In the garden.

A hummingbird

A Monarch.

A finch, checking out its feet.

A swallowtail.

Another swallowtail.

And  of course, a Lesser Blue Warted Toadgon, native of the Indigo Forest of Cerulean.  It is one of the prettier invasive species though it’s a bit of a pest, stomping about and getting bluing everywhere.

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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2017

 

It’s May?

Hmm, somehow I missed April.

I think what happened is that the spring came and I lost my mind.

But I did take some photos.

This is the Lock and Dam No 15, on the Mississippi River.

It is the largest existing roller dam in the world. It’s nickname is the “Washing Machine of Death”.

dum dum da dummmm

Nothing like a nickname that sounds like some cheap knockoff wrestling name.

“And in this corner, ladies and gentleman…the Washing Machineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee of Death!!!!!!!!!!”

And the crowd goes wild!

It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places as “Lock and Dam No. 15 Historic District, #04000175 covering 3,590 acres (1,450 ha), 2 buildings, 9 structures, and 1 object.”  I know where the two buildings and nine structures are but what the heck is the one object?

dam©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2014

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This is a water pumping station. (I think)

refelections©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2014.

This was taken inside the car wash.

Because that’s how I roll.

carwash©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2014.

And I made my own planet.

Iceplanet©Virginia Spencer, 2014.

I saw a dinosaur.

dinosaur©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2014

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I painted a few tiny geese, with watercolor.

(I’ve painted these before but not with watercolor)

These are all ATC/ACEO size. (2.5 x 3.5 inches, the size of a playing card)

goose1©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog, 2014

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goose2©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog, 2014

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goose3©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog, 2014

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And this is a sunset.

I’d like to claim that I meant to do that, but actually I was in a moving car.

And the camera was on the wrong setting.

SunFire©Virginia Spencer, 2014

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Much like the setting I used to take a photo of the “Blood Moon” which incidentally is a much better nickname then the “Washing Machinnnnnnnnnne of Death!!!!”

The blue is the star Spica.

bloodmoon©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2014

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That’s alright, you win some, you lose some.

I also wrote a poem about squirrels which I lost.

I think the squirrels may have stolen it.

Oh don’t me give me that cute face..

squirrel©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2014.

Ah well, have a good one!

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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2014

All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gardening and car crashes..

Hello! The heat has finally broken a bit and we are having some great gardening weather. People all over North America are in a frenzy to figure out what to do with the twenty million tomatoes they didn’t think would actually grow. I wouldn’t have planted any but Dummy insisted.

He’s has been listening to the news and bearing in mind that heat stroke is a terrible thing, he is being smart and is wearing a hat and sunscreen with a high SPF factor of course.

Checking the tomatoes…He’s so busy that he didn’t notice that his butt is on backwards..I would tell him but his feelings get hurt awfully easily. He’ll notice when he tries to sit down.

Tomato plant, dummy

And look how nicely the corn has come in…and yup, his butt is on right..

As for me I’ve been hanging out in the AC. I painted this little 3 x 5 inch acrylic of the downtown area in Rock Island, Illinois. I just noticed that the first building has a bit of a lean, someone should fix that.  It’s a tragedy waiting to happen. And the windows in the shop look like they’re ready to burst..Oh no! There’s a pedestrian in front of them….. Run! Lady! Run! ….It’s too late!… The white car tried to save her but has run into a stop sign which some fool put in the middle of the road…oh the agony…

acrylic 3 x 5 inches

Good thing I caught it all on canvas. I better go send this off to CNN  for their I-Witness newscast.