A sad day

Today is a sad day for me as well as my family and close friends. My little maltese, Maurice Ja'Nice passed away quietly in my arms on Tuesday. He has been our little one for 18 years. He was the best there ever was... finding a replacement will be next to impossible if at all...
Maurice was born in California in 1990, brought to Turkey and became ours at 8 months old. We traveled all over the world. He would wear his sunglasses and sit in my backpack as we climbed mountains and explored castles, Roman Ruins, and caves in Turkey and Cyprus. He walked the very streets that the apostle Paul walked in his home of Tarsus, visited the caves of the hidden Church's that Jesus preached in Antiock. He walked the floors of Cleopatra's personal bath house and played in the field of a large stadium where Christians and prisoners were mauled by lions for the amusement of the rich. He was served in restaurants on chairs and played in the surf of the Mediterranean Sea. He learned to love the taste of different breads and chicken served in any fashion. He wore his hair long to the floor and once someone said he looked like a dust mop ! He liked his ponytail bands to be white, gold, blue or my favorite shade of purple. I learned how to clean his teeth as a youngster with tools given to me by a dentist. He passed away at 18 with all his teeth, except one that came out when the granddaughter was swinging him by a towel and while airborne, let go of the end and went flying with his tooth left in the fabric. He didn't mind, it was a tiny bottom tooth and didn't show when he smiled or panted.
His vet kept in touch daily for the last week of his life. The doc had fallen in love with him 14 years ago and was making sure he was comfortable. He said it was unusual to have one pass away from natural causes (old age). Our 26th wedding anniversary was Sunday, and I think Maurice did not want to make that day sad, so he lingered until the early hours of Tuesday AM.
During the last week of his life, we would go for walks around the yard and sit in some of his favorite spots. One day we heard a loud chirping noise coming from the bird sanctuary. A small bird looked stuck in the feeder. He flew away when we approached. That bird chirped like a tribe of crickets in a war party! We called it "Cry baby". Every day for the whole week, Cry baby would cry. The other birds, sparrows, who were half his size, would bring him a worm or a bug as Cry baby did not eat seed very well. I think he was pushed out of his nest by his parents and the sparrows took over as surrogates. I would say," Oh Maurice, listen to the Cry baby again." He would listen as I held him in my arms and watched the bird as he sat pecking at the seed. I have tryed for 14 years to get the birds to eat from my hand. Never once until this week did that happen. Cry Baby came so close to watch Maurice and I sit on the patio, that I went in and brought out some bread to see if he would eat from me. I threw crumbs and he would eat. After 1 day, Cry baby was walking around my feet. Yesterday, Tuesday, I was sitting outside on the patio crying in deep sorrow. Cry baby came and sat on the chair next to me. We looked at one another and I felt a bond. I had prayed many times to the animal spirits to help Maurice pass over. I also prayed to St. Francis, protector of animals. I know in my heart they heard and helped us. I asked Maurice to give me a sign that he had passed and was still with me in spirit. Every morning Maurice and I would sit on the porch, he in his chair and me with my coffee and newspaper in my chair. This morning I was in terrible distress as I looked at Maurice's empty chair and the reality of his death was apparent again. All of a sudden Cry baby was on the patio and jumped onto the porch and walked over to me and cocked his head side to side and looked at me. I went in and brought out some bread he took a bite or two and flew off. I went inside and after a few minutes, a pecking sound came from my patio door. There was Cry baby, pecking on the glass door wanting me to come out or him to come in ? I laughed and said to my self, " is this a weird thing or a sign from Maurice that he is OK ?" After a few minutes, I looked up and there was Cry baby on the window sill looking in at me ! I smiled and acknowledged him. He flew off. He has visited me several times today. He walked around the lawn and followed me while I watered the garden and sat on the chair rail when I took a break. My friend, Joan, came over to witness Cry baby in action. It took only a few minutes and here he was! She handed him some bread and he almost came and ate it from her hand ! Then she told me she has had a baby bunny in her yard for the last 2 days. She had never had one stay so long and act so unafraid when she approached it. It has become entertaining to her and she looks forward to its appearances. It suddenly started to make sense in a strange way... This past Sunday I asked her to help me make Maurices blanket for his casket. I had saved the pretty bedding he had came to us with as a puppy, knowing one day I would use it for his final bed. Joan sewed white satin on the back and made a pillow for Maurice and one for me as a memory pillow. I went to by room and returned with the pillow and told her to look at the print. It was covered in cute little baby bunnies !!! I know that Maurice was giving her a sign and saying thank you the blanket and pillow and the little stuffed puppy she put in his casket. I believe there is a spirit to all living things, and that spirit remains forever, even after death. All you have to do is believe and listen...look for a sign when you ask for one and be still and listen, look and open your heart and mind. They will let you know.
There is so much I could continue to write about. Maurice was my baby, my heart. Life as I have known it for the past 18 years will be forever changed... My heart will always ache for this loss.

Howdy!

I have not seen a blog post from anyone for awhile...Is anyone out there? It is Sunday night, July 27, 2008. I spent the afternoon getting things together to take to Choteau for the auction. The early evening was spent w/friends and family from church at the annual picnic at Mitchell pool.
It has been pretty hot, so am having to water the gardens often. My grandson Brandon left for New York City on Sat. I am depending on prayer for his safe return. He is only 7 and doesn't know the new family or their spanish language. His dad is not always forthrite...So I have to step up and put my trust in his words and promises. Karen Raymond (river lady) spent Friday with me and my 3 little granddaughters. we went to the movie 'Space Chimps' it was cute.
Well I hope someone gets this......please write back! always, Lynda

Mountain goat photos.

We spent the day with the mountain goats. Watching them, talking to them, taking photos of them....
This baby was curious about us...
This mamma talked with me, she paid attention to every word I said! She was so calm, so peaceful...I'll never forget my visit with her.

These twins liked to lay together, they came to this place, dug down into the dirt to get a cooler bed, then flopped down to rest.
This goat stood on the edge of a cliff, chewing her cud, you can see her mouth was moving.
A baby playing with it's patient mom.
Soulful eyes, you can see wondrous lot of thinking going on in her mind.

This goat was across the cliff from us, hanging on like it was nothing. All in all, we took about 600 photos of these goats! I'll be adding them to my photo reference site for artists.

Thanks for stopping by to see my photos.
Donna

Baylie's Painting

Well, it took us 2 days to complete, but her masterpiece is done. Very nice pastel&colored pencil drawing of a few tipi's on a prairie w/ a very bright pink and orange and purple sky w/ reflections in a pond. I would show her how to draw and how to color and use her fingers as 'brushes' to mix her colors. She practiced making trees and birds and rocks then painted them on her picture. I teach her the principles of shading (dark-med-light) and how to finish with highlights here and there and why each step is important, etc. I hope she gets some recognition for her artistic talent....If you get a chance to view the childrens art, look for Baylie Fuhrman, age 8, pastel drawing titled "Indian Village"...you can also vote on the your favorite piece. I am finishing a painting of Jackson Peak or "titty mountain" at Holter Lake. I plan an entering it in the fair. It is fun to be involved in things like this. I have a lot of paintings to finish in the next few weeks......LOVE it tho...I am an absentminded artist for sure! Hopefully I can learn to put my prints on this blog so others can see our work. I will check in w/you later....BYE............

LuLu's Blog

Today was a crazy day of shopping w/ my 8yr old granddaughter, Baylie. She is a future MISFIT ARTIST in the making. She entered the Fair last year and won a Blue Ribbon on a landscape scene done in pastels. She is working on this years entry and had to select the frame, etc. I also want to enter something but I have not done any since May.... I also am entering the auction at Choteau, so July is pretty intense w/deadlines. YEAH that is why I am a Misfit Artist....I miss fit all my priorities and time keeps marching on and on and on ...
Gardening is taking up a large number of days as the weather has been great for growing everything from radishes to pansies. I did some fishing when we went to Holter Lake for a week....I did a painting,too. Lots of old friends and laughs and lies around the campfire everynight. Getting ready to head out again ASAP. I am anxious to learn how to put pictures etc, on this blog...then you can see some of my paintings and my grandbabies.
Life is good. I work with Hospice and have learned from the patients to love each day and every minute in it. NOTHING is as serious as the final days of your life, so take things in stride, shrug your shoulders and say "Oh Well" and keep pressing on...I find that hard to do sometimes, but I am teaching myself to recognize the signs of stress and sadness and not get to overburdened with it. Prayer and constant conversations with the Man above help alot.
Well, until we meet again...smile and the world just might smile back !

Meet Lynda J'anice. She'll be posting more on this blog as time goes on! You'll also see her art as soon as she learns to post it to the web.

Her paintings are wonderful, you'll enjoy them!

Here's Lynda!

Born in Bottineau ND (Turtle Mountains)

Married 3 girls/ 21/2 son-in-laws, 5 granddaughters and 3 grandsons, ages 15 to 24 mo.

Artist: all types, still life, landscape, animals. Media: Acrylic, oil & pastels. No formal training, just guidance from above.Started painting"seriously" in 2006, entered State Fair and won Judges Choice Award! most paintings were gifts to friends and family. Have paintings in homes across the USA, as was a military dependant as well as a Civil Service employee w/ the Air Force. Retired in 2000 due to health matters. Painting has really helped relieve the stress problems. I have several very good friends that have also helped me get better...The MISFIT Crew !!! :) I love to camp and fish, esp for Walleyes. I would have broke the state record but it weighed a few ounces less, but was Longer!! I will keep trying to catch the big one...I also love to garden !

Zebra work in progress

Zippy the Zebra entered a veterinary clinic where a friend of mine works. This clinic is in Texas, and Zippy was one sick little girl when she arrived. She'd been bitten all over by fire ants, she was malnourished, dehydrated, and had various other problems. Her beautiful eyes were so swollen from the ants, she couldn't open them.

In time, she became well! When I knew she was going to be ok, I asked my friend if she could get me some photos of Zippy before she went home. So I'm working from those photos to make some paintings of Zippy.

In the meantime, we ran out of water today. Had to pull the pump. Luckily, it can be pulled by hand and our neighbor came over and helped us. While he was here, he trimmed the donkeys feet as I've been calling our farrier for a month and can't get him to answer his phone. He's getting married this month, so maybe he has other things on his mind than Pedro and Daisy!

Nice to be young!

We had to go to town to get parts for the well, so we also picked up an old industrial sewing machine. Now we can patch our jeans, sew our tents, upholster our old cars and power wagon, and maybe sew some quilts.

What with the well going out, solving that problem, catching Pedro so he could get his feet trimmed, and the normal things of a day, I'm about ready to quit! Would be nice to take a shower tonight, but we don't have any water....:)
Donna Ridgway

Email Me if you have questions, or want to inquire about purchasing a painting.

Remember, you can find horse art , Western art, Mule and Donkey art
wildlife art, cow art, and animal paintings, my reference photosfor sale on my website.