Landscape of Virginia

Two Nelson roads get scenic designation This is the road I will be located on once I move down there, it will be one great road to explore on bike and later on with easel and palette...lookn forward to it.

Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth, creator of Rat Fink: A son remembers Here is one of the early influences of my artwork. I use to love seeing his model caricatures in my neighbors window. Chris Pegg certainly didn't know it but it helped my develop an idea of "My People" in my caricatures that I've done over the years. Big Daddy Roth showed my how to have fun with my pen and paper back when I was fifteen and had a vivid imagination to share with 'the world of art'....I have much to thank this guy for,,,his nerve is one of them,,,he didn't mind it if he offended the more conservative of those with his outrageous gory big tooth rats and such...I really enjoyed it. It was an age when being offensive wasn't nearly as extreme as it is today, his work was cutting edge for the time. Afterall, the Beatles had just come to New York for there first concert if that gives you any idea of how unique he was at his height.

Having a little extra time to do with as I choose I was able to head out to the high school I work for and take in the band directors pet project the Jazz Band Concert last night. It was excellent music done by newcomers to the scene so I truly enjoyed every one's efforts. Of course being new talent there were some ruff spots in the night's music but on the whole I have to applaud every one's ability to stand up , play and be out in the open with some new instruments and to work as a team in the performance of some big jazz band's classics. I heard Glen Miller play live with his band in the Dell in Philadelphia so I know what it sounds like to do it well, and this group did their utmost and I was very pleased. With more time with their instruments they aught to be shinning examples who can continue the enjoyment of auditory sensory thrills of our society. Here's to the AHS Jazz group and there teacher/leader Greg Thomas..job well done and I'm glad I was ...

Statins reduce flu death risk by half - USATODAY.com This medicine has certainly been a factor in my health being what it is today, better than before I started getting a yearly check up over fifteen years ago I didn't know how good doing that was going to be until I read about the benefits of the statins I take every day for my cholesterol. It's amazing and now another benefit shown here. It is a blessing. One that I never in my wildest dreams did expect to come my way. I am humbled by my previous attitudes toward the science and scientist of the medical field. I stand aside for your own consideration of these wonders of science.

I haven't had the time to do much lately I must confess, I've either been sick with the flue or dealing with the move to a new house. The house is the good part, south of town about thirty miles, far enough away to be remote yet close enough to still make use of the cultural benefits of the city. It's a wish I had long ago when I lived in this part of the world but I didn't have the knowledge, resources or skills to live in the country. Then I moved into the little city that Charlottesville is and have stayed for many years but now it's time to move back. And now I have the ability to be successful in the world of the Walton's hometown. I hope they welcome me. I will be on my best behavior.

One main thing we learn to accept the older we get is that nothing or at least most everything changes sooner or later and we either accept that change an adapt or perish. For me the change comes willingly, I am moving my homeground to a location south of where I am sitting by about thirty miles. I am doing this next month, in the middle of next month actually with the help of many good men with whom I have been able to make friends with in the last few years. The place is a small town where I once lived on it's outskirts decades ago. I am buying. For me that is groundbreaking due to the fact that it's a first for me. It's a new place being built as i write this, and it will be most likely the best place I've ever lived in where I am the one who is paying for it. I've already staked out the lighting situation and because it is on the very top of a small hill without trees beside it it is just ideal for natural lighting and thus will be ideal for me ...

It's possible for hope to come into one's life at anytime at all. Sometimes it comes from love, sometimes it may come from an overwhelming joy of gratitude from an accomplishment, in any case drawing well is one of those times when hope of doing something of lasting worth comes into my life. Sometimes it happens when drawing from the model and recently it's been happening in my drawing in life modeling class at Mc Guffey. I am certainly in debt to such good and interesting models that are willing to reveal themselves for all that they are to be drawn. I think it's great that this can be done and to be done weekly truly is amazing to me.