Virginia Safari Park Day Trip

We’ve been to Busch Gardens in Florida many times - way back in the 60’s when it was only a brewery. Then came the animals where the monorails rode high above them. A while back I came across information about the Virginia Safari Park and thought it might be interesting to visit. I don’t recall ever being in a car where the animals come to you - for food. Being the fall season and wanting to see the leaves changing anyway, yesterday was a great sunny day for a road trip to Natural Bridge. And it was. From the minute we entered the gate, the animals “attacked.” My husband and I shared one small bucket of feed, but all the animals have your number. With the windows down, they literally walk up to your face and stare at you. One llama sniffed the back of my neck. Before long one bucket was snatched. The HUGE horns on the beasts could easily break the window glass and side mirrors. It was actually getting frightening! So we shut the windows and watched the other cars get attacked. The llama literally walked in front of the car and wouldn’t budge - giving us the royal stare down. All you could do was wait for them to finally move. The smaller critters don’t stand a chance. You could always honk your horn if you needed help. The ride is three miles and really very interesting as it twists and turns along the mountainside. Along the way you see giraffe, rhinos, bison, zebra, cattle, elk, ostrich - they all seemed to get along. Afterwards we walked through the village and visited the budgies, kangaroos, monkeys, tigers, vultures, cheetahs, penguins, anteaters, tortoises, lemurs, and snakes. Summer is the busiest time of year in this Shenandoah Valley adventure, so we were glad to visit as the season was winding down. I think we may have missed a few things, but it was a very interesting experience. I’ll never forget how big these creatures are - especially when you are looking at them eye to eye. 

Squirrels and Birds and...

I should have majored in something related to animals and birds. I can sit for hours just watching them do whatever they do - from the tiniest firefly to the everyday squirrel to my favorite cardinal pairs. Most of these critters I can find on our small patio garden. My husband is very patient when it comes to my taking pictures of all of them, but sometimes just doesn’t have the same amount of enthusiasm for the mundane squirrel. He can’t believe it every time I point out a squirrel to him - like, what’s the big deal? But that doesn’t stop me. Of course I notice every dog that passes by too - but for the most part I’m pretty picky about the ones I like. The Capitol police have Guard dogs stationed about and I have finally begun to match the name painted on the side of the squad car with the specific dog. And of course, there are the fish ponds scattered about. I’ve taken notice of the koi and the goldfish too. Maybe one of these days we will get another dog to satisfy my pooch habit. But until then I’ll keep pointing them out to him and taking lots of photos. 

Persian Carpet Critters and Flowers

When we lived in a big house in the Midwest we needed big carpets for all the rooms. So we had several Persian carpets that were made of silk and other materials. We even had a wall hanging in the dining room. They were simply lovely! When we moved to DC we had no space for any of them and we left them all behind. Now we have collected three over the last ten years - all about the same color scheme, with some common elements. I especially love the whimsical animals that are incorporated somehow and the beautiful flowers. The horses and birds are cute, and the Isfahan carpet we brought home from Iran is probably my favorite. The creatures look mythical but bring a smile to my face every time I look at them. I do miss our carpets but they unfortunately would not have fit in this house. I just read something today that people with less possessions are happier? I tend to agree with that and am content that we downsized to this tiny space. But I can't help but think about them once in awhile. I guess I'll need to look at some old photos and continue to appreciate the ones we live with now. 

From Sketch to Portrait Digital Art

It's getting to be a busier time of year for a lot of things. But my little Etsy shop tends to get a lot of requests from now through the holidays. Custom pet portraits are a personal gift that everyone seems to like. I opened my shop three years ago so I'm getting more and more in tune to trends. I'm also becoming more comfortable with the overall process. For any request it's a continuous exchange of updates and communication from start to finish. So when the project is complete I now patch together a series of images that show the steps. I like to use Instagram Layout because there are a lot of options and it is so easy! So, customers not only receive the final digital image, but another image that shows the progress. Sometimes that's more interesting than the end result. 

The Second Time Around

I've been painting with my iPad for the last five years. My Etsy shop was set up three years ago. I've submitted art works to the employee art fair the last three years and have two pieces ready to go for a fourth year. Nothing else could be a greater form of flattery to know that folks have my paintings hanging on their walls, or displayed in unique ways. In the last week I've had two requests for not just one, but two, paintings. And the subjects were varied and interesting. Any time someone requests a second item, it gives me confidence that they must have really liked the first. So there were two dogs, a baby, and a celebration. Some of the requests were very specific and require a lot of additional add ons - like tags with names, making the dog's tongue shorter, adding room elements, etc. Some of the photos I work from are very grainy and difficult to see the detail so I really need to use my imagination. In any event, each commission is a challenge, but I so enjoy the process it doesn't feel that difficult. And when the artwork is completed, it's such a good feeling to get such positive reactions. Thanks so much for noticing!

The Borzoi Farm

It put us a couple hours behind schedule but was well worth the trip. We got our Borzoi Tatiana from a breeder in Indiana twenty or so years ago. Tatiana is no longer with us but we miss her a lot. She was a wonderful companion. On our trip back to DC we made a detour to the horse farm where the dogs are bred. It took a bit of doing to find the place, but we were armed with several bags of cookies and treats and made instant friends. There were 8 month old puppies and eleven year old seniors. I could have easily taken one home with us. Unfortunately we didn't have a chance to see the breeder - she had better things to do - like teaching at the local school. But we met with her husband and he is so kind. My husband could never live in a remote place away from the bustle of the urban lifestyle. I can't seem to make up my mind. But the idea if having one or two of these magnificent pooches at my feet? Lovely! Check out those smiles!