Sundog

    The other day when we were doing our morning walk on the Loop Trail, we noticed that a bright “Sundog” just above the peak of one of the mountains in the Cariboo Range.  A sundog is a rainbow-colored patch of light that appears on the left, right, or both sides of the sun at 22°, when the sun is low on the horizon—just after sunrise or before sunset, for instance. 

    Sundogs are created by light being prism-split into colors, when it passes through plate-like ice crystals in high cirrus clouds.   The red band is on the side nearest the sun.  They can appear worldwide at anytime of year, but are most commonly seen during the winter.

    In the past when they were very bright, some people reported that there were three suns in the sky. 

My paintings can be seen at:  davidmarchant2.ca 

 

Elaine's Kicksled

    Yesterday we took our afternoon walk at the airfield.  When we were at the far end of the tarmac, I noticed something way off at the opposite end coming toward us.  I started to reach for Kona to put on her on the leash, but at that moment she saw the object too and took off toward it, barking.

    Luckily it was Elaine, who had encountered our barking, but friendly dog before, so she stopped and gave Kona the pets that she was craving.  As we got closer, I saw that Elaine had a kicksled.  A kicksled is a Scandinavian conveyance that is propelled like a skateboard, but with two skis, instead of wheels.  It also has a chair in the front, for when the kicker wants to sit down and rest.

    It wasn’t that much of a surprise to see Elaine on a kicksled, for years she has worked in the field of outdoor recreation, so she is usually outside hiking, skiing, or kayaking.  She told us she has been wanting a kicksled for a long while, but they are difficult to find, because they are popular, but in short supply.  She had a friend make this one for her, using a pair of her old cross-country skis.

    It is difficult to see anything but the tip of the skis in the photo, but she is standing on them.  When the kicksled is moving, one of her feet will be on a ski, while the other pushes her forward through the snow.  Yesterday at the airfield, the conditions were perfect for gliding through the snow.    I suspect it would be a bit more difficult pushing forward, when the snow gets deeper.

You can view my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca

 

Morning Walk On The Loop Trail

    Every morning we have been doing our walk on what we call our Loop Trail.  It winds through both our neighbor’s property and our own.  It takes us through a wooded areas and two old abandoned fields by the Fraser River, then ends up at our pond.  It’s a good way to wake ourselves up, breathing the cold air, walking the uneven ground, and all of the up and down slopes.  According to my iPhone, it is close to 3,000 steps, 1.8 kms (1 mile), and the same as climbing 4 floors.

    Kona is always eager to do it and yesterday when we went, the sun had just come up.  It was a cool morning with a temperature of -11°C (12°F).  I kept my camera under my coat, and it was a hassle to always have to dig it out every time I wanted to take a photo.  I always have to take my gloves to snap the shots, which makes for cold hands.  Nevertheless here are a couple of photos from our walk.

Take a look at my paintings:  davidmarchant2.ca

 

Blue And Gold

    Yesterday when we walked the landing strip at the airfield, the snow had pretty much disappeared, leaving a winter palette of gold and blue.  The sun is getting lower on the horizon as it moves closer to the Winter Solstice, but it was still creating a nice highlight on the field that runs through the lower third of this scene.  I sure like the colors in this photo.

Take a look at my paintings:  davidmarchant2.ca

 

Cat Extractor

    Our cat Lucifer loves my wife’s office.  There is a space heater going so it is always nice an toasty, and the office chair has a soft pillow on the seat, perfect for snoozing and so that is where she sleeps whenever she can.  This frustrates my wife every time she wants to use her office, because she is too tenderhearted (and scared) to disturb Lucifer, pick her up, and take her out of her chair.

    This is where I come in.  I am called at least once a day to, “Extract the cat.” 

    I walk into the office pick up Lucy, who shows her displeasure with a complaining meow.  I carry her up to my office and put her down on a pile of big padded envelopes under my desk.  There she curls up and resumes her sleep, while on the desk above her I paint and then write this blog.

    You might think that because I am always called on to play the “heavy” in situations with Lucifer, that she would hold some resentment toward me, but really it is just the opposite.  I seem to be “her guy.”  She is more kindly and affectionate toward me than she is to my wife, who always gives her treats and tries not to disturb her even though the situation often calls for it.  It is strange.

You can view my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca

    

 

Finally a Blue Sky (And Even a Grouse)

    I think I must suffer from a slight case of SAD, (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  When we get a string of overcast, low light days, like we have been experiencing for a week or so now, I find myself very unmotivated and it is hard for me to get at things.  Even though I almost always have my camera with me, it is just extra weight, because I just can’t find anything inspiring to photograph.

    Yesterday the sun was showing itself again, and the sky was a beautiful blue.   It gave me a lot more energy and as I was walking Kona around the pond, I experienced another treat; a Ruffed Grouse who was scratching around close to the trail, flew up when Kona approached.  It landed in a nearby tree and perched there, allowing me to unleash my camera from it’s carrying case and take a photo.  It was a nice image, seeing the grouse against that blue sky.

View my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca

 

M.C. Escher

    I have always loved optical illusions and when I started going to university I discovered two artists that played with tricking what the eye was seeing.  One was Salvador Dali, who of course is famous for his painting of the melting clock (Persistence of Memory), but I always like his paintings with images that seem to change as you looked at them (https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/dali-metamorphosis-of-narcissus-t02343)

    Another artist that caught my fancy at the time was the Dutch graphic artist, M. C. Escher.  I was so impressed with his drawings that I bought my first art book:  The Graphic Work of M.C. Escher, which I still have.  Escher’s works are fascinating.   Objects intertwine and things that appear normal at first glance, are shown to be impossible with the second.  

    When we traveled in Europe and went to The Hague, we discovered that they had an Escher Museum there.  It was a real treat to visit the museum, see his prints, and learn more about his life.  You can view his works at:  https://mcescher.com/gallery/

    In one section of the museum there was a small room with very distorted walls and ceiling.  Two people could go into the room, one on one side in the narrow side and the other further in the back on the other side and get their photo taken.  The distortion in the walls made one person a shrimp, and the other a giant.  Below is our photo.

 

You can view my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca