One last peek at Sequim

It's fun to look at my photos from Washington state after being back in the desert. Such contrast. Mushrooms, for example. Not something we see everyday in Joshua Tree, that's for sure.

This photo has pretty much everything Joshua Tree doesn't have: water, leaves and tall trees.

It was nice to see the ocean, too. I took photos of the water, but of course it's always the creatures that really capture my attention.

I even got to ride on a ferry, and see Seattle in sunshine. WOW.

I knew I was back in the desert, driving back from Las Vegas Airport, since I had to watch out for all the tarantulas crossing the road. I wanted a photo to share with all of you, but it didn't seem safe to lay down in the middle of a road to photograph a tarantula. (I now regret not taking that small risk, since I haven't seen a tarantula since I got home.)

I love visiting other places, but it is always always nice to be home.

A walk in Sequim, WA

I am visiting family in Sequim, WA for the Thanksgiving holiday. What a complete change from the desert! It rained for 6 hours straight the day before yesterday, which was an absolute marvel to this desert dwelling girl. (Real rain?) When I went for a run yesterday, I could see my breath. Another wonder! And leaves. Oh, and did I mention I have seen shades of green I had nearly forgotten about? I've decided to drink in all of these new sights, and fill up my creative well. It's so important to do this, from time to time.

I thought you might like to come for a walk with my Dad and I.

I am fortunate that my Dad is incredibly patient with me, since I have to stop every ten paces to snap another photograph.

There are deer wandering around this neighborhood, and I have seen them three times now. Here are a couple of shots of them I NEVER would have gotten, had Mr. Pono the fuzzy dog been with me.

Are you doing anything special for Thanksgiving?
I am grateful for you, for reading my blog and sharing your thoughts with me. Happy Thanksgiving!

Home at last

Hello beloved blog readers!  I have at last returned from Indonesia, where I was reunited with my husband for two weeks.  It was sooooo good to see him, and to spend time with him while exploring a place that was new to us both.  I wish I could have brought him home with me, but alas - his contract isn't finished yet overseas.  I was able to bring home about 250 photos to share with you of our travels.  (don't worry, I will edit them!)  I will be writing about Indonesia this week, so stay tuned if you are wanting a glimpse into that part of the world.

One of the first Bali photos I took, in the van near Denpasar.

The journey:
LAX to Taipei.  (15 hours behind a tired baby.)  I had about three hours in Taipei, where I also drank the most amazing $3 cup of coffee I think I have ever had.  Then on to Denpasar, Bali (5 hours).  I was reunited with my husband at the airport, and we proceeded to our accommodations for the next five days.  We stayed in a really nice dive resort near Amed, which is a tiny town on the eastern coast of the island of Bali.  We wanted to be off the beaten path, which meant a 3 hour, winding van ride from the airport to the resort.  Even though there were amazing sights to see, I had to focus on the road in front of me to avoid feeling carsick.  We even passed monkeys in a tree that I was too queasy to photograph.  (sorry to miss that photo opp!)  When at last we arrived, we were greeted with this welcome, welcome sight.

The pool, sparkling in the sun's last rays.  You can see ocean beyond it.

This is a typical fishing boat.

Young boys often stayed near the hotel, trying to sell tiny handmade versions of the fishing boats to tourists.

Sights and observations:
After being in the desert for the past four years, I was first struck by the color green.  Everything was SO GREEN.  The color almost didn't seem real.  There are a lot of chickens in Indonesia, both of the "running across the street" variety, and of the "fighting cock in a basket" variety.  (more on that later.)   The women carry heavy loads on their heads, unless they are getting a ride on one of the many motorbikes zipping down the narrow streets.  When riding on the back of a motorbike, the women will often ride sidesaddle.  (having ridden on the back of one of these tiny motorbikes on said narrow, bumpy roads, I find that both astonishing and incredibly brave.)

The towns are tiny, and the smells of Indonesia for me will always be a mixture of rotting garbage, dust, smoke from burning trash, incense, and clove cigarettes.  The food involves a lot of rice and just about every meal involves an egg or two.  (Not to mention chicken.  Of course, chicken.)
I took a photo of my first breakfast, in honor of my friend Lily, who takes beautiful photos of food.

Breakfast day one: eggs, fruit, tea, and a banana pancake that was more like a crepe.  It was delicious.

If you are a coffee snob at all, I would recommend avoiding the coffee, which tends to have about a half inch of "sludge" at the bottom. 

Twice a day, a Balinese carrying a tray would place these offerings (they called them "blessings") in doorways, entrances, and in the shrines.  They consisted of a palm leaf "plate", flowers, incense, and sometimes even food, like rice or a cookie.  

Some of the more savvy birds would eat the rice.

The first day we didn't do much of anything, besides become really familiar with the pool.  I think we may have gone snorkeling.  Once the sun went down, these tiny frogs would appear in the grass.  I finally had to see if I could get a good photo with my camera.  Most might think I'm nuts, taking a photo of a frog in the dark, but I just needed to do it.

Cute, huh?  I have been unable to identify this frog so far.

I found it a challenge to stay up past 8 or 8:30 pm., especially when I first got there.  M has been living in Indonesia, part of the time, so I think he was lonely at night, when I passed out on the mosquito net- ensconced bed.  I would also wake up at around 4 am, and lay in the bed for as long as I could before finally getting up around 5.  The mornings were divine.

More coming, stay tuned!  It's nice to be back.

Where has Karine been?

That break ended up being longer than I had originally planned. Sorry! I have missed you all terribly, and I hope to catch up with my fellow bloggers this week. I went to Colorado to visit my parents for one week. When I returned, Matthias and I were invited to go to Huntington Beach for the weekend with our friends, John and Nora. It was too good an offer to resist!! At last I am back home, and I am anxious to get back into the studio.

My visit with my parents was such a good one! I resisted the urge to try to get together with my many Colorado friends. Not because I don't love my friends. Of course I do. I just decided that I needed to have some quality "parent time." So that is what I focused on. I was fortunate enough to have my friend Sally Mather (a terrific plein air painter!) drive the 2 1/2 hours from Salida to stay one night. Other than that, I just hung out with the 'rents. I helped my mother plant flowers in her pots and in her flower bed. I worked in the yard. She and I talked. We ate dinner. I went for long walks in the morning. My dad even took a couple days off and we played golf and saw a movie together. The whole time, I kept thinking how wonderful it was to be there with my mom and dad, and NOT ONCE did I have to go to the hospital. For those of you who are new to my blog, last year my mom was in and out of the hospital all year long. We nearly lost her three times!!! It was an extremely difficult year for all of us. Now, my mother is so much better. She still sleeps a lot, but I can have normal conversation with her, her hair and nails are growing, and she has finally gained some weight. It is amazing. The doctors call her a "miracle patient." It is clear none of them expected her to recover in the way she has. It is hard to put into words how thankful I am that I could be there with the two of them, after everything we went through as a family last year.



My mother has these peony bushes that are about 20 years old. They bloom, without fail every spring. The flowers are so incredibly beautiful. Lucky me was there just as they had begun to bloom!!! Here you can see my parents, and my mom is holding some of her wonderful, glorious peonies.





Our weekend on the coast was just as enchanted as the time I had with my parents in Colorado. We went for long walks on the beach. We ate way too much food. We laughed. We shopped at Big Lots. Then, last night, our friend Esther Spezzano Shaw opened up a brand new art gallery in Long Beach. The Spezzano Art Gallery!!! We used the opening as our excuse to get away for a couple of days. It was a wonderful opening. Esther is an artist, so she had her paintings plus the art of three of her friends. It was a harmonious blend of art. If you are living near Long Beach, or if you happen to be visiting the area, please stop by. You will not be disappointed. The gallery is located at 133 The Promenade N, Ste. 109, Long Beach, CA.



Special thanks to John and Nora for deluxe accommodations and lots of laughter! (Nora is also a gifted artist, and you can see her work here.)