Wednesday I went with my friend who is undergoing treatment for cancer to one of her doctor appointments. Because we live in a rural county it’s a two hour drive there and back, or nearly so, to certain appointments and treatment so when I can I accompany her to keep her company. On the way there I checked the weather forecast for the next arctic vortex barreling down on us. The first front turned out to be not that severe and most everything survived with little or no damage. This next one, no suck luck. They are predicting high to mid 20s for three nights Saturday through Monday and then Tuesday a low of 18˚ and the temperature will never rise above freezing. So the azalea buds forming will freeze; all the various lilies, the fire spike, the banana trees, the morning glory bush, the rangoon creeper, the pink trumpet flower, and more will all freeze to the ground. And if that’s not bad enough, we might get snow and if not snow, freezing rain. Yay.
I’m going to have to get Handsome Boy, Lovey, Twin, and Momcat in the shed with the little heater for one night at least. Feral Ghost will be on his own. I’m wondering if I can get them to follow me to the shop and get them in the studio for that night as it’s insulated and much more space. I’m not sure they’ll go in even if I put their food in there.
Add to that the impending doom of the incoming administration of unqualified ass kissers whose only desire is to carry out the demented orders of a guy whose emotional maturity stopped developing when he was five so my mood isn’t great today. As such, I’m limiting my exposure to all the depressing reports. It will do me no good to continue to read about the horrible people and horrible policies that are almost upon us. I know it’s going to be bad. How does that go? My need to be informed is at odds with my need for sanity. Something like that. If not sanity, serenity. Reading about it over and over will not stop it from happening. All we can do is resist. Of course if Hegseth gets okayed for the Department of Defense we might get shot in the legs for resisting.
The only rainbows likely for the next four years will be on my walls on sunny mornings.
Progress has been slow on the new painting, haven’t had much time to work on it this week but I’ll be mostly housebound Sunday through Wednesday so maybe I’ll get it finished. In the meantime here’s where I’m at. Keep in mind that the colors are more intense/saturated than the actual painting. I’m using a picture that I printed out years ago from a photo I took when I was working on the cast glass series of which this was one, the drawing I did of this, and pictures on the internet that I searched for but haven’t printed out for reference. In the end it’s probably not going to look like any of the sources but that’s ok. I’m liking what I have so far.
Codex: AM I looking at the top of the stamen into the flower?
ReplyDeleteCurrently using garish stickers and collaging to keep my mind off things.
The stamen is the pollen producing part of a male flower and is shaped differently. The stigma, the pollen receiving part of the pistil, is the corresponding part of the female flower. But yes, you are looking at the top of the stigma into the female zucchini flower.
DeleteCodex: Don't like Zucchini
DeleteCodex: On a serious note. I used to volunteer for a cat rescue. We had a volunteer who'd built insulated cat houses for the ferals ( plywood). I doubt they'll go in to your shed, but will go into a box if you have anything like an old plastic storage bin. Cut a hole in it, some blankets insulate with cardboard and warmth from the heater. They use it if undisturbed and if they can come and go.
DeleteAs to what's coming. We decided to not talk about it unless it's a major event. How to stay well informed and factually well informed is going to be a challenge.
Only one of the five outdoor cats is feral but he comes to eat when we feed the others. The other four I've tamed and can pet and can even pick up three of them. I won't have a problem getting them in the shed. They can all get under the house (manufactured home) as I've lifted one of the panels around the bottom enough to allow them in and out so the feral cat will have some shelter available if he chooses.
DeleteRe the zucchini, you just haven't had it cooked right.
Glad to hear about the kittehs. Zucchini always tastes bitter to me. Recipe?
DeleteRecipes are better transmitted via email but in general only buy the small ones, 7" or less. One easy way to fix it is to grate it into a greased baking dish top with pats of butter and cover with grated or shredded parmesan, bake for about 25/30 minutes at 350˚. I have another recipe that is way more involved but very good but I'm not transcribing it here.
DeleteOh I get it now, your painting...now it is stating to become itself!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to post a picture of the whole flower when I'm done for those who still can't see it.
DeleteI think you build your paintings, sort of like you'd do a glass design or one of your boxes. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone who painted like this. I am still not getting what it's going to look like but I am patient.
ReplyDeleteSame weather forecast here but a day or two later and maybe a degree or two higher. They're talking snow here too. What a great winter for me to decide not to bring my plants in. God, I'm an idiot.
I hope you can get those wildcats into the studio.
Now that you mention it, you're probably right. When I filled a mold or made a diagram for the carved glass I always started with the thing closest to the viewer and that's how I've done these paintings.
DeleteTuesday is going to be a most miserable day.
I'm all prepared. Plants are indoors, car's winterized, the HEB run's been made. The only thing I need to do tomorrow is pick up some extra birdseed and fill the car's gas tank to avoid condensation/water in the gas. I even remembered to put fluid in the windshield washer tank that's good down to zero. It may be over-prepping, but it's inexpensive, and won't hurt anything if it's not needed. I'll work tomorrow and part of Sunday, and then it will depend on how low we go and what the roads are like. If we get snow, I hope we get some inches!
ReplyDeleteWell, I haven't done anything about the car but I don't plan on going out when it's below freezing. But plants taken care of, grocery store run done, shed readied for the cats.
DeleteSorry your weather is taking a turn for the worse. So is ours. A couple of negative digit nights and single digit days coming up. We haven't seen this kind of cold in some time.
ReplyDeleteI wish the north would keep their weather to themselves. I live in the south. We're not supposed to have nights in the teens.
DeleteI keep checking what your temps are in Celsius and it looks like you are getting our weather. Although we woke up this morning to no frost for the first time in ages. We are more than halfway through winter, even in Texas, that is one reason to be cheerful!!! I think the wild feral one will survive, cats are clever, even the twins will figure out how to keep warm. And they may come to your shop voluntarily if need be. I#ve read somewhere how cat fur thickens overnight, something to do with glands.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best pieces of advice we followed when we eventually were able to buy a house was to not only check for the south facing garden, but also easy access to public transport (night bus for the teenager!), doctors, chemists, hospitals and so on. While we probably would have found a much cheaper property with more land further out at the time, I have no regrets. My sister lives on a beautiful piece of land with a house they designed and built themselves but no shops, a half hour drive to the next train station, no doctors, nada, years and years of long commuting. They, both 70, are now selling and moving back into the city.
I've got the shed readied for them to spend the coldest night in. They go in and out of it when I'm getting their food or messing around in there so that won't be a problem. The studio is farther away and they will follow me to that part of the property, they've never been in the building.
DeleteMedical care is a concern out here. My primary care is less than a half hour away which would still be the same if I lived in the city. For medical procedures I have to go in the city but the hospital I use is only about 45 minutes away. We do have an emergency room here and a small hospital but I prefer the larger facility in the city.
In terms of what we are well accustomed to, your cold snap doesn’t seem especially dire, but I doubt that your homes are built to cope with these conditions. Probably snow removal equipment is in short supply too. The world is in for a terrible four years (and don’t hold your breath for only four). The world will never forgive America for electing a demented fool for a second term and giving him all the levels of power and control. You didn’t learn from the first time but went ahead and eagerly embraced a second shit show.
ReplyDeleteDown here on the Gulf Coast Plain there is no snow removal equipment. It only snows about once every 5 - 7 years or longer and 4" is a 'heavy' snow usually gone by noon if it's sunny. And no, our houses aren't built to withstand cold. Our concern is heat. Trump got less than 50% of the population voting for him. Unfortunately many of those who didn't vote for him didn't vote at all. He won by the slimmest margin in our history. Historically empires only last about 250 years. Apparently we've hit our sell by date.Too many complacent people who have never known real hardship whining about the price of eggs. It's not just the US though. Right wing extremism is on the rise globally.
DeleteAs much as I dread the next four years, I also have a weird anticipatory glee in seeing what a shitshow it's going to be. Granted, I'm overseas, so I am somewhat insulated from the direct effects, but what happens in the states tends to happen elsewhere so I'm not all THAT protected. Mostly I want to see Trump and his minions at each others' throats. Which they WILL be, continuously. The West Wing is going to be like a pen of fighting dogs.
ReplyDeleteThis cold spell sounds like hell. I'm sorry you're dealing with it.
I'm waiting for him to get his fill of Musk and throw him under the bus. I'm wondering, if, Hegseth gets in, how well he will be received or listened to by the real people in charge. Will the generals/armed forces follow his orders?
DeleteCodex: Lower the ratings. Don't watched other people know.
ReplyDeleteNot really sure what you're saying here. If you mean the inauguration, I have no intention of watching one second of that shitshow. Didn't watch it last time he was elected either. The man is going to take an oath he neither believes in nor plans to follow.
DeleteCodex: Sorry. Autocorrect. Makes no sense. There's a mini movement if one can call it that for people not to watch on Monday because he hates low ratings. I didn't mean you but whoever may read your blog.
DeleteI have been ignoring our impending deep freeze but I think I'll go peek & see if it's really going to be that bad - stay tuned... OK I'm back. Tuesday has a low of 11 (high of 30). That's ridiculous. At least it's supposed to be dry.
ReplyDeleteNow it's supposed to get down to 12˚. It has never gotten that cold here in my lifetime.
DeleteSo cold here but we are more used to that. I heard Houston might have snow and wondering how my son and his family will cope in their new home. Do they plow the streets in Manvel? He grew up with cold weather so hopefully he will remember how to drive safely in snow.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that snow plow trucks even exist in Manvel. They don't around here. When it snows here it's usually just a couple of inches. The bigger danger is ice and people here do not know how to drive on that.
DeleteJanuary 20 and I am watching True Crime TV nonstop
ReplyDelete