Tempting, but the Ice?

So as the winter moves on and the temperatures get lower, inevitably ice begins to form in the bay. Less than a week ago it was over 50˚ and I was tempted to head into the bay and do some paddling. Single digits and 30 mph winds tomorrow, I now wish I had gone out last week! Kayaks and ice below.

 

Blowing Snow - Short Lived

Here are a couple of shots of David doing the snowblower thing last week with the snow we got and at least have kept for a few days. Glad the ski areas finally got some God-made snow to add to all the "home-made" they've been laying down. I love the big round "snowflakes" in the flash path!

Almost a Week Old

Jackson is back into the gaining weight stage and doing well in his new home on a pleasant street in Portland. I FaceTimed with Torrey tonight and then he sent me the pic below. I'll post one of mine on here as well. Photographing really young, as in newborn, children is pretty easy, but taking great pictures of young people is always a challenge. The "pros" always seem to have some good tips that help them be successful in this genre.

Jackson as a newborn last week.

Jackson Avery Johnson...

...was born at 11:11 on Thursday, January 5th. The above photos in descending order are: Jackson with a flash (dim light in the hospital - I had to reset my camera flash), Jackson trying to get a digit in mouth, wrinkled up feet, my two sons and grandson, and the new family.

What a rush to see all this happen and to hold that fragile little piece of life in my arms. He is so bright, looking around and moving and stretching his limbs! What a day!

Mind Ghosts

My muse was working on this piece... I've been working with my "gorilla brush" and India ink during the break a bit and I got to thinking about thinking. Metacognition, "they" call it.

Someone once told me that the proverbial "they" were simply "them what knows", or people of a supposedly broader experience than others, or at least broader than those who are making the reference to "they". A life goal for me would then be to become a "they". 

So I'm working this piece out and it seems so familiar, something I've done (similarly) numerous times before, and it dawns on me that the subconscious background that I enjoy picking out of (or adding to) my work, while being largely imagination, has to have real resources in my experience of the world. So my muse licks in, I complete this 11X14 inch piece and immediately long to produce something larger. Unfortunately my time is not my own and I have (last minute, of course) a number of things to accomplish for school this week. The piece is above and two details are below.