Happy Black Cat Day

In honour of Hallowe'en, I've decided to showcase some terrific black cats. Here's Fran's delightful cat Louis.


Originally from Scotland, this cat now lives across from the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan, Ontario and spends his days keeping the museum safe from mice.


This little guy is up for adoption at the local mill in Alexandria and was fast asleep in a makeshift bed.


Here's my Oreo, not entirely black but if she could trick or treat, I know she would.


My most senior cat, Domino, is 18-years old and is retired so she's likely not interested in trick or treating...or even hunting for mice!

Painted Stuff

I'm working towards that show on November 9th in Montreal so I've been trying to paint every day. Here's a fun lupin pitcher...


...and a nice, square cat plate.


This is a large, 11.5" serving bowl.


A single serving teapot and matching cup in a neat little package.


The blue plates reminded me of the sea so I decided to paint shorebirds on them and ended up with eggs. Go figure.


I got a few commissions too. A dinner set for a little boy who is going to be eight years old and loves helping on the farm.


And these are for his four year old sister who loves kittens.


This cookie jar is for a set of triplets who are known to their parents as the dragonflies.


This black and white cat plate is a Christmas gift from a mother to a son portraying his favourite cat Badger.

Snow in October?!*%!

I tried to post earlier today but there was too much snow on my satellite dish. I finally gave in a few moments ago and climbed up to the roof and removed it.


My clothesline looks pretty weird with snow stuck to it.


These oak leaves weren't quite ready to come down yet.


The tamarack trees and their golden needles are all bent with the weight of the snow.


Lucky the birds have all flown south. Wish I was with them!

Another Good Reason for Clean Windows

Richard and I did a good fall cleaning and washed all the windows and screens. And we also removed the screens from the office and bathroom windows. No need for screens when there are no bugs to keep out, right?


While gazing through my spotlessly clean, screenless window what do I spy? A pair of Ruffed grouse foraging for food under my spruce tree. I couldn't believe it when one of them walked along the fence not 5 feet from my office window.

Fall Arrives and Fall Leaves

All these gorgeous leaves have now made their way onto the ground. Yesterday was fall clean up day. Richard and I raked leaves and mowed leaves. We also put away the lawn furniture, wooden swing, hoses, watering cans and barbecue. And lastly, we washed all the windows and screens so we are now ready to watch for the arrival of winter.

Caffeine ATCs

These artist trading cards will be traded tomorrow at our monthly meeting. They are called "Caffeine" and are a combination of some funky stickers I bought in Canmore, Alberta last May superimposed on a series of photos I've been shooting of coffee cups in diners.

Painted Stuff This Week

I've been busy this week painting stuff for an upcoming show at my friend Carol's house in Montreal on November 9th. In the meantime, I'm also painting a few Christmas orders, like this large nasturtium platter.


How about a nice cup of tea out of this lupin teapot?


Or a cup of coffee from this vintage coffee pot, now covered with daisies?


This was the silliest set of salt and peppers I'd seen in a long time. I found them in a collectibles shop in Dwight, Ontario this past Thanksgiving.


I knew when I saw them that I could put a cat or dog face on them. Around the middle of the shakers I've written, "Please pass the salt" and "Please pass the pepper."

Back in Time

I went to Montreal yesterday and had lunch with my former next door neighbour Barbara. I was best friends with her daughter Pam (we were nine days apart in age). As a kid, I was entranced with Barb's geranium-papered ceiling. I still think it's pretty fantastic.


Barbara is an animal lover and feeds birds and many other critters too. Mira, a Birman cat, was left at the local vet and was slated to be put down because she was snarling and nasty. No one would adopt her. Barbara visited her every day and eventually was able to take her home and with lots of love, Mira has turned into an amazing cat.

Oktoberfest ATCs

Last weekend our little ATC gang that does a bi-monthly Make and Trade session got together. We've celebrated all sorts of timely holidays in the past. This time we chose Oktoberfest. Seven of us sat around the dining room table, working madly on producing enough cards to trade. Our hostess Holly served German beer and wine and the grand finale was a black forest cake. Great afternoon.

Auction, Eats and Art

Richard and I went to an auction run by Ti-Rouge in St. Eugene, Ontario yesterday. Nice dishes...


...as well as big, stryofoam containers of poutine for anxious bidders.


Then we were off to a vernissage down the road. We got distracted by Dody's fantastic arty shoes that she made herself.


So distracted, that I forgot to take a photo of the show and opted for a closer look at those shoes. Wowza!

Nature in the Fall

This crazy mushroom popped up in the cat run. It's an Earth Star (Geastrum family) and it looks like it landed from outer space!


This little guy was trying to hide amidst the yellow leaves. Hmmm. Bad camouflage for this time of year. Don't you just love his toes?


Our local feed mill always has tons of kittens available for adoption and I love to go and play with them.


I tell myself it's helping to "socialize" them so they'll be ready for adoption. Yah, right.


My own, former kitten Cinnamon looks great against the yellow leaves, doesn't he?

This Week's Painted Dishes

A snack set with kitty cats on the cups.


This cat set of a creamer, sugar and matching mugs will be enjoyed in Sioux Lookout, Ontario.


Various bathroom pieces...I figured folks could pick whichever ones they'd like and mix 'n' match 'em.


A plate for a little boy who is crazy about John Deere tractors.

Sunny Shots

I thought my painted bowl full of colourful fruit looked terrific in the sunshine.


And I really like this photo that Richard snapped of me in sunny Algonquin Park.

Travelling in the Fall

On our way to Thanksgiving in the Muskokas this weekend, we had a picnic at Golden Lake, south of Algonquin Park.


We stopped several times in Algonquin Park to take photos.


It was a warm, sunny October day. Pretty darn picturesque, eh?


The next day, before we dug in to all that turkey, we drove to Huntsville...


...and went for a walk along the water.


Overhead were bright red crabapples framed against the blue sky.


Richard's car was the perfect colour as a backdrop for all those colourful leaves.