Summer Travels

I hope my American friends had a happy 4th of July. I tried to get my kids and grandkids here but they didn't want to brave the triple digit temps, and I can't blame them.  It's amazing how I lose any motivation to move or be productive when it is hot out. I did manage to work on some embroidery at the library.

I'm mostly worried about getting ready for my trip. I'll be gone for 3 or 4 weeks and money is going to be super tight. There won't be any shopping sprees on this trip. I have a gig on the 13th of July, and hopefully that will keep me afloat for the 2nd leg of my trip to S. Cal. I haven't even procured my train ticket yet because of a cash flow issue. So I hope my dial up connection doesn't prevent me from getting the ticket online later today. I need to find some light weight and compactable crafts to take with me. So I'll probably take the kumihimo disk, one small crochet project, one small knitting project and some beading supplies. My back has been unhappy so there is no way I'm carrying more weight than I absolutely have to. I'm trying not to be so stressed out that I can't have fun.

Lucerne Valley or Bust Part Three

 

Dropping off the 2nd U-haul

Hi,
It was a foggy morning in Anaheim today.  We got back from Lucerne Valley well after dark.  Since everything's been moved except our one working computer, we've been taking turns on it. It's strange not having a TV, a radio, or the usual devices of distraction in the house.  At least the refrigerator is here so we can still have cold drinks. We were supposed to be out Sunday but we still have so much more to pack, sort and clean.  We originally thought we'd have to rent 3 or 4 moving vans, then he was hoping to get by with 2, but they didn't have the big truck available. We settled for a smaller one and everything didn't fit.  At least we got the piano and most of the big items moved.

Someone is here who might buy the kayak. Sadly the gear bag (a big part of the deal) has gone missing.  Did one of our helpers throw it in the moving van, in which case it is now 111 miles from here? Did we accidentally leave it on the porch or roof of the car?  I hope it turns up. Maybe we'll find it when we pack everything else.  It's a big purple gear bag...how hard is that to find?

I took some sunset photos in Lucerne last night. Then we stopped for Chinese food on the way home. That was delicious.

I started to pack and clean today and my hips protested. Everything is sore. I learned 2 things from moving: I'm not as young as I used to be, and I'm seriously out of shape.

Our new backyard.

Sunset in Lucerne Valley California

Sunset

Butterfly van

Apple Valley Road Trip

Yesterday we took a road trip to Apple Valley CA. Now I have all kinds of art inspiration. There is nothing like a day trip to clean the cobwebs out of your brain and help you see the world in a new light. I would have cried if I'd forgotten my camera. Even though I have friends in Apple Valley and my boyfriend has relatives in Hesperia, I'd never been to either spot unless I passed through as a child on the way to somewhere else.  I have no recollection of it anyway. But the dessert always has great photo opportunities.

I grabbed what photos I could. I wasn't the driver, and we already had a day full of stuff scheduled, so it was catch as catch can, often from a moving car.  I did what I could though.

One of the rentals we looked at.

I've always loved joshua trees.  I just never thought I'd have them in my yard.

Train trip

Beautiful mosaic heart at the Fullerton Train Depot.

Two freight trains pass each other.

Double decker freight train.

Start of the journey.

All aboard.

View from the train.

Shot from a moving train.

I arrived to SLO safely by train but an hour and a half late.  This is why I don't trust the train to get me to work on time.  Luckily my gig isn't until tomorrow.

I made use of my time on the train by reading most of the 2nd book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  I also started knitting a shawl on double pointed needles that my friend Rebecca told me about. And I cut a bunch of photos out of a Vogue magazine that my friend Lynn gave me.  I want to make some fashion collages for my fashion blog. I used a blank composition book to organize the photos into categories such as Big Cats, zebra, Masculine/feminine, Romantic, sexy/alluring, hats, lace, and so on.  When I get enough items in each category I can make the  collage for that topic.

Now it's almost midnight so I should get some shut eye so I'm ready for tomorrow's event.  It will be fun I'm sure.

I'm Back

I just got back from a five day archery camping trip. I'll tell you all about it soon, but for now I have to catch up with mundane stuff. Photos soon to follow. We haven't unpacked the truck yet and my camera is buried in there somewhere.

Just Got Off The Train

I did some writing and drawing on the train. About a dozen times I wanted to hop off and paint the landscape.  The waves by Ventura were glassy and gorgeous. The sand dunes by Lompoc surf were covered with iceplant in green, gold and red. The boulders around Eagle Rock are always fascinating.  Many of these vistas can only be seen from the Amtrak Surfliner. I have tons of photos to download but first I need to catch up on some stuff that's piled up over the last five days.

Trip photos:

View from the train between Simi Valley and Chatsworth, CA

Fountain at Cuesta College

Art at the new coffee shop in San Luis Obispo, CA

View from house in Atascadero

Me on a chilly morning

I made chocolate covered strawberries and raspberries for the party.

Taken right before I got on the train to come home.

Back Home Again

My daughter in from of her art gallery.

The belly cast my daughter and I made together.

My grandson and I.

The Amtrak just delivered me safely to Fullerton where my chariot awaited me. It's so much hotter here than it was in San Luis Obispo. But it was nice to get home before dark. I took photos of Heather's art gallery which I will be uploaded in the next few days. I just spent half the day a bus and the rest on a train so I'm a bit tuckered at the moment. I worked on some knitting and some felt embroidery on the train. That kept me occupied and out of mischief for a good part of the journey.

Gourd Farm Trip

We had an excellent trip to the Welburn Gourd Farm in Fallbrook CA. I got enough gourds to make art dolls so I'll never need an imaginary friend again.
The recent rains left the roads muddy and we could see where some rock slides had been, but all was cleaned up as we drove through. I got a tad car sick with all the winding roads. But that quickly cleared up once I was on solid ground again.
I have a lot of gourd washing to do. The shapes I got will make good dolls, santas, snowmen, and birdhouses.

And She's Off

This morning I sorted through a bunch of  yarn and knitting projects to figure out what would be most useful on my trip.

Then I did the same thing with beading projects.  I think I have myself organized, and the train leaves in less than 2 hours.

I'll be gone until Tuesday and may or may not be able to blog from San Luis Obispo.  It just depends on if anyone let's me use their computer or if I can find time to rent one in a coffee shop or something. I sure wish I had a laptop, but it would just be one more thing to carry on the train. I already have 2 suitcases, a tote bag, and a purse. Being a traveling artist isn't exactly a light way to go.

I need to figure out which shoes to take and then it's off to the Amtrak station. See you peeps later.

 

Happy Rabbit Day

Today was a super busy day.
I got the knitted bunny all together except for the face. It was a bit tricky figuring out how to knit the tail.

I studied a whole bunch of craft books at Barnes and Noble and my wish list just grew by about 10 books. Both Michael's and Beverly's in SLO were closed today drat the luck. Thankfully Barnes and Noble was open.

I better go get some sleep. I'm completely worn out.

Going on a Trip

I'm putting together my trip schedule. It looks like I'll be on a train on Thursday morning happily rolling my way back to the Central Coast of CA. But before I can make my great escape I have to go get a tooth pulled tomorrow so it won't muck up my trip. I'm hoping it's a simple thing and fairly trauma free. Of course my pocketbook will be screaming bloody murder.

Then on Sat. I have the face painting event at a beach near Shell Beach (Dinosaur Caves Park). I love that event.

Sunday is Ostera for me and Easter for everyone else, so I'm not sure what we are doing on that day.