Wes isn’t afraid of granddaddy longlegs, but he sure cracked me up with this pose!
Wes and I had a delightful time while camping this past week! The weather was picture perfect, granting us still waters to kayak on, which is always a treat. We also did a lot of laughing, and at times I laughed so hard, I could hardly catch my breath and my sides felt as if they were about to split! I think the fact that we were so totally at ease much of the time had something to do with it. Nature is my happy place, so it’s hard for me not to be relaxed while spending time outdoors. We loved getting out on the water early in the morning, when the mist is rising from the water’s glassy surface. One morning Wes even saw a “mist tornado” curving and snaking its way a long distance into the air above, before vanishing.
That speck in the middle is me kayaking
I loved watching the swallows and chimney swifts in the early morning, gathering into a large flock that flew above rising and falling in unison, and suddenly dropping from the sky into the water below, sending out big splashes of water each time. The sound of their wings could be heard as they zipped just above me, and the entire scene was breathtakingly gorgeous! I just sat there in my kayak for a long time watching them repeat the arial ballet and diving down into the water. I so appreciate having a front row seat to performances like this!
One morning, I had the opportunity to watch this little Pied-billed Grebe for a long time. It floated about, occasionally diving below, then popping back up to the surface, where it would splash about and preen it’s rusty-colored water resistant feathers. The morning light cast a warm glow on the setting and it was stunning to say the least!
I sat very still and a couple of times it swam over closer to me, allowing me to take a couple of nice photos of it. I knew there were a lot of gnats that morning, but this photo shows just how numerous they were!
After returning from our morning on the water, we headed out to do some hiking. The wildflowers were blooming profusely and we came upon this gorgeous field below, filled with golden rod, appearing as if a big can of lemon yellow paint had been spilled across the meadow.
There were also abundant jewel weed blossoms sporting their bright orange orchid-like flowers and several turtleheads blooming like the one shown below, with a bee enjoying its nectar.
Several afternoons I spent a couple of hours floating blissfully about on my tube while Wes fished nearby. The crystal clear water enabled me to watch the fish swimming below without wearing a mask and snorkel. I slowly paddled my way over to a sandy beach, where once I managed to get acclimated to the chilly water, swam for a bit. The highlight of my time camping happened one afternoon, when I decided to sit on the sandy bottom in about two feet of water. I had seen a couple of small fish off in the distance and thought they may come close if I sit there really still. So I did just that, and within a minute a wee three-inch bass approached me and seemed quite delighted with the new “tree limb” in the water. It swam up to my ankle onto the top of my foot, where it rested. I could feel its little fins gently brushing my skin, and I immediately fell in love! From this vantage point, it watched the surrounding area, and each time another baby fish started to approach, he quickly charged it, chasing it away and returning atop my foot.
Eventually he swam down to check out the shadow area beneath my legs, occasionally swimming up between them, returning each time to the top of my foot. Finally he slowly swam up until he reached my thigh, where he appeared to almost lay down. From there, he continually watched the surface of the water and each time a particle that looked edible floated above, he’d quickly swim up, suck it into his mouth and spit it out. He did this for quite awhile, and I was totally enamored with my new little friend! He was absolutely adorable with bright little eyes, and light brown mottled spots, with a thin, black, line running along his side. I sat there as still as possible for over half an hour or more, until I realized that my arms, which I was using to prop me up, were starting to go to sleep. So as much as I hated to do it, I moved them and eventually stood up. I watched as my little buddy swam off, feeling so incredibly blessed to have experienced such an incredible encounter! The little bass wasn’t the only thing I enjoyed watching beneath the water, as I spotted several large snapping turtles, watching as they laid on the bottom and slowly swam about.
After an early supper, we headed back out on the water in our kayaks, relaxingly paddling about for a couple of hours. Wes was thrilled to catch quite a few fish, including several nice-sized bass, all of which were released.
Our friend Mike, who was also camping with us, went out with us most evenings as well and I love this photo I captured of his big yellow canoe in the middle of the scene with its perfectly mirrored reflection.
As the sun started dipping lower in the sky, I positioned myself in my front row seat and waited for the evenings performance. Since there were several clouds in the sky, I knew it was gonna be good, but wasn’t quite prepared fro what I was about to see. It was absolutely stunning, as the setting sun bathed the clouds in an array of pinks, oranges and yellows, painting the sky afire! It didn’t look real and to be able to see it mirrored on the waters’ surface made it even more spectacular! Of course we stayed out as long as possible, using our headlamps and the light of the nearly full moon to navigate back to the shore, while bats flitted about above.
The late evenings were spent sitting around Mike’s campfire sharing stories and of course the guys comparing what fish had been caught that day. Before heading to bed, we took a short walk to see the moon and while standing along a muddy shore of the water happened to notice tiny, green spots scattered about the mud. At first we thought it was a reflection of the moonlight, but quickly realized it was something glowing. Upon closer inspection we saw that it was these bugs shown below, which were emitting the light. Once back home we looked it up on the rectangle of knowledge and learned that it was firefly larvae. As you can imagine we were thrilled to have seen such an incredible thing, as they were only in the one location. It was fabulous time and we were sad to leave, but have more memories which we will greatly cherish!
IN THE STUDIO
I recently finished my miniature painting of a precious baby bunny titled “Baby Bunny“. This painting features one of two baby bunnies that were raised beneath our front porch, and would come out and eat grass right next to the chair where I was sitting. One of them still comes and hangs out with me most evenings and is absolutely adorable, even though it’s much bigger now. This miniature is on its way to the 49th Miniature Art Society of Florida’s International Miniature Art Show which will be held at the Dunedin Fine Art Center in Dunedin, FL, January 13 – February 4, 2024.
Wes and I are delighted to have each won First Place Awards at the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society’s 90th Annual Miniature Exhibition! Wes won on his painting of his Nana and I on my self portrait. The show opens November 19th and runs thru January 13, 2024 at the Strathmore Mansion, in North Bethesda, MD
SEE OUR PAINTINGS IN PERSON THIS WEEK
*Join us this coming Saturday, October 7th from 1 to 3 PM EST for an opening reception at The Gallery in Historic Rugby
Highlights: A Siegrist Retrospective Show
Gallery hours are Thursday thru Sunday 11:00 – 4:00 EST and by appointment (Email the Gallery)
October 5-29, 2023: The Gallery at Historic Rugby, Rugby, TN
Society of Animal Artists 63rd Annual Exhibition
Now on display through October 28, 2023 2023: The Stifel Fine Arts Center, Wheeling, WV
Galleries Currently Displaying Our Work
The Gallery at Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Charleston, SC (6 paintings). Francesca Anderson Fine Art, Lexington, MA (3 paintings)
Picture This Gallery and Framing, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada (2 paintings)
Up Against the Wall Gallery, Kingsport, TN (3-4 paintings)
visit our WEBSITE artofwildlife.com Email us
Until Next Time ~ Rachelle
We also saw the buffleheads again and were thrilled to add a new bird to our life list, being an adorable little Horned Grebe! We paddled to a small island nearby, and I could see that the great blue herons were collecting sticks and starting to build their nests. Wes wanted to toss a few casts near a couple of boat docks, and as we approached one of them, a very nice gentleman walked down and started talking with us. We ended up staying there over half an hour while enjoying his delightful stories and doing a lot of laughing, and I must say it was a highlight of our day!
Under the Magnifying Glass 