Happy Friday everyone. Right now the weather is a mix of rain, snow and sleet. UGH!
I surprised myself yesterday and decided to take this teacher work day off (there are no kids in school today). The morning was training in suicide prevention, which is important, but which we have had twice in as many years (it's a pet project of my latest principal) and with my downer mood lately due to this never ending winter and all the family issues in the past 3 weeks, I think it is better to be proactive and skip it. Plus this afternoon was all about working with our subject team (no working alone our principal says), and my entire team is out from school today for various reasons. Joining another group was my option, which I don't mind, but working with the physic or chemistry teachers to plan lessons I would never use seems a bit like a waste of my time, and as I have tons of work I can do, but I would not be allowed to do, I might as well stay home..
(But can you tell I don't usually do this and I am still having to explain to myself why I am home.)
So I thought I would show you my fixed boat painting from my Florida journal.
Here's the view from the other day, half the boat out of the water.
And I fixed the water so now the boat is fully in the water.
Plus I love the sun on the water effect much better.
And as this page was when we visited the Flamingo part of the Everglades National Park. Here's a few photos.
We got to the Flamingo area on the late afternoon side, but got lucky since they were just loading for a sunset cruise into the bay. We ran into the park general store and bought tickets, which worked out great since this cruise, which could hold at least 30 people, only had 12 on it.
One of the coolest things we saw was all the nesting ospreys, which are a fish eating bird of prey.
And look, I even caught the baby popping up their head.
We do get ospreys here in New Hampshire, but they don't return until April, and certainly around here the concentration of them in a small area is much less.
Unlike much of the Everglades, we are right on the tip at the ocean here. The mangrove plants with their crazy roots are always cool to see.
Especially since you never know what might be hiding in them.
And we had another gorgeous South Florida sunset.
Right now I would like to be back there while I wait for another spring like day to arrive. BUT, on the positive side, it is a good day for some art!
Hope you're having (or had) a good day.
15 comments:
Your completed artwork came out nice. Wonderful set of photos. The sunset ones were very nice.
Good for you for taking the day off, very sensible! Your corrected page is gorgeous and I love the Florida photos, wow! The weather here is great today. Hugs, Valerie
Good that you could take the Teacher In-service Day off especially if the roads were going to be bad and a mess. No snow here. Just rain, rain, and a puddle in the basement. Your sunny page is making me think warm thoughts and not worry about the basement. Come May, we hope to get that problem fixed. So hooray for your time to art and me getting to see beautiful FL sunsets. enjoy your day
Amazing photos, Erika. I lllllove sunsets! And what a gorgeous page, my friend. Really inspiring for an amateur, like me, in mixed media. Hugs!!!
I love your flamingos page, Erika. Boy, you sound conflicted over taking a mental health day to take care of you. That's what we called days off like this when I taught. If anybody asks, you can tell them you were practicing your own suicide prevention at home (grin). Eileen xx
It sounds like you were in Florida at a great time for watching the wildlife. I'm loving your photos! We're having Spring here with highs in the 60s, but we never get much snow even during colder winters. I hope the warmer/drier weather reaches you soon.
Wonderful - the fixed painting - but you know I loved the original as well and thos amazing impressions!
We call ospreys fish eagles (FISCHADLER) in German. (Pandion haliaetus).
Happy start of the weekend my friend!
Big hugs, Susi
So so Gorgeous painting Erika !! Just Amazing !! love the colours you have choosen, the little boat, the flamingo... and the "" but no flaminGOES "" so clever !! And I want to thank you very much for those so beautiful photographs you always share with us, they are all fabulous, love the flamingo baby, cute!
Lovely sunset !
I wish you a very happy weekend, and send
Big hugs, Caty
The new version of your art journal page looks fantastic although I did like the first version. Your boat looks like it is now sailing into the sunset.
I hope you have been able to get an art day today. Sometimes you have to do what is right for you when it come to work issues, don't loose sleep over you having a day off., as you say you have had some heavy issues to sort since you got back from your trip.
All the photos looked super Erika.
Have a good weekend.
Yvonne xx
Wow awesome post!
I loved your art and the lovely photos and I really loved the osprey nests-very neat to see-sometimes we just need an extra day off-hugs
Happy friday and weekend
Wow, I get it now. I love this latest rendition of the boat in the water.
Those osprey were fabulous. How lucky to catch the last sail of the day.
Too bad you had to take a day because of the principal's rule. Good for you,though. Have a good weekend.
Well done on staying home, that work day really did sound like a complete waste of time. (The fact that you kept making excuses to yourself made me smile, - yes I remember those kind of sentiments so well)...
Your Florida painting looks just lovely and I like the way you finished it. Amazing photos too, wow those ospreys, - super shots!!
Here the sky is blue for once, though it is cold, so we decided to make the best of it and go to visit an old mill. I don't blog about things like that as you know...Too much work, the details will go into my journal.
Have a lovely weekend!
PS -- rereading this and glad you took the day off. It sounds like you could really use it. I know things are funky with your mom and hope that's all because that is enough. Do take care. Thinking of you. (And love the flyaway bird!)
Fabulous painting! The colours and blending looks so beautiful wand the little boat and flamingo remind me of Florida too 😁. The osprey look amazing, how exciting to see them! It brings back happy memories of seeing them when we visited Wyoming, how cool! Thanks for the memories and I hope you had a happy Friday and Weekend! J 😊 x
Thanks for the photos of the Everglades and the ospreys - never imagined their nests to be like that - but I don't know what I would have thought they were like to be honest. Fab for me to see them though.
Love your flamingo picture which I am sure did you far more good than a day at school would have done. I remember those inset days (called that in the UK) and how most of them seemed like a waste of time. I could have done far more good had I been left to my own devices.
Keep smiling.
Hugs, Neet xx
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