What Artist Wear
Today I was able to spend a good chunk of the day surrounded by a few of the things that make my heart sing: Art, my great-niece, her lovely daughter and quality time with The Bride. Today my great-niece was one of the artist at a street painting festival. The Bride and I watched her daughter as a way to help support for her in this endeavor. Not that we need much of an excuse to spend time with her or her daughter mind you but art is a great reason to do so today. As she worked on her piece, The Cheshire Cat, I noticed she and others wear things that most folks do not usually wear. With said there are two things that especially stand out: Apparently proper artist footwear is important and for a street art a good pair of gloves to offset the harsh canvas one is working on is equally important. Here are a my great-niece and her examples of the two.
An Old Stillhouse Sort Of
The Bride and I meet up with some old friends a few weeks back and headed over to Clermont, Kentucky. We toured the Jim Beam distillery and drank in some of the legend and lore of the place. This building is called the Jim Beam American Stillhouse. I call it a tourist trap with flair but without all the hokey and cheesy souvenirs that most other places have. I love the look and feel of the place and wanted to share a photo I took of the Still house. From their website is this description of the Stillhouse, “The Jim Beam American Stillhouse has got more than a few picturesque sights. The building itself is a replica of a 1940’s stillhouse, along with the actual staircase from our original historic stillhouse.”
Late Summer Feeding Stations
Late Summer gives the pollinators on our place a lovely little feeding station called the White Wood Aster. Here is a skipper filling up for the days journeys.
Words Only Wednesday
Life is not what I want it to be right now but that’s alright. As an adult sometime we have to do the things that go against the ” I’m not feeling it , just keep it real” mentality that’s used today as an excuse for not doing the hard things. I am not pointing fingers because when I do there are three pointing back but I want to let others know that if you don’t post to your (fill in your favorite means of social sharing here) or visit mine or others sites everyday that’s cool. Sometimes we have to do the hard stuff, even if that stuff is mundane and boring, it has to be done. Now notice I never said you have to grow-up but we do have the responsibility of being the adults in the room more than not. Sometimes that means I don’t get to take a walkabout our place but it means I make time to be with the one who makes it our place just not my place. It means I have a job and truthfully opportunities others take for granted, while others wish they had. I will post some pics soon but until then count your blessings and call someone who you haven’t called lately and let know they matter. Find space to breath. Now dance like no one watching. Peace~ John
Hanging Out At The Lake
Dragon At Rest
Inspired
I was going through the way-back files and found a picture I took last year with my point & shot Olympus SP-350. As I looked at it I was inspired to try a plugin by Topaz called Simplify 4 on it. Simplify 4 is a plugin that turns my pictures into art and I have tried it on two pictures and rather like it. The top one it the original unedited photo and the bottom one of a simple one click preset called Image Crispedge. There are adjustments you can use once the preset is applied but I like it well right out of the box. 
Two Flavors Of The Same
I love old barns. Just do and always have. I really do not know why but I do know barns, though they may look the same, have a different mental feel to me that differentiates one from another. Now maybe you can track with the title of this post. So here are two barns or two flavors of the same.
Beauty May Fade……
……but it does not mean something is no longer useful. An example I gleaned from nature is when a flower,bush or plants blooms fade they still provide something to the environment. Here is a Chicory bloom that has faded ,and is about join earth’s very successful recycle program, still proving fuel to a pollinator. So do not worry when beauty fades ones usefulness does not.
Daffodil Hill Photography 