River Bend Ranch - Patty Van Dorin

life under a tattooed sky

 
a found cedar pole that I have added a couple of birdhouses has been added to a newly forming flower bed

the start of what I hope will cover the pole with soft feathery leaves
 
this sweet little birdhouse was found on the discount shelf as it was missing it's finial. But I knew a rusty flat bottle cap and a found porcelain bird would be just the thing to fix the top
 
another cedar pole in the back raised bed where tomatoes are competing with the last of the glads and slowly a morning glory is making it's way up to the tiny birdhouse
  
I live under an unchanging sky so permanently blue and laced with white puffy clouds, one might think that the sky has been tattooed
  
a page in the visual journal that is ready for an afternoon of writing
  
digging through the bins of paper in the studio, I came across this envelope. Long forgotten how it came to be in my possession, I love the mix of stamps and how they are artfully arranged. This envelope has found it's place in the journal and is perfect for tucking in notes, postcards from Italy and all that good kind of stuff.
  
stayed up late last night and another page. On the left is the back side of the just mentioned really cool envelope.  I added the old photo.
 
as I near the end of this journal, serious thought is being given to the next one. As much as I enjoy working in discarded books, the next visual journal I may go back to hand making a book. For some reason as I am working on the journals they find themselves falling off tables, skidding across floors and slamming into walls. My journals suffer much abuse from my clumsiness and it probably doesn't help that they travel around a lot as I work in them.

This poor baby is holding on by only a whisper and will probably need some type of belt to keep the pages together when I complete the cover.

favorite combinations

  
journal pages
 a combination of colors that I am loving
sweet potato vine and golden oregano
 
and this combo in the planter outside my studio window
more sweet potato vine (I am really loving this plant), blue daze evolvulus, and a pale pink bougainvillea
***from my gardening notes***  
these plants take the heat and summer sun well and we're talkin' "in your face full on west Texas desert sun sitting on the cement can hardly breathe hot",
the golden oregano didn't like the miracle gro as it burnt the leaves a bit or maybe I mixed it too strong. The evolvulus is a top favorite with non stop blooms and trailing compact growth. The sweet potato vine doesn't hold a grudge even though once a week the deer come and eat every leaf right down to the base of the plant, it keeps coming bouncing back. Usually you find the bougainvillea in hot bright almost neon colors but I fell in love with this pale pink one.

Galleons and Doubloons

todays journal page - last nights dream of high sea adventures on a Galleon

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cannons blast making the deck of the ship tremble

weapons fire brilliantly lighting the night’s sky

the Galleon is tossing about wildly in an angry sea

voices yelling orders, chaos ensues

pausing for a second taking in the hectic scene I make my way starboard
reaching and pulling myself through the swirling fog struggling to gain solid footing

slowly I rise to the surface

a dream world fades releasing it’s hold on the mind

Cannon blast melds into thunder
Weapon fire gives way to lightening of the approaching storm

a tossing deck shifts to a dog tucked beside me trembling at the storm

pirates shouting orders yields to a storm radio announcing the approaching thunderstorm

A vivid dream of high sea adventure fades into the waking physical reality of an early morning storm

--------------------

 
while gardening the dream world of last night and the reality of the day did a weird shift.  Digging in the dirt, I found a "gold doubloon".  I though maybe my dream last night of high sea adventures on a Galleon may have been real.  The coin was very dirty but I though how appropriate if it was a gold doubloon.  So I rushed in the house and scrubbed it clean.
All it was is a stupid Kerrville car wash token not even a coin and not even that old of a token….drats!!

 

I am going to have to remove Geraldo’s number from my speed dial, if all I keep finding is junk

although the animated "big J" is kind of fun.  (I added this token to the journal page since it seemed to be all connected today)

double delight

digital journal: currently blooming - double delight rose

New Collage Sheets - Birds and Microscope Slides

 Several new collage sheets have been added to the Tuscan Rose web site. 
Microscope slide and collage birds are the newest

32 pack cat

  yesterday's visual journal pages, prepped and ready for notations
  a sweet spot
  another
  the cute fuzzy face of a whole lot of orange cat lovin'
  the little face is just the tip of the iceberg with this Texas sized kitty...note this is a 32 pack size soda flat. 

more than one journal

At any given time, I have several journal going. My favorite will always be working in the visual journal. Some of the journals themes are a daily type, an inspiration journal and a garden journal.  I have several garden journals from houses that I have owned over the years. They are not pretty like the visual journals but they are fun to look back through over time.
  I like to make notes of plants that I have grown, what worked, what the deer devoured and plants to try next season. It is a good place to put inspiration from magazines and dreams of what I would like to try. Garden journals smugged with dirt.
  every month I try to take a picture for the journal to show that I have actually made progress.  For this garden journal, I used a composition book and started the first page with pictures of the day I moved in.
  slowly, very slowly progress is being made (gosh, a better photographer would have moved the bags of mulch and potting soil before taking this picture).

The previous owners of my little cottage were not gardeners. I am thankful for many large pecan trees and the gigantic sycamore is a treasure but I could have done without all the poison ivy and throngs of weeds.

Rocks are being sorted and the ones with interesting fossils are getting the best seats in the flower beds so they can be studied and enjoyed as the gardens mature.
cute tiny blue faces framed with rich deep purple leaves
  I would love to have several large pots and planters on the patio.  A start is made with this one I put together yesterday.

remembering you today, there is a void in my life without you. I am thankful for the time we were given. You are my inspiration.

Digital Journal

  today's entry into my digital journal. It doesn't look I will be able to make it into the studio for another day but playing digitally helps satisfy the need to make something. "Seriously", I could use more hours in the day.

I will sit outside but I won't like it

  today's journal pages
  cutting new stencils and back to spray painting after too long of a break. Above is a small portion of today's page. My journal is too big to fit on the scanner. This stencil portrait was sprayed on a piece of wallpaper and then added to the journal and then stencil and painted some more.
love this vintage photo, a cat with an attitude that is just barely tolerant of having it's picture taken.
This weekend I was very lucky to see this Luna Moth sunning itself on the side of the house. Always a rare treat, I could have happily sat outside for hours watching him.

my name is dog

  today's journal pages
  animals on the bookshelf with big toothy grins