Gizmo Snow Sits

I forgot the picture of Gizmo. The little goober really likes the snow, and when I called him to come in, he just sat himself down in the snow and looked at me.

"Where's my stick mommy?"

"Please lets play some more!"

The faster the time goes .....

I guess it must be time for me to say hello again. Won't be much, but I'm amazed ... amused ... almost frightened by how fast the time is going. My last post was September 23, 2007. Twenty three days later my sister is gone, and I am still in Kansas for eight days. Helping her husband plan the funeral, then staying a few more days after everyone else is gone so he isn't alone too fast. I started out calling every night to say G'nite, but now that is a few times a week. We are doing better.


At the beginning of the year we were covered with snow, and what, 40 some days later the archway out front can see its own reflection in the melt off. I have to say, however, I'm happy I'm not in Wyoming nor in the mountains here. My goodness there has been a lot of snow. The state is 136% of normal here. That is a lot of snow. I wouldn't complain at all except for the price of propane. That is pretty scary.


I have been active with PoetrySoup.com lately. Even won a 9th place out of a hundred entries in a contest there. That was fun. The poem is a new one titled,
"Does He Love Me."

He loves me.
The flower sacrifices a petal to tell me so.

He loves me not.
I drop the petal and quickly reach for another.

He loves me.
With this petal I dream our time together.

He loves me not.
Do I love him? Enough?

He loves me.
I pull this petal slower ...

He loves me not.
Petals die at my feet. Expensive, love.

He loves me.
Too high the price. The flower has one petal.
It stands naked in my hand.
I take the last petal and the flower is gone.

He loves me not.

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All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer --

Detour

Another poem with my Sister in mind. It has generated some strong comments at PoetrySoup.com.

"Detour"

Carefree childhood
School days
Wedding Day
Beautiful girls
Creative seamstress
Met Soul Mate
Daily joy
Togetherness
Forever after
Cancer
Detour

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All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer --

Fireflies

Fireflies

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The surrounding night
wraps itself around my sleeping senses,
and awakens them.
~
Sitting on the edge of the bed,
I stare out the window
into the deep velvety darkness.
~
In the other room my sister sleeps --
Sleeping the sleep of a soul
preparing for life after death.
~
I notice a small glow out back by the trees,
then another, flashing on and off.
Fireflies!
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I watch their waltz in the night,
against the dark trees, by the garden,
making a halo around the house.
~
My sisters light
still shines.
~
And finally I sleep.

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All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer --

"Hunter"

Well, today I just pointed and clicked for a painting. And got this little piece. The title is "Hunter" and it is about 5" X 7" and a watercolor. I have used this one as my Avatar on most of my art website's. Also on poetrysoup.com. This particular Coyote lives in the Denver Zoo, and he was particularly agreeable to let me take his photograph. But I think that I have caught the "zoo look." I don't think that he looks like a wild critter, searching out his next meal, or being particularly interested in his surroundings. What do you think?

But he was a great study, and I collect the opportunity to photo up close for details, that which I normally only catch at a distance in the wild. I have to admit, however, where I live there is quite a group of them on the river bottom, and they come into my pasture from time to time. When they get to singing to each other over that range, it can get pretty erie out there. Super neat, but the sound still inspires goose bumps. Once they dragged a partial deer carcass up into my pasture, and each day for a while the carcass got smaller and smaller. There is only a leg bone left now.

I think it is a good thing that we don't lose touch with the wild side of this earth. At least for as long as it lasts. We certainly are driving that part of this world out fast. Enjoy it while you can!

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer

Pencil Drawing of Me

Well, I have been asked to give some information about my Avatar. This was done a very long time ago when I was in a university non-Baccalaureate Masters program. This was my first drawing class, and I was delighted and honored to be in this program.

The actual photograph of me was taken by a friend of mine. I was in my studio. I don't remember what the occasion was that I needed a photo, but she took quite a few, and this was one of them. Remember Genie? The second photo was one I took when I was out looking for and at old buildings, specifically doors and doorways. This was a photo of a door and I just loved the peeling paint and that smooth and worn door knocker.

At the time I was at the university. I was at the end of my child rearing days, and had spent so many years feeling the door mat, that I thought the peeling paint and the door knocker added the right touch for a self portrait. So melded the two together, showing me merging out of that phase of my life and becoming my own person again. I must say that it was pretty modernist for my usual art choices. But then here, at the university, I could do whatever I wanted to do, and not have to worry about if it would sell.

I enjoyed this time even thought it didn't last too long. And this has always been a favorite drawing. Favorite of my husband too. He loved it when I took off into "left field" and drew or painted different things. He was a great support. I miss him.

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer

Coyote - Mountain Man

Well, this isn't the picture I thought I was uploading. But it will do. As a wildlife artist, I found painting mountain man reinactors to be an easy transition. This guy's mountain man name is Coyote, and he is wearing a coat made from coyote hides. Shirt is leather most likely from tanned deer hide. I think the painting caught the wild side and it took on an authentic look.

This piece was done some time ago, and the mountain man series was very popular. I am looking forward to getting back to doing new work. I have new and exciting ideas to explore, but am in the middle of a project that has taken more time than I had hoped. I'll get there. 2008 will be the year I can do what I want, and actually make it to some shows.

Special morning today. At 5 a.m. I happened to look out the window and there were two doe deer. They were stretching their necks high to nibble on the leaves of the elm in my front yard. The light was just so that you almost couldn't see them. Every thing had the same blended gray. They wandered out of the driveway and stood at the edge of the road for a few minutes. Looking and listening. When they thought it was safe, they kicked in their after burners and raced across the road, jumped the fence, and were into the middle of the next pasture quick as a flash. They safely wandered away toward the river bottom.

I am on my way in the morning to visit my sister. She is in Kansas, so will have about a 10 hour drive. Looking forward to the visit, and she sounded excited that Gizmo and I were coming. It might well be the last time I see her.

See you when I get back.

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer

"Four Horse Power"

This painting is a watercolor and from the series from the Pagosa Junction area lumber camp operation. I call this "Four Horse Power." These work horses did a lot of heavy hauling. Without the modern equipment of today, logging was a very hard and dangerous job.

Trains were used to bring supplies into camp, and they also brought up temporary housing. They looked like railroad cars converted to housing, but were smaller. In one of the photos an engine was off the track. Possibly the rails spread from the rains and heavy mud, or just got top heavy with the load. The men got the horse teams out and managed to pull the train back up onto the tracks. Amazing what a few men and a few horses can accomplish. Without cranes!
Time to sleep. Will try to get more up soon.

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer

"Bless the Beasts and the Children"

Enough with the snake already. Time to get out another painting. This one is "Bless the Beasts and the Children." It is a watercolor painting. My reference source is a photograph taken in about 1917, at a lumber camp in the Pagosa Junction area of south west Colorado.

~

What drew me to this woman were her hands. You can look at her and see a young, or maybe more accurately, a naive or unworldly person, but her hands are very worse for wear. They show an incredibly hard life. Yet she holds the kid goat with a gentleness that belies her age.

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This might have been a Sunday or a special occasion as she is wearing a dress made with fabric with designs on it, and a home made shawl. Not quite a shawl, but a decorative shoulder drape to accent the occasion.

~

Other pictures in the series have her three sons. They have to be her children as they wear the same bowl hair cut. They are showing off new Montgomery Wards overalls, with the youngest wearing the newest of the hand-me-downs.

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer

A new guest

Sorry this guy is a little blurry. He is a beautiful King snake who actually startled the heck out of me. I had stepped out of the barn door with a stack of hay in front of my face, (feeding time at the zoo), and almost stepped on him. At the time, he was stretched out full length on the driveway, soaking up the sun on a very warm day. It took up almost half the width. Really long, but skinny and his skin was still loose. Clearly out for the first time, and maybe hoping to pick up a meal. By the time I got back from the house with the camera, he had moved to what he thought would be the safety of the grass. I hope he hangs around. We had a King snake here before that was really large. Around his middle had to have been about 14". He was out sunning himself and my son's wife didn't see him, and she tripped over him. I'm thinking it took days for her to stop shivering after that.

Well, this being Mother's Day and all. I have things to do before I go to the kid's for dinner. Hope all you mothers out there have a wonderful day.