One Hundred Plogs !!!

So this is my 100^th plog since I started keeping track since the start of the year. I have written a new one each day and tried to think of different subjects.I tried to get some kind of visual aspect as well so it isn't a plain blog. It hasn't always been easy but I was determined to keep on going. This was my challenge and if you have enjoyed reading, looking and thinking about the subjects from time to time, thank you. If you sent me comments or emails thank you . It all helped to keep me going and I appreciate it.

I shall continue for another 100 days and try to think of some different plogs to do and experiment with. It's just another challenge and makes life interesting.

This visual image I made on a computer program Paint Shop Pro that I have had for ages but just never really learned how to use. It is very complicated. Far easier to paint things!!

Guess how many stars there are?

Landscape painting begins

The Landscape painting

So I decided I would attempt a landscape watercolor next as often when we go on vacation we both take photo of lots of lovely places and scenes. It also so very nice to have a remembrance of a place and especially so if you paint it.

A photo you take in a fairly short time. Then occasionally you may look at it on your computer or even print it out. We don't do much of that these days. it is often put away and forgotten.

However if you paint a landscape especially one you have been to visit. a lot of memories come back while you are painting it and if it is halfway good you will frame it and put it out for the world to see.

Now to figure which one to choose. Both photos are of DeGray lake in Arkansas

Painting Decisions

Painting Decisions

So what to paint next? I am presently working on a still life from the painting challenge Painting and Draw together. It will be finished soon so i am looking for a new subject.
 I really liked painting the iris; the colors were so beautiful.
The cat was great fun, The still life is difficult and as it should be, challenging.
So shall it be more irises, I have lots of photos now and the irises will soon be finished?
Maybe I will try a landscape. I have photos of those as well but I'll have to watch a few You- tube videos first to get some tips on watercolor landscapes.
What a quandry?

An Evening at Home.

An Evening at Home.

When Mike was a busy working man always on the go, I came across this poem that I think my friend Hazel found and gave it to him as a present.

Very appropriate for the hurly burly of modern living.
(Also kind of nice for stormy evenings!!)

                            No Place to Go by Edgar Guest

The happiest nights I ever know

Are those when I've no place to go.

And the missus says when the day is through

“Tonight we haven't a thing to do”

Oh the joy of it and the peace untold

Of sitting round in my slippers old

With my pipe and book in my easy chair

Knowing I needn't go anywhere.

Needn't hurry my evening meal

Nor force the smiles that I do not feel,

But can grab a book from a near-by shelf

And drop all sham and be myself

Oh the charm of it and the comforts rare;

Nothing on earth with it can compare;

And I'm sorry for him who does't know

The joy of having no place to go.

Zippo in Paint

Zippo in Paint

My painting of Zippo

As part of my learning to paint with watercolors , I selected a photo of my Granddaughter's cat Zippo. This is a lovely photo she took. It had just the right elements that I wanted to practice- it was a simple head shot, not many colors, simple background and lots of hair.
Zippo is actually a black long hair but in this photo he looks grey because of the light.

Zippo, photo by Chrissy

Now I have put them together I can see I should have made the head wider and the ears pointed forward a bit more. 
It was fun to do.I will try a dog next time. Lots to choose from.

Puzzle it out

Puzzle it out

While we were out shopping the other day. We saw this. I thought it was very clever so I took a photo.

Can you guess where I saw it?

 And don't say Denton.That's not what I mean. What was it on? I'll tell you on my next plog.

The Evening Primrose

The Evening Primrose   

When we first moved into this house 6 years ago one of the first flowers that we saw in the Spring was a whole bunch of these pretty pink flowers. I looked them up and figured they were called Mexican Evening Primrose. They were growing under some trees in a shady area. For a few years each Spring we would have a couple of small areas that had sometimes a few flowers and sometimes a few more.

This year for some reason whether it is our peculiar weather patterns we are having those areas have no evening primroses growing .

Don't be sad though as this is made up by the many that are coming up in my main flower beds in such profusion that they are wiping some of the other small seedlings out. So although they are pretty when they are on mass, some just had to go so that is what I did today -spent a good amount of time just pulling some out.

I figured out that they must have seeds that spread by being flung out the farthest from where they were or we had some really good winds that blew the seeds. They also have roots that travel underground and come up as a new plant where I don't want them to.

So now I know how they produce new plants I'll make sure next year to look for them before they try to take over.

Must try to paint them..