Life on the Bay

A bird doesn't sing

because it has an answer,

it sings because

it has a song.

~ Maya Angelou

On one of the coldest, greyest days of winter, You can be surprised. M& I were out for a ride and were almost back home when I spotted something in a Bush by our house. There they were, a large flock of big fat Robins flying in and out of a Firethorn bush. I had read that they will sometimes do this and actually get drunk if the berries are fermented, and that is exactly what we had going on here. They were flying erratically and wildly gulping down the Berries. Some of them blended against the brick house in the background and reminded me of a Japanese silk painting while other were intent to strip the bush clean. Their bellies were engorged with the feast and they soon forgot that I was there. To me, it's amazing enough to spot a Robin in January but what fun watching them feast. In a couple of months, I will see them building their nests.

I can't wait for Spring.

Time is swift, it races by; Opportunities are born and die... Still you wait and will not try...A bird with wings who dares not rise and fly. 

   ~ A.A. Milne

 

Art is the window to man's soul.

Without it,

he would never be able to see beyond

his immediate world;

nor could the world see the man within.

~  Lady Bird Johnson

I'm so lucky to have this beautiful studio space in my home.  I'm going to spend some time there because today is the first day of an online art class I'm taking with Misty Mawn.  She is one of my Muses. Actually, I would call her my "art hero" because her ability to inspire so many people to do art is beautiful in itself.  M & I spent Sunday making this snow sculpture  instead of going to the gym.  M is amazing. He was able to layout free-hand the entire piece which extends about 100 feet in front of our house.  I think the work is only going to be seen by Aliens or Airplanes. I love following another favorite artist that works in all natural materials and was the inspiration for this snow painting. She is an artist named Whitney Krueger  . Check out her work. She always makes me feel like I was transported to a very special place on Earth.....Well,,,,I gotta go it's starting to Snow.

hmmm.... what can we create now?

Go out and play in the snow today.

All the windows of my heart

I open to the day.

 ~ J. Whittier

Have you ever watched a rose

as it fades away;

the color becomes deeper

as the petals dry.

That's how my love for you deepens

as the days go by.
~Unknown

Our  little garden by the creek that flows into the bay holds treasures if you take the time to look.  I love how even in the bitter cold the rose bush holds onto some of the late blossoms so you can dream about spring.....

Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them.
~  Vincent A. Simeone

Those who wish

to sing.... 

always

find a Song.

~ Swedish Proverb

It is a cold grey day on the edge of the bay,,,,  finding something to sing about must be hard for the poor birds that winter over here.   But, I just have to look around my home and something always brings a smile to my face.  Stay warm everyone and put some food in your bird feeders today!

Use the talents you possess,

 for the woods would be a very silent place

if no birds sang except for the best.
~ Henry Van Dyke

You are never too old

to set another goal

or to dream

a new dream.
~ C. S. Lewis

It's beginning to really feel like the holidays have ended. My little guy Weasley has put away his Christmas outfit

and the cookies on the counter have been replaced with fruits and vegetables.

 

I still have my lights up and pretty things on the table and I'm not going to give it up just yet. There is a lot of debate about when one takes down their Christmas decorations but religion and politics will have to wait until the end of the month to see my lights come down.

 We are better throughout the year

for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.
~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Change

is the law

of life.

~ J.F.K.

I was tempted to call the day moody.

Then I got scared that the entire new year would be moody so I chose to call it wild, exciting, and ever-changing. The sky was either beautiful blue or menacing black-gray.  The wind blew in hard from the southwest and the ice began to crack. M & I took a drive to the peninsula to see the results as the bay was opening fast. The ice was crushed and heaving on the North shore of the bay.

In places it looked like you had thrown a million sheets of plate glass down and then crushed them against one another.  The Lakeshore was blown clean down to the sand and was a virtual desert. If it was warmer you could imagine being in the Sahara in a sandstorm.  The weather was changing so quickly that the view in the rear-view mirror was a whole different day than what we saw out front.  When we got back home, the iceboats jumped into a pool of sunshine, only to be devoured moments later by a huge storm wall that ran perfectly parallel to the Shoreline.    Well,,,,, my camera is ready and I'm back. I hope 2011 is wild, exciting, and ever-changing!

Life is change.

Growth is optional.

Choose wisely.

~ K. Clark

"New Year's Day

is everyman's birthday."
~  Charles Lamb

I hope everyone had a great holiday this year, as you can see my family had a bit to much fun decorating the gingerbread people.

My arms are wide open and i'm ready to embrace 2011.  I hope you will come along for the fun and craziness that comes with living on the bay.

Everyone stay safe on your travels this New Years Day!

See you soon!

Love, L

"New year's.....

in the echo of fog horns

another voyage starts"
~  Keiko Izawa

 

 

 

Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors.

~ African Proverb

It has finally quit raining, it amazes me how sometimes things can just look black and white out my window.  I was really fascinated by the wake and lines in the water around the new sailboat in our little bay. Today was a totally different vibe the sunshine was glorious and I have to say I am very thankful for this spot of warmth.  Already the boats are being put away for the winter and the view of the sunset will be changing.

Clouds come floating into my life,

no longer to carry rain or usher storm,

but to add color to my sunset sky.

 ~ R. Tagore

 

The true measure of a man

is not how he behaves

in moments of comfort and convenience

but how he stands at times

of controversy and challenges.

~  Martin Luther King Jr.

We see all sorts of things out in the front yard. Life on the bay means you are part of a dynamic panorama that is unpredictable and ever changing. Today brought some excitement and a near disaster. I was waiting for M to come back from work for a late lunch and saw two people launching a small sailboat. I could hardly believe they were doing it because the bay was whipped up into whitecaps with 30-40 mph winds as a front was blowing through. As soon as they launched, it was apparent that the mainsail was set wrong and whammo, the boat turtled and they were in the water. They righted it as they drifted, then rolled again. Once more they got it up and then it did a complete 180 except this time it was different.

  

It was obvious to those of us on land that the mast was stuck in the mud with the wind and the waves pinning the boat like a spear and no amount of their effort was going to free it. I was grateful that the water was relatively warm and several of us watched as they struggled fruitlessly. Then,,, one of the people in the water started waving her paddle in a gesture calling for help and we all got nervous. M had come home by then and was considering the possibilities of trying to reach them in his kayak. I went and loudly rang the fish bell in hopes that they knew we saw them and that help was on it's way.

 

Suddenly a powerboat came flying by and we all held our breath as it flew past them seeming not to register the situation. Suddenly the powerboat turned and like a miracle, it was full of strong young boys.

 

By this time we had alerted the Coast Guard and they showed up in their sleek quick response boat. Well,,,, the boys had things under control and with some extra manpower and a rope the day was saved. The powerboat towed them back to the launch under the watchful eye of the Coast Guard and all ended well. We always have to stand at the ready when living on the water. I am happiest when the rescue is just one of the kid's balls that has fallen into the water.

Most of the important things in the world

have been accomplished by people

who have kept on trying

when there seemed to be no hope at all.

~ Dale Carnegie

Everyone must take time

to sit and watch

the leaves turn.

~Elizabeth Lawrence

Today is a good day to go pick out the Mums for the front planter and get a few pumpkins to carve.  It is unseasonably warm here this morning, but I know it can't last.  Hmmm, maybe M will make an apple pie. 

LIVE IN EACH SEASON AS IT PASSES;

BREATHE THE AIR, DRINK THE DRINK,

TASTE THE FRUIT, AND RESIGN YOURSELF

TO THE INFLUENCES OF EACH.

~ THOREAU