoy

Poetry Thursday: Eliza Cook 1818 ~ 1889

From The Poetical Works of Eliza Cook,
Song of the Seagull, last stanza

We hold our course o'er the deep or the land,

O'er the swelling tide or weed-grown strand;

We are safe and joyous when mad waves roll,

We sport o'er the whirlpool, the rock, and the shoal;--

Away on the winds we plume our wings,

And soar the freest of all free things

Oh! the sea-gull leads a merry life

In the glassy calm or tempest strife.

 

Eliza Cook

In 1980, I bought an old book that was to be the first of a collection of poetry books by women poets. Alas, I didn't find the old obscure books of poetry to make the happen. So the Eliza Cook poems have rested in boxes, cabinets and bookshelves in all my moves for these last 44 years. 

Ninteenth Century sing songy poetry is easier to read under a big shady tree on a sunny summer's day with a nice picnic spread out on a flowery blanket. 

Reading other stanzas of the poem quoted above, I didn't find myself breezing along. The wording didn't go comfy with my 21st Century senses. Strange. I grew up reading such metered lines of poety. Thus, my youthful brain was more at ease than my elderly mind of today.

If you have a chance to read old poetry, then give it a try. Despite the wordiness, sweetness excess (imho), the experience can be refreshing in the way of contrasts.  

Thoughts About Keeping It Simple

I had a thought yesterday about what I was going to post. After deciding on a post title, I search the Internet to make sure the words aren't being used in some way. Nowadays, with so many millions of people online, it is very difficult to find a genuine title you create that isn't in some way of wording, being used already by someone else.

Thus, the title I chose was tossed because it is the name is too close to a television series title, The Edge of Everything (HBO).

Ink drawing 2001

Anyway, the thought is about how being on the edge of an idea or on the verge of something, I feel that we can get lost in adding too much detail. Keeping it simple isn't as simple as it should be. Nobody, methinks, likes forgetting something important. The plan should be thorough, the best it can be.  

Is there a trick to keeping it simple? 

If minimilism is the theme, then simple is easy.

If not, then struggle city we go.

For down sizing aka simplifying life, I decided to only keep the books that fit on my bookshelf, the pans I cook with, the dishes I use, and, the clothes I like that I actually wear. I wish myself a lot of luck getting that done.

Solar Eclipse 8 April 2024

The solar eclipse from here in northwestern Vermont was a magical event. The total dark part didn't last long enough.

I used a glasses' filter over an old cell phone lens. The photograph is of the eclipse about half way through. None of the other photos show the Moon or any part of the phases.

Did you have a chance to see the eclipse?

Solar Eclipse over Vermont
during the dark totality

Day 97 of Week 14 March 2024

The rarely used top shelf can have some surprises. Clearing out things, I emptied my dish collection in the bottom cabinet. I didn't bother with the top hanging cabinets until I decided to rearrange things.

A beverage center is a must for me. I don't know why, but it makes me feel organized, spiffy, relaxed. With all I need right there, there's no turning around to see dishes in the sink or have reason to go hunting for something or other.

Moving things, I found more dishes to donate on the top shelf. So a packing them up I go for a thrift store drop off next week.

Do you have a beverage center counter space?

Have a best beverage weekend!

Make homemade pasta

Draw a bird

Dance with a partner

Read about the history of rayon

Write a letter to a friend

Organize a hike with your family

Create a playlist 

Plan a vacation

Put together a paint & picnic tote