september sadness

 Now we are officially in Autumn, though unofficially you can sense the change of season. Cooler mornings, a softness in the air, shorter days and longer shadows.

We had hoped to go to the Sierra cabin for my birthday (13 Sept.), after Labor Day when it's quiet and beautiful. We hadn't even opened up this year with the pandemic, and other projects getting under way. First time in many, many years we haven't opened for summer. On September 4, what is now known as the Creek Fire started in a small mountain town not far from us. There was no way we could go now. As of today it has burned nearly 300,000 acres and is only 36% contained.

Our beloved cabin burned to the ground. We have not yet been allowed to go see it.

We are just feeling sad, depressed and heartbroken. It was about 110 years old and has been in the family since 1976. Prior to this, my husband has been staying up here for nearly 70 years, helping his father build his cabin when he was a boy.

Lots of good times and good memories for our families.

I have painted the area extensively over the years. Along with many other treasures and belongings, many of those paintings are now gone. I've documented them over the years so I have images as well as paintings that are in my studio, or in people's collections. This is a painting the local Ponderosa Phone company used for it's phone book cover one year:

It's a view of a trail going up the hill behind our cabin. Maybe 8 years ago?

I'll post some other paintings from there when I get a chance to find them.