Dandelion Daze... Moonlit Nights... and New Life... Beside Still Waters

Hello from our new home in Rockport! We arrived without incident and have been up over the tops of our hip waders with divided duties given to arranging our spacious and bright new home... to setting up and rehanging The Paint Box Gallery in its new quarters in our newly refurbished... invitingly colourful and equally spacious double spaced garage off to the right of the house. The rest of our "spare" (HA HA!) time has been spent offering  full eight hour days dedicated to resurrecting the very large garden spaces and lawns on the property... no easy task for a pair of hearts and bodies who have lived free of these responsibilities for the past decade!

Nevertheless... the rewards and pleasures for this labour are evident and manifested daily to both of us in every waking hour that we are here. Our decision was correct... and we both feel confident the dividends for the risk will continue to grow and multiply as time moves along. Though we have not officially opened yet... Rockport Boat Line tourists poke their heads (and camera lens) into The Gallery... with numerous polite requests for us to pose for "Kodak moments." A good omen perhaps for future interest and success!

I cannot begin to relate to you the effects that the quiet and release from the noisy environs of Highway 93 in Hillsdale has had on us both even in this very short span of time. We are ever glad to head off to our bed by day's end...dog tired... but grateful to retire before 10:00 pm and to rise each morning at 6:00 am together to enjoy our morning coffee ritual with a view to die for of The St Lawrence in its various morning garbs... ranging from mirror perfect waters... to fog and mist that evoke a mystical and epic feel. Life does not get any better... for "Me"!

This past week, I spent two spell-binding evenings after dark totally alone... not another soul about in the entire village out on the large dock at The Andress Boat Works... enjoying the full moon's private dance recital accompanied by the distant and steady music of several loons droning their eery... hauntingly lonesome... but truly typical musical score for this part of Canadian wilderness spaces. They were truly memorable and magical events that I shall not forget... a great welcoming fanfare for our new adventure. I am deeply blessed!

Deb has kicked unexpectedly into a new ( to both of us) gardening mode... and spent all of yesterday designing her first ever garden bed... with me joyfully acting as her go-fer and garden hand. She certainly has a flare for it and has transformed a rather derelict and previously uninteresting eyesore into a really eye-catching and beautiful front entrance to our home and and patio area.

Bird life and voice are unbelievable as some of my photos will reveal. There isn't a single moment when one stops to listen... that at least a half a dozen voices are simultaneously present with you while you are working outside. Work becomes suddenly turns to pleasure... when music is in the air when time and the sense of labour fairly seem to simply... melt away!

Our committee headed by my landlord/friend/neighbour and Rockport Development Group Chair Wendy Merkley has already had its first meeting to plan for The Second Annual Rockport Plein Air Paint in mid September of 2012. We hope to attract as many new artists as we can to eclipse last year's flock of twenty-five. That won't be at all hard to do... this place is out-of-site gorgeous to paint in and artist-friendly for certain! Wouldn't it be great... if some of "Us" could be together to actually meet  and  spend time painting together? I'd pull some special strings for sure! Think about it Friends! Life is short! Perhaps the Universe is speaking... through "Me" ... to "You"! Could that possibly be so? Only if we might... "make it so"! A thought!

Thanks to all who expressed their good wishes and offered their verbal support during our move! Much appreciated! I'll be around for a much-awaited return visit to your sites... PRONTO!

Good Painting to ALL! Glad to be back!
Warmest regards,
Bruce

Bruce