Thanks Jenny!

I’ve had an Etsy shop for ten years. I paint custom pet portraits of dogs, cats, and other critters. It’s always nice when I receive a request from a return customer. That happened with Jenny a couple of weeks ago. She has contacted me four times before for friends who have lost their pets. But this time was different. She lost her pooch recently and wanted a portrait of her pet. In the painting she wanted the stuffed duck that was the favorite toy as well as the name on the tag. So we did the usual process - prelim sketch, updates, and several background options. The most time is spent setting the scene, using favorite photos. Yesterday Jenny left feedback on my Etsy site. And it was extraordinarily kind. I know how difficult it is to lose one of your best friends and it means a lot to get such positive reviews. Jenny has left kind words after every portrait. But this time it was even more special. 

Walkabout the WWII and Lincoln Memorials

Every once in a while we take a morning walk along the tidal basin. There is a great place to park which helps. But rather than always walk around the tidal basin, we walk over to the WWII Memorial. Last week we did just that for the purpose of finding photos for the challenge. The subject was water and there were many opportunities. We particularly like the view looking towards the Capitol in the distance. I always think of my parents when we go there. My dad was in the Coast Guard and my mom was in the Navy during WWII. I can only imagine what and how they would think today about world affairs. After milling about this area we then walk along the reflecting pool toward the Lincoln Memorial. It’s about a mile round trip. This time the Rutgers football team was visiting - one hundred plus red shirted people were quite visible including Rutgers police officers. You couldn’t miss them if you tried. The Korean War Memorial was also recently updated with a memorial pool and wall. There is always something to see around here. It’s great for photo ops, a morning walk, or just reminiscing. 

52Frames Water Photo Challenge

Water was the subject for the 52Frames photo challenge this week. The water droplets on the leaves and the sidewalk and the water views in the neighborhood park were interesting. Then we took a ride to the Tidal Basin and walked along the WWII memorial and Lincoln memorial waterworks. We stopped by the renovated Korean War Memorial and then by the Constitution Gardens pond. It was a beautiful day for clouds and blue sky reflections. I had picked out a few favorites. In spite of that we took another ride to Roosevelt Island for a morning walk the next day. There were plenty of opportunities there as well - bridges, kayakers, and the Potomac River from several angles. But what caught my eye was an old water fountain that was situated along the trail. I don’t think I would drink from it. In fact it took several tries to even get it going. I can’t say it’s the best photo I’ve ever taken but it was a lot different than all the other ones taken earlier in the week. I’m sure it won’t win a prize or be recognized as a great entry. But sometimes I like to submit an image that looks like one of a kind - rather than the same ideas many others might have like ponds and rivers. If nothing else the photo challenges give us a reason to get out of the house. That’s the best part of it. 

Delicate Woodland Flowers

In our neighborhood is a park. We usually take morning walks there during the week on the days that we don’t go in to town. We usually park next to the library, then walk where the Nannie’s and the kids are swinging and hanging about. The path then takes us to the wooded section where it is cooler, but also feels like you’ve entered a place far from home. When we lived in the Midwest we lived by Lake Michigan. My husband took walks in the morning with the neighbors. I was working so I didn’t get to enjoy the scenery as much - except on the weekends sometimes we would go there with our Borzoi Tatiana. She loved the deer! On our last walk this past week one gets the sense that the scenery is beginning to change from summer to autumn. In spite of that the little flowers are still popping out against the lush green backdrop. They all look so tender and delicate set against the leaves and greenery. It’s so nice to have a park to take a walk. And with each season the surroundings change accordingly. You just need to take notice. 

Jury Duty Questionnaire

When we lived in the Midwest for thirty years I remember being called to jury duty one time. When we lived on Capitol Hill both my husband and I were called to jury duty just about every year. It was a royal pain. I almost got stuck on a trial but lucked out. The only thing good about it was that we could easily walk to the courtrooms. We have lived in northern Virginia for over three years now. I haven’t really thought about jury duty until today - when I received a letter that contained a juror questionnaire. I haven’t been called to serve - yet. But I have a feeling my luck will run out some time over the next year. Since I am not yet seventy I won’t have a choice to opt out. And since I now have hearing aids I have no excuse. So I need to complete the questionnaire on line and hope it never surfaces. If I do get called the courthouse is no where near where we live and there’s enough crime to keep the courts busy. I’m sure it would be a good experience but I’m just not in to it. I never cared for being in a room with a bunch of strangers before the pandemic. I dislike it even more now.  

New Recipe - Stuffed Pepper Bake

I used to like having stuffed peppers for dinner. We haven’t made them for quite some time. Then I saw a recipe called stuffed pepper bake and was intrigued by the idea of giving it a go. After all, anything casserole like is good for at least two and sometimes three dinners. So when we went grocery shopping this week we got all of the ingredients. We probably should have stuck with green peppers since that was the taste I was after. But we got one red and one green pepper. Otherwise the four cloves of garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasonings, onion, grated cheese, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce would add the flavor. We started with a smaller cooking pan and ended up having to use the larger one since all of the ingredients needed to be mixed together first. Our casserole dish wasn’t large enough either so we needed to use another small dish to compensate. In the end it was good enough to eat! Actually the leftovers tasted even better. We probably won’t make it very often but every once in a while it’s a nice option. We actually aren’t much of meat eaters anyway. The recipe called for one pound and it was a bit over. I think I’ll save the recipe anyway.

Roosevelt Island Promenade

Yesterday we drove to the Tidal Basin in search of water scenes. That’s the subject of this week’s photo challenge. Today we decided to take a ride to Roosevelt island not only for a morning walk, but to see what other water options there might be. It’s best to visit the island during the week to avoid the crowds. What one doesn’t expect but hears the whole time you are walking are the overhead planes taking off or landing at Reagan airport. It’s non stop! We have been to the island in all seasons. The crickets were certainly out in full swing, there were little lizards scampering about, but not much else. There were a lot of water opportunities to photograph - over the bridge, under the bridge, next to the bridge. And also several Potomac River views - kids and kayakers here and there. Many views of Arlington. There was even a water fountain that a potential. The views towards Georgetown weren’t very impressive and the light just wasn’t right. In the end there may some winners after I do some editing. If nothing else we had a delightful walk. And that’s the real reason for the trip.