"Chesapeake Bay" by Wes, and "My Pink Peony" by Rachelle, each measures 1 1/4 inches.

        The past week, back at home, has been spent busily catching up and painting. Today, we got our summer newsletters printed and will work on assembling and sending them out in the next couple of days. We have been enjoying beautiful weather here, with the lows being in the 50’s and low 60’s at night. Rain showers are visiting often and helping to keep our watering time to a minimum. The day lilies are in full bloom throughout our gardens at present, filling the yard with assorted colors. The paintings shown above, are two of our recent pieces.  The seascape was done from a photo taken in Annapolis, MD on the way to the Waterfowl Festival, and the still life features one of my Peonies out of our gardens.

Dovecakes and I enjoying each others company, while she also enjoys eating her sunflower treats.

        Dovecakes is quite happy that I’m once again home and feeding her shelled sunflowers throughout the day. When she sees me sitting in my rocking chair, she flies down, walks over, and patiently waits for me to start dishing it out. She eats until she’s sure that another seed just can’t be packed in, then after a thankful look of the eye, she gracefully flies off.

The historical castle style home at Yew Dell Gardens.

        One of the highlights from our recent visit to IN, was certainly the afternoon spent at the beautiful Yew Dell Gardens. This being so, I thought I would share a few more photos of the wonderful experience. When the gardens were first being created, there were very few trees or anything else on the acreage. Many years of planting and nurturing, have given way to the beautiful gardens that are seen and enjoyed today. The house is simply beautiful and blends quite gracefully with the surrounding themed gardens.

A beautiful egg sculpture amongst a sunlight section of the gardens.

        Trails meandered and twisted through the carefully planned gardens, with each section showcasing its own variety of flowers and evergreens. The air was alive, filled with butterflies flitting this way and that way, all the while searching for the next delightful nectar treat. Being a lover of butterflies, this is always a true joy to see! The above photo is of one of my many favorite sculptures featured throughout the gardens. It reminded me of a safe, hidden place that had been cut away in two, revealing the treasures it hid inside, which appeared to be dinosaur eggs nestled inside some carefully placed pieces of grass. At least this is what I imagined it to be    

The "Tree people" towering against a blue sky.

        It was delightful to see and admire a variety of evergreens playing such a stately part in the gardens. Some of my favorite, were the trees that appeared to be great tree people, moving slowly across a vast section of an open area in the forest. Being in their midst, I could almost feel the ground shake, as it seemed they were taking giant steps in whatever direction they were going. In a way they seemed like ancient beings with stories to share of events they’ve witnessed through the years, if one only had time to sit and listen. Another of my personal favorites was one of the evergreens that gave the appearance of completely softness. As it is with moss, I couldn’t pass a single one of these lovely trees without stopping to run my hands slowly across its amazingly soft branches.

One of the many beautifully soft trees.

        Another of my favorite sculptures, was one of a giant head, with the eyes appearing as if it were looking somewhere far off trying to see something of great importance, perhaps the arrival of a long lost aquaintance. Wes was very nice and obliging to kindly stand behind this behemoth head to show the scale. . . . . not to mention it also made for a cute photo

Wes coming out of the great big head at Yew Dell Gardens.

This Tuesday is our nineteenth wedding anniversary, so we’re hoping to celebrate it with a hike on Wednesday. The rest of the time will be spent painting and on business related activities. I hope to have several beautiful photos from our hike to share with you next week, as well as a couple of new miniature paintings!
Until next time ~ Rachelle

Jeanie, Caroline, Alley and I, looking for something interesting on our boat ride.

        We returned home Tuesday afternoon from our trip to Indiana , to visit Wes’ family. We had a nice time filled with many activities. We arrived on Thursday and enjoyed a lovely meal that evening with most of the family. Friday, we returned once again to the Speed Art Museum in Louisville. As always, we enjoyed viewing the splendid paintings they had on display. They have a couple of small works done in the Netherlandish style, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. It was quite wonderful to see. I also enjoyed admiring the still life paintings by some of the Dutch Masters. They’re always so very inspiring to me, as I love the use of strong lighting in their paintings. That evening, the family all enjoyed a wonderful boat ride on Wes’ brother Greg’s beautiful boat. We enjoyed watching the baby ducks and geese as we went down the Ohio River to our destination for dinner, Captain’s Quarters. After enjoying a nice dinner, surrounded by a lively crowd, we retired once again to the boat. The ride home was beautiful and peaceful as we went along and we’re treated to a gorgeous sunset, just before returning to the dock.

Lisa, Jim, me and Wes, while their five year old daughter, Brianna, takes our photo.

Wes and Jim in the back-middle, along with several of their classmates.

        Saturday, we enjoyed a quick lunch with the family and then headed to Elizabeth, IN, where Wes spent most of his time growing up. Wes had his 25th high school reunion at a country club there, and enjoyed spending time with about twenty (roughly 1/3) of his classmates. The afternoon was filled with reminiscing, conversation and laughter. That evening we enjoyed a lovely treat of being invited to Wes best friend, Jimmy and his wife Lisa’s beautiful home for dinner. We enjoyed a delicious meal, but mostly enjoyed the catching up, telling of childhood adventures and laughing . . . . laughing . . . laughing, until my sides hurt! We always have great fun with Jimmy!

Our nephew Will, trying his hand at sculpting and really enjoying it.

        Sunday, was spent entertaining our nephew Will and niece Caroline. Along with the two of them and Wes’ parents, we headed to White Castle for lunch, and then back to the Speed Art Museum, as an exhibit of President Lincoln was opening that day, and Will loves Lincoln. Everyone enjoyed the afternoon, and we finished off the day with a pleasant walk in Wes’ parents neighborhood. It was nice walk, mostly shaded by tall trees, as we headed down to where a couple of horses live. There much of the remaining time was spent, as we fed, and the horses gratefully accepted, the tall fresh grass that they couldn’t reach.

"Rachelle in hand", I thought this would make a great bench and conversation piece in our yard.

Wes shows off his miniature hand at Yew Dell Gardens.

        Sunday afternoon was spent at the beautiful Yew Dell Gardens. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and a most pleasant breeze, as we enjoyed walking around the meandering trails that ran through the gardens. There was an assortment of flowers in bloom, complemented by a temporary sculpture show that was carefully scattered throughout. Two of my favorites where of extremely large hands, which one couldn’t resist sitting in, at least I couldn’t. The other favorite was one in which it looked as if your were peering into a hidden area, that had been cut in half, exposing dinosaur eggs carefully placed inside. At least this was my interpretation. Upon the trip home we stopped by Cave Hill Cemetery, with the highlight there being Wes and I watching and photographing four beautiful swans. These will result in future miniature paintings I’m sure!

Wes taking photos of butterflies, his mom Jeanie, brother Tony and dad George at the gardens.

        We returned home to quiet Townsend, Tuesday afternoon. Now that we’re almost caught up with everything, it’s time to get back to painting again, which I eagerly look forward to.

Until next time ~ Rachelle

"Promise of a New Season" by Rachelle, measures 2 3/4 X 2 1/4 inches.

        Most of this past week has been spent indoors painting, as it’s been quite warm.  Thankfully, we’ve still been able to take daily bike rides or walks earlier in the morning or later in the evening. My miniature painting above, “Promise of a New Season” was done from a photo that we took at a horse farm in Kentucky last summer. I especially enjoyed painting this piece, rendering it with more of an old world style and look. It will be framed in the traditional miniature style which is a small, gold, oval frame.

"Baby Elephant" and "The Fixer-Upper" by Wes, both measure 1 1/4 inches.

        Wes’ miniature painting “Baby Elephant” was done from a photo that we took at the Louisville Zoo of their baby elephant named Scotty. I thought it was quite appropriate since Wes’ middle name is Scott. The painting of the old house was done from a photo taken on a drive not too far from where we live. They will both also be framed in the more traditional miniature style , consisting of a small, round, gold frame.

Dovecakes getting a drink after eating her seeds.

        My beautiful Morning Dove, Dovecakes, continues to enjoy daily, multi-feedings of piles of shelled sunflowers. She sweetly runs over to me and waits for me to start handing them out and then contentedly eats until she’s quite sure she’s full. She then sweetly looks up at me and slowly meanders off to the bird bath to get a drink. Afterwards, she quietly sits on the handrail above and rests as her recently consumed meal starts being digested. At times she will sit here for quite a while, and at others she will fly off to the woods in back. It’s always a treat every time she graces me with a visit! We’ve been fortunate to see the baby Carolina Wrens several times in the yard, as the parents are frantically trying to keep them fed and content. Beside feeding our critters, we had a nice meal at Pizza Hut with about eight of our neighbors this past Friday evening. Afterwards we enjoyed another wonderful concert at the Heritage Center, here in Townsend. Upon leaving there, we enjoyed wonderful conversation while eating some delicious homemade cake with chocolate icing at one of our neighbor’s home. Another great evening indeed!

Andrew and Joanne Gott's wedding.

        We drove down yesterday to Chattanooga, for our dear friends Andrew and Joanne’s wedding, were Wes was the Best Man. After a photo session, a trial run, waiting for the guests to arrive and Andrew’s multi attempt at retying his tie to get it to a satisfactory length for those in charge, the wedding was underway. It was a garden wedding, taking place in their lovely backyard surrounded by flowers and trees. One of the most memorable parts was Joanne’s dog, D.J., taking part in the wedding, including walking down the aisle and ending up directly between Andrew and Joanne. It added a very sweet touch! Everyone was treated to wonderful and delicious food afterwards. Their cake was beautiful and quite yummy, and was cut with a beautiful hand-forged knife that Andrew made himself. Each family in attendance was sent home with a beautiful wooden bird house with Andrew and Joanne’s name and date of their wedding burned into it. This was a lovely gesture and tied in quite nicely with the theme of their wedding, birds. Not knowing this, Wes and I were quite pleased that one of our gifts was a precious drawing that Wes did of them as . . . you guessed it . . . birds! It was a fun day and another great memory!  Congratulations again Andrew and Joanne!

Andrew and Joanne "The Lovebirds".

        The next few days will be spent painting, while we prepare to leave this coming Thursday to go up to Indiana to visit Wes’ family and attend his 25th high school reunion.

The baby Carolina Wrens "Peedeepeeps", a couple of days before they fledged.

Until next time ~ Rachelle

Me obviously enjoying my cake on my first birthday and as an aspiring ballerina when I was five.

        Today, June 14th, is my birthday. Thirty-nine years ago today, a little bundle arrived for my Mom and Dad to figure out what to do with and how to try and keep it happy. They did a great job, and I’m still happy and at times still a bundle. . . . ha . . . but now for Wes to take care of! I’ve been blessed to have made many happy memories with my family and friends so far in my life and continue to enjoy each new day as it comes my way. For my first birthday, my parents got me my own cake and so started my love affair with “icing cake”. I still enjoy eating my cake in this same manner, especially if it’s chocolate. I also was fortunate in having the opportunity to take ballet and tap classes for many years as a young girl. This was a great joy and I still have all of my tutus and precious ballet costumes, as well as my ballet and tap shoes to this day.

Granny's orchid bloom, also known as the "Florida Butterfly Orchid".

       My late Granny, my Mom and I are all June babies, so it seemed quite appropriate and special that a wild orchid that my Granny and I found in the woods in Florida one day, about nine years ago, bloomed this past week. The first beautiful bloom opened the day after my Mom’s birthday and the second one opened on my Granny’s birthday. A special tribute for two very special ladies, so I thought I’d share a photo as it’s quite stunning at only an inch in diameter!

Avery, Beverly, myself and Wes enjoying a delicious picnic in Cades Cove.

        We enjoyed a wonderful picnic in the Cades Cove picnic area with our two very dear neighbor friends Beverly and Avery Collins. Not only are they loads of fun to be with but Beverly is also an awesome cook and makes everyone’s tummies and taste buds very happy! She graciously provided the lunch consisting of delicious sandwiches, an assortment of fresh fruits and totally yummy homemade, dark chocolate cookies!! Wes and I did our best to make sure she didn’t have to worry about leftovers, as it was the least we could do!

This is how close we were able to sit and enjoy the music in Cades Cove for the 75th Anniversary concert.

       This year is the 75th Anniversary for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. To celebrate this milestone, several special events have been planned for this year, in the park. Yesterday, after our yummy picnic, we were happy to be one of the people to have acquired tickets for a concert in Cades Cove by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. What a fabulous event it was and the National Park Service is certainly to be commended for such a great job done running this event so smoothly, as they were dealing with quite a number of people.

Senator Lamar Alexander tickles the ivories, and fellow musicians play during the concert.

         There could not have been a more beautiful setting for the concert than in one of the beautiful Cades Cove fields in the Smokies! We arrived in time to acquire a most wonderful spot smack down front and to the side a bit. There was no one between the four of us and the stage, so it was almost as if we were enjoying a private concert, forgetting the other thousands of people that were also there enjoying this wonderful event. As the music played, it appeared as if the clouds above were dancing and keeping time, as well as the occasional butterfly that would flutter by, with its wings appearing to have perfect timing. At one point I decided to go up front and sit about 15 feet from the stage with a few other people there taking photos. I found this to be a great idea, as it sounded like I was on stage in the middle of all of these talented musicians. The last song I enjoyed in this close proximity was “Amazing Grace” which is one of my all time favorites. They begin it with only the violinists playing, making it sound like bagpipes. It was quite a hallowing and beautiful sound as it carried through the mountains, and I felt so very blessed to have been able to experience it in this way. They performed a melody of songs from the Sound of Music, with the words “the hills are alive . . . with the sound of music” being most appropriate in our mountain setting! To top it all off, on the drive out of the Cove, we saw two Black Bears and also enjoyed watching as a mommy White-Tailed Deer and her very young fawn crossed the road directly in front of us! An ultimate uplifting of the spirits was achieved from this amazing experience by all.

Me enjoying my peanut butter and raisin sandwich at Upper Meigs falls.

        For my birthday we hiked to Upper Meigs Falls, and enjoyed a picnic there. It was a lovely walk with several of the Rhododendrons in bloom, and the moss in full splendor after the rain we’ve received. I lost count of the many times the soft mounds of moss begged for me to pet it along the way. Even the lichen called British Soldier Moss, due to the small red blooms on top that resemble a soldier’s cap, felt nice and soft to the touch. Needless to say, it takes a bit longer to travel with this habit. The falls were beautiful and just as we got there the sun came out and spotlighted it in full splendor. We enjoyed eating our lunch there and I myself enjoyed walking and playing in the water since I was wearing what I call my “all terrain sandals”. The soothing effect of cooled feet makes for a most pleasant hike. On the way back we took photos of the most unusual and gorgeous Fungi blooms. Another wonderful hiking experience was added to the memory banks!

A most beautiful and unusual purple club coral mushroom.

We returned home in time to have a wonderful dinner and Moose Tracks (chocolate with big chunks of chocolate in it) ice cream with friends. A wonderful end to a wonderful birthday!

Until next time ~ Rachelle

Wes and I on the Lumber Ridge Trail in the Smokies.

        We enjoyed a wonderful hike this past week that took us along the Lumber Ridge Trail in the Smoky Mountains. Our journey began at the trail head about five minutes from our house. We started the trail off by noticing that the Mountain Laurel were still pretty much in full bloom and became prettier the higher in elevation we ascended. We also noticed evidence that a very large bear had been along the trail earlier that morning, due to the large logs that had been moved and shredded. Up the trail a bit, I also found a pile of very fresh bear scat and determined after holding my hand just above it, that it wasn’t still warm, but alas was quite new. Needless to say, Wes and I stayed quite alert while walking along enjoying the scenery and each other’s company. Every time a Squirrel would jump and crash down into the fallen leaves, we just knew that must be the bear.

The beautiful blooms of the Mountain Laurel.

       Not only did we end up hiking the entire time without seeing the bear, but also without seeing another person, which we enjoyed greatly! It’s always an amazing and indescribable treat when we are afforded the opportunity to spend the entire day on a hike in the woods and get it completely to ourselves! As we walked along, every turn granted us with an unfolding scene in which the woods were filled with the lacy white flowers of the Mountain Laurel, with occasional bursts of the brightly colored orange flowers of the Flame Azalea. Not only is the Mountain Laurel beautiful to look at, but also offers a heavenly scent, that at times fills the air surrounding it.

A Flame Azalea bloom glows in the sunlight.

       There were a couple of unmarked side trails off of the main trail which Wes and I decided to investigate. The first was a very narrow, winding trail that was encased like a tunnel with large Mountain Laurel bushes. Taking this for a short while, we turned back and continued down the main trail for awhile. The second unmarked trail we took for quite a distance. We were rewarded with one of the largest and prettiest clumps of Indian Pipe that I’ve ever seen. Although many times mistaken for a fungus, Indian Pipe is actually a flowering plant. It lacks the green pigment chlorophyll, hence it cannot make its own food, so it garnishes nourishment from decaying matter in the soil. Quite a jewel to see! We also saw a vast amount of Squawroot in the same vicinity. Squawroot is actually a parasite and doesn’t have leaves or chlorophyll. Black bears love to eat this as it makes for a tasty meal.

A gorgeous stand of Indian Pipe.

A lovely sunlit Squawroot.

         As we continued down this side path, we came to a open area in the woods finding another piece of the old railroad track and an interesting devise that would’ve most likely have been used for logging. At this point we decided to turn back and continue down the main trail. We took a break to enjoy our peanut butter and raisin sandwiches in a lovely little spot, taking advantage of the perfectly placed logs. Finally coming to a point at which the trail we were on joins others, we turned back and hope to do that part of the trail from a trail head in a different location some time later. The walk back was as beautiful as the walk in, with the different angle of the sun giving it a completely new beauty. Upon our return to Townsend, we ate a delicious pizza at Pizza Hut. A great way to end a great day!

Wes with an old piece of logging equipment.

Me enjoying the beauty and scent of the Mountain Laurel blooms.

        Even though we have been enjoying riding our bikes and the occasional hike, we have been doing a lot of painting. I finished another miniature still life painting this past week and Wes finished a miniature portrait painting of our dear friends Dave and Neli Wagner. In my still life piece, the beautiful glass vase was given to me by my Mom, which she attained when I was a little girl. The blue hat and antique gold metal purse was given to me by my Mother-n-law, hence the title “Mother’s Things”. Other new miniature paintings can be seen on our website as I don’t feature every painting we do on my blog.

"Mothers Things" by Rachelle measures 2 3/4 X 2 3/4 inches.

"David and Neli's First Anniversary and Renewal of Vows" by Wes measures 3¼ x 2½ inches.

We hope to get quite a bit of painting time in this next week and are looking forward to a symphony concert in Cades Cove, in the Smokies, this next Saturday as part of their 75th Anniversary celebration.

Until next time ~ Rachelle