Tuesday August 19 2008

Barn on the North Platte

14x17 Pastel

by Lynn Thomas

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This was about my first pastel and I really struggled with it.

That usually shows in the finished artwork, but it's always a good lesson.

Yesterday went fine. I left about 11 and got to town in time to get a few gift certificates from the Chinese Gourmet to give to some of the people who have helped me all this time. It's really hard to choose something to give, because it doesn't even come close to how grateful I feel for all the continued help and support friends have given to us. I'll never be able to make it all up to everyone. But.... it's a little beginning and very belated.

Judi and I had a nice visit at lunch. Rollie was there too. It's the last time I'll see her until she comes back from Houston next summer. She's going to babysit her grand kids while her daughter in law goes back to college. She's planning to get an apartment there, so has to take enough stuff to set up housekeeping. The food at lunch was o.k. They've changed lately according to State rules to more fat free, salt free and sugar free preparation and taste is definitely showing that. They give you a big portion, so I shared some with the dogs.

Went next to the meeting for the Community and Art Center. We talked for almost two hours. The plan is still all preliminary, but we felt we are closer to what the art portion of the building needs. It's changed quite a bit from the last set of drawings we were shown. By the end of the meeting we were all a lot happier with what is being presented now. Even though a lot of square footage has been taken away because of the costs.

The architect had a new still-preliminary drawing of the building exterior, which is needed to do the next stage - presenting the plan publicly. It was way too contemporary to fit into the Pinedale environment. Architects have to put some creative ideal into their design - something of their creative selves -and this one had a beaver slide-like portico sailing out over the main entrance - wish I had a picture of it - anyway nobody liked it one bit. We've always indicated a preference for it to be built from local materials - timber and stone - that will fit into the western lifestyle. Not that a beaver slide (primitive hay stacker from the horse drawn haying days) isn't thoroughly western tradition and not that we couldn't see where the designer was coming from with his thinking. It was just too far out and a big stretch from our more traditional concept for something to fit into the local natural setting. O.K. I'm done with the soap box. Just wanted to explain what we had seen and discussed. I totally forgot to go in and look at the art show that was hanging in the next room that Judi had recommended.

Then walking dogs, gas (still $4.06/gal regular - at nearly 90 bucks in the tank NO I'm not saying aren't we lucky it's down more than 30 cents a gallon). Then went grocery shopping and got my prescriptions. Home by 5:30. Joe had the leftover pot roast in the oven. I was really pooped and after getting the groceries put away fell asleep sitting in the chair. Ate a pot roast sandwich later. I just got into p.j.s early and went to bed and watched Man From Snowy River and Mrs. Doubtfire. If the TV repairmen don't get here soon, I'll run out of videos.

Today is another wonderful day. No plans to do anything special. Maybe get some things together for Round Hill, because tomorrow will be getting some of the food ready ahead of time. And because I'll have to leave pretty early, will pack the car tomorrow. Yesterday when I went to buy a new picnic/water jug (the old one wouldn't seal and kept tipping over and making a mess in my car) I saw and bought a lightweight "sleeping bag" to take, because we don't want to use the bedding there and have to wash it. It's perhaps 15"x 5" rolled up, looks like microfiber blankets with a zipper all around and will work just perfectly in the cabin with my small down throw and a pillow.

Got the dogs brushed today. Sparky's not quite so fluffy now. Got hair everywhere and it was an hour before I got it all out of my mount. We took a short walk, which they loved. I made Joe German potato salad and garlic toast for dinner.

This afternoon I had to email a few photos of feeding cattle with a team in winter to be considered being placed on a real estate booklet that comes out every six months. So had to look up and edit the photos. It gives a lot of visibility to the artist and is placed all over the county for quite some time . Then the emails wouldn't go to the gals address, she had been having trouble with it and I had to do it again. What a waste of time. Haven't heard if she got them the second or third time.