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!