late summer and one kind of work or another

Saturday...I determined that I want to do the finish work on the first trumpet flower piece before I fill the mold for the second one so I can see how well or not at all some of the shading came out and now that I've had a week off I was determined to get over to the shop today, and start the cold work. Except it is so horribly hot out there. If it was just 92˚ as the thermometer goes it would be manageable with the fan blowing on me but the real feel is 103˚ and they aren't kidding. Plus, I wore myself out yesterday with the trimmer. Two gas tanks worth, had to refill the string bobbin, but I got it all done and my arms were so tired after that I was like Trump, needing two hands to bring a small glass of water up to my lips. And today they are so sore. Well, maybe tomorrow but probably not. I think I'll set up for and pour the wax base for the luna moth model. I can do that in the AC. And today I'll work on a second butterfly drawing for another of the stands...in the AC. Or I might take a nap. We'll see.

It is so dry here, the ground is cracked and the grass is sere and crunchy. It rains all around us but not on us. I'm back to watering, moving the sprinkler from spot to spot. The pots, even the big ones need to be watered every day.

Monday...I thought I had lost the morning glory bush too but it finally returned and is blooming now. It's one of my favorites.

I went outside as soon as I got up to take the picture above because they fade by noon and I had missed the previous days' glories. I took close-ups too, like this one,

but the camera didn't pick up the color, I guess because the sky was completely overcast and getting darker and it did finally give us some rain this morning though not as much as I would have liked.

I'd been watching this flower bud develop on my datura and still would have missed it if I hadn't been intent of getting a picture of the morning glory bush this morning.

I got over to the shop yesterday and poured and trimmed the wax base for the luna moth piece and then collected pictures of tiger swallowtail butterflies, which I think is the next one, to work on a new composition but that's as far as I got.

Today, though, was a frustrating day in the studio. I didn't have any wax sheets big enough or thick enough to suit me and it took me 4 tries to get what I wanted. Then I realized that, the way the luna moth piece is designed with the leaves going off the edges, it won't slip through the brackets at the top and into the stand because with the leaves, it's too thick. Well, fuck fuck fuck and dammitall. Now I have to redesign the piece.

Tuesday...It's not supposed to be as hot today so maybe I'll work on the trumpet flower piece while I noodle over the luna moth.