Friday, May 16, 2014

Spring... Floods In!

Quite literally... Spring has flooded into the Thousand Islands area displacing the much reluctant winter to finally depart. Flooding can be seen wherever one looks. Towns and villages along rivers were encroached upon ... and many even threatened by rising waters of rivers and creeks. Farmer's acreages in the area became small lakes... in some cases leaving the homestead as an island... cut off from the main road. Numerous detours were necessary on many roads not usually affected by spring runoff. Waters on the Saint Lawrence River, on which Rockport is nestled ride higher than usual. All of this was due to an unusual large amount of snow and ice... and a too rapid spring melting and run off. A very hot sun in the past weeks has begun to offset this worrisome annual event. Things are drying up.

As we drove into Brockville earlier this week, I was overwhelmed to discover the flood of new pinks and greens in the canopies of the hardwoods and softwoods along the Parkway. No longer did their bare skeletal branches claw harshly at the skyline. The myriad of soft new spring pastels created a new and uplifting harmony... replacing the scraggily memories of a very long and cold winter. On the ground within the depths of the woods... fresh and delicate ferns had suddenly jumped from their winter hiding places... their fiddle heads changed to limy green fronds... ever reaching skyward towards the light. Ever more exciting to me was the sudden arrival of a vast carpet of trillium wildflowers... the provincial flower of the province of Ontario in which we live. This sight always whets and excites my desire to paint and I have in the past recorded this very special spring moment. A flood of floral friends tells me that Spring is fully rooted firmly ... though briefly in our midst!


A snippet cluster of the spring woodland carpet


Trillium carpet at Butternut Bay


Here is one of those painted memories... "A Trillium Triptych" - 3 oil canvases 16 x 44 inches

This floral explosion repeats itself even in our gardens. Each day another variety reveals itself briefly as a bud... then by day's end stands inches taller. Within a few days it produces its distinctive flower. Such power in this new sun!

In the backyard new faces and voices have joined our winter resident bird friends... all sporting their new plumage finery and making their presence known with territorial and mating behaviours. When joined by our Chipmunk buddies, Mr Chips and Scamp and a number of greedy squirrels... our deck and yard is a big top circus entertainment centre that quickly melts our weary winter worries away. The pure Joy of Spring quickly floods our hearts and souls...


 Deb's long awaited Ruby Throat Hummingbird "Mrs Bossy" has returned... just three days later than last year by my daily journal - AMAZING! Deb  had the feeder out and full of her favourite "roux brew" within the hour after coming to us at our patio table. Small miracles... large blessings! Deb's heart sings... every morning at our morning "Coffee Clutch"!


I love the bright American Goldfinch guys with their cheery "tweet-ing" n' "twitter-ing"... here shown busy... on line! HA HA!!

A surprise trio of Baltimore Orioles... shown below competing with the humming birds for the sweet treats at their two feeders. Such beautiful melodic music... right through the entire day until dark!



A quintet of White Crowned Sparrows with their chippy attitudes offer vaudeville absurdity and comic relief


 Here is the new feeder... a belated gift to Gramma by her grand Gals from Cranbrook, BC .This very special treasure and these Easter paintings on canvas... flooded our hearts and the floor as well with Spring treasures of Love... Joy and Hope! Thank you Sweet Girls... from your loving Gramma and Booce! These are real treasures! You sure touched Gramma's Heart!

Me and Gramma... by 8 year old Ava

My Shapes n' Colours by 4 year old Ella
Tourist activity in the village has jump started into high gear as well... as hordes of visitors deposited by tour buses flood into this very small hamlet and fill it (uncomfortably) at times for residents to overflowing. But this influx provides the necessary income for many businesses and individuals... including our gallery operation. So grin... and bear it!

This weekend is a holiday in Canada... Victoria Day Weekend.... traditionally the starting gun opening for summertime festivities in Canada. It will also be our official "Grand Opening" for Summer 2014. Deb and I just finished repainting the floor and rehanging my art... installing her stained glass and setting up displays of her jewelry and gorgeous new lines of handmade cards. The Gallery looks energized and I think... visually attractive to the eye. Time will tell... but the work has been done... a long winter now ready to yield dividends for our commitment and sacrifice. 

If you want to predict your future... Create it!

At The Paint Box Gallery our mantra is... 

"Art Matters... as does quality... service and our customer opinion.

Wishing everyone Happy Spring. May many blessings flood your life!

Good Painting... to ALL!

10 comments:

  1. Love the joy and hope in your heart Bruce. Everyone could take a lesson from you, I think. I wish you well as your business once again opens its doors this weekend! Reading your words, seeing your images and painting tends to stir the sluggish blood within myself this morning. I think I shall paint a bit!

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  2. Good morning Friend Sherry!... Thanks for dropping by and commenting this morning! Made my day!

    I cannot imagine living in a world without Hope. Joy or the possibility of Dreams! Many around the world are forced to... just by birth or circumstance alone.

    Many around me... choose to live in this fashion! Shame on them... when all that is required to activate each of these blessings... is to simply embrace and practise them in one's own life.! It's about a personal perspective.Do that this morning for your Self Sherry. Paint your heart out... the act itself is uplifting!

    Good Painting. and Happy Spring!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  3. Hi Bruce, I'm glad to hear that things are 'hotting-up' for you there, in more ways than one!

    I hadn't thought before about flood-risk in your area. Are you in any danger at the Paintbox Gallery, or are you far enough above the river?

    All the best,
    Keith

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  4. Hi there Keith!... Yes... we are definitely starting to "hot-up"... but still in up n' down fashion!

    We did in fact have one basement bedroom flood through a window destroying the dry wall and shag carpet... now replaced by our landlord at her cost... so all's good! Others in the area weren't so fortunate. We are well above the level mof the river... so safe there!

    Had a great weekend of sales at the art fair ... lots of cards and foru paintings. So a great start for our season!

    Thanks for checking in!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  5. The little humming bird is a treat to see. How long will you put the sugar syrup out for her? It is lovely to see the birds of nature and the flowers and woodlands. Your painting is so uplifting to see. Thank you Bruce.

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  6. Good evening Caroline!... Thanks for dropping by! We have three hummers... a male and two VERY dominating females! Deb will continue to feed them her clear sugary roux... changing it every few days for fresh ,,, right up until they depart... usually in late September.

    It is indeed uplifting to witness the return of vitality and life into every sector of Nature... evoking awe and reaffirming Hope!

    Thank you for taking the time to visit and to add your uplifting and encouraging words!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  7. I'm a bird watcher from way back. Thanks for the feathered friend shots, Bruce!
    Spring is my favorite slice of the year...Nature's "wake up" call.
    Enjoyed the paintings. Yours as well as the Grand kids.
    Blessings

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  8. Good evening Dean!... Glad to be able to continue to share our ideas... thoughts and art! We share such a common path in our lives and it is reassuring to know that others share similar values and respect for the important things in life.

    Thank you for taking the time to comment and for contimnuing to create such a vibrant and thoughtful blog yourself. Ii is always a pleasure to visit!

    Good Painting!... and Happy Spring!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  9. Thank you so much Bruce for commenting on my post today.
    Isn't it the most wonderful feeling when you get a little burst of colour as the winter finally fades... particularly after an extremely wet one - It seems you had similar winter weather to us! One thing I wish we had over here is the Humming Bird. I have never seen a real one... They are just so beautiful!
    I love the paintings by your Grandchildren too - we have just become Grandparents for the first time. It's magical :0)

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  10. Good morning Sandra!... Thank you for dropping by and for sharing your own thoughts here on my site!

    We share so many commonalities and blessings in life... aside from painting as a joy in our lives. There is so much magic in life... even in an "ordinary" life. It can be found and savoured in the simplest and most unexpected of places.

    Do drop by again!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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