in anticipation of winter

watercolor and graphite on bristol

6" x 9"

winter has been on my mind.  i live in a big, drafty, old, damp barn.  there are the finished spaces, complete with wood stoves, outlets, lights, and walls.  and then...there are the unfinished spaces.  they amount to about 50% of our home.  nowadays, summer is like one big frantic countdown.  the to-do list is long, and the days keep getting shorter.  last night we actually wrote everything down, and it goes something like this:  tar paper & insulate upstairs, wire and install lights upstairs, install wood stove, roof the back half, build fence, procure more firewood, plant garden beds...and there's more: more than two people who work full time can even imagine to do on a limited budget.  luckily, this morning, as i was looking through photos of last winter for this morning's painting, i was reminded of one enduring quality of winter.  besides the dropping temperatures, the long black nights, the stormy ocean winds, the grey days, and the never-ending rain:   it is incredibly beautiful, magical, and quiet.  and somehow, i can barely wait.