Landscape of Virginia

I went Mountain biking with a friend who is very experienced in it today, I found that my skills were lacking in a few major areas. Like getting over that rock formation or that sapling laying across the trail for instance, well I'll come back another day and have another go at it. Today, well shall I say, "it was a crappy performance on my part" and that has nothing to do with getting a flat. Right! It showed me a good example of what humility is thru my friend's actions and words. He's a truly good mountain biker in every meaning of those two words. It's time for me to lick my wounds and try it again another day. Man I hadn't been on that trail before, I usually took the "easy route". Today, I got a taste of what these riders do on a daily basis, those guys who are in the photos jumping, riding at those crazy paces over that terrain you wouldn't send your worse enemy over in a jeep no less. Well, I'll keep coming back!

I'm feeling much better but I know not to give into my usual activity just because I feel better now, I must wait. When I workout at the gym I always wait between sets and then I wait a little longe. I wait just until I am feeling a good zen breath. I usually wait until I am good and rested. Then I get back into it. In the same manner, I must rest beyond just feeling back to my old self, I must wait another week as directed by those who have better knowledge and understanding of health issues. I mean medical doctors of course, and so I am doing as little excerise as possible for the next week. And when I return, I am going to take the time to do some Qigong excerise/energy meditations sometime during my workweek. I am lucky to have the friends who will be working with me to bring out the very best website for my artwork I've done this summer and previous to this summer too. I will be getting together with him this week, so we can update all the work on it an

Thankful to be diagnosed with only a case of "tennis elbow" as opposed to a fractured arm, I am relaxing at home today. It's not easy to do just that, it always seems that I have projects on my mind that need my physical attention, but now I am doing my best to have projects where others are the ones doing the work. I went and had my haircut, I read, I surf the web all without much effort on my part. I have found that riding a bike can be done without much effort to one's arms. As long as your don't try a tough climb and downhill afterwards, you can get away with biking and not doing all that much work on your upper body parts. As long as the ground isn't too too varied one can do OK without putting stress on one's upper body. I've enjoyed sightseeing along the Riviana Park bike/hiking trails lately, all without much effort. I can also take photographs just walking around the neighborhood without much effort and I like the results from doing

Yesterday I went down to Richmond to visit the British art exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It was a nice trip and I was pleased to see all the work done by the Brits. My favorite was the British watercolorist by the name of Rowlongson. He centered in on cariatures and did them quite well and with some wit of observation. What seemed so strange to me what how small all these watercolors were in their size. Tiny works and I imagine it made working very difficult. I prefer working on a size where I can move around and get into it. Working so tiny must have been a cramped feeling for the artist. But no matter they were all really good watercolors. Another artist who impressed me was a fella by the name of Copley. He worked without using any lines, he used the brushstroke to get his effects across. He also used color hues to denote distance and composition, a very good painter to be sure, I'm sure one can see him in other art sources, since I've heard of h

On a lazy summer day, what better thing to do than relax at poolside. My elbow was hurting from all the paintings I've been doing. As of yesterday, I finished fourteen of them in one month of summer relaxation. A bit more than I could expect to have done when I was planning this summer break from work. I will have them posted soon on my website . Today, I was at poolside at a local club, what a beautiful day to be out and about. Nothing but clear blue above me as I swam the backstroke across the ever so wide pool. I was in and out three times before it was time for me to go. Swimming is such a true joy for me. Thankfully, my parents had me learn how to swim at a summer camp on the Chesapeake Bay way long ago and today you can't get me out of the water until I hear the car engine start in the car I came in. Tomorrow it's back to the humdrum of my life here in town. Nothing wrong with it, I'm enjoying my painting and going to the gym is just great, but i

I've been busy painting outdoors. Yesterday, I packed up my easel and paints put on my backpack with the easel on it and walked to the downtown mall. I arrived about nine thirty am and got to work after setting it all up. Many people stopped to comment and offer supportive comments about the start of the painting. I was working on the Miller's bar and buildings headed westward from their on, I included a couple of people in it too boot, the thing was I was filmed by some group that came back later and had me sign a release form and I was photographed by tourist and others who just happened upon me while I was working on my painting. My work progressed to a good stopping point and I plan to finish what I've done at home. Some people to whom I talked I never saw because I was paying attention to what I was painting not to whom I was talking to at the time. I was looking at the buildings and what I was doing on the canvas so I have very little idea as to what or who the

During this past weekend I was up in Cleveland at a wedding of a lifelong friend of mine. He's over sixty years old and he has just got'n married once again (only the second time) but this time I think it will stick. It was quiet a wonderful ceremony and reception. During my stay in Cleveland I had a chance to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I really loved the form of the building it is located in on the waterfront of Lake Erie. Inside, there are "cars" that hang from the ceiling and a CD store that is a Classic Rock fans delight. It has most every Classic Rock Band's CDs in stock and ripe for the picking. The museum is ok, they show a film of some of our favorite old time rockers with the additional benefit of showing the Black Blues musicians who were the start of it all. I really enjoyed see those men and hearing their contributions to the music we have today. My good friend had a great ceremony and the best part was seeing people with whom I ha

Never spent much time walking around Harrisonburg until this past Sunday when a friend had me a long for a biking trip. He wanted to ride in the "Tour D'Burg" and I went along for company. While he rode with many friends and fellow-cyclist I walked around downtown H'burg. I stopped in a couple of places for coffee and I read the Sunday paper in a typical "diner" atmosphere. Then I went over to the capital building and I spotted a nice little building to sit down in for a while, it turned out to be a spring fountain. There was a sign saying how this spring was a watering hole for Native Americans and animals which became an important spot for the early settlers. It seems this spring became a refreshing spot for settlers who were either traveling up or down the valley and also for people who were going east or west over the mountain passes nearby (where Rt 33 now goes this spring gave them a watering hole. Today, the spring is inside a gazebo type o