When Yellow Turns Black

The old four wheeler has been with us since Andrew was five.

They decided it needed a little face lift so they sanded

painted and cleaned to paint some more.

Looking good...may it run another fifteen years.

This N That

Piece work patching done and the ancient smokehouse will weather another winter.

Doghouses cobbled together, scraps used, ready for winter.

Dog approved.

A work bench painted in a light color so dropped parts can be seen.

Equipment winterized.

In Aesop's Fables The Ant and the Grasshopper I like to think I am the ant.

Never Alone

Seems I'm never alone,

full sun nor shade.

 They gather to the pack leader

 or the one who feeds them...that's my guess.

They inspect my work

and keep a careful watch over me.

That paint bucket could have a hidden treat.  

You never know.

Finished outdoor table for zeroing sights with denim sandbags ready to use.

Rifle season is soon.

The Paint Department

In some stores they have a discounted section of returned paints and stains.  Strangely, but not really for me, I check this section in every store that sells paint.  Through the years I've found some bargains.  I've acquired stains, interior and exterior latex and even Dry Lock for sometimes a quarter of the original price.

I'm not sure of the return policy for each store regarding paint. I thought if you chose it, bought it, and opened it, you were stuck.  Not so.  A stranger's dissatisfaction becomes my bargains such as the latest Rustic Red (five gallons) exterior stain for under ten dollars a gallon.

Recently I have gathered pieces of cans and mixed all the latex.  Green, lavender, and red makes this color!  Quite a pleasant color and will soon be the painted shelves in our basement...or maybe the floor.  It is a partly finished basement that was Mom's laundry room, the food storage room and the storm safe room when needed.

My oldest daughter, Melissa, is gonna hurt me for posting this photo but had to show how well the Dry Lock is going on the block walls.

Big difference!  Melissa is cleaning every thing with vinegar and a wire brush so there's a nice healthy underlay.  The walls were painted pink long ago when it was built.  We even have the original pink and gray tiles in stacks.  I think we may just paint the floor.

The ceiling is tongue and groove pine from who knows how long ago. It will be clear coated after it's deep cleaned.  The wood is too pretty to cover.

As for my waiting Rustic Red...we'll just have to see what it tells me to do.

Of Life

I paint
and it's empty
colorless
from my view

I write
and it's empty
words mean nothing
they only
f
i
l
l
the page

I live
and it's empty
words mean nothing
all is colorless
from my view

Will Death fill the empty?
or will I realize
that
painting
writing
living
was, oh, so much more
than a dream could be?

Turkey Buzzard

For Imaginary Garden With Real Toads

Painting On Cardboard

I paint

with freedom

no choices

by me

colors 

mix

brushes

move

and 

I 

am 

left 

with 

the 

feeling

I have witnessed

something

outside of myself
and
I
begin
to
paint
again

For a writing/painting prompt at dVerse~Poets Pub.

Discovered A Leak

that had been leaking a while.  Hubby, not only is not a carpenter, he is also not a plumber so we have to make do.  Beware the uglies...

We are both up in years and not as small as we used to be so a problem like this can be daunting. This is under my bathroom sink I'm ashamed to confess. It was artfully hidden by baskets of supplies until the water had reached the front. The water caused the paint to flake. I removed everything and just sat an ice cream bucket under the drain until I had time and the ability to look at the problem.  

First I had to find the leak.  None of the joints were the problem but I found this funky piece...have no idea what it's called but it was the problem.  When this piece was not in place, it leaked. If I removed it there was a big hole in the drain pipe.

Notice the piece sticking out on the left of the drain contraption.  I thought on that a while.  Then I remembered GORILLA GLUE!

This type of glue expands when it dries.  Not good for some wood projects but maybe, just maybe, it was the solution.

Forgive my poor photography skills.  I was having trouble fitting under the sink, using a flash light, gluing and taking pictures. My brilliant idea was if the glue expands why not try it on the part where the leak is...I'm creative when it comes to an out of the box solution!  Glue applied.  Thingy stuck back in hole.  Problem solved!!! No leak.  Hot dog, I'm on a roll.

Cleaned, sanded, painted and done, done and done.  Donations for a real plumber can be sent to...

Making A Sign: The Wrong Way

and the right way.  I had this wonderful brain storm for a shop sign.  I have lots of ice cream bucket lids and they never seem to equal the number of buckets I have.  So I gathered eight lids.

And painted them

Not exactly the order this should be done.

I trimmed the edge off so I would have a flat surface.

Again, NOT the order in which this should be done.

Here's where my idea is headed.

Cut a letter, attach magnetic tape, attach said letters to metal sign.

Once again, this is not the way to do this.

First cut your letters

then paint

then add strips of magnetic tape

to the back

not the front.

The sticky will pull the paint off

and how will the letter work with the magnet on the front???

Do not draw the letter on the back...

it will be backwards!

Draw the letter on the paint 

that should not have been there yet.

Attach the tape to the BACK of the letter

Remember to turn the letters over

and 

THEN

paint them

somewhere you do not want the letters to show 

on the ground!!!

Now the metal sign is changeable

and is hammered to China in the ground.

So you can take the letters in

when the day is done.

I'm afraid I spelled it wrong!

I have added dark green to my techno-colored hands

while this guy laughed

the entire time!

I Put My Painting Hat On...

It didn't fit very well.  I was touching up some old spots and painting some new spots.

While painting the floor I turned around and stepped in the wet paint.  Jumped off that and put my hand in wet paint on the cabinet. Bend over to clean my foot and now my back end is painted.

At least my hair is different.  Black with lavender and green accents.

It was not my day to paint.

Norfork River

The Sunday Whirl...Art?

Wordle 171 The Sunday Whirl

Stained
After the hunt
The skill
The thrill
Unfolds again
In my memory

With shallow mind
Hallowed space
Centers me
To dabble
With paint
And reflection

Whacked
Blasts
Of color
Painted image
Revealing
Nothing

by me

I Got Nothing...

Tess at Magpie Tales presents a creative challenge each week.  I truly tried.  I believe my creativeness is on spring break.

Feast in the House of Simon, 1610, El Greco 

Sometimes art sings to me

And fills me full of words

Although the painting's lovely

My eye went to the robes

Instead of guests for dinner

I see material for curtains

Strips for a quilt

Yards for any project

But then I'm filled with guilt.

I do admire the painting

But I can't forget the quilt.

Easy Wind For Two Shoes in Texas

The leaf floated
Into my sight
Landing easyily
On my shovel

In awe of the colors
The size
The wind's delivery
I stopped

Simply to enjoy
Nature's art
To wonder and wish
I could paint that beautifully

For Two Shoes in Texas writing prompt

Line of Demarcation...Computer Malfuntion

is defined in one instance as the determining and marking off of the boundaries of something.  There have been many types of lines but I think it's fairly safe to say this is the first made with shoes.

Bev my middle sister had been staying with us a few days.  Her work ethics and drive make me look like Suzy Super Lazy.  Our den is painted flooring.  She has been "touching" up some places,  Even Maggie the Border Collie knows what these lines mean. The lines move and change as Bev paints in sections.  Maggie knows which side of the line is safe...much better than I do.

The floor is almost complete along with sorting, thinning and cleaning.  Bev has directed Hubby like a drill sergeant or a personal trainer.  This room is Hubby's room where items dropped tend to stay dropped.  Oh, not anymore!  Papers and booklets applying to equipment no longer owned are sorted and discarded.  Like tools are in the same spot.  It is simply amazing how Bev can request and it is all taken with good nature by the two males that risk pulling a back muscle when they have to pick up a dirty sock. 

Had a little snow land at our place that stopped school early one day and out completely the next.  The suddenness caught drivers off guard and there were many accidents.

The livestock were fed and wearing many layers was the only way to be outside.  Two new healthy heifers were born.  No bulls being born yet makes me wonder if we have another dry summer coming.

Predators are also hungry and have choice picked a hen a night for over a week when it was not raining or snowing..  We have found claw marks on a tree over three feet off the ground.  The dogs alert us but there has been no capture.  The dogs seem hesitant to move in on the predator.  We haven't caught the chicken thief.

The barn yard committee is discussing a solution.

When they work this problem out, I'm putting them on the computer.