A Nice Surprise

Lil and I went to Steep Rock last Saturday, expecting to pick our way through the remains of the road again. It has been in rough shape since the October flood. But, lo! The Road Fairy had been there and restored the tortured lane to stunning splendor. The surface is so solid and smooth that equestrians, runners and cyclists could overshoot the 10 mph speed limit without noticing. They could even hit 30....well, maybe not the runners. Still, ok for a dirt road.

The main road washed away during the 2011 spring thaw, when the Shepaug river flooded, to everyone's great dismay. The road got fixed and the gate opened for cars just in time for the Fourth of July, and the rest of the trails were fine. Cars could pass in the summer and early fall, but "Snoctober" brought crashing trees and more flooding.


The uprooted trees and broken branches made a gargantuan mess, which got cleaned up surprisingly fast, but the road had remained in a skeletal state all winter. Two major engineering projects in one year may have been a bit much.

Anyway, kudos to the land trust for its usual high standards of maintenance. They do a great job of keeping the preserve clean and safe, and the runners and riders who condition there really count on it.
And thanks to the Road Fairy! We'll spread the joy.

Lil and I will check out other trails and report back.

The River in Springtime, 14 x 18, Oil

A Steep Rock Encounter with Ann and Mark

Marty's Cafe in Washington, CT will host the newly named "Steep Rock, Etc." show from December 1 through 31, 2012. It's a great venue, convenient to all Steep Rock's holdings. The cafe is a cozy place to relax, with delicious food and coffee.
A portion of the show's proceeds will go to the land trust, specifically for trail maintenance.

A chance Steep Rock encounter with Ann Leary and her horse "Mark" re-kindled my interest in painting animals and figures, so there will be assorted subjects in my benefit show.

How did I meet Ann? Lil and I were walking near the river one bleak October day, when a jaunty gray horse came striding through the shadows, his head and mane periodically catching light. I made a mental note and mashed my camera's shutter button, to save the impression.

I like to have permission to use someone's image for a painting, and introduced myself to the rider--Ann-- for that purpose. We had a brief chat, and discovered a number of common interests. The painting says more about Mark than his owner, since the light was ghastly and I had to invent almost everything, but it was his expression that drew me in. A posed situation wouldn't have been the same.

A side benefit of this meeting was discovering "Hash Hags," the NPR show Ann co-hosts with Julie Klam and Laura Zigman. It goes great with my painting sessions.

Of course, the horse is now out of the barn, resulting in an equine series. Steep Rock lanscapes may hang with dogs and ponies in this show.

And Again

Life does happen, but my blog is back. Steep Rock needs funds more than ever as a result of the 2011 spring floods and "Snoctober."
I'm still painting images of that wonderful place, and other subjects to in an effort to help.