Happy Old Year, Part 1

Once again, I’m catching up, but have let winter break slip by before doing so. I reckon this is a sequel to my “Catch Up ’22” series from summertime. Anyways, here goes…

The Pescadero Art & Fun Festival was back for the first time in two years. Online in 2020, it was at Harley Farms in 2021, but made it’s return to the IDES Hall in 2022. These were my five submissions (I thought I had six?), and except for the painting, QR codes was kind of a theme. However, the wifi wasn’t hap’nin’ so lemme ‘splain ’em (with the links).

The three drawings: Nellie Bly, Wynn Bruce, and Sam McDonald are from my “Unsung Heroes” series. The painting was a wannabe-stained-glass window of my androgynous archetypal avatar. The collage/montage/assemblage combined the old pool clock with colorful toys and sparkly bits. Called “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity,” a quote from from Thoreau’s Walden, it’s a play on the tedium of gluing stuff to wood for hours, and the imagery of violence as depicted by little soldiers and cowboys & indians. There are 12 QR codes on a variety of topics, half Wikipedia pages & half posts from this blog (all writing pieces – fiction & non-fction)!

In any case, I was pleased with my collection this time (and after the fact, Sam McDonald sold to TomKat Ranch for $1K!).

I was also please that my niece, Rosa Lawson (Rosart), entered some pieces (including cards/bin art) and one sold (red dot!)! Importantly, I should be showing all my student art – there was a lot – but all I have is a pic of some ceramics and the butterflies (The Mariposa Project) fastened to the fence out front. Also in this set: a cool painting, David Hope, and myself on stage with the Mariachi Band. As always, a rollicking good time…

Of course, PAFF ain’t the only show in town. Also returning in 2022 was the Kings Mountain Art Show. So, here ya go…

Another interesting opening was Big Basin State Park after the devastating fires of 2020. I reserved a parking spot within the first week and in addition to exploring the basics, took a great e-bike ride on some of the fire roads thereabouts. Some other moon shots are thrown into this batch of tree pix…

And again, the pool was rockin’! While I was not pleased with how my CLHG colleagues chose to run it – back to lifeguards, etc., it wound up being a relatively successful season with both our children being gainfully employed. Might add some video clips, but just know that once again a swam around the world (or at least a mile or two each week of the summer)…

Speaking of art, there was a fair amount of it amidst the miscellany of the Pescadero Barn Sale. Always fun to pick through the treasures and kibbitz with the community. Here’s what I brought home…

This last batch is random! The Geocache in the corner of the cemetery across from Dominican Oaks in Santa Cruz (still there after all these years). Charlie moving into his dorm room in Porter College at UCSC (even tho’ he’s an Oakes College affiliate). Me at the Puente Harvest Dinner @ Harley Farms, and Boman Irani cooking up some delicious Indian food in his kitchen…