Going Places | Cabin Art

You Thought I Was Kidding?

Did you read my post from Friday? It was called “What Happens in My Brain“, and I said at the end, “This is hard – maybe I should just go to Chicago for a weekend. . .”

The snow in Three Rivers was so fun that I decided to go to a place of true winter.

I went to Chicago for a weekend. Actually, I visited Cousin Maggie in a suburb for a few days. I’m not making this up. (And Scott D., I emailed you to try and connect, but am wondering if I sent it to an old eddress. . . ?)

This was the view out of the hotel window the first morning.

running away from home? — Running away from home??

My dear friend, AKA The Captain, went to a suburb of Chicago to bury her aunt. Turns out it was the same burb where my dearest Cousin Maggie lives. That’s not the sort of coincidence one can easily ignore.

She drove me to Cousin Maggie’s house, but we chose not to take the rental car up the unplowed driveway. Do I get any dorkier than this? Never you mind.

This is the first real live cardinal I’ve ever seen! They resemble our scrub and stellar blue jays, and I was just beside myself with excitement. Is that dorky? (Don’t answer that!)

I went walking in the woods behind Cousin Maggie’s house. It is a deciduous forest preserve, and I would LOVE to see it in the fall. It was cold, but I had my trusty LL Bean boots, and lots of wooly knitted items. It was very satisfying to actually need all those things I’ve been knitting all these years.

Everything looked beautiful to me. I love to see new things, to explore and to discover. . . although I have to admit that while we were sitting in the San Francisco airport ready to take off for Chicago, I told The Captain that I couldn’t wait to get home. My travel muscle is a bit flabby – love to BE there, but oh my, the effort is stupendous.

To be continued tomorrow. . .

Chicago

An Afternoon and Evening at The Lake

Growing up in Tulare County we simply referred to Lake Kaweah, created by Terminus Dam, as “The Lake”.

(and there is still a stupid dark spot on the lens.)

Now that I’ve lived in Lemon Cove (at the base of the dam) and Three Rivers (on the rivers that flow to The Lake), I’ve learned that it is The Lake. Not “Kaweah Lake”, (pronounced “Kuh-WEE-uh”, not the River Kwai!) but The Lake.

At this time of year, there is a lot of real estate at The Lake bottom for camping, walking, biking, and horseback riding.

Our very dear friends, whom I shall call “Cowboy Bert and The Captain”, have horses. They brought them to The Lake and camped and rode for several days. I’d show you a photo but the only one I have shows The Captain bending over to inspect Blue Doc’s feet, and I don’t show photos of friends bending over. Makes you want to be friends with me, hunh?

We joined them for dinner on 2 evenings – we really know how to whoop it up on New Year’s Eve! Ummmm, not.

Going places, even in my own town of Three Rivers, provides inspiration. IF I were painting these days, which I am not unless it is a commissioned piece, I’d probably paint one of the top 2 scenes (minus the weird spot on the lens).

Which is your favorite photo? (and please disregard the weird spot)

Kaweah Lake Three Rivers

Fridays are for Mineral King

. . . except the snow was too deep and we didn’t get there!

Trackster on the Mineral King Road — This little vehicle is called a Trackster, made by Cushman in the 1970s. It is sort of like driving a lawn mower.

We unloaded the Trackster around mile 12, about 2 miles below Trauger’s. I think that is where we were. It looks so very different under snow!

The Trackster leaves tracks in the snow.

Wow, there was so much snow! (There was also a weird spot on the lens of my camera.)

See?

Sawtooth and the stoopid weird spot on the lens.

This is the historic Alles cabin at Atwell Mill.

It was very pretty and very cold. Remember, I am a California artist, and I live in the sunny foothills where it snows about once every 2 years. This was a wonderful opportunity to wear many of my knitted pieces. No photos of that, sorry to disappoint you.

Our enthusiastic passenger was thrilled to build a snowman. She was amazingly skilled at it for someone who grew up in the sunny foothills where it snows a little bit maybe every two years.

This is quite the unique guy. Since we all recently saw The Hobbit, we decided the dude needed ears. Actually I suggested ears like a bear, but these ears seem to be a bit like Gollum, the gross little dude who sort of talks like Donald Duck.

Any questions? ask in the comments or email me via the contact the artist button on the menu bar.

California Artist Mineral King Mineral King photography

A California Artist Visits a Santa Barbara Beach

Yesterday I began talking about California beaches and ended up showing a little bit of the Santa Barbara Mission, one of 21 missions in California.

Today I will show you a few photos I took at a Santa Barbara beach. Wow, it was beautiful! (Thank you, Captain Obvious) I took a pile of photos that I really really want to paint! But, I will only show you 3 photos, because you are probably skimming this quickly when you are supposed to be doing something else. (Isn’t everyone supposed to be very busy this time of year? I’m not that busy, but I’m a bit of an odd duck. Thanks for being polite about that.)

Is this not just stunning? Holy cow, this California artist who lives near and in the mountains is sort of experiencing a bit of beach envy.

We walked about 1 mile, probably less. HEY! Where do those stairs go?? Ummm, that would be up? Gotta see!

We climbed to the top of this very long staircase and read the sign “One Thousand Steps”. Really? I counted them on the way back down. Anyone want to guess?

Oh yeah, this is a source of inspiration for me. I feel so inspired that I might just go draw another cabin.

A California Artist visits Santa Barbara

Growing up, “the beach” mean Newport, in Orange County. In 4th grade, my class took a field trip to Mission San Miguel and visited Pismo Beach. It was flat and muddy and there were no waves. It didn’t look like a beach to me. Later, I visited some beaches in Northern California and began understanding that “the beach” means something different all up and down the left coast. I spent 4 years in Sandy Eggo and learned that even one city can have a variety of beaches.

But, I’d never gotten a feel for Santa Barbara. This city isn’t quite “The Central Coast”, nor do I consider it Southern California. It isn’t as easy to get to as Morro Bay, and I’d never had a reason to go.

Last week, Trail Guy and I spent 4 nights there for multiple reasons irrelevant to this blog. But, as a California artist, I want to share with you some of the photos I got so you can get a little taste of this piece of our huge state with a very very long coastline.

I love the California missions. I haven’t seen all 21, but I’m always thrilled when I get to see one for the first time. I built a model of this Queen of Missions in 4th grade – 3 milk cartons do the trick! (My mom was really really mean and she wouldn’t let me build it out of sugar cubes.)

We walked around the backside and it reminded me of some of the views I took photos of in China.

What’s in there, Trail Guy??

Okay, that’s long enough for today’s post. I’ll show you the beach pictures tomorrow. (Was that a bait and switch??)

A Thing for Old Architecture

Perhaps the reason I like cabins is more than just the fact that they are simple rustic structures, usually in the mountains. I like all old architecture, in particular the designs, materials and details from the early 1900s. They inspire me and I want to draw them. Sometimes I want to paint them (pictures of them, not cover them in house-paint!) Sometimes I even want to live in them. (Repeat until you believe it – “Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not covet”)

There is a place along the shores of Lake Tahoe that just rings my architectural bell. Usually when people think of Tahoe, they think of a big lake, or skiing, or perhaps a fancy-pants giant home, maybe some gambling, or even a marathon (or in my case, a 1/2, which I don’t think about any more, thanks for nothing, Stoopid Plantar Fasciitis).

What place? you ask. (I can hear you thinking.)

Tallac Historic Site is a series of 3 lakefront estates, all maintained, one converted to a museum. It is under the management of the U.S. Forest Service (Dept. of Ag). I’d link to the site for you, but it really isn’t very informative or pretty, and my photos tell more than their site.

I’ve never been there between June and September when the buildings are open for tours (except when walking that 1/2 marathon but I was too occupied to stop; afterward I had blisters and didn’t care).

Instead, I walk all around them and gawk and wonder in amazed admiration.

I even like them when they are boarded up for the season.

The attention to detail must have employed many people, along with all the needs and wants of the owners while in residence.

Too late to tour the buildings, too early for real fall color. On the other hand, it wasn’t crowded and we could take our time ogling, oohing, and ahhing.

Oh please, Trail Guy, now that you are retired, could we build a pond like this? (never mind about the water shortage in our neighborhood)

Productive and Pathetic in Wilsonia, Part Two

While in Wilsonia, the private cabin community in Kings Canyon National Park, I visited the General Grant Tree. It is about a mile from Wilsonia in a spectacular grove of giant sequoias (sequoia gigantea not to be confused with California redwoods called sequoia sempervirens).

Of course, what grove of Big Trees wouldn’t be considered spectacular?

the base of the General Grant Tree — I think this is the General Grant Tree. I took so many photos that I got confused.

I discovered something surprising. The General has been stripped of his title, except on the few remaining old signs and maps. He is now called the “Grant Tree”. Hmmmm, mighty peculiar (but probably not pathetic.)

As The Cabins of Wilsonia takes shape, new ideas keep coming. Because Wilsonia is in Kings Canyon National Park (ugh – do you mind if I just type KCNP?), it seems important to learn more about the immediate area.

So, I went exploring and found the Manzanita and Azalea Trails. There is a well-marked trail system that goes up to Park Ridge Lookout in KCNP, connects to Crystal Springs Campground and also surrounds Wilsonia, in a large and general way.

azalea trail in KCNP — The Azalea Trail in KCNP does not lead through the big trees, but it does go through some azaleas, which are probably fabulous earlier in the summer.

In addition to these extracurricular activities, I worked on The Cabins of Wilsonia, talked to many cabin folks, and had an immensely productive week.

What about the pathetic part, you ask? Ummm, I got homesick and went home a day early.

kings canyon national park Wilsonia

How You Can Comment on This Blog

This post is instructional for you, my fine quiet readers, who may want to comment on the blog but don’t know how. It’s really easy. And, all blog entries by a California artist should show some art, or a photo of California, doncha think?? Here is one for you before I get into the instructions.

blue wildflower, now known to be Chicory — This is chicory. I know this now thanks to my friend Rebecca (and verified by Mr. Google, who knows almost everything).

If you would like to comment on my blog (and I’d love to hear from you!), it is really really easy. Really! Click on “No Responses Yet” or “Three Responses So Far” or whatever it says in blue at the bottom of this post. You will get a box that you can type in. Say whatever is on your mind about the post or respond to another commenter.

If you have no email and it asks for one, use mine. (Really!) It is cabinart at cabinart dot net. (I wrote it out that way because smart internet people say not to put it in one’s blog using the normal method.)

The first time you comment, I will get an email allowing me to approve or delete it. I can also fix the typos, which I ALWAYS do. (the Typo Psycho – that’s me!)

Don’t put in personal messages to me about when you are going on vacation and leaving your house empty for all the bad guys on the internet to see. If I think you revealed too much in a comment, I will delete the personal stuff because I am looking out for you.

P.S. It isn’t hard to learn new things. I just learned that the earphones from an iPod work with my MacBook and now I can listen to tunes or podcasts without using the speakers!

blog comment instructions how to comment on my blog

And Yet Another Post About Oregon

This time the post is about Salem, Oregon. There are 2 main reasons for going to Salem for me. Yes, it is the capital city, but I care little about that. My reasons are family and blueberries. Going in mid to late July means there are you-pick farms with the fabulous fruit just waiting for your labor. At $1/pound, it is hard to resist! We came home with quite a haul.

Here is an interesting factoid: when I visit one of my sisters, we often walk along the St. John’s River. When my family visits me, we often walk along the Kaweah River. When I visit my sister in Salem, we walk over the Willamette River. And, this trip involved the Sacramento, Rogue and Willamette Rivers. Didn’t know I was such a river rat, didja?

piano over the Willamette River in Oregon — Salem Oregon is having a piano event. There are 11 pianos scattered about town, painted up, and inviting anyone to just sit down and play. These strangers didn’t know a California artist was photographing them for her blog.

2 sisters picking blueberries — My sister is a great blueberry picker. I kept eating them, but it wasn’t stealing because I ate them off the ground. No one would be filling his bucket with blueberries off the ground, so it wasn’t stealing, but gleaning!

Picking blueberries is a-may-zing, as the youngsters say. (Have you noticed that the word has replaced “awesome”?) It wasn’t hot or dusty or sticky or thorny. That is unheard of in any sort of fruit gathering in California!

cute baby girl — This is the world’s cutest baby. Her name is Brooklyn and she is my grand niece. If I were going to name a baby after a bridge, it would have to be Oak Grove. Doesn’t quite have the ring of “Brooklyn”, but I think her dad chose it because the Dodgers used to be in Brooklyn.

Retired Road Guy holds a pink baby — Who knew? This is Retired Road Guy, aka Trail Guy. Babies like him. I’m still recovering from dropping my cousin when I was 8 and she was an infant, so I’d rather hold the camera. (She survived; thanks for your concern.)

Leaving California, Enjoying Oregon

Temporarily, of course. Although, whenever I visit the Pacific Northwest, I wonder why I have never moved there. Oh yeah, I’m never moving again. Sometimes I forget that very strong conviction.

The coolest thing I’ve done lately is to ride a jet boat up the Rogue River in Oregon. The company is called Jerry’s Rogue Jets, and it is The Best! Get your tickets soon, and request Kevin for your pilot. He is a grandson of Jerry and has been on the river since he was a wee lad. He knows everything about it, just everything. And, his dog Emma rode next to me the entire trip. Took the edge off missing Perkins, my sweet cat.

on a jet boat on the Rogue River — At the mouth of the Rogue River in Oregon, riding a Jerry’s Rogue Jets boat, going underneath the Patterson bridge. It is designed like my favorite bridge but instead of one arch, it has SEVEN!!

Patterson Bridge over the Rogue River, Gold Beach, Oregon — It was cold, foggy, the boat was very fast, and I was flipping over this wonderful piece of architectural beauty.

Another bridge across the Rogue River, Oregon — I can’t remember what this bridge was called, but we were thrilled to break into sunshine upstream from the very cold Gold Beach.

Rogue River, Oregon — All my river photos sort of look the same, beautiful scenery, eminently paintable. (“Eminently” is a cool way of saying “very”.)

To be continued. . .

Rogue River

Category: Going Places