2023 Calendar
January
Maureen wanted a break in our routine, so in February we took Zim up to Jodie’s place for a few days. He got to hang out with his old buddies, and we got to see Chris and Claire. Late one afternoon they were all riding in the arena -- Claire on Marvel, Maureen on Zim and Chris on Zaphod, Zim’s brother.
February
Last year I got started on a series of paintings based on my photos from a trip we took in 2000. We stayed with my distant cousin, Margaret and her husband, Bernard, and they drove us all over England and Ireland. Our tour of Ireland began at their home near Crewe and headed west into Wales with a stop at the picturesque town of Llangollen. We enjoyed a little walk along the river.
March
After a ferry ride to Ireland, we spent a full day in Dublin, walking all over the city. We found a place to eat lunch at a restaurant on a short pedestrian street just off Grafton Street, the subject of this painting. Later in the day, we met up with a couple of Bernard’s cousins, who wanted to show us around some more. They were very entertaining, and took us to several pubs until late in the evening.
April
Kinvarra, IrelandAfter Dublin, we hit the west coast of Ireland at the town of Kinvarra where we made a stop for elevenses at the small harbor. Later, we toured the Burren, an area of bare limestone hills. We explored many narrow lanes which led us finally back to Kinvarra.
May
Last June we celebrated our 50th anniversary by staying a few days in the Big Sur area. It was just the two of us in the cabin and we had a wonderful time. One day we went hiking at Point Lobos. We hadn’t been there in many years and found it as crowded as expected, but beautiful as ever. In this painting, we are just coming out of the forest at Whaler’s Cove to begin a rugged hike all along the north shore of the point.
June
Roscommon, IrelandWe loved so much of Ireland, and I wanted to see Roscommon, where my ancestors on my mother’s side were from. It was a quiet town without many tourists, and I’m happy we were able to spend the night there and walk around the area. I definitely felt a connection to Ireland throughout our visit. - Maureen
July
Farmland near Sligo, IrelandWe kept going north along the west coast of Ireland, and it was all beautiful and green. Approaching Sligo, the home ofW. B. Yeats, we stopped at the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, an area of ancient stone tombs. They were interesting enough, but my eye was drawn to the surrounding farmland and the dark clouds hanging over the mountains. Hours later, while we were exploring Sligo, the clouds let loose with pouring rain.
August
Owachomo Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, UtahGoing back to another long ago time, this is from a trip around the Southwest in September 1999. We saw many amazing places traveling through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. We stopped at Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah and one of the most impressive bridges was this one, a short hike from the road.
September
We were joined by a couple more distant cousins, Andy and Stephanie, at the Giant’s Causeway, and they took us a few miles further to Carrick a Rede. It’s a place where a swinging rope bridge crosses a rugged gap to a small island with churning surf a hundred feet below. It was put up by fishermen in the 19th century, but now it is a tourist attraction. Some of our group were quite fearful to cross, but all were finally brave enough to do it.
October
On our 1999 trip, we returned to one of our favorite places, Capitol Reef. It is a beautiful area of rivers, red-rock canyons and lots of great hiking trails. I can’t remember exactly where in the park this scene is, but it is typical of many in that whole area. Late afternoons are often times of magical lighting and colors.
November
We finished up our 2000 trip to England and Ireland with three days in Paris. I had always wished to see it, and it was everything I had dreamed of and more. We did a lot of walking and a lot of Metro riding. One day we walked from our hotel on the left bank all across town to Montmartre. After doing this painting from a photo, I tracked down its location using Google StreetView, and found that it is Rue Norvins and the big gate on the left is the entrance to La Folie Sandrin, an 18th century mansion.
December
The V6 is a huge ranch in the mountains of Central California where the cowboy way of life still lives on far from modern civilization. We went there in October for a Chris Ellsworth clinic about working cattle. Maureen and Zim had a great time out on the range herding and cutting. One morning I followed the riders on foot as they went out to gather the herd. As they were returning with the cattle, I took photos, and did this painting from one of them.
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