Summer Garden

This stork visited my cottage by the St. John's River and I had a chance to paint him while he/she posed.  (It was a long pose for a bird.)  I was so happy that my art materials were close by and ready to be used when I realized the stork had landed by the raised bed gardens.

It is a good thing I have put away my childish ideas about storks bringing newborn babies to your doorstep.  If storks really brought babies we wouldn't be prepared anymore.  Our sons are grown and we are empty nesters now.  My current babies are my gardens (growing vegetables, fruit and flowers), my artwork, and volunteering.  

Ten Pounds

I love to paint but my other passion is gardening.  Not only do I enjoy being in the garden and eating the results, but I am always reading about new ways to increase my harvest.
While looking at an article about cabbages, I learned that the worlds largest cabbage weighed in at 138 LBS.  This heavyweight broke to 2009 record by 10 LBS.

SUNFLOWER LABYRINTH

This sunflower was covered with bees when I first stepped into the garden.  Most flew off leaving only one to enjoy the pollen and nectar from the flowers on the tips of the sunflower seeds.  The lone bee seemed to be walking around the seeds from the outside to the inside in ever tighter circles.  It reminded me of walking a labyrinth.