Beauty right in my own back yard

I might complain about the massive amounts of rain here in Oregon but when we finally have a nice day with sunshine and blue skies I take a step back and look at the beauty our weather actually makes possible.

These are my rhododendron and azalea bushes this year. Last year the rain ruined them and they were not so pretty but just look at the vivid colors of the roddies and the healthy blooms on the azalea.
And everything is soooo green!

Our pine trees have grown at least 5 feet since we moved here 5 years ago.
What!? We have been here 5 years! Where does the time go?

So have our boys

Today our Etsy team got together at one of the members house for a really nice lunch. Eve was such a wonderful hostess. She had us all draw a number when we got there and the prize was.....

Bottled Air. She is so funny. My number was drawn so I got the bottled air.

I had been working on a page for a calendar that will be published at the end of this year for 2012 but I am going to have to make some serious changes due to some of the images here belong to others and I would have to get permission to use them commercially. That will take forever and I was advised not to use them for the calendar since I need to have my art completed and submitted by the end of August so this will be my latest collage. Back to square one.

I have a model in mind for my art (my granddaughter) for the month of June on the calendar and I just happen to have a wonderful friend Brenda over at SALZANOS who is willing to draw all the fairies I need for my calendar.

Here is one of her sketches. Yeah....she is pretty amazing.
Love your Brenda

Okay I have talked your head off so I will go now before you get bored.