May 25, 2019 Astoria, Oregon

Yes, it has been a minute since my last post.  Feel like I have been chewed up, spit out and kicked around and then run over in the last couple of years.  For the summer I am in Astoria, Oregon.  In a basement apartment and hoping for some improvements. 

My journey here started in Sierra Vista, Arizona; went to Grangeville, Idaho via Nevada and from Astoria to Sheridan and back to Astoria.  Three weeks of roaming from place to place.  Here are some pics from the journey:

GRANGEVILLE, IDAHO

  

SEASIDE, OREGON AND A TRIP TO SWEET HOME, OREGON

Never have I seen an eagle on the beach.  It was eating crab and was being harassed by crows and seagulls alike.  Funny fact, crows pull tails, even of eagles, to distract them and try to get a meal or to just be cantankerous. 

 My "sister".  She doesn't seem to have aged in 20 years. 

My very photogenic bear on a covered bridge in Sweet Home and on a hike there.

 Heading back from Sweet Home we took the scenic route up 101 and stopped to see what we could see...what we did not see was whales.  But a bear, sea lions and the Tardis were in sight...

Surprised to see this up on top of the hill in Oceanside.  Not really surprised that inside was a port-a-potty.

Arrived in Astoria and greeted to scene of pelicans riding the tide and feeding on whatever critters were apparently very abundant from the number of birds.  Their heads were in constant motion dipping into the water and up again.  The birds in back would periodically fly to the front.

Peter Iredale.  My grandpa brought us here a couple of times to see the old wreck.  That was more than 40 years ago, surprised there is anything left of it at all.

Remnants of an old bridge, now the resting spot of eagles and a variety of birds.

Roaming around are deer, swallows and even a stray lone elk out at the South Jetty.

This caught my eye, a bit of pink from wild roses in the midst of the sea of yellow scotch broom.

Where and What is Lj doing now?

Location:  Still Sierra Vista, AZ

What:  Artist...WHAT?!

That is right, painting, not houses but on canvas.  It surprises me too!  The paintings previously posted in 2016 were the beginnings but they have come along way from then:

After a crossroads decision to move to a new place (Montana and Casper, WY were in the final running), stayed in Sierra Vista and moved to a new apartment.

Joined the local art association and was juried (i.e. picked to hang) in the gallery starting October 2017.  Located at 1835 Paseo San Luis Sierra Vista, AZ.

Great to have validation from a panel of artists that my work really is good! Totally tried to be cool after getting the news but in emogi language it looked like this:  😎👍...😁👏...🎜🎜🎜YEAH!!

So, that is my news to-date.   Have listed my work on the following websites:

https://www.etsy.com/people/6yvu8vta

https://artboost.com/ljfeasel

https://artpal.com/ljfeasel.com

http://ljfeasel.crevado.com/

https://ljfeaselart.wordpress.com/

http://mybestcanvas.com/

http://whereintheworldislj.blogspot.com/

Road trip therapy...

Sometimes you just need to hit the road to get yourself straight.  Arizona offers a lot of options.  Dart to the map landed on the Monument Valley on the Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona.  Listed as a two hour loop drive (took me 2 1/2 hours) and $20 entry fee.

There are several large rocks outside the park that you can photograph for free but it was still worth it and no power lines to mar the photo and plenty of places to safely pull off and with a speed limit of 15 MPH no worries about cars coming up on you at 65 MPH!

First day got to the park just before the gate closed at 5:30 (BTW-this part of AZ does daylight savings time and I had no cell service anywhere on the reservation).  There are people who live in the park, no power lines in sight, but they didn't appreciate all the traffic in the evening which is why it closes earlier in the winter.   Got some shots from the visitor center.  

 

This horse and its posse didn't allow the cattle guard to deter its path, it skirted the fence and guard and meandered to greener grass.

A nights rest and back to the park (P.S. Stayed in Kayenta at the Wetherill Inn. Comfy and roomy.)  Here are some of my pics from the park-played with some of the settings on camera - vivid colors, fisheye:

Group of horses just roaming around.

 

 This horse took a dislike to my hand sanitizer and chased me to my car!

 

 

 There is blooms but very small and you must stop and search.  There are lots of shades of green too.

 The vivid color setting on my camera really pops the landscape (more than reality, but its pretty).  Unfortunately I end up looking like one of the oompa loompas with orange skin, hair even looks a little green here...

I was thinking maybe my eyes would pop on this setting but had a hard time not squinting and when I didn't squint I forgot to use the right setting, lol.  Then the right setting, big eyes but...ummmm...NEXT!

 
On the way home and finally some wild flowers.

 If you get low enough you can make it look like there is a lot of flowers.  We were a couple of days late to get to see the bumper crop of blooms.  This is Picacho Peak.

There should be a lot of blooms on the Sauguro come May/June.

My partner in the day's adventure.  So glad to get to know B.M. better.

Up close and personal with some flora.

We thought maybe a venture up to Mt Lemon might give us some more flowers, instead we found snow at the higher elevations and a few flowers on the lower.