A Hike from Heaven . . .

Or ... was it a hike to heaven? Never-the-less, Roland at last convinced me to get away for a few days to one of our favorite camping sites. He left three days before me and I drove up Sunday afternoon to join him.

En route I travel towards Crater Lake and Mt. Theilsen (seen here) with my destination, Lake Lemolo. A quite, discreet area on that highway that is home to six or so lovely waterfalls, either just off the highway or hike-able. The days have been beautiful blue-skyed and warm. Our campsite gives us this breath-taking view of the other side of Mt. Theilsen.

Our sparkling view from our camp picnic bench peeks across Lake Lemolo to the tiny island. Cody of course, loves poking into the water and sniffing area's smells. The water is gorgeous turquoise blue and I actually coax Roland into diving in along side me!

On Monday morn, we enjoy a leisurely breakfast and pack for our day hike. We'd hoped to find the trail we took before which took us to the bottom of Lemolo Falls. We discovered that all the directional signs were gone and after seven miles in, we gave up. Still searching for a hike, we had heard tale of a trail that lead to the upper portion of the same falls, trailing along the North Umpqua River. Hurrah, we easily find this trail head and easily meander downward along the beautiful green trail to the surging river.

The entire hike was lush green, with moist little cascade percolating out of rock clusters. Wild flowers were everywhere and you could just see that snow had recently melted in this area. Along with this rich growth came freshly hungry mosquitoes. But we'd found a new "Off" that was non-oily and non-fragranced and seemed pretty effective. The Lemolo Falls were robust but not nearly as thrilling looking over the rim as being at the base amongst the mist and roar. We plopped on nearby rocks for lunch then headed back up the mile and a half to the car.

Envigorated, we meander back to camp for dinner and later that evening for a visit to the Lemolo Lake Lodge for peach-pie-ala-mode.

During the night strong sprinkles pelt our roof and mornin' dawns wet and grey. But we enjoy the misty view over steamy coffee and some reading from Pema Chodron. We nest loose items into their appropriate places and head off back home, traveling in our separate vehicles.

I wasn't surprised when I saw Roland pull off into the Rogue Gorge parking lot, it's one of his favorite spots in Oregon. And right now with all the rain we've received in this late arriving summer, the gorge was just roaring. I found a sweet contrast when we were in the parking lot and I caught site of this calm, subdued and peaceful Amish group visiting from Pennsylvania.


I love the dynamic contrasts we find in nature and in humans. My aim is to savor and remain centered amidst all of it. Yep, it's a life of lessons ... and learning. And I'd not have it any other way ...

Park Butterflies Then, a Daffodil Celebration

This is one of my very favorite journal entries!! For several reasons: 1) right in the midst of designing the page, a "creative spark" took place, gifting me a new, delightful idea 2) the day at the park was one day I actually let my child have a free day playing in the park with a new friend and 3) the farm scene expressed more how I felt about the day than how it would have "photographed".

My day in Lithia Park (a divine mile long strip of gorgeous Ashland park that follows the Lithia Creek up into a valley) with my playful new friend Bettina, culminated a walk that ended up with us laying on top a picnic bench. We lay there for quite some time watching the trees sway and our conversations meander where ever they took us! Quite fascinating and freeing. I mean, how long ago has it been since YOU laid out on a picnic table? I had to capture the view we experienced and wanted to incorporate this colorful card my friend had given me. At first I was going to just glue in the card in the bottom left corner but ~ SPARK ~ the idea, "why don't you cut out the butterflies and allow them to fly all over the page?" OK!!!! And to surprise, when I did that, I also created these fascinatingly shaped windows thru which to see the trees and even more butterflies created by the negative spaces. Thanks Spirit!

A few days later, I was invited to a Daffodil Fest. This was not only to honor the flowers now in bloom (hurrah Spring!) but to pay tribute to my precious mentor student (see my "The Joy of Mentoring" post, December 16, 2009), Kiri's, granma. Seems Granma had an incredible collection of daffodils back east and some of them had traveled here to be planted in rich Oregon soil. And now they were in bloom! So I joined the gathering at my mentor student's parents home and enjoyed meeting the cast of neighbors (who discussed the visiting neighborhood black bear). I was given a tour and so loved the barn and animals that they became the theme for my sunny, animal-sprinkling of a journal entry.

Don't you just love it when creativity is out of your hands and turns out even better than you could have imagined, because of that? Isn't it just divine to be creative?

From the Tango . . . to Chickens

I have to admit I'm a closet dancer (well, it doesn't mean I dance in the closet). It's just that once upon a time I was one of those who loved line dancing and now it's evolved to a fan of, yes, "Dancing with the Stars". But nothing is more beautiful than two bodies weaving together with amazing grace and agility. So when we saw "Tango Inferno" at the local theatre, we got tickets. It was a chilly night but, the flair and professionalism of this team was on fire. And since they won't allow photos ... this couple danced out the of program to my journal pages.

The adjacent page was a sampling from my "Basics for Watercolor Journaling" Class. I'd broken it up into 3 sessions one week apart giving time for my participants to apply their new information during the week. What a great group with enthusiasm and dedication. We toured thru basic drawing and ended up exploring the color wheel.

Seems pages like these are rich and playful ... a sweet way to experience this growing lesson called life. Relish the moment ...

My First "First Friday Artwalk" Back Home

This was a jubilant entry ... with the beginning of February come two of my favorite things: 1) Ashland's First Friday Artwalk and 2) Valentine's Day.

With this being my first Friday Artwalk back in my Ashland Art Center Studio since I'd been home from Mexico ... it felt like a personal welcome home celebration! The Art Center had selected as a theme for February, the Rabbit, in honor of the Chinese New Year! I would love to have had time to whip up some playful lil' bunnies ... but my amazing friend and peer Art Center assemblage artist, Dale Muir, punched out these fun rabbits from Cherrio boxes. Isn't he just darned cute? This rabbit sat on one of my painting frames and watched people pass by. Several dear friends passed by and I got hugs hello. This colorful sketch is the view into my new neighbor, Joann Manzone, chatting in her next door studio. Yes, there really was a tall fellow wearing that fur coat and hat. He was quite noticeable!! By the end of the evening I felt embraced, cuddled back into my community and it was so grounding after "floating around for three months", Mexico or not.

Valentine's day popped upon the scene, catching me almost unawares. I found the perfect card for Roland several days ahead but, Roland had outdone himself. I was home that day and received this fresh bouquet of lovely pink and white flowers, accompanying card had this soft pink petaled flower on the front. I cut round holes in the following journal pages and, with my exacto knife, carved out a concave hole in which to glue my 3-d flower. Roland forwarned me we had a dinner date that evening too. Keeping the destination a secret, he tucked me in the car and we drove into Ashland. Finally, parking behind the Ashland Springs Hotel, he revealed that "Larks" was our destination. An adventure in eating, since neither of us had stopped in there before, the atmosphere was casual, nice, the food, probably not what we'd go back to. But it was sweet walking Cody after dinner amidst the crisp evening air and returning to our fire-cozy home.

How solid I feel being back at home ... savoring the blessing around us here ... "there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home"! Yes, Dorothy ~ ~ you were right.

Arriving Home & Heartbreak

The final entry, ending our Mexico travels . . . brings me, at long last, home. Awwwwwwwwwww, home. Such a simple word, but how very much it holds with in those four letters. Little does one value nor realize what "home" really feels like until you are away ... for a good length of time.

We left Redding, nesting along familiar routes and sites. Often we travel south from Jacksonville towards California so it's like seeing ole' friends driving this road. As we pass the agricultural fields freckled with olive trees, some cherries and stretching fields, one of my hallmark sites is Mt. Shasta (can you see it there, far in the distant horizon?), her first sighting here in this sketch, top left. Once weaving thru the mountains and over the Siskiyou Pass, we coast down into the Rogue Valley. My heart begins to relax, soften. An anxiety begins to disappear. Sights like the pink mornin' fog across the valley from Ashland, makes me smile. We stop in Medford and unhook the RV from the PT Cruiser, thinking it would be easier to quickly back in the RV into our driveway. This affords me a quiet, wide vantage point and I nearly cry seeing the joyful giant poppies crafted and planted by Cheryl Garcia (http://www.greatmetalwork.com/Exhibits.aspx) in the South Stage Cellars vineyards just south of Jacksonville. Of course, this view went into my journal! I'm happily home.

The adjacent page is a less joyful statement. Some conversations about Mexico and the possibility of moving there have caused some tension and very personal introspect for my hubby and I. This illustration hopefully gives you a "feeling" for my experience. I relish these kinds of emotional posts (not the painful part) but the invention of how to express outwardly, my inner. You can see I've incorporated an actual needle and (from my wonderful "Assemblage Artist Friend, Dale Muir) an actual porcupine quill! Love to hear what you, my readers take away from the image - to see if I was successful.

I remain . . . blessed and loving being home. Appreciate your traveling all the way to Mexico and back with me. Now my daily adventures here in Southern Oregon begin. You see . . . the lessons n-e-v-e-r end :)

Nor do I want them to . . .

At Home Garden Planting ~ Finally

Those of you avidly following my trek back home to Oregon from Mexico, I'm sorry, I just have to do a current post of life here in J-ville, Oregon.

Its been a long time coming, seemingly, this thing called "Spring"! We continue to get teased ... one day beautiful like these photos, then the next is "light-a-fire-in-the-wood-burning stove" chilly and grey and wet! For a week we've been aching to get outside and get to our Hanley Farm Garden plot #10 to dig in the dirt. At long last, the day came.

We'd collected all our plants. Some basil, tomatoes, peppers, okra, melon and eggplant with protective marigolds interspersed to fend off bugs! We head out with all our tools and green kids, and arrive at our plot.

One additional thrill at being in the garden is that adjacent to Hanley Farm is another large plot of land where beautiful horses run free. Today, this spirited blond ran up and down the fence, whinnying. At first we thought she was welcoming us. But as time went by, we noticed she was unsettled and looking for someone, anyone at the gate. Later, when all of her friends were being returned to the pasture to join her, she calmed down. She'd just been lonely.

But we get busy, amend the soil and dig lil' holes for the wee, green ones, tucking them into their nice, neat rows. Next we put in the water system, timers and the soaker hoses. We test it out and all seems a "go"! As we clean up, putting tools back into the car and stretching tall, we look around. It just takes our breath away ~ LOOK at the beauty all around us!!

Indeed, it is so grounding to be home and soaking in the freshness of Spring! Hope you get out to remember all the gifts our planet Earth offers us on a daily basis. Now, if we'd only see . . .

Next Step Home ~ Thru the Desert

Once we've left Marana we are headed past Tuscon early in the morn and into the desert. That word "desert" always makes me think of my mom. She said the way she remembered the difference between "desert" and "dessert" spelling ... was that you always wanted two of the "dessert" ... therefore the two "ss"! The farther we got into the desert, I knew for certain, that I did not want two of this! There was subtle vegetation changes but still endless, arid stretches with hardly distinguishable variety in the color of the hills. Somewhere near midway across we stop at the exit hosting the "Desert Fox" Museum and are nearly blow over by the powerful wind. Forget it, I'm staying in the RV. Returning to the freeway I catch sight of these once-upon-a-time Palm trees. Look at the poor things ... their green parts were totally blown away. Literally!!! My attempt at finding a pretty side of the desert emerged with this lil' sketch ... that's the best I could do.

Finally we begin seeing signs of humanity. Actually, more signage was one of the first signs, then eventually, one of my favorite sights of welcoming, the friendly, waving wind turbines! They seem to be just so glad to see you they have to stand up and wave "hello"! Went painting the scene, I just couldn't help myself from continuing the colorful road directional all along, forming a partial border on my page!

After a rather dismal nights stay at a "not-to-be-revisted" RV resort in Cathedral City we head north. After Mexico and the desert (with one "s"), the extravagance and commercialism of the LA area is overwhelming. We hasten thru the smog, the Grapevine, and finally landing near Los Banos. There we have contacted a dear friend who drives over to have dinner with us. What a treat ... so I end this page with the three of us hugging as we exited the restaurant. Another quiet night of slumber in a large parking lot.

Our Next Step Leaving Mexico and into US Borders

Next step in my Mexico journal, takes our last footprint in Mexico and travels us back into the US Borders.

This last page of Mexico images bids a fond, but relieved g'bye. This odd out-of-focus bird was one I'd struggled to photo all along the highway south of the US border. Finally, I'd gotten a decent image to work from . . . like an obsession finally satisfied. Another sweet idiosyncrasy we noticed more and more in the state of Sonora, were these roadside chapels. This was the most elaborate we viewed and I had to record it. That night, we made to San Carlos, exactly where we'd stayed on our trek down into Mexico. This was the lovely sunset that warm, balmy evening. The last to be spent in Mexico.

Next morn, we travel thru what seemed a plethora of small villages. All with numerous speed bumps and characteristic vendors at those bumps. Finally, we start seeing announcements of surrendering vehicle permits and then, over a long down hill decline, we form in line at the back of the Border crossing into the United States. Here's the sunny, concrete surroundings at the crossing. Although we had to move into an adjacent parking lot and have a US Border Guard kindly tour our RV, we passed into our sweet borders with a sigh, and a smile. We pull off in Nogales, to have our favorite Starbucks Chai and travel on into Arizona.

Once traversed across Arizona, we had aimed at Marana for our overnight site. We'd stayed in this lovely, well, at least convenient Walmart parking lot and knew all the ropes. I trekked over to the nearby Post Office to mail some letters picked up from RVers in San Carlos - to go to US addresses and then, relaxed til dinner. We did the most "American" think we could do there, eat at the "Chilies" across the street. It actually, was decadently delicious and we loved joking with the amiable register assistant. I was overjoyed, and unbelievably relieved to be back in the States.

The evening melted into nightfall and we savored the pink glowing sunset above the quiet parking lot. Silly as it may sound, it was "Home, Sweet Home". And we nestled into a restful slumber.

May Watercolor Class: "Watercolor Exploration for Newbies"

Just to take a break from "our return from Mexico" via my journal ... back here in beautiful, spring blossoming Oregon, I'm warming up for a season of outdoor painting and journaling.

Having just recently taught a "Watercolor Journaling Basics" in March, I'm answering the call to have a continuing class.

During this 3-session class we will explore basic watercolor techniques, revisiting value/volume, color theory (more info on "color temperature") and improving illustrative skills (with some attention to creating surface textures). Our agenda looks like this:

Dates:
All Wednesdays, 5-8pm, May 11th, May 18th and May 25th.

Location:
The Ashland Art Center's Main Classroom, 357 E. Main Street, Ashland, Oregon. The second class hopefully, will offer up a 'plein air' experience weather permitting.

Fee:
$110-

Registrations & Materials:
To register, contact me in Studio 13, upstairs at the Ashland Art Center (there is a registration sheet right as you pass my studio), email me at: elainefrenett@live.com or give me a phone call at: 541-944-2196. The "Materials List" will be provided upon Registration.

Come on you all, let's get out our paintbrushes, ready for summer, vacations and memory sketching!

The Beginning of our Trek Home

Although the preceding days felt like a drum roll . . . the early morn leaving Lake Chapala felt sadly quiet. We were pulling out just as the daylight broke so as not to run into anything maneuvering out of our snug neighborhood. Our hostess was up at dawn, directing us out of the gate and our neighbor followed us up to where we stopped to attach the RV to the to-be-towed vehicle. Foggy grey waves bid us g'byes.

Once again we were to take that short cut towards west Guadalajara. The sun was just coming up over the lake when we reached the end of the paved highway and Roland was pointed down the steep, rocky dirt road leading to the northbound highway. I just couldn't take the angle, the fear and the thrashing around I knew was going to go on in the RV taking that dive. Me? and Cody? we got out and walked ahead. I caught this shot of the nearly vertical RV ~ yikes!! Once the RV landed at the bottom of the hill, I re-boarded and we were on our way.

We'd planned for our first nights stay in Mazatlan this time. It was an RV park right on the ocean, south of Mazatlan. We'd gotten exact and clear directions from the owner, a couple of lefts, a right and then almost nine miles along the same road. Sounds easy enough? Yep, save the fact that that nine miles was a washboard dirt road. I was still vibrating when we finally arrived at "Tres Amigos" RV Park. Sunshine, warm neighbors and the ocean sand greeted us. Whew!

Even the challenge we had with the braking system on the towed vehicle, our PT Cruiser, did not keep us from enjoying a spare day on the beach. Ro, mechanically inclined as he is, mended the problem and we took off very early that next morn. We'd decided I would drive the PT and Ro would drive the RV, hoping to cut down on vibration, bumps and dust. It did all those things and, it provided me the opportunity to get some dreamy photos and visions of the morning sun filtered thru the palm-treed fog. Lovely.

I enjoyed trying to merge these two "Tres Amigos" images. Bumping them into one another where their compliments, connected yet separated them. I was most pleased with the mornin' fog image.

That evening we made it all the way to inland Los Mochis. We "camped" in the Sam's parking lot, nothing fascinating to paint. Once up and headed out in the morning, we found the inland valleys here in Mexico the be much like the inland valleys in California and Oregon . . . slathered with mornin' fog. But it softened the harshness of the city and soon we were again on the Highway 15D, headed north and homeward.

Final Mexico Sidetrip ~ Mazamitla

Our time down in Mexico was drawing to an end . . . and we had one more fun side trip planned. We'd be traveling west to the end of Lake Chapala, then south back around the other end of the lake and up into the mountainous area. Our destination was Mazamitla, a settlement dominated by German immigrants. We'd heard a variety of responses to the city and were anxious for our own experience.

When we turned into the city of Mazamitla, much to my surprise - I was thrilled!! Not only was I actually seeing lovely evergreen trees, more green grass lawns but also, wood!!! I saw wood banisters, wooden doors, wood door and window trim. Even wood signage. I'd not realized how very much I'd been missing the presence of wood in the Mexico cities we'd been visiting. Look, right in the middle of the town square was a wooden gazebo!!! This "mountain girl" was feeling more at ease. The streets were wider with elevated, substantial rock walkways with a more flatten, fitted stone pattern ~ much easier to walk on. Just off the town square was a pedestrian walk walk, void of cars and sprinkled with bakeries, paper shops and several nurseries. We entered one, charmed by the spotlight of sun flooding the colorful potted flowers in it's enclosed patio. Up another path in that patio was another shop, fine art prints, books and paper goods. You know I was headed there! I purchased two handmade unusual books for Christmas gifts (next year in 2011) and relished seeing local fine artwork!!

Farther up the mountainside we discovered a local restaurant, also tucked in a sunlight patio hidden through an open-doored, long dark hallway. At the nearby bar, where I smiled at this "cowboy boot" planter, we watched them create our fresh "Limade" squeezing many fresh limes into a giant Martguerita-like glasses. Ahhhhh, how refreshing - - and our friendly server had lived in the United States and visited much of it. We limped along some conversation with all of our "minimal" language skills ~ plenty of laughter. Lunch was yummy and the young man's elder Uncle came out to help us with our Spanish. All in all a fun, relaxed day surrounded by wood.

Our drive home landed us back in the Lake Chapala area early evening. We'd noticed numerous new signs mentioning "Rosca del Reyes" and we stopped at one such sign, outside a bakery to ask. Roland came out with what we learned was a special cake, baked for this particular day. Epiphany, a day which celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men to the manger, by drawing together families enjoying this fruited cake with a chocolate layer. The fun addition is that there, buried somewhere within the cake, is a Baby Jesus. And the person who gets that piece, is required to have a February 2nd party with tamales and hot chocolate.

You can guess ~ yes, I got the Baby!! Here he is peeking out of the cake upside down, and of course, I had to keep him in my journal. I admit I had to not only cut off the back of his head and sand off his "bottom" to get him to lay flat in my journal for gluing. But he seems pretty happy and comfy here in his new home. I just adore how his sweet presence now pops into my every journal page ~ clear to the end of my journal!

What a delightful, fun-filled day this final side trip furnished us . . . now the prospect of heading home will flood our time and energies.