I told you it was gorgeous in Mineral King in mid-October this year. Since our cabin is closed for the season, I will be stretching that mid-October Blast of Fall Color into several blog posts. May these photographs inspire you to do something good! (Don’t be cynical with me. . .)
Empire Peak in Fall
Nature Trail Aspens in Fall
Mineral King Fall Colors
Aspens in All Colors
The weekend of October 19-21 was a glorious time of clear weather and stunning color in Mineral King. It seems as if has been many years since the color was that good up there. Perhaps it has been that good, but I wasn’t there. In my memory, there were no reds, and the yellows sometimes blew off before hitting peak color. But, I don’t keep a journal other than my photos and this blog, so I could have missed it.
This is a source of inspiration to this California Artist. Hope it inspires you to think great thoughts, create something, stimulate the economy, or just be nice.
Farewell Gap in Fall
Mineral King Aspens
Timber Gap in Fall
A wise friend (actually, several of them) suggested I remind my Gentle Blog Readers that my photos are available for purchase.
5×7 – $10, 8×10 – $20. Any larger than that? I don’t fully trust my pixels.
How to buy? email me at cabinart at cabinart dot net (several someones wiser than me have advised that is the best way to put eddresses into blog posts – I think you’ll figure it out!)
October is one of the best months in Mineral King. (The other great months are June, July, August, and September.) I went looking through my 18,693 photos to find some of my favorites from fall in the past. Since I’ve only had a digital camera since 2007, that’s as far back as the photos go. And, you’ll have to wait for my favorite photo of 2012. How’s that for a “cliff-hanger”?
Mineral King in fall, 2007
Mineral King in fall, 2008
Mineral King in fall, 2009
Mineral King in fall, 2010
Mineral King in fall, 2011
(This post is about life in Mineral King rather than the place itself. If that isn’t what you were looking for, you might want to change channels.) I cook on a wood stove while in the Land of No Electricity. The oven doesn’t work, the thing is not beautiful, but the stove top has served us well and it warms the kitchen. (Old photo, no bangs, same ‘ol Slop in a Skillet, and I’m sure that my baggy clothes are making me look fat.)
Twenty six years ago, Trail Guy was looking to buy a new wood cook stove. He had a brochure of the most beautiful antique reproductions ever – really elegant. We got married, I became more familiar with the cabin, and then I thought about how fine that new stove was and how much it cost.
Buying that stove for our cabin would be sort of like parking a Rolls Royce in a tool shed. I just couldn’t agree and asked if we could wait to find a good working genuine antique. Being a wise and frugal new husband, he agreed.
For twenty-six years it kept the kitchen warm, it cooked, it helped to dry paintings.
Twenty four years later, we had a bad night with our very old wood stove. We survived, the cabin survived, the stove even survived. Trail Guy did some work on the beast (said “with all due respect” which is what people say when they mean “yuck” but don’t want to offend anything or anyone and when “bless her heart” doesn’t quite fit), and although I was reluctant to use it, there was no alternative.
Our cabin neighbors had bought a stove, then changed their minds. They sold it to us. It sat in the workshop AKA painting studio for 2 years. We don’t jump into things impulsively at our address.
The weekend that I was losing my hearing and sweating my brains out at the show in Visalia, Trail Guy and Cowboy Bert installed the “new” stove. The Steiger & Kerr Toledo (that beast, with all due respect, of course) is gone and now we have a bee-yoo-tee-full Wedgewood!
Will I continue Fridays for Mineral King once the cabin season is over? More will be revealed in the fullness of time. . .
Meanwhile, enjoy these end of summer photos.
Puh-leeze. No standing? Really? I wonder how many people have taken photos of their friends standing in front of this sign because it is just silly. Guess it was the only no parking sign available in the Park’s warehouse.
Nope, not my cabin. I just liked the light.
This is not my cabin either. It looks so simple, classic and inviting, yes?
Sometimes I see more when I just sit than when I hike.
Taste the Arts takes place on Saturday, September 29 in Visalia, California. It is a little division of a week long event called “Taste of Visalia“. Maybe. I’m quite confused on the whole shebang.
What I am not confused about is that I will be one of many artists showing and selling my work at a former lumberyard in downtown Visalia from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The former lumberyard is encircled by Oak, Garden, School and Bridge Streets. I think the entrance is on Oak. I think it is free.
I am also not confused about the fact that I did several new paintings for the event. Here is one:
This is Sawtooth, in Mineral King. The painting is 16×20, the price is $375. Maybe people in Visalia aren’t as interested in Mineral King as people on this blog, in Mineral King and in Three Rivers. We shall see! (Who uses the word “shall” seriously??)
See what I mean?
This was the largest painting I had ever done back when I did it. Can’t remember, but I think it was in 2007, after I’d been oil painting for about one year. I thought it was mighty fine indeed. This year I took a long hard critical look at it and came to the conclusion that I paint better now.
Maybe it is just my opnion, or maybe it is true. Regardless, it is my goal to invoke the same feeling one gets while sitting on the bridge in Mineral King and looking at Farewell Gap. I think this painting is closer to that. Here, I’ll make them smaller so they can be side-by-side.
“Better” is a somewhat subjective term. Perhaps it is more modest and honest to say that I like my work better now. It has more detail. I like detail.
Frankly, I am too chicken to ask for your opinions today!
Cluck-cluck.
In Mineral King, there are consistent signs that fall is coming. It may still be 105 down the hill during the day, but in Mineral King we know summer is about to be history.
The light is different, and the grass is as high as an elephant’s eye.
The water flows in a sluggish manner.
The deer are plentiful and the fawns’ spots are fading.
Not many wildflowers remain except asters.
Things have a yellowish tinge to them.
The Park Service begins patrolling on horseback, interviewing hunters who have crossed over into Forest Service land.
What helps you believe fall is coming in spite of the heat?
It was remarkably clear in Mineral King in late August. The place is a continual source of inspiration and painting ideas for this central California artist.
While I was working in Wilsonia, Trail Guy was climbing White Chief Peak. Off trail stuff doesn’t suit me with my lack of depth perception, so I am always a little relieved when I don’t have to go with Trail Guy on these more adventuresome excursions.
See the peak on the left? with the flat top? That’s White Chief. I still sort of want to climb it. Maybe next year?
This was Trail Guy’s view from the top. I didn’t ask which direction he was looking and am too embarrassed to ask because I should recognize stuff.
Trail Guy said this old foxtail was petrified. I wonder. . .
He saw a pika, which is correctly pronounced “PEE-kuh”, rather than “PIE-kuh”, which is how pica is correctly pronounced. Can you even spot it in the photo above?
During the week of his ascent up White Chief, he saw a doe with triplets! This is a very very rare occurrence. (a peculiar sight!) Most of the fawns now are losing their spots, but these three are still small and dotty.
Careful on the road, you wee ones!