Every time we pull into our driveway though, I beam at the front yard with pride since it is FULL of flowers and color right now compared to the simple green lawn and boring little Christmas tree that was there before we owned the house. Honestly, it’s a huge mess and the lavender is swallowing all the plants around it whole like a monster. The roses and pear trees diseased and cut down to awkward nubs and weird shapes. But I love it.

It was nice to get out and paint. I haven’t felt like it. No desire to do anything creative at all, so I figured now is one of those times when a little shove was necessary. Baby steps. You don’t even have to leave the property. Just MOVE.

The crows watched me from above on their cypress perches, and I watched some little birds pulling abandoned spider webs from the fences for their nests. Those are some of the many reasons plein air will always be preferred to photos for me.