Canaan Valley

As I crossed the eastern Continental Divide, the rain cleared. The sun peeked from a cloudy sky. I found my lodging at the Bright Morning Inn. After checking in, I headed out to my first location on the Blackwater River.

The Lindy Point Overlook is at the end of the paved section of Canaan Loop Road. There’s a small parking lot, which was overrun with cars. They lined the road to the trailhead a dozen cars back. The trail leads through rhododendron forest to a wooden overlook high about the Blackwater River. Braver souls than I, or less wise, ventured out onto the rocks near the cliff edge.

I made my first painting of the trip that day.

Blackwater Falls

A late dinner led early to bed. I woke before dawn to rain. I went back to sleep.

About 8:00AM I checked the skies again. The rain had eased to a drizzle. I set out for the spot I found the previous day, an easy hike to an overlook of Blackwater Falls.

I carried my case of paints, tripod and canvas to the overlook. It was mostly sheltered by the trees all around. I made a quick sketch of the falls. Already a light dampness was present on the white sheet. I squeezed paint onto my palette and began.

Impasto describes a method of applying paint to canvas in thick strokes, leaving globs and ridges of pigment on the canvas. It’s my preferred method of mixing paint. I can make smooth blends between two colors. It was needed this time to prevent this painting from becoming a watercolor.

I hurried through blocking background colors of green, yellow, and brown. Hardcore photographers came with cameras and umbrellas and observed my work and the conditions. They wiped rain from their lenses. My task was fraught with tension, as the thinnest layers developed tiny runs from the drops I could not remove.

I put the finishing touches on the tumbling water of the falls. Then I hurried the canvas back to the truck to dry. A painting with a story was done.

Dolly Sods Wilderness

After a leisurely lunch, and a hot shower, I set off for the wilderness. I got a little lost.

The particular overlook I was hunting for is not marked on my electronic maps. With no address to plug into the GPS, I was following my turn and distance notes. Once I’d gone past my expected mileage without the expected signs, I turned back. I found a sign leading to the area I was looking for. It was the road to Bear Rocks Preserve. The long way around Dolly Sods Wilderness lay ahead.

I had not planned to go to the top of the range. I’m glad I did. The heath and bogs were such a surprise. And the wind too. Like on Mt. Washington. The wind is fierce and cold and damp and unrelenting. I put on my heavy coat and roamed a bit.

Leaving Bear Rocks from the far side, I found a hilltop looking down the road toward my original destination. The landscape had changed from heath to alpine forest. I stopped for my second painting of the day. Then I drove on to the trailhead a few miles down that road.

Farms and hills

The land around the Monangahela National Forest is rolling hills dotted with farms. The roads curve up and down and round the terrain. Little vistas lay around each bend. But sometimes the sight is so pretty you must stop. And now, take a picture too.

I found just such a bucolic scene. Heading back to camp for the night held one more surprise, when I thought I had seen my fill of hillsides covered in autumn glory. Topping the crest of a hill, I spotted a lone barn in a grassy field nestled between steep slopes of yellow and orange beneath clouds of white. I’d found my last scene of the day.

I pulled over at the next dirt road and hiked back to see the field. I set my easel there on the gravel margin and tried my best to capture the glory of the light and color and clean air. And that one turned out alright.

I painted two more days on my trip. I saw more tourist sites. The weather held, and the leaves clung to branches until I left. But none of those interludes reached the crescendo of that lonely barn, under that blue sky, on the back roads of West Virginia.

Paths for the living

The Lafayette cemetery is one of several famous cemeteries in New Orleans. Cemeteries in the Garden District are old, elegant, and beautiful. Joy and I enjoy visiting cemeteries. They’re peaceful, and filled with art and craft and care. Lafayette cemetery is over 150 years old. It contains old, crumbling vaults and shining new vaults. And tourists like us.

Above-ground vaults

Because New Orleans rests only a bit above sea level, burying bodies, coffins, and caskets below ground presents a challenge. Water pressure tends to push sealed vessels up out of the ground. The extra water in the earth also makes a mess of remains that aren’t sealed. Hence New Orleans historically placed their dead above ground, in vaults like those in Lafayette cemetery.

Christmas Lights

We continue our tradition of non-traditional Thanksgiving celebrations. Florida makes a great getaway from the grey days of late fall in Virginia. The weather is still warm, the sun is bright, and the sunsets take ages. We chose St Augustine to visit. On the Atlantic, it’s basically the oldest city in the United States. Each night we got out for a stroll as the sun set. The town is decorated at this time in November to celebrate Christmas. The town lights add to the glow as the sun sets to the west.

Flagler College

Flagler College forms one of the pillars of the community, making this old Spanish town a college town too. The grounds and main building of the college was converted from a Gilded era hotel. Lots of expansive, yet cloistered rooms give the place a feeling of grandness. The many details in wood and stone contribute to the elegance.

Eats

Joy and I wander around our vacation spot for dinner. Sometimes we’ve heard of places to eat. Often we ask our host, the owner of a B&B or the hotel clerk, to point us to a favorite place. We found an English pub, a Spanish creole mainstay with great shrimp and grits, and a little shop with ice cream and cookies.

Hard Rock Riviera Maya

Joy and I took a wonderful vacation to the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in June. I absolutely loved the lagoon setting. Joy did not, saying it was not a real beach. I think the sandy shore with chairs and gently lapping waves qualifies. I also loved the schools of fish, some a foot long or more, which would swim around your legs in the lagoon.

Tulum

We took a bus excursion to the ruins of Tulum. The tour was interesting enough, but rather crowded. Iguanas were everywhere, showing no fear of the tourists. The cliff side ocean setting really stands out on one side of the complex, but the other quickly fades to jungle.

Humpback Bridge

A lovely covered bridge crosses a small river in southwest Virginia. Joy and I took a long drive to check out the area. February is a cold month, and the trees were bare and the sky grey.

Eldorado Canyon

In the dusty mountains just north of the border with Arizona lies the town of Nelson. Off the beaten path does not do it justice. Coyotes and rattlesnakes make up half the population. The little store and residence in Eldorado Canyon fit right in this off-beat destination. The old cars and old building remind visitors just how long ago the miners left. They also remind us just how little changes in the desert.

Gold Mine

The Techatticup Mine in Eldorado Canyon still has gold in the rock. The tourists pay a little coin to see the dusty tunnels dug out by desperate miners looking for a payday. The mine feels different from a cave. There are no slippery smooth surfaces, carved by water over millennia, no quiet pools and green slime. There is rock. Jagged, hard rock bends a bit here and there, but mostly follows the straight seam of gold. Little glints of quartz show what’s left of the veins.

Desert Sky

The clear, dry air of the desert around Las Vegas lets the sun beat down. Metal rusts slowly in the dust. The sky is black at night and blue in daylight. The stars still sparkle on the Strip.

Neon Vegas

The tour guides do a good job of walking through the development of technology over time. The progression from bulbs, to channeled bulbs, to simple neon and complex multi-colored and fantastic design follows the path through the site.

I’m a big fan of the original CSI TV show. It was quite a treat to compare the glitz and sharp edge of the city portrayed on TV with the dusty and seedy reality. North on Russell is the covered boulevard, with street performers and buffets and a million lights overhead. The main section of Boulevard, with casinos like the MGM Grand and Bellagio, lights up with LED fixtures now.

Old Vegas

Casinos line Las Vegas Boulevard. Tourists walk the sidewalk and browse the shops. Cars roar and crawl in traffic. The hotels and casinos have larger and more elaborate signs than ever before. But it all started with millions of flashing bulbs in thin metal signs. Old casinos were swept away for larger and more luxurious high rises. These signs remain.

Humor and Wit

We have fun when our subjects are smart and have a sense of humor. That pretty much covers every Stormtrooper I’ve met.

Kids and Droids

Star Wars Reads day brings kids out for fun with books and Star Wars. We went to Barnes & Noble to take part in some readings and appearances by the 501st Legion. I grabbed my camera and took photos of Andy and his Astromech droid.

Mission Church

We visited Mission San José on a bright spring morning. The park quickly draws visitors after opening, but we had some time to wander in peace. The church still stands, although some of the priestly dwelling has crumbled. Services are still held on Sunday. The adobe and brick are warm to the touch, and inviting even deteriorated.

Fort

The mission served as a safe retreat for the missionaries and their converts. Walking around the walls, you could feel that this was a close community, but that quarters in the mission were probably nicer than most of the area. The support facilities, like the kitchen, are spacious and clean, although a bit claustrophobic inside the walls.

Field of fire

We started our tour of colonial Yorktown with the < href="https://www.nps.gov/york/index.htm">museum of the battlefield. From the British battlements, you can look out over the field, and imagine the lines of soldiers firing muskets and advancing.

Nelson House

Joy and I love visiting old houses. The house of Thomas Nelson stands in Yorktown in a prominent position. The rooms have tall ceilings like most grand house of the period. The walls are coated with thick paint. The house seems barren without furniture, but the window seats are open for sitting.