Virginia A. Spiegel

Mysteries of Horseshoe Rock 2

Since I completed six small Mysteries of Horseshoe Rock, I have been working on additional artwork in this series in a bigger size.  They should finished up to around 36×36″ or a bit bigger. I started with a photo when I did the first six, but now I am working just the way I like to.  I have a specific image in mind, but am more focused on conveying the embedded emotion.  I have four big pieces done, but not stitched and plan on starting the fifth today. I don’t like to stop and stitch when I am on a roll with a series.

Of course the topic occupying my time is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the fun, freedom, and adventure my sister and I experience there twice each summer.

We’re off in June, so as the quartermaster I am trying out new recipes.  Yea on the new granola, the carrot/pineapple bread needs more work, and the purchased chicken dish I tried reminded me why I make all our our food!  Time to also try to whip myself back in Boundary Waters shape after a long winter.

The “Big Pack” photo is back on my fridge as incentive. It’s 50 lb. and I’m usually good to go once we get it up

The other big activity keeping me busy is my gardens. I put down the frame for a 4×8′ raised bed veggie garden this weekend.  I’m hoping I have enough compost to fill it. Gardening on clay makes a raised bed garden a necessity for veggies.

Unfortunately my only sun is in my front yard and I raised plenty of eyebrows with the amount of lawn I have already taken up. Lawn is king in rural suburbia, but I need my own spring peas after buying them for too long at the farmers’ market.

That’s it for this month and don’t forget I try to share a more personal view of my art and life in my free monthly e-newsletter.

Just back yesterday from the Boundary Waters on the Canadian/Minnesota Borders after another inspiration canoe wilderness camping trip with my sister, Nancy. We both thought this trip would be an easy paddle in, a set up on our favorite campsite on a small lake, and a week spent day tripping here and there.

But Mother Nature knows how to keep you humble and on your toes.  About two minutes after launching the canoe, I took this photo:

And then it really started to be interesting.  It was honestly the biggest and nastiest water I have ever paddled in for so long.  So finally we said, “That’s it” and beat back to a campsite we had visited before.  We were one lake short of where we hoped to be, but very happy to be safely ashore.

Engineer Nancy set up with this tarp wind break that was a great place to cook and be out of the roaring wind and rain:

And so we spent the week on that one campsite with plenty of time for naps, lovely meals, sketching and a daily photography challenge. And in every kind of weather we had coffee break in the afternoon; you know that made me happy:

We also had two sunny days that let us survey our big lake and see mink, eagles, beavers, loons, and more.  Sometimes life gives you just what you need.

My August e-newsletter will be coming out before the end of the month with more exclusive photos and stories from the Boundary Waters .  Not a subscriber? Just send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE as the header.

These maple seeds just turning pink were very interesting to me.  I photographed them again and again at different times of day and in different light: