Before the dandelions, or the first ephemeral flowers appear in the shady nooks and crannies among the rocks there are subtle signs of spring.

Dead Skunks on the Highway

They go by various names: little people, twig people, fairy folk, wee folk, or woodland creatures. Forest Folk. Are they just imagination, or does a whole society of little people live on the fringes of human comprehension?

When most people think of natural resources, they’re thinking of lumber, ores, fresh water, and other things used for manufacturing on an industrial scale. Local natural resources include wild foods and medicines, wild water, and for me, wild rocks.

This is an invitation for you to be the fly on the wall in my tiny little art studio/office. I’m posting all of my Open Studio visits at my Skool community, which is free to join.

I bought what I hoped would be a warm hat while on a recent trip. During this past week’s arctic blast and snowmageddon, I got to put that hat to the test. It passed with flying colors.

My Thoughts on Current Situation in the US

The first painting of 2026 is a barred owl. I’m using a variety of photos I’ve taken in the past because while I like the owl in one of them, I wanted a different background.