The Autumn Table

An array of autumn collectables on the dining room table including some of my birthday gifts from dear friends who know me so well! (Sorry I forgot to hide the tin cup of dog treats!)

Seaside Park Elementary School

My friends, Ruta and Joe from the Park Market (best roast beef in the world) in Seaside Park, New Jersey asked me to do a painting of the Seaside Elementary School. Their daughters attended the school and it holds many happy memories for them. Imagine a school with the ocean a block away and Barnegat Bay adjacent to your playground...Well, that dream is a reality for children in Seaside Park. Here is the final painting. It is a 6"x6" oil painting...

Ernie and Bert

I spoke with you yesterday about our two surprise peeps. They have now worked their way into the house (what with the frost warnings and all) and taken up residence in the sunroom. Poor Bert got stepped on by a goat and seems to have a dislocated right leg. But she is eating and drinking fine and Ernie is protective of her. The feather duster you see in the pen is a simulation of the mother hen.

Surprise

Our bird population has slowly been getting wiped out during some kind of nightly creature visits. We have observed foxes and other canine-ish looking animals howling and devouring the cat food left out near the barn. One by one, our chickens disappeared until there were only two hens, a guinea fowl and one rooster. Eventually, we stopped hearing the rooster crow and we knew he had become the latest midnight acquisition. Then one hen was gone and finally the guinea. We were left with one lonely hen who we hardly ever saw. Weeks past and we assumed our hen had been killed....Then, from my kitchen window, I observed the hen walking across the driveway with something moving near her feet. Through the binoculars I spotted two tiny peeps. Her husband may have been carried off in the night weeks earlier but had obviously fertilized some eggs before his demise.

It's that time of year

With the fall nip in the air, here at Sunny Hill Farm, we also detect something else on the breeze. It's the unmistakable essence of Jason, our buck goat. His scent is carried through the air to the does who wait patiently for their turn to "date" Jason. The problem for me becomes....How many baby goats do I want in the spring? How many goats do I want to milk in the spring and summer? How much cheese can we eat? All this speculation, however, goes right out the window with one little fence break!
top photo: the girls in line...Leah first, then Keelie, and then Taffy
Bottom: Jason in anticipation

Waterfront Nest

This Canada goose found a cozy spot for her nest in view of the Mantoloking Bridge in New Jersey. The original photograph that I used as the inspiration for this oil painting was shot by my friend, Donna Jean. She's quite a good photographer and is starting up her own business. Thanks, DJ, for your permission to use your photo for my sketches...

Jasper Meadow Autumn

This great farm stand is just off the beaten path of downtown Vera Cruz. Here you can find local and often organic produce, cider, eggs, and various other seasonal goodies. I met the owner, Darla, last year and she allowed me to photograph and sketch her farm...Thanks, Darla.