I busted outta here!

The Dogwood Festival, held in beautiful Piedmont Park is the oldest and best arts festival in Atlanta. I first visited 30 years ago pulling my young sons in a wagon.
My sister called and said I needed to join her for the day, that I could probably use the inspiration. So, I did!
A bit of Midtown through the trees. Piedmont Park is like Atlanta's Central Park. About a 45 minute drive from my house on a really good traffic day.
Sheep Incognito! The booth on the right. What a hoot. Cute work and sells brilliantly! Boy, that lady is happy to have her picture taken.
There was good food here, but this was the most visually interesting. It was the forks that got me!

Brilliant artist here. My favorite of the show. And I forgot to get her card! Her husband takes all the photography of her work in preparation for making prints of her originals. He said she paints everyday. Click the pic for a close up!
This guy paints on black roofing paper. A long skinny 10" x 46" is about $4oo!!!
Perfect weather and a great artist break! I wish you could have been here!
I'm back to work now and humming along pretty well.
Switching gears, some of you are asking about the owl chicks. This is the last picture I took of the little one. He was posing for me, but his eyes are closed. If you're interested in some amazing professional pics of these owlets. Go here... JCKnoll.com and click the owls. He's been watching them since they hatched.
Have a great week, folks!
Ronnie

Serious Hair on Fire Mode!!!

Okay, today is the day that I begin in earnest to prepare for the Indie Arts Fair called HatchMarket.
I'm about two months behind, and if there were trophies for procrastination and quadruple tasking with disastrous results, I'd have a full shelf.
So, suffice it to say I need praying and good vibes sent my way. I'll probably head to Walgreens today for a stash of Valerian and maybe some Celestial Seasons Calm the Crazy Person Tea.
Yeah, that's a plan.
Sleeping last night was an Olympic sport. Imagine a sea bass out of water.
Yesterday was spent pushing the reset button on the youngest son.
Lord have mercy! Does parenting ever end!!!

It was determined yesterday that he'll begin the 2009 race season as a V W TDI Cup race car driver. This is the first and only Green (Diesel) racing series. Green? Auto Racing? Auto Racing! Green! Humans will try anything. First race is held at the beautiful Virginia Internation Raceway. Paul Newman called VIR heaven on earth. Wish the boy luck.
And his mother and father too.
I'm off now to chain myself to the art production room. I will check in later with the results.
Love and hugs,
Ronnie

Who Hooed?!

See those two little bumps in the middle of the tree?
Two owl chicks! Waaaay up in a Live Oak tree. Nesting in the resurrection ferns.

This one is chowing down on leftovers left by mom the night before. I know! But that's what owls do.

Way up there. The tree is on a corner next to the elementary school on the main drag in St. Marys. I took these pictures the first week of April when I was down to do the Spring cleaning.
Younger one on the left, still quite downy. Older chick on the right. A man told me they can hatch several weeks apart. Explains why one is so much bigger. This is a good one to zoom/click on. You can see big one's yellow eye and the little one is napping leaning on his sib'.
Little one's face. Big one's bum. Looking for more chow.
I wish I had better camera skills. I walked here several times and was always surrounded by Owl Chick Fans! Tripods. Long lenses. Lots of chatter and pointing.

They never peeped that I could hear. One guy told me the mom owl (a great horned owl) came around only at dusk with a nice juicy meal for her chicks. He said he'd seen the bigger chick fly once, but not very well.
If I'd had the sense to take a shot of the scene below, you'd see lots of folks with their hands held above their eyes and pointing. Four of five tripods with cameras and traffic stopping to look.

I came back as it was getting dark, but didn't see their mom.

Look like two teddy bears.
Joe and I are going back today to stay for the Easter weekend. I'll bet they'll be flying by then.
Have a great weekend, folks!
Ronnie