just a day, same as the other days

Wednesday evening was week three of the current cardio drumming class and it is still so much fun. Only two more weeks left. This was the sky returning home Wednesday evening.

Judging by the number of juvenile cardinals I'm seeing at the bird feeder I'd say this was an excellent year for cardinals.

My gallery called yesterday to invite me to send a piece for their annual anniversary show, 50 of their favorite artists, one piece each. You might remember she called me last year in March about this show because she wanted a box and to give me plenty of time to make it. That was the coral reef box I worked on all last year, well, 4 1/2 months. Anyway, I had to tell her that I have not so much as set foot in the studio since finishing the box and it was just too hot in the studio now to even attempt working over there. You're not retired are you!? I told her that was a question I had been pondering this year but that no I didn't think so, not yet. I don't want you to retire she tells me. So while I have two older pieces I've never sent and am sending her the pics, I may not be represented this year. Which is fine. My interest in the glass art community has waned significantly.

I do have two pieces I've started on the wax models for, if they haven't melted into a puddle by now, though I have abandoned the idea of remaking the luna moth piece and completely abandoned making the comet moth piece. And I have a major piece I want to do comprised of three separate parts for the wall but even if the air conditioner could keep the studio room cool the cold work part and the kiln is in the un-air conditioned part of the shop and I bet it's well over 110 in there without the kiln being on. And then there's the no water part which I haven't addressed yet and don't plan on until working outside isn't an immediate threat of heat stroke. Hell, it's so hot I don't even want to walk across the street much less open up the shop.

I'm still spending my days watering, making sure the bird feeder and bird baths are full, playing games on my phone, reading a bit, streaming shows, currently The Bear which is about a young up and coming chef, Carmen, working in an upscale NY restaurant when his brother commits suicide and he returns home to take over the family sandwich shop to try and save it and make it into something better. Doesn't sound all that interesting does it but it's really good. Two seasons and we're about halfway through season one. What I am still not doing is anything creative. Well, I've been here before and it will pass.

I've mentioned I've been putting raw peanuts in the shell out for the squirrels to help keep them out of our pecans which have suffered another less severe attack. A while back I noticed three little plants in a different part of the little backyard that I had never seen before and didn't know what they were but decided to let them grow until they revealed themselves (not great pictures, a little out of focus).

I happened to notice the other day that one of them had little yellow pea shaped flowers.

I finally looked it up today and I'm growing peanuts! Those squirrels are planting them for future reserves I guess.

And this, Mexican bird of paradise, one of the few things that does not mind the heat and lack of rain.