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Finally got my wind back and finished the painting I was commissioned to create at my gallery show a few months back.

The client, Dianna, bought my painting ‘Nap’

(click for larger version)

and she really liked a larger painting, ‘Renew’

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but wanted one the same size as Nap, so she commissioned another work, born of the first Renew.

Hence, Renew 2 came into being.

(click for larger version)

Not as strong as the original inspiration, but still sweet and.. Aaaaaaaaah, completion is good.

(click-yeah, to embiggen)

This one Sam created as a game level. Not exactly really. He says he just copied it, except he added some stuff.

I think it’s cool anyway.

(click to embiggen)

Sam’s latest comic. Luckily, the Present Dragon has magical blast protection and a good sense of humor, so the trigger-happy eejit in the gun turret got his pizza anyway.

Alas, we had to take Delayne back to the ferry on sunday, but that didn’t stop Rita and Sam and I-we kept right on camping and mad-libbing and munching on the bestest trail mix ever.

The next day we said goodbye to the magnificient momma maple,

and detoured on the way home to visit Port Townsend, where Rita treated us to lunch and we ‘xplored the dank and spooky underground bunker at Fort Umwhatsit. Not too mention lazing about on yet another fabulous beach.

I couldn’t resist stacking the lovely round stones.

Rita created an amazing shadow stick woman(see her flickr set) and Sam attempted to bury his very wiggly toes.

Oh, and Rita took this terribly cute picture of me.

Once we nabbed our Delayne from the Coho, we hopped on 101 west to curve and twist and wind around the lovely, sparkly Lake Crescent on our way to Fairholm Campground.

Fairholm is a gorgeous, large campground and we lucked out on a spot not far from the lakeside that just fit our humonguous tent palace. Hurray for tall trees, chortling ravens, campfires, wading, cookin’ over campstoves, giggly tent mornings…

We hiked up to Marymere falls, where Delayne played Fallsmonkey.

(photo by Rita)

Sam collapsed dramatically at the top, almost missing the sight of the falls itself in his grand display of exhaustion. Downhill is always reinvigorating though and we found a wonderful wandering stream to follow as we got lost on the way back to the car.

D built an exquisitely balanced, pretty rock stack by the stream side whilst Sam and Rita skipped stones and I dreamily clambered about on the many wondrous logs piled topsy turvy over the river.

The next day the ocean beaches were calling us, so we piled in the car and followed a road that kept getting narrower and narrower, but did eventually bring us to the promised coastline and a perfectly marvelous beach.

We spent the whole day there exploring it’s bumpy cliffs, tidepools, amazing islets, driftwood fortresses and kelp whiptastic beaches.

Delayne showed Sam how to build sand pancake arches and drip trees, Rita made an awesomely spikey fort,

and I created a sleeping Sea witch.

Arrr, it were a grand day!

My full set of flickr’d pics live here and Rita’s(I must confess I stoled some), here.

Rita joined us the next morning(such a courageous road warrior-she took buses all the way from Seattle!) and Sam and I showed her our favorite coffee shop, sculptures, bookstores, grotty underpiers and of course, the beach.

I made a rock-happy sea monster while Sam and Rita conducted a major giant squid vs. supersoldier battle. I believe the squid won.

Sam made his first sand dragon too!

We picnicked and skipped rocks and lounged in the brilliant July sun ’til it was time to go meet Delayne’s ferry.

As we waited, the sun painted abstract works of fine art on the water, using the Clipper terminal as it’s medium.

Miro, eat your heart out.

Had a fabulous five day getaway out on the gorgeous Olympic peninsula last week.

Sam and I started out with a day in Port Angeles. I really enjoy exploring a new town with my kid. It’s kind of nice to see things from the perspective of a ten year old-especially one who likes the same sort of things I like.

We played on the beach for hours, browsed the bookstores(quite a well-book-stocked town, Port Angeles), admired and goofed around with the numerous sculptures that adorn the street and waterfronts

We’d cozied up in our little hotel room near the ferry with stacks of books and drawing materials when the gorgeous golden sunset light came seductively slanting in the window.. Somehow(bagels or chocolate usually work), I managed to persuade the foot-weary Sam to go for another little walk with me to capture the loveliness of the world’s turning.

Sooooo purty.

Back at the hotel, we settled in for a snuggly night of reading chapters(halfway through Tailchaser’s song and finishing up Sea of Monsters) and laughing at the monotonous, incessant chirping of the crossing lights, repeating the same call over and over like some deranged wind-up bird.

It was sweet to go to sleep in our little white room, looking forward to meeting Rita at the bustop after breakfast and Delayne at the ferry in the afternoon.

But that’s the next post…

Sam and I left Seattle behind today on a wander in Carkeek park.

We discovered a wonderful log-jammed stream, waded into an alternate universe…

…followed the silty sun-dappled water way down to the joy of triple culverts-

-emerged from the dark wet tunnels into the bright sunshine beach world full of stinky muck and glittering streams. Sam wandered off to discover the mysterious origins and ends of all creeks and I set off along the railroad embankment to find a spot o’ sandy goodness.

We rendevoused for a rock climb and Sam created strategic battle terrains whilst I coaxed a rhinoceragon out from the sand(they’re quite shy, when not terrorizing tourists).

Yay summer! More pics here.

Sam demonstrates his awesome wierd face skilz as we celebrate summer(and our innate silliness) on a gorgeous sunny afternoon at the beach.

Gawd, I love the sumptuous summer days..

..and my sweet, sweet boy.

Beth and Bruce shocked the Turtles last week when they showed up with their new secret surprise-a baby!

Their beautiful son, Kalen-born a few months ago. Beth flies off to warmer realms for the winter, so they managed to keep the entire pregnancy and birth invisible to the whole community.

What a couple of tricksters! We couldn’t believe our eyes when she walked in with the little boob-nibbling cutebug. What a sweet baby-he flew all over the dance floor, bourne aloft by his parents loving hands and the ebullient adoration of the swirling, revolving Turtles.

Hurray! Welcome to the world, Kalen. May your dance on this planet be a glorious and propitious one. I’m sure you will be as much of a sweet, creative imp as your parents are.