Ding! 2013's done.

As I sit here on the last day of 2013, I am listening to Dustin's very loud truck pulling up in the driveway, baking a quiche and sipping coffee. So my first thought about the new year is whether or not Dustin's truck will make it through 2014, and if he'll actually a) graduate, b) get a job and c) get a new vehicle.

The next thought is about Dad. He had surgery yesterday to remove his broken femur, basically a partial hip replacement. Tough on an 81 year old man, but the good news is that his tumor is GONE. Gone! The thought is that the chemo and radiation worked their magic. So basically right now, he is cancer free. This means after not walking for 9 months (or driving, which bothered him more) he should be able to do both after healing from the surgery and completing physical therapy. He's not the best patient by far, but he's been through quite a lot, and hopefully will get his head straight about the work he's got to do. It's been a rough year on Mom too, but he care giving skills have been amazing, especially for an 80 year old woman.

So what else happened in 2013?

Haley graduated from high school and started at U of D. She's halfway through her freshman year and got great grades. Dustin is in his FIFTH year of college (oy) and hopefully will graduate in the spring. Another year at the art league, where we celebrated our 75th anniversary. A year that had poor art sales in the first 3/4 of the year, but picked up in the last quarter. Lorrie beat her cancer as well, and is now 98% finished with all her reconstructive work. Kevin has been through the wringer, but has come out happy and moving forward. People have come into my life and left my life, some more than once over the year. And it all happens for a divine reason that none of us really know. I made my p.r. with the Rehoboth Marathon, at 3:48. That was quite a moment.

I will say thank you. Thanks to the divine who guides us, thank you to my family and friends. I am grateful for a job, and a home and my health. I wish YOU the best in 2014, and hope that you surge forward with a smile, amazing goals and all the happiness and health that you seek.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas 2013!

Coffee, Hopes and Misanthropes

When pressed about her misanthropy
She’d say she was forced into it
By a world, alien and bizarre
Love was a beauteous concept
That to her, was a bit too far

A baker’s dozen tries
A decade of disquiet
And she’d had enough

She ground and brewed her coffee
Tended her own small plot of land
Cut down a pine tree each Thanksgiving
A blueberry pie baking, prepared by her hand

It’s not that she didn’t like people
She always had, still did
But a safe distance seemed prudent
So in her home, she hid

Shopping for trinkets
The day before Christmas eve
To place upon her misshapen tree
They met, for a second time

The first time they’d met
He'd gazed first into her eyes
Then at her art
She'd had a strange sense
He'd seen straight to her heart

She questioned the possibility
Though slim
That her wish upon a solstice star
Resulted
In a second chance meet
With him

What’s the harm, she wondered
In coffee,
In a quick date?
Third time’s a charm?

The future uncertain
Her hopes rising
The next day
She would see
Would know
What might, or might not, be

He seemed another misanthrope
But that might be just right
If only he could see her whole
Gaze bravely at her soul

Steve Robison

Literature Utopia

"I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn’t. People weren’t meant to be together forever, regardless of what the songs say." 

— Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby


I look at words as art, especially when they're put together in a way that they make music. It makes a kind of beautiful trilogy: words, art, music. Three of my very favorite things.

When I come across a poem, a song, a quote from a piece of literature or sometimes a line in a movie or a play, and it hits me hard, all of a sudden I'm very conscious of being wide awake and paying very close attention. Often times, these are the quotes/songs/poems I share on here, because of that kind of impact. They are not necessarily a reflection of anything happening in my life, but more of an homage to them, in respect for their beauty. If I'm not painting, or just don't have anything ready to show as "in the works" I will share this type of art, because it too, feeds my soul and it feels good to share that.

Daughter of Fortune.

“Not only had she not forgotten him, however, she remembered with noonday clarity every detail of what had happened and each word he had spoken or whispered. The only thing she erased from her mind was the disenchantment of having been deceived.”

— Isabel Allende, Daughter of Fortune

Sold

The Conversation has a new home - in a perfect location in a beautiful home that overlooks the ocean.

Pre-Christmas prep 2013

 Chloe, modeling a ribbon as big as her head.

 Big Brother's/Big Sister's Christmas party...about to begin!

 Unbelievably generous church families "adopt" a "Little" and shower them with amazing Christmas gifts, along with putting on a tremendous party!

 Annual Christmas party at the Klabe abode. Some of my favorite people right here.

The Grinch, his "dog" Max, and some Littles, about to pin hearts on the Grinch, to help his heart, that's just too small.

Sold....

These two plein air pieces from October 2013 (Walt Bartman's workshop) sold at the Children's Beach House show. And "The Conversation" painted in October/November of 2013 is now on loan at a potential buyer's house. She is living with it, hopefully falling in love with it, and more hopefully, purchasing it.

Motivation to paint.  :)

Rinse and Repeat.

“When a man repeats a promise again and again, he means to fail you”

P.R.!

Well, I did it! 3:48. Much better than I expected and very very happy. Also very very stiff and sore.

The weather held off, with the rain stopping pre- 7:00 a.m., which was the start time. There were puddles, which were a bit of a problem at times, especially on the trail, and mud - but hey, you can't have everything. The wind was bad up around Dairy Queen in Lewes, but that was short-lived. Mostly tail wind on the run back. At mile 24, I was at 3:30, so thought there was a very good chance I was going to make it. So I picked up my pace, which I have never done that late in the race. It felt good. I was smiling. When I saw the clock, man.....smile smile smile.

Great post race party with 16 mile beer and veggie burgers, which was a great surprise. FABULOUS day, local scene, lots of friends. Awesome.

Tomorrow, tomorrow....

Tomorrow is my fifth marathon. I have done Richmond twice, Phoenix once and Wilmington Delaware. This is the Rehoboth Beach Marathon, so no travel necessary. Nice. Last night the weather forecast said 90% chance of rain, but it's now down to 30%. Who knows...these meteorologists just seem to throw shit out there and see what'll stick most of the time. I'm showing up, either way....no choice really, after 13 weeks of training I'm not bailing.

My fingers are crossed for a PR. Anything better than 3:59 will do that. But I refuse to be disappointed if I don't. I'm showing up, trusting my training and enjoying the journey. Ah, a lesson in life.

I just want to squeeze his cheeks.

Amazing basketball baby

The Sandman

"Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses. You build up a whole armor, for years, so nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life... You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' or 'how very perceptive' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a body-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. Nothing should be able to do that. Especially not love. I hate love."

— Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones

Learning

We sometimes learn from the most surprising sources for sure. Our children, our grandparents, our enemies. I occasionally work with adults with Down Syndrome and the elderly (some with dementia) in senior centers. Years ago I would have assumed that nothing could be learned there, and I couldn't have been more wrong. My Down Syndrome friends are some of the happiest, easiest to be around, full-of-joy people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Just being with them makes me happy. Some of the seniors at the assisted living facilities love to tell stories of their lives - and it's easy to write them off as old and without merit, until you just listen. Their lives have been full, successful and exciting, just like ours can be. After all, we'll be the same way one day and certainly wouldn't want to be written off for having lived our lives.  So rock on, Superman.

Ben Folds

Yesterday and today have been painting days. Yesterday was a painting day with a full day of Ben Folds accompanying. I heard this one for the first time, and it was instant love. He's not only an amazing lyricist but a piano player that rivals Elton John. Great stuff here.

The Luckiest

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns
The stumbles and falls brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know that I am
I am, I am the luckiest

What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on the street where you live?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike
Would I know?

And in a wide sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize
And I know that I am
I am, I am the luckiest

I love you more than I have
Ever found a way to say to you

Next door, there's an old man who lived to his 90's
And one day, passed away in his sleep
And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away

I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way
To tell you that I know we belong
That I know that I am
I am, I am the luckiest

Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

Kolby looks at art

This is Kolby, my niece's son. He's taking in some art appreciation. Love it.

Life without regret

Regrets of the dying

Living in the moment is living a life without regret. When we can truly experience each moment as it passes, and not be a slave to our past or our future, we find happiness. Our time here is short, and there can be nothing sadder than finding yourself at the end of your life with a long list of regrets and should-haves.

Use today wisely. Even if you're healthy today, tomorrow may be different and that chance you're waiting for may not be there. Embrace your life and live it like you would if you had it to do all over again.

December 6 -8, Children's Beach House Holiday Art Show

Chldren's Beach House Holiday Art Show

Souls...continued

This is probably a pretty good description of the soul mate idea.

Great Expectations

“Love her, love her, love her! If she favours you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces – and as it gets older and stronger, it will tear deeper – love her, love her, love her!” ―Miss Havisham from "Great Expectations," by Charles Dickens


Great movie....I need to read the book.

Post Secret

I haven't posted a good Post Secret for a while, but found this one to be especially poignant. The concept of soul mates fascinates me and I vacillate between believing we have soul mates (most definitely do not believe there is only one for each of us) and thinking it's absolute garbage. But if there is some truth to soul mates, and you can't be with that person for whatever reason, then I find that heart wrenching. Any one else, I suppose, is a consolation prize. I wonder how many people are with their second choice?

Say something

Hmm....I think I'm mentally strong. Cool.

13 things mentally strong people dont do

100 things to say to a Republican....to rattle their cage.

Sarcastic? Yeah....but truthfully so. Great laugh to start my morning.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas :

Thank God for taper.

Second 20 miler done. And I feel like I've been hit by a truck. If I went by the way I feel every time I finish a 20 miler, I would never ever run a marathon. There's still a 10k to complete after you hit 20. Those last 6 are done on adrenaline, sheer stubborness, and a little hallucination.

This week starts the taper, which means less miles...gradually...in the weeks before the marathon. So a long run goes from 20, to like 12.....which sounds like nothing, till you realize it's still basically a half marathon. But after watching the Hawaii Ironman competition yesterday, where the marathon is the final event after a 2 mile swim and something like 100 miles on the bike....I feel like a wuss for complaining.

So, hot bath...4 advils, food and sleep soon. Leg and foot cramps have begun and it's causing me anxiety because when I feel one coming, I know it's going to be excrutiating. They like to sneak up while you sleep and get you when you're not ready.

Money, money, money....

The Mid-Del Foundation generously extended a grant to the Rehoboth Art League for our outreach program. Thanks Mid-Del!

The Conversation

24 x 36
oil
$1100

This was a fun one to paint. I tentatively added the water detail, the color to the right and the beach details...all of it which helped bring it to a close. Alan Tuttle, a local artist was very helpful in guiding me to the completion. This scene was in Kitts Hummock, Dover DE. Off the old Route 9.

Oh no.....not rakes.

Surprising Dangers of running a marathon.

RAL and the Rehoboth Beach Writer's Guild

The RB Writer's Guild meets at the Rehoboth Art League on the 4th Thursday of every month at 6 p.m.  Each month, artists bring in several pieces of artwork to inspire the writers to compose a short snippet related to the art. It's a really fun way to combine art and writing and is open to the public. This is from October's class, where I got to show some artwork and also got to do some writing. Oh, and there was wine.

Heaven.

Wuthering

“Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I can not live without my life! I can not live without my soul!”

― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Look me in the eyes and tell me love is never based upon insanity - Melody Gardot

And Poe apparently felt in a similar fashion.

The Conversation

This isn't finished yet, but getting there. A little more to do. I think it's 24 x 36, and titled "The Conversation". This scene is from Kitts Hummock in Dover DE, a little deserted beach with houses that time forgot. This night was breathtaking in its beauty. I took many photos, and am looking forward to painting them all.

A fellow artist asked me recently, "what do you want your viewer to experience?"

I have to say that question stumped me. I'm not sure I have ever really asked myself that question.

The answer I can best come up with is that I'd like the viewer to have the same "oooooh" moment that I did. To have your breath taken away by the beauty of nature. The crispness of the sky and the clouds, the glassy perfection of the ocean, the way everything meets up at a vanishing point leading to "somewhere else". But more than that, it's an URGE to capture what I've seen in paint. It's not something a photo can do, though I love to look at the photos. The painting is a release of all the experience of the day, the company, the conversation, all translated from my brain and heart to my arm, fingers and finally the brush. Once it's there, it's there, and it's a completed circle.

and vicey versy as my grandmother would say.

Marriage isn't for you.

Marriage isn't for you....probably not what you're thinking.

A Taste For Art, October 2013

This was a great night at Baywood Country Club. That's Pete Jones, one of my dearest friends, who supplied me with a great glass of wine and also purchased a painting for his new home and new life with his new love, Leslie.

Love

"You know what I am going to say. I love you. What other men may mean when they use that expression, I cannot tell; what I mean is, that I am under the influence of some tremendous attraction which I have resisted in vain, and which overmasters me. You could draw me to fire, you could draw me to water, you could draw me to the gallows, you could draw me to any death, you could draw me to anything I have most avoided, you could draw me to any exposure and disgrace. This and the confusion of my thoughts, so that I am fit for nothing, is what I mean by your being the ruin of me. But if you would return a favourable answer to my offer of myself in marriage, you could draw me to any good - every good - with equal force."

-- Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend

Halloweeeeeeen

Brilliance in advertising. I'll take him over the Dos Equis guy anyday.

Rooftop

In progress

Simple, but complicated at the same time. so many blues, so much softening and blending needed. Still a ways to go, but a fun journey. I think it's 24 x 36.

Sea Witch 2013

Sherry and I have been painting at Sea Witch for quite a few years now. It's backbreaking and fully volunteer, but we never get tired of the kids faces when they look in the mirror. They are so psyched and probably would carry the mirror around with them if we had them to give away.

Happy Halloween!

Sea Witch!

It's that time of year again. Sherry and I will be face painting at Sea Witch all weekend. All proceeds benefit the Sussex Family YMCA's Strong Kids Campaign. Bring your kids, grandkids - and we paint adults too!

Trust Yourself.

Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live. - Goethe

 This has been my go-to quote for about ten years now. There are times when my confidence gets shaken, and when it does, it's almost always because of the action(s) of another. The last ten years have been about becoming stronger, trusting myself, doing the best I can, being kind and giving, and removing myself from situations or relationships that eat away at my happiness. I've learned that when something is not working, it's time to make a change. The difficult part is being SURE, and then never looking back. No regrets can happen, with a well thought out decision. 

When I have found myself in a "trapped" situation (we're only trapped when we allow ourselves to be) my confidence fails me. I allow others to convince me that I lack compassion, or passion, or may be selfish or closed off. Those behaviors only show their unattractive heads when manipulation, control or being treated with disrespect walk in the door. Those behaviors are self-protective mechanisms. When we are with someone we trust, there is little need for self-protection, because people we love and trust don't take advantage of walls that have been let down.

 So for this day, I can say with confidence and with total trust in myself that:

I am a good person.

I am compassionate and giving.

I am warm and passionate and giving and receiving of love.

I will not sacrifice my integrity or identity to suit the needs of another.

I am happy. I don't need anyone to "make me happy" or to complete me. I am not here to make someone else happy. The next person to enter my life will contribute to my happiness, not deplete it, and I will do the same for him.

 Below is an excerpt from a "How to Stop Being a Doormat" article:

7. If All Else Fails

If you’ve truly done all you can to change things and to stop being treated like a doormat and nothing seems to work, then get the hell out. Life is way too short to have your experience of it and your self-esteem damaged by someone else, and sometimes you need to make a brave choice.
If you need to, be willing to remove yourself from the situation or relationship and start building the kind of life you’d love to live.

Silk

“You’re going to meet many people with domineering personalities: the loud, the obnoxious, those that noisily stake their claims in your territory and everywhere else they set foot on. This is the blueprint of a predator. Predators prey on gentleness, peace, calmness, sweetness and any positivity that they sniff out as weakness. Anything that is happy and at peace they mistake for weakness. It’s not your job to change these people, but it’s your job to show them that your peace and gentleness do not equate to weakness. I have always appeared to be fragile and delicate but the thing is, I am not fragile and I am not delicate. I am very gentle but I can show you that the gentle also possess a poison. I compare myself to silk. People mistake silk to be weak but a silk handkerchief can protect the wearer from a gunshot. There are many people who will want to befriend you if you fit the description of what they think is weak; predators want to have friends that they can dominate over because that makes them feel strong and important. The truth is that predators have no strength and no courage. It is you who are strong, and it is you who has courage. I have lost many a friend over the fact that when they attempt to rip me, they can’t. They accuse me of being deceiving; I am not deceiving, I am just made of silk. It is they who are stupid and wrongly take gentleness and fairness for weakness. There are many more predators in this world, so I want you to be made of silk. You are silk.” -C. JoyBell C.

Strength

I saw this on a Facebook post, regarding strength in women. This short paragraph sums up something I have believed for quite a long time. 

A strong woman looks to one who compliments her - not in words, but in ability. She is complete in her own right. Yet she seeks the partner with which to share her passions, her sense of adventure, her ideas. Strong women need strong men - that is very true. We need men who stand on their own and are aroused by our strength and passion - who will rise to our minds, our hearts, and our bodies . Or better yet, they're already there.

Astigmatism, by Amy Lowell

Astigmatism

The Poet took his walking-stick
Of fine and polished ebony.
Set in the close-grained wood
Were quaint devices;
Patterns in ambers,
And in the clouded green of jades.
The top was smooth, yellow ivory,
And a tassel of tarnished gold
Hung by a faded cord from a hole
Pierced in the hard wood,
Circled with silver.
For years the Poet had wrought upon this cane.
His wealth had gone to enrich it,
His experiences to pattern it,
His labour to fashion and burnish it.
To him it was perfect,
A work of art and a weapon,
A delight and a defence.
The Poet took his walking-stick
And walked abroad.

Peace be with you, Brother.

The Poet came to a meadow.
Sifted through the grass were daisies,
Open-mouthed, wondering, they gazed at the sun.
The Poet struck them with his cane.
The little heads flew off, and they lay
Dying, open-mouthed and wondering,
On the hard ground.
"They are useless. They are not roses," said the Poet.

Peace be with you, Brother. Go your ways.

The Poet came to a stream.
Purple and blue flags waded in the water;
In among them hopped the speckled frogs;
The wind slid through them, rustling.
The Poet lifted his cane,
And the iris heads fell into the water.
They floated away, torn and drowning.
"Wretched flowers," said the Poet,
"They are not roses."

Peace be with you, Brother. It is your affair.

The Poet came to a garden.
Dahlias ripened against a wall,
Gillyflowers stood up bravely for all their short stature,
And a trumpet-vine covered an arbour
With the red and gold of its blossoms.
Red and gold like the brass notes of trumpets.
The Poet knocked off the stiff heads of the dahlias,
And his cane lopped the gillyflowers at the ground.
Then he severed the trumpet-blossoms from their stems.
Red and gold they lay scattered,
Red and gold, as on a battle field;
Red and gold, prone and dying.
"They were not roses," said the Poet.

Peace be with you, Brother.
But behind you is destruction, and waste places.

The Poet came home at evening,
And in the candle-light
He wiped and polished his cane.
The orange candle flame leaped in the yellow ambers,
And made the jades undulate like green pools.
It played along the bright ebony,
And glowed in the top of cream-coloured ivory.
But these things were dead,
Only the candle-light made them seem to move.
"It is a pity there were no roses," said the Poet.

Peace be with you, Brother. You have chosen your part. 

Amy Lowell

We all are.

Food for Thought.

25 things

Ah yes.

Oh, it's been so long....

So long since I posted this tribute to all that is great about America. This is for you, Congress.

Love, in all its different forms.

Beautiful, haunting images.

Boehner twerkin'.

I said....NO SODA MACHINE. dammit.

"The Way It Seems To Go" - Rachael Yamagata

My friends become my foes
And my foes become my friends
I tend to fall in love with the girls
My boyfriend ends

I don't work 9 to 5
But I'll always work the weekends
And each time I'll get the world
In my fingers something happens

I'm working backwards, forwards
And left to right
And I'm pretty darn hard headed
But I can't make up my mind

I'll take a tragedy over a fairytale
But only when the sun is shining
I'll be the voice of hope in your darkest hour
I'm an expert in the silver lining

I'll be there when you need me
For all the big things
But I'm really pathetic at perfect timing
And that's the way it seems to go for me

I go to bed at 8 and wake up at 4.30
Most day I drink like a fish and tend to be too flirty
I am a perfectionist but only when things get dirty
I cannot stand small talk but I'm great at being wordy

And I'd rather leave you first
But then I'll be begging you to come back
And when I get real quiet
You know I'm about to attack

I'll take a walk in the rain or a drive in the dark
But only when everyone's celebrating
I'll dig in to your pain and tear it apart
But only to help the heart that's breaking

I like to figure things out and make everything right
But I'm secretly thrilled when everything's changing
And that's the way it seems to go for me

If you fall for the part that's brooding and dark
You will never discover the rest of my heart
And I want you to see that there's so much to see
Just before I declare you never knew me

He's with the small stuff like the world around was over
I calm him down and we make breakfast for each other
Our friends all thought we fit so perfectly together
He likes what he can't have and I sure like bad weather

I may have left him first
But I think he'd been leaving for sometime
I feel like begging him to come back
But I can't make up my mind

I'll take a boxing match over the quiet night
But only to make for better dreams
I'll back the underdog in any fight
But only to fight for something worth keeping

I'm in it to win it, most of the time
And if it goes down I'll be kicking and screaming
And that's the way it seems to go for me
Yeah, and that's the way it seems to go for me
Whoa, and that's the way it seems to go for me

Art in Movement

Let go and be happy!

Great weekend

 Cindi, Rose and I at the Beaux Art Ball

 The eye art

 Blocking in colors for a painting from Kitts Hummock, near Dover DE.

Sherry (steampunk clown) and I at the ball

Mud Run 2013

Yeah, ya think?

Bent - Finished. 30 x 48 oil

An update on Bent

A little further along. Deepening the blues and yellows. Next step - the tree itself. FUN.

Diana

The torch I carry is handsome
It's worth its heartache in ransom
And as the twilight steals
I know how the lady in the harbor feels

When I want rain, I get sunny weather
I'm just as blue as the sky
Since love is gone, can't pull myself together
Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry

Friends ask me out, I tell them I'm busy
Must get a new alibi, I stay at home
And ask myself where is he?
Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry

Dry little teardrops, my little teardrops
Hanging on a string of dreams
Fly little memories, my little memories

Remind him of our crazy schemes

And somebody said just forget about him
I gave that treatment a try
Strangely enough I get along without him
Then one day he passed me right by

Oh well, I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry

Somebody said just forget about him

I gave that treatment a try
Strangely enough I get along without him
Then one day he passed me right by
Oh well, I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry

Read more: Diana Krall - Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Kayaking

This summer I've been lucky enough to keep my kayak at work and take it out after the work day. The Rehoboth Canal runs behind the Art League and you can paddle toward Gordon's Pond, toward Rehoboth, or straight back into the back bays toward Lewes. It's amazingly beautiful and peaceful. The other night, I had some visitors...the dog on the dock was desperate to jump in the kayak with me. He seemed to be impatient for his owner to get the boat ready, which was still tied to the dock. He ran along the canal with me as I paddled, then as you can see...stopped for a closer look.
The blue heron in this tree had just flown from the marsh reeds as I went by. If you've never been close to a Blue Heron, they are huge in person, with a really large wing span that makes a really cool noise when they flap. They seem prehistoric up close. I'd take a tiny kayak any day over a jet ski or power boat.