Walking for Car Repairs: The Pine Barrens

I had decided to retain my old car this summer as a secondary vehicle despite its high mileage and get some repairs and updates accomplished. It's been a long and winding road over the weeks to accomplish the feat. Along the way, we were down too many vehicles with too many appointments and I had to walk from here-to-there to get my wife's vehicle. Along the way, I traversed these shady pine barrens and thought them lovely in the summer heat.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Pine Barrens 01

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Pine Barrens 02

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Pine Barrens 03

I like the chiascuro potential and the depth of field.

Getting Ready for Summer: Yard Work

I have been personally discouraged about the extent to which the property and yard work has gotten away from me. I have a list of, oh, so many, projects...inside and out. But I have been able to complete just a few tasks to move things in the right direction. Once upon a time, when I was younger.....I was so good at the adage of "A Place for Everything.....and Everything in its Place"!

Tidying the corner mulched bed by the playhouse.

 Copyright James E. Martin 2015 The More Tidy Corner

Building raised beds for the vegetable garden to make better use of limited space and add some visual effect. The earthworms love the warm raised beds and really keep the soil turned over during the growing season. Leaf mulch is used in the aisle paths over a weed cloth.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Vegetable Raised Beds

Populating the flower boxes at the house and playhouse.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Flowers at the Playhouse

Repairing and updating the outdoor balance beam cover for my youngest gymnast, Itsy Bit. There are lots of handstands, roundoffs, and walkovers going on in the yard as well.

 Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Updated Balance Beam Cover

Ensuring the pillar of flower pots is abundantly overflowing with color this year.

 Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Pillar of Pots

Relocating the Flower Girl statue that my mom gave us and planting lavender for scent and johnny jump-ups for color.

 Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Mom's Flower Girl

Installing the water fountain on the patio. The sound of trickling water is soothing.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Water Fountain on the Patio

And getting ready for the Fourth of July, we post the flag to the garage.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Fourth of July

So, Idle Acres has made some progress this early summer.

The Mid-life Crisis Checklist: What now? What's next?

Charlie Vensel lists seven warning signs that I may be having a male midlife crisis:

1. Persistent Dissatisfaction. Just not happy. Check.

2. Inauthenticity. What happened to the person I used to be? A feeling of having drifted and not being true to my genuine self. Check.

3. Insignificance. I dream of more. Am I just sitting in the chair? Do I feel like I am not making a difference? Check.

4. Shallow Commitments. Depressed at status quo. Trying to recommit to important things and stay the course. Trying to not commit to new things. Rehearsing duty and obligation. But discouraged. Check.

5. Relational Tension. Everyone around me doesn't understand what I am going through and how I am feeling. They are so familiar with me so they can ignore me. This life change of mine affects everyone around me. Check.

6. Leaking. Bored to tears. Trying to contain frustration or angst. Reaching out. Trying to share the journey. Venting to significant others around me. Often isn't constructive. Check.

7. Recapturing Youth. Revert to what worked when I was younger. Hard work. Persistence. Focus. Values. Check.

So there are "good" ways to react? And "bad" ways to react? Three paths to consider. Three choices recommended.

A. Recapture What Worked. Return to the ways of thy youth. May not be the complete solution. Beware of immature or off-limit choices though.

B. Focus on Known Competencies. Dig in. Tough it out. Suck it up. Beware of stubbornness and rigidity as symptoms. Watch for bitterness and anger as a side effect. Beware of vices as an accommodating binge. Avoid the blame game towards others.

C. Grow and Change. Awaken. Mature. Move forward. Answer the call. Maintain self-control and self-discipline. It's about Doing. Duty and obligation. It's about Being and Becoming. Motivated about living and passion. What is it that stirs me but has not been expressed before? Of all the perceived options, select and move towards the best, most authentic things. Manage fear of change and fear of very different and fear of unknown. Beware of radical change. But don't get stuck in the transition and renewal.

Or maybe a little of A, B, and C to round out the portfolio. So Charlie advises:

• Take care of yourself. Exercise, eat well, rest, and do some things just for fun. Can do better. Check.
• Journal about what you are thinking, feeling, and sensing. Check.
• Find someone with whom to mentor and be coached who has successfully been down the path before. Kind of Checked.
• Find someone to hold you accountable to maintain balance. Kind of Checked. 
• Finish well. The jury is still out. To be determined.

Honest Trepidation: Riotous Perspective

I must be in the middle of a male mid-life crisis. 

Started a new job. Money's good. Commute is short. I am busy. Loaded on with too much too soon, I think. Meeting new people. Learning a new company's ways and means. But there is an element of boredom to it.What is this observation, I say to myself?

I don't feel happy. Or satisfied. Or fulfilled. This is not good. I say to myself.

Granted it's been a riotous week. There have been other things going on in my personal life. Causes long hours. Unrest. Background anxiety. Background tension. Nothing terrible or catastrophic. Just daily living in the modern life. New job. My dad had hip surgery. My wife is working long hours and burning the candle at both ends. 

So I am feeling at odds. I don't feel rested. An emotional roller-coaster. Or at extremes. Not centered. Not quite sure how to really sum it up yet. 

A rejection from a permanent job did roll up in this morning's email. From a series of interview's with VP's over a month ago. Hahahah!  The path not taken. They invite to look at other roles on the company website.  A minor anecdote to the continuing saga.

So I just keep telling myself. One day at a time. One hour at a time. One task at a time. One minute at a time. Do what is important for now. Live in the moment. Delay constraining decisions. Pray.

Drove into the yard from work last night. The sun was soon to set. The corner flower garden was increasing its crescendo. Some riotous tulips. I like the color contrast and tempestuous abandon in these shots from last evening. I wanted a different perspective.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Riotous Abandon

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Upright Posture

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Emotional Extremes

So I have resolved this morning. Taking just one step at a time. With honest trepidation. Seek to learn and inquire. Obtain the meaning in each transaction that builds towards the future task. Ask on a deeper level...what's next?

Funny? Asking about the meaning of life. Now? Asking....why am I here? In this place and time?

I am a nomad, a sojourner, and a stranger in a distant land. An older nomad, sojourner, and stranger.

Seeking oasis.

Yard Sale Season: A Stitch in Time

Yard sale season has started since April 1 and is ramping up into full swing. The flea markets have opened and folks are anxious to buy and sell. The weekend warriors are out in abundance. It has been a long winter of discontent.

On Saturday yard sales, I bought some German beer steins from circa 1960 from an amiable old codger who said he worked top secret projects in Wurzburg, Germany from 1959 - 1966. And drank a lot of beer from these steins. His second wife had died last year and he was unloading stuff. He was contemplative and solemn but seemingly wanting to talk about things. I appreciated the personal story behind the steins.

At a separate sale just down the street from the old patriot, I was able to purchase a cute Hummel No. 255/31, A Stitch in Time. It is 6 1/2 inches tall and has what is known as a TMK-4 trademark, the three line mark, and is dated 1963 which places it at about the same time and place as the beer steins.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 A Stitch in Time

My wife was born in 1962 in Weisbaden, Germany when her Dad was in the Air Force. These are nice pieces contemporaneous to her birthplace and time. Adding to the memories and making connections. A Stitch in Time.

New Way to Go: New Things to See

Spring is only inching its way toward us. The blossomed trees and shrubs are out but the leaves on the trees are only mild buds and have not yet popped. I took a different route to my new workplace to see what sights I might see. A display of spring blossoms including forsythia and cherry tree.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Spring Blossoms

Splash of Spring: 70 Dozen Bulbs

Mom passed away last year. She and her mom loved flowers. I had started the bed years ago in a remembrance when my Aunt Elaine, mom's college roommate, and an artist, had passed away in North Carolina. Aunt Elaine had disappeared on her 77th birthday in the summer months. Instituting this flower bed was a way for me to think of her throughout the winter with the hope that we would find her. Her remains were found the following spring.

I took the time to grieve for Mom this past year by refreshing the corner flower garden by the old stone wall with seventy dozen bulbs. Have been taking lots of pictures to capture the emergence and profusion of color.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Seventy Dozen

There are fond and deep-felt memories of the beauty and compassion and caring of these ladies special to my heart. Hope springs eternal as new life emerges on an annual basis. Aaah, me!

Contrast: A Spring Dandy Against Winter's Bark

I take a ten-minute walk to and from lunch each day at the new job. Nice to get my salad greens. The fresh air and sunshine, if we have it, does me good in the mid-day. The air has mostly remained brisk though. I am picking up a bit of color in my face and along the way. I selected a weedy dandelion from the sidewalk and smelled it's winter abandon.

It brought back an early memory. And reminded me of my Mom in the happy-go-lucky days of childhood play. The first rural New England farmhouse we lived in had an abundance of stubby, wild chamomile. Mowing the lawn or pinching the stems and flowers between your fingers would release the fragrance of apple blossoms.

Internet Fair Use - Wild Chamomile with Apple Blossom Scent

My smartphone camera didn't auto-focus well when I tried to capture the dandelion flower against open space. And it retained a lot of glare. So I put the bright color against a dark tree trunk and got better contrast and detail. The yellow reflects against the blue-grey-green-violet of the woody surfaced-lichen. It helps to have the stark contrast of winter's bark to highlight a Spring fancy.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Spring Dandy Against Winter's Bark

It is a more solemn and deep enjoyment of Springtime warmth when the Winter has been long and frigid. Soaking it up on a Daily Walk. And reminiscing.

Emerging Spring: Blackbirds in the Marsh Grass

Spring is inching towards us here in the Northeast. My new job offers the shortest commute I have had in my career. Twelve miles and 25 minutes. Along the way, some abandoned farmland along the road had some tall marsh grass. It made me think of another past employer where the first birds of Spring, the blackbirds, would flock and twitter in the grass.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Blackbirds in the Marsh Grass

The palette is still a winter one and drab. The snow is gone from the landscape but not my mind. I haven't yet warmed up.

An Unusual Retrieval From Artistic Obscurity: May Audubon Post

I am always visiting the local second-hand stores. Seeking affordable books, paintings, frames, farmhouse kitchenware, knick-knacks, bric-a-brac, etc. This is my routine, my Jaunt, and part of my overall Journey. It is unusual, however, to find really good, original art. Particularly with any vintage. Particularly in good condition. In my Daily Walk today, I found a framed piece of pastel art signed "May A. Post".

Photo Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Dutch Girl with Dolls in Landscape Detail by May Audubon Post

It was attractive to me at first sight because my eight year old, Itsy Bit, of course, loves her numerous dolls and has played with them intensely during her childhood. 

This exquisite image is of a quaint, little Dutch girl in profile hugging her two dolls.  It appears to be original art and there is no evidence online that it or similar art by the artist has been reproduced.

Photo Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Dutch Girl with Dolls in Portrait Detail by May Audubon Post

It is nicely framed [28 inches high x 24 inches wide] and double-matted with a deep 1/4 inch separator behind the matte board..

Photo Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Dutch Girl with Dolls by May Audubon Post

The exposed portion of the image is 18 inches x 14 inches. It has reflective glass which makes rendered photos a bit difficult. I may consider replacing with non-reflective glass and thereby also gaining a chance to inspect the artwork and take detailed pictures. Fortunately, the frame and matte approach appears to be in excellent condition and the pastel image is about 0.25 - 0.375 inches away from the glass.

It appears to be an original pastel on dark, green, fine, french stippled paper or board signed "May A. Post" with lovely, even, round, clear, connected handwriting. 

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Signature of Mary Audubon Post

I researched May on the internet when I got home. Not much out there but a little digging turned up some reference sources to build an initial background.

May Audubon Post [age 69 years; born Nov 21, 1860; died Feb 8, 1929] attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where an art fellowship is established in her name. Unfortunately, I did not find any personal images of the artist...yet.  

Her address during some of her published American exhibitions is listed as 4446 Sansom Street, Philadelphia on the corner of South 45th Street according to GoogleMaps. It would take me 5 hours and 291 miles to get there to see the place. But online, today, it is a renovated three-floor, red brick and red-painted tenement surrounded by similar-size buildings in a neighborhood that offers some Spanish style. 

Internet Fair Use - 4446 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Perhaps May painted in the second floor nook, southern-facing bay window as her studio in the early 1900's!

In 1901, she went to Vollendam and Merken Island, Holland which appeared to be a significant artist colony and ensuing influence on her painting genre. According to online sources, she was close to other artists of her period including William Merritt Chase, Cecilia Beau, Charles Grafly, Hugh Beckinridge, Howard Pyle at the Drexel Institute, and Lucien Simon in Paris.

Her genre is characterized as illustration, human activity, human figure, figurative, religion/mysticism, and child portrait.

The pastel I found is similar in size and portrayal to two other pieces using frontal quarter full-body portrait views: A Dutch boy with a pond boat and another Dutch girl with a doll, both in traditional Volendam and Merken style of dress replete with cobbled stompens.

 Internet Fair Use - Dutch Girl with Doll by May Audubon Post

Internet Fair Use - Dutch Boy with Pond Boat by May Audubon Post

My initial working hypothesis may be that these images were part of the calender series for the Dubois Iron Works listed below. But I can't yet determine the year these items and the one I recently found were produced.

Further listed artwork that I have found thus far includes the following pieces:

Marken Child Island of Marken, Holland (Oil painting sold $1200 USD, 2009-01-03; 37.75 inches high x 29 inches wide] The similarity of artistic approach includes a quaint, Dutch child in profile conducting an activity with dolls in attendance.

Marken Child, Island of Marken, Holland by May Audubon Post

Paris: Rue des Ursins (Unsold at auction; 11.42 high x 9.37 inches wide)

Santa on the Roof (Unknown)

Fishwife of Holland (Exhibited at Annual Exhibition of Oil Painting and Sculpture, Art Club of Philadelphia, No. 49, April 1903)

Fisherman of Holland (Exhibited at Annual Exhibition of Oil Painting and Sculpture, Art Club of Philadelphia, No. 56, April 1903)

Italian Mother and Baby (Exhibited at Annual Exhibition of Oil Painting and Sculpture, Art Club of Philadelphia, No. 57, April 1903)

Old Man of Holland (No.19; May be the same as No. 56 above)

Old Woman of Holland (No. 20; May be the same as No. 49 above)

Alone (1909, 17th Exhibition, Mar 15 - Apr 18)

Holland Baby Marken (May be same as Marken Child above, International Studio, Vol.54; Described as "haunting, quaint") 

Old Fisherman and His Grandson (1917, 23rd Exhibition of 138 works, International Studio, Vol 61)

Internet Fair Use - Old Fisherman and His Grandson (1917) by May Audubon Post

The Spinner (1917, Society of Independent Artists, Exhibition, No. 98)

Internet Fair Use - The Spinner by May Audubon Post

Holland Children (1917, Society of Independent Artists, Exhibition, No. 99)

My Big Brother (1911, NY Watercolor Club, 22nd Annual Exhibition, No. 240)

A Rainy Day (1911, NY Watercolor Club, 22nd Annual Exhibition, No. 240)

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (illustrated by May Audubon Post)

Internet Fair Use - Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates Illustration by May Audubon Post 01

Internet Fair Use - Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates Illustration by May Audubon Post 02

Fairies Among the Lilypads

Internet Fair Use - Fairies Among the Lilypads by May Audubon Post

 Fairies by a Steaming Cauldron

Internet Fair Use - Fairies by a Steaming Cauldron by May Audubon Post

Bunnie Cottontail: A Rabbit's Own Story (1908, By Blair Matilda, Illustrated by May Audubon Post, Published by McGloughlin Brothers)

My Little Italian Book (191-, By Ernest Nister)

Child Life in Holland (Illustrated Calender Series, Dubois Iron Works, Dubois, PA, Factory and Industrial Management, Vol. 35)

So there is much more to study and investigate but this daily entry constitutes my first round of Endeavor.  A delightful part of the Journey to think of May Audubon Post and share her work!

Job Interviews: My Current Economy of Transactions

Interview last week. "Permanent" job in financial industry. International company with a brand name on the US east coast. A new role being created by them. Commute within 30 minutes. Open house. Spoke with one of ten people I would be supervising. Very young. She asked questions from a checklist and wrote in the answers. Sent my thank you emails to her and the recruiting manager who was a no-show at the event. No response from them as yet.

Interview today. Contract job. Good company with a brand name. Health care industry. Short term 3 mths. Might be extended. Has taken a long time with repeated applications to get my foot in the door. Commute within 30 minutes.  Will speak with three project managers. Was advised by the recruiter to wear a suit and arrive 15 min early. Hah!

Interview Friday. "Permanent" job. Company in a formidable industry I have been in previously. Commute is 60 - 90 minutes. Will speak with 4 senior vice presidents.

Which is the more prepared of the three? Interested in the candidate?  Professional? Serious about the business?

Just thinking on things.

P.S. After a couple days....and another phone interview....looks like the contract job is the only one that might come through. Doesn't seem like there are any real jobs out there. Sad.

Reminiscing: Back to Basics is Required...Again

I frequently think about Scott Lightfoot and his struggles with unemployment, duty, motivation, inspiration, responsibility as a family man, and with his Artistic Endeavor. He is the reason I started my art blogs. He is gone now after a courageous bout with cancer. I revisited my first blog Impressionism From Idle Acres and many of my entries were a response of my online reviews of his blog entries.

This is my second round of unemployment in the last five years. Work life is changing in America. It may be a truism that as we get older, there is a bias against older employees. Or it may be a bias against higher salaries. A capability of companies with mature processes and procedures to get by with younger, less expensive, and lesser experienced employees. An economy that is the employer-market with lots of candidates available to choose from.

After the year end holidays, and the New England record-setting snowstorms, it appears that the employment market may be picking up again based on my personal activity results. Spring is coming and perhaps the work forces are getting back to the near term needs again after the wintery distractions.  I have a few job interviews lined up with some substance to them. Finally. This week is busy in any case with on-site interviews.

But all along this unemployment path, I have continued my Journey of a Daily Walk, of the Struggle, the Artistic Endeavor, and the Creative Pursuit.

But, thinking of Scott's commentaries, getting back to basics also means discipline. Routine. Having the studio and working the Works.  I have some spring cleaning to do. A lot really. I have my health regained so doing these projects is more feasible now then it has been in the last seven years. I am looking forward to it.

But I remember Scott's dilemma. We only have a limited time remaining. Take each day and make the most of it. Try to focus our Life's Energy to the Creative Pursuit and the Artistic Endeavor. Work mentally and physically through the limitations that impose upon each of us. The Battle. The Struggle. The Journey. The Daily Walk.  I haven't forgotten.

Just do it.

Anticipating the Next Leg of the Trip: A Devoted Companion to it's Master

My devoted two-year-old puppy dog, Grace, gets so excited when I put on my jacket to go out on local errands and anxiously anticipates her inclusion in the agenda to ride along in the car with me. If I grab her personal kennel carrier, she excitedly noses the screen door and can't wait to get in and settle down on her soft pad within,thereby assertively suggesting that she is ready to assist in the trip by accompanying me to wherever the day may lead.

I get incredible eye contact and tail-wagging to display her devotion to the task and her desire to be with me. It is quite adorable.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Grace Accompanies Me

She reflects my feelings this week with her behavior in that I am anxiously awaiting my next employment assignment. I am nosing the door and can't wait to settle in. The search can be fun but there is an element of drudgery and routine to the search as well. I have a hint of what I would really like to do next. Last week I was approached with a lead online through an electronic job matching system. I really liked the job description and role-responsibility. I followed up. It appeared to stall and nothing appeared to happen. I was not convinced that the job match tool being used was reliable or robust enough to enter me as a candidate into the hiring company's visual field or capture net. 

I chased the lead more directly through a different venue. And was contacted by the company the next day by email and invited to an open house next week to discuss the desired position. Can't wait! Tail wagging! A chance for more direct eye contact. I am nosing into the carrier to see where the next leg of the Journey may take me.  On for the ride. Following the Master. Just doing what I am supposed to do. It's a dog's life. Ruff.

Darkest Before the Dawn: Deeply Stamped

It is always darkest before the dawn. So it seems in this season and quarter of unemployment. This morning, the cobalt blue morning sky carved a quiet, majestic background to the front lit trees. The dawn just peeking on the horizon. The moment and the drama didn't last long. And then it was gone and couldn't be caught again.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Glimmer of Dawn

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Dawn of Cobalt Blue

In my Daily Walk yesterday, I found a used book by Herschel B. Chipp, The Theories of Modern Art: A Source Book by Artists and Critics (1968) by the University of California Press, Berkeley. Lots of great quotations and excerpts within. As I scan the pages and voluminous entries, I note the following under the Fauvism and Expressionism chapter:

"All artists bear the imprint of their time....

but the great artists are those 

in which the stamp is most deeply impressed." 

Henry Matisse

Separately, others have indicated the phrases

 "paint what you know"

 "paint what you see"  

"paint what you love"

"paint what you feel"

as the drivers for genuine and sincere art that has depth and feeling with the potential for lasting value. I am unsure who said these things first. Sounds like they have been passed down through the academic art ages.

I have been in the press between the plates as it bears down on me.

I spent some moments listing subject matters that mean something to me, that I have lived, that I know, that are of my life and times, that have affected me, and influenced those around me. Also, there are genres, and methods, and motifs, and values, and subjects that I have thought about and labored upon. Objects that attract me.

These should be the target of my focus, the aim of my energies. I think I know where I should start. This is the oil from the press. This is the wine. This is the vintage.

1957.

31 Days Until Spring: I Can't Wait

31 days until spring. According to the local newscasters. The days are getting longer. Which is good because I need more time to get things done! But with all this snow, I would expect the spring refreshers to result in lots of water runoff. It could get squishy. Another small window of storm relief today, so I took some sunny morning photos of the property that only portend of the spring season and ensuing chores.

Abstract arrangements of fall leaves that blew in from somewhere I know not where. Will need cleanup and raking and chopping and mulching into the garden.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Fall Detritus 01

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Fall Detritus 02

The playhouse is always good for a shot or two no matter what the weather or clime. Lots of flower bulbs and beds to rake and clean so the springtime color will pop. My in-laws in South Carolina say their daffodils are poking through the ground and three inches up. Boo-hoo.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Cedar at the Playhouse

The blackberry hedge will need trimming and trussing come springtime with clippings into the bonfire.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Blackberry Hedge

The abstract rose branches against the gallery arbor will require trimming and re-tying in the spring. This is the hardiest of all the roses and was original to the farm property, having been nestled into an old stone wall, dug out, and relocated twice to its resting location against the garage-studio. Let's hope it makes it through this winter freeze as well.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Rose Hips

I felt much better getting outside first thing in the morning to snow-blow the very light and fluffy four inches that fell. Fresh air. Sunlight. Activity. I think it helped chase the winter doldrums away today. Gotta keep doing that in some shape or fashion. Got a lot of small but needy things accomplished yesterday just putting one foot in front of the other. I needed that.

Lots to do to start spring cleaning inside while I am waiting for outside to get ready. The early bird gets the worm.

One Day of Relief: Sun Not Snow

We got one day of relief between snow storms. Sun came out. Clear blue sky. A view out the back window through the screen. Drifts in front of the evergreens.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Drifts in Front of the Evergreens

My oldest and youngest daughters, Big Bit and Itsy Bit, respectively, decided to make a snow fort in the accumulation. Digging snow paths in the yard. Hot chocolate memories!

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Hot Chocolate Snow Fort Memories

I was amazed at the intense violet in the snow shadows particularly at the neighbor's house across the street. My Itsy Bit of a Peach in snow regalia at the door requesting hot chocolates to be hand-delivered.

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Itsy Bit of a Peach

Of course, what would an outdoor adventure be without trying out the swing in the snow accumulation!

Copyright James E. Martin 2015 Snow Swing

Anguilla Island: A Remedy for the Post-Holiday Blues

Aaaah, me! I have been feeling a touch of the blues off and on since the Christmas and New Year's holidays. I am sure the constant snow here in the US Northeast hasn't helped the matter.  Part of my remedy has been to go on early morning web journeys and visit a place I had not been before. A warm tropical location with fruity alcoholic drinks sounded like the refreshment I needed. So I used a variety of keywords in my successive searches to explore the island of Anguilla in the Lesser Antilles island chain in the Caribbean.

My keywords and sub-keyword modifiers included: Anguilla, maps, flag, vintage, art, stamps, spiny lobster, fishing, and boating.I drilled down into the detailed locations on the island to explore the details below.

The Tourist Board is here. Great information on how to get there by boat or air.

A nice flag for a British protectorate.

Internet Fair Use - Flag of Anguilla

I like to start out with maps to gain more specific keywords for places.

A high level map shows where it is in the context of Central America and South America.

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla in the Americas

Anguilla is the northernmost island in what is known as the Lower Antilles islands. East of Puerto Rico and north of Saint Martin island. 

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla in the Caribbean Island Chain

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Island Key Locations

A decent map of roads and bays to reconnoiter the island. Each of these locations can be used as keywords to investigate images to gain a sense of the island visit.

 Internet Fair Use - Roads and Bays

If I came in at the airport, I would be able to drive down The Valley through Crocus Hill to Crocus Bay on the Atlantic northern side of the island.

Internet Fair Use - Road Down to Crocus Bay

Here is a panoramic view of Crocus Bay with the Crocus Hill residential area reaching down to the beach.

Internet Fair Use - Crocus Bay on Anguilla Island

Working my way around the island in a clockwise direction, I would visit Little Bay. It appears to be one of the more popular sites.

Internet Fair Use - Little Bay Hilltop View

Internet Fair Use - Little Bay Beachside View

Limestone Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Limestone Bay

Internet Fair Use - Cairns at Limestone Bay

Blackgarden Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Blackgarden Bay

Lower Shoal Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Lower Shoal Bay

Upper Shoal Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Upper Shoal Bay

Captains Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Captain's Bay

And visit the northernmost tip of the island at Snake Point. Then work my way southward on the eastern side of the island towards the Caribbean Sea. 

Junk's Hole Bay. I guess folks can ride boat-towed kites and there are cautionary admonitions as we round this side of the island.

Internet Fair Use - Junk Hole Bay

Savannah Bay.

 Internet Fair Use - Savannah Bay

Sile Bay.

  Internet Fair Use - Sile Bay

Mimi's Bay.  Sea Feather Bay. 

Internet Fair Use - Sea Feather Bay Looking South

A boating derelict at rest.

Internet Fair Use - Sea Feather Bay Derelict at Rest

Sandy Hill Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Sandy Hill Bay

Long Pond Bay. Auntie Dol Bay. Forest Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Forest Bay

Corito Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Corito Bay

Elsie Bay. Looking to St. Martins in the distance.

Internet Fair Use - Elsie Bay

Little Harbor. Lockrum Bay. Roundrock Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Roundrock Bay

Pelican Bay. Blowing Point. Rendezvous Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Sunrise in Rendezvous Bay

Merrywing Bay. Cove Bay. Perfect for kite beginners.

Internet Fair Use - Cove Bay

Maunday's Bay. Shoal Bay West. Sherrick's Bay. Rounding at the southernmost tip of Anguilla Island into West End Bay. With cave and cliffs.

Internet Fair Use -  West End Cave

 Internet Fair Use - West End Cliffs

Barnes Bay, Mead's Bay, and Long Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Long Bay, Mead's Bay, Barne's Bay

Road Bay. With the port of entry for those arriving by boat.

Internet Fair Use - Road Bay

Sandy Island is off the Road Bay.

Internet Fair Use -  Sandy Island Cay

Benzie's Bay. And Katouche Bay.

Internet Fair Use - Katouche Bay

Lots of warm, soothing images. Great beaches of all sorts. A roomy hammock with tropical sea breezes would be nice. Fruity alcoholic drinks beachside. A nap. Or two. Or three.

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Hammock

I would take some time to seek out and paint the beach trees. In fact, the photo below makes me think of a previous painting, On the Beach (2011), using the methods of Pisarro, from days gone by.

Internet Fair Use - Painting the Beach Trees.

There might be lots of sea fare suitable for eating and cooking and painting. I would look for local color. A pile of conch shells for inspiration.

Internet Fair Use -  Pile of Conch Shells

Locals catching the spiny lobster.

Internet Fair Use - Serving Up a Spiny Lobster

Getting the lobster on the half shell steamed plate.

Internet Fair Use - Spiny Lobster on the Half Shell

Diving to see the wonders beneath like the spotted eagle ray.

Internet Fair Use - Spotted Eagle Ray

Some of the locals catch them.

Internet Fair Use - Spotted Eagle Ray on Board

And prepare them for the beach grill.

Internet Fair Use - Spotted Eagle Ray Grill Ready

Internet Fair Use - Spotted Eagle Ray for Beach Grill

But there are many other marvels to portray local color. Flora includes the viceroy tree.

 Internet Fair Use - The Viceroy Tree

A Pope Cactus.

 Internet Fair Use - A Pope Cactus

Milkweed.

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Milkweed

Beach cactus. 

Internet Fair Use - Beach Cactus

Railroad Vine.

Internet Fair Use - Railroad Vine

Bougainvillia.

Internet Fair Use - Bougainvillia

And Yellow Dodder.

Internet Fair Use - Yellow Dodder

I suppose there are some touristy things to do. That with the right pictures could be artistic endeavors and creative pursuits. Like boating.

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Boats

Looking for unique perspectives.

Internet Fair Use - Unique Perspectives

Watching the locals. For motifs worthy of painting.

Internet Fair Use - Motifs Worthy of Painting

Watch the August summer festival with the Parade of Troupes.

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Parade of Troupes in August Summer Festival

Snorkeling.

Internet Fair Use - Snorkeling Equipment

Sightseeing. For suitable motifs to tell a story. Or depict an historical moment.

Internet Fair Use - Seeking Suitable Painting Motifs

Seeking sun and better tan lines.

Internet Fair Use - Seeking Peaceful Sun Worship

Avoiding tropical rain showers.

Internet Fair Use - Avoiding Tropical Showers

Sailing model vessels.

Internet Fair Use - Model Sailing

Painting unique structures.

Internet Fair Use - Painting Motifs

Eating at local grills. Listening to reggae music. 

Internet Fair Use - Reggae Grills

 Dozing off in a floatie with a cool drink.

Internet Fair Use - Relaxing on a Floatie

Watching the world go by. Slowly.

Internet Fair Use - Watching the World Go By

Watching the tide come in. And go out. Again and again.

Internet Fair Use - Tidal Interface

Seek out local artists and galleries.

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Art

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Artist Denotes Dominos as a Pastime

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Artist Denotes Dominos as a Pastime

Identify examples of local architecture. 

Internet Fair Use - Churches as Local Architecture

Internet Fair Use - Beach Villas as Local Architecture

Walk the beach to find shells or stones.

Internet Fair Use - Shells and Stones on the Beach

Internet Fair Use - Peach Boat Under a Tamarind Tree

Internet Fair Use - Day is Done Lights at Eveningside

And lastly, I guess Anguilla island rum punches should have a pinch of nutmeg and amaretto. Can I beat the winter blues with an Internet collage of images and a stream of consciousness? By closing my eyes? And adding a touch of nutmeg and amaretto to my tropical rum punch? I hope so.

Since my favorite drink has been a rum punch aka a "Summer Fling", I will modify my core recipe a tad with the recommended nutmeg and amaretto as my remedy for the mid-winter blues to salute Anguilla Island!

Internet Fair Use - Anguilla Island Rum Punch

Anguilla Island Summer Fling

2 oz cranberry juice

2 oz pineapple juice

2 oz Bacardi Grand Melon rum

1 oz triple sec
1 - 4 maraschino cherries, with juice, to taste
Splash of black cherry juice (optional)
1 oz coconut rum (optional)
1 oz banana rum(optional)

1 oz amaretto

2 pinches of nutmeg
Serve over ice.

Oh, joy! Makes me want to paint the beaches and the people fantastic!

Note: Thanks to all the sites and folks that contributed images to this collation for my mid-winter escape. Credit is attributed, when possible. I am much better now, thank you. And I can visit the trip again!