This weekend has been about manual labor.

Saturday I had a plan. And six hours later, the plan had become this.

For any readers not friends with me on Facebook, I’m redoing my front yard. On Saturday, the last of the forms came off the new walkways, fill dirt was brought in, and we begun putting in the rocks for the (eventual) berm. All this was done Saturday because Joe, owner of the concrete equipment, needed to move on. So I took advantage of his equipment before it left.

This plan put a dent in my real plan for the day, which was to head up to Washington to see my friend Chad at Mt. Pleasant Iris Farms and paint with friend Sandra Pearce. While I eventually made my way up there, I just sketched because I just didn’t have time to see everything, chat with everyone, and paint too.

Sunday, after dog training, I concentrated on finishing up paintings for various events. I have decided to enter these two paintings in the Willamette Valley Lavender Festival show, so I got them touched up, framed, and labelled for deliver.

I also worked on changes suggested by my critique group to the two horse paintings I intend to enter in the American Academy of Equine Art show. I’ll give you a final view before they go off.

In other good news, Strategy Session will be heading over to Montana for the Montana Watercolor Society Watermedia show in September.

Mom is from Montana, and we will be traveling over there this fall for vacation and to visit family. I took a chance and decided to enter! I’m really excited that it got in.

Strategy Session, Chasing Dark, and First Turn will be heading up to Emerald Downs late in the week for the Equine Art Show.

For once, I won’t be able to go up and visit the show, because I’ll be hosting Ruth Buchanan here in Salem for her equine workshop. I am INCREDIBLY excited. But… it will be MORE manual labor. I need to get the house in a state where I won’t be ashamed to have a guest for a few days!