It's been a while. Long enough for this old place to fall down a little more. Actually it's a scene I used to drive by frequently, and one that's fairly common all over the rural south: abandoned farmhouse, an island of brush and rubble in a field, easier to plow around than erase completely. The outbuilding is now worth more than what might have been a landmark home in town.

Interesting Facebook post by a niece, a writer-in-training, who always knew what she wanted to be, chasing that dream.
She's blessed with a family that has encouraged her, even though her "Creative Writing" major doesn't fit well with the wall street business model.
I always knew I wanted to make something, that I wanted to do something creative, and it's been a tortuous journey, littered with false starts, digressions, delays and dilemmas.
Here I am, finally, selling my work.

Hey stranger

Sheesh. History first:
Over a month has gone by: an outdoor art show blew me away, literally, not in a good way; I've placed a small group of my work out into the world at 5th Street Bake Shop, Reno; acceptance into the Coast Guard Art Program is a big boost. Gotta get to work on some ideas for that last.

Real world distractions and diversions, some needful, some not are my bane, the only excuse I can plead for not keeping this up, but here's a new one.

No. 50 is another Tahoe Rim Trail scene.
I came across this scene as I walked up to the basin of one of a pair of seasonal lakes. Further up the trail, you can look down at this area in a view from above this basin. The odd group of boulders in a wide expanse of smooth sand looks oddly like a giant marble game. Good thing I cached water a 1/2 mile before this point. My pack was heavier by a gallon of the precious stuff; I found the trail was dry for the next ten miles.

I promise not to beg!

Whew!!!!
On the subject of hopeless artist emails, Alan Baumberger, art consultant, lights a fire to any email asking him to 'look at my art', and hast his constructive advice: "carefully research and target your recipients, explain what's in it for them, be clear about your goals as an artist, show a little respect, and demonstrate that there's more to your agenda than you. Good luck and good day!
See the whole schmeer at http://www.artbusiness.com/expert.html
But since you're here, latest is this apple blossom and some buds, fresh off a tree in the back yard. Painted in the afternoon sun streaming through the window, the light was changing fast.