Sky shows all weekend

Clouds over the Ottawa River

Photo © Barbara Muir 2020

Coming home from even a long weekend vacation requires a major
adjustment. We got so settled into our small hotel room, that it
took awhile just to remember where things were at home, or how we
normally (well COVID normally) do things. 

Awhile ago I told you that sometimes I’ll post photos here. We had very strange 
weather while we were away. A lot of rain, then brilliant sun. Rainbows and the 
most glorious clouds. Here’s a sample. 

Have a loving clouds day. 

Strange synchronicity

The Yellow Field

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016
SOLD ♥ 

Today we socially distanced visited family near La Peche, Québec, and were

 telling the story of the porcupine under the floorboards at our school house last year. 

We’ve been pretty much in the car all day, and I am tired, so I decided to look through

my blogs from last year to see what we were doing a year ago today.

And under a favourite painting of a gorgeous view in P.E.I. I found the story of the 

porcupine almost word for word the way Steven told it today. Last year on this

day we went to Prince Edward Island for dinner. We had a delicious meal, and just

reading that was an incredible contrast with this year. And we came home to

a very large porcupine planning to make a new home under our school house.

Happy August 17th. It was my parents’ wedding anniversary and is Caitlin 

Grandison’s first anniversary of being married to Cesar, who is in California at

the moment. A propitious day. Plus it is the anniversary of the story of the

porcupine.  

Vacation Fun: a rainy day

 

A little Drive in Gatineau 

Photo +

Barbara Muir © 2020

A rainy day on vacation in COVID — what do you do? We enjoyed our cold room service

breakfast. We read and made lunch from our supplies. Then it made sense to go for a drive 

and see the scenery. But did it? Ottawa and Gatineau are good at flooding. Too good. We decided 

to head in the opposite direction, but the bridge was flooded. But hey we weren’t daunted. 

Steven knows that I love it when he drives through puddles. See the puddles?

We drove out to the street my mother lived on. Her house is gone now, covered with a 

huge block monstrosity. But we still love the street. At the end of the street is a boat access point 

into the Ottawa River, and we walked down to stand on the shore. The sun came out

just long enough for us to go for a walk and then thunder sent us scurrying back to the car. 

We ate take out dinner sitting on a beautiful porch of an old building in Ottawa that is part 

of a café, and it was wonderful. We were alone and happy as clams. I hope you had a great day.

A drawing on holiday

Sketch of flowers in Flora Doehler's studio

Black marker on note paper

6 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2020

(I'll try and get a better photo of this tomorrow,

or work on it some more.)

My friend, the wonderful artist, and flower painter is taking part

in Annapolis Royal's annual Paint the Town event. This year because

of COVID-19, it's happening virtually.  Which hasn't stopped Flora.

As usual, she and husband, Larry Knox, have beautiful flower gardens

surrounding their house in Bear River, and Flora is painting 

plein air at home.

She posted some wonderful photos of her process and her paintings

on Instagram, and on Facebook, and to honour her process I

concentrated on a blue jug, and flowers in one of her photos,

and did this fast sketch.  It made me almost feel like I was in

the studio with Flora (and I would be if we could get to Nova

Scotia).  Flora said it would be okay to publish my drawing on

my blog tonight.

Flora's flower paintings were on the My wall behind the jug of

flowers in her studio, and her paintings were even more

beautiful than the vibrant flowers in the jug.  How can

I even say that?  Because it's true. 

Thank you for the constant inspiration, Flora.

On the road again

The Fruits of Love goes home

It’s a strange and risky time to be travelling, but with my online

class over, and a space of time that is still summer, we headed

out.  But first a stop at my dear friend, the incredible artist

Georgia Fullerton’s place, so that the painting The Fruits

Of Love could go to its new home.

The photo shows me and Georgia on her new beautiful

front porch, (which you can’t see in the picture) with my painting,

and Georgia’s beautiful abstract that she created down by

Lake Ontario a couple of weeks ago.  

It was a joyous and exciting beginning to our trip, which

was beautiful the whole way.  I was so thrilled with the sight

of lush trees in full summer beauty against the rolling hills

and fields turning end of summer gold. Just gorgeous.

We are masked and gloved, and hand sanitizer prepped,

and above all happy.  

Stop doing that! (We have to try.)

The House on the Hill #2

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

SOLD ♥ 

My new Blogger system combined with my new Mac make writing,
and posting my blog into a whole new, (and not yet wonderful) experience.  
So here's what I'm doing.  I'm writing my blog in my email on my old
computer, sending it to me on my new computer, cutting and pasting.  
Yep.  Because it's got to get done, and last night it wouldn't single space.
Seriously?  Yes.  And it still won't.

My title tonight is about how we can't keep going back to where we were a 

year ago.  We have to just delight in where we are.  But when I saw the 

painting that came up last year on this date, and knew what it meant, I

felt a pang.  This is the house that means we are almost at Pugwash, and

almost home to our school house.

I have painted this same house a number of times, and sold two of those

paintings.  The house is quintessential Nova Scotia.  White clapboard,

on a hill with some out buildings.  I think we found out that it was 

part of a dairy farm.

Anyway. A year ago today we were driving out to our 100+ year old

school house, happy as can be. And I'm glad we were.  I'm glad we 

had that magical vacation, surrounded by loving friends.  And this

year we can't go, which will make our hearts grow even fonder.

Love you Nova Scotia.  Stay healthy and stay safe. 

Craving the forbidden Maritimes

View from the highway

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

I know, I know I am lucky as I sit on my very nice front porch looking 

down  the same street I've looked down since we got home

from Ottawa in February after our Valentine's Day trip.

Unless you've been there you cannot fathom the love of place

we have for the Maritimes.  In fact the second we cross the

New Brunswick border out of Quebec, the feeling of almost

being home (to our very rustic school house) in Nova Scotia

hits us so hard.  And every view from then on in adds up to

"We're almost there".  In reality it takes us two more days,

but it feels close.

We need the water -- the ocean.  This view I'm showing you 

tonight, which I've seen at least 40 times in person is one view

along the way, that is meaningful to us. 

But almost as important as this lovely view in New Brunswick, is

the thought of travel altogether.  The thought of being on the road

with Steven, singing at the top of our lungs.  That is a holiday and 

we are soooooo ready.  So I am grateful to the Maritimes for 

teaching me to love the road, and I am going to love whatever 

road we go on together.  Masks and hand sanitizer are loaded,

social distance is a habit.