Last weekend had us jumping

Last weekend really had us jumping with ArtWalk Openings in Creston and Riondel.
Friday night, June 18 was the Creston Opening at Amanda Miller's Coffee Creek Cafe'.

At the same time as our ArtWalk Opening Brandy Dyer's "Bite Me'' show of lovely bright fruits done in pastels was opening at Buffalo Trails just up the street. We had had such a very long spell of wet and cold weather and last Friday evening was lovely and folks had a great time walking back and forth on the street between the two shows.

I made Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake for both openings and the real, intensely chocolate "scratch cakes" were enjoyed by all.

James had hung new work at Coffee Creek and Peter Bodley entertained us with his wonderful classical guitar.

Sunday, June 20, was the Eastshore Opening at Bob's Bar & Grill in Riondel. The Riondel Art Club is again showing their work at Bob's this summer and we were entertained by East Wind, the wind section of the community band.
Riondel seems such a nice little community and we enjoy seeing the things they accomplish. The opening was well attended mostly by the ladies as the men were occupied with their annual Father's Day Golf Game.

And what would an ArtWalk Opening be without a speech? I call it "Brains on Paper" because my mind goes pretty well completely blank without the paper.

 

The Creston Valley & Eastshore ArtWalk runs from June 18 - Sept 6 and goes from Yahk, BC through the Creston Valley and along Kootenay Lake to Crawford Bay, Kootenay Bay, and Riondel.

Brochures listing venues and with a map of the route are available at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center in Creston and at the many venues along the way.

James and I will need to be staying closer to home as  for regular gallery hours as well as for those who don't read when the hours are and arrive anyway. Today we had a brother and sister arrive and she will be taking one of my birdhouses home with her to Ottawa, Ontario.

That I should be so well traveled....

I think it's summer!

After our ever so long cold and wet spring dare we hope it's summer!

 The world is in bloom, at least ours is here on the Hilltop. The Ocean Spray which can be seen beyond the wagon is about to pop any day now. All the roses are quite pleased with themselves and coming into bloom and we are pleased with them too. These, in the foreground, are Grootendorst, which have a small blossom with frilly edges. The bush is prickly to the point of being vicious but sometimes that is what is needed to outwit the deer.

The Mock Orange grow wild on our hill, as do the Ocean spray, and we have encouraged them to stay where we want them. The Mock Orange bloom about the 20th of June every year which was my folks wedding anniversary and my mom said she had Mock Orange in her bouquet.
The spirea we have had to plant but theyu are a hardy little bush and do well here and I see where some are self seeding themselves which is only a bonus!

This was a sunny/ shady day and I took the picture of the big pink mountain of roses and the gazebo at a shady moment, it would seem. I do not know what this rose is as I came in a box with a quite different picture of a little red splashed with white picotee hybrid tea on it. Obviously this is not that rose! It is gradually taking over the front garden and I love it so much I will just move the things it overshadows. I see my peony peeking out from it's branches. It probably needs to be moved.

 Here is the pink rose from another angle. I still would like to wrest the garden back from the grass to some extent but my grandmother's garden was one of pretty flowers among the grass and I see how that can happen.

This last red rose is a Winnipeg Parks.
The Canadian Department of Agriculture maintained a research station in Morden, MB where they developed the many Hardy Explorer and Parkland roses.
This rose blooms most prolifically in early summer but will rebloom. I try to be sure to leave lots of spent blossoms on as it has such lovely rose hips which we enjoy for the show as they slowly disappear with the deer all winter.
My red Weigela is in full bloom. Usually the Bishops Cape is in bloom at the same time with it's lacy bunches of tiny flowers and variegated leaves but it has been set back by James' filling in the pond. We were just discussing that it is finally dry enough to consider  bringing the tractor up to level things again.

 

ArtWalk Openings, PaintOuts,memorials, and more

 

Well, it is a mystery why sometimes this program wants to underline everything and then, for some unknown reason it decides to quit.

This has been a very busy month. Next are the ArtWalk Openings.

The Creston Opening is this Friday, June 18 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at the Coffee Creek Cafe in Creston with light refreshments and with classical guitar by Peter Bodley.

The Eastshore Opening is Sunday, June 20, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at Bob's Bar & Grill in Riondel, again with refreshments, and with music by the East Winds. 

 

Last Saturday was our annual Spring PaintOut and it was the first truly hot and sunny day we've had. We gave the new gazebo a real work out. At one point there were 13 or 14 of us inside eating lunch with folks spilling out onto the lawn. It was a great time, very well attended with at least 20 people and several of our artist friends have come back the last few mornings to continue on their works.

This poppy painting is James accomplishment from that day and the next.

The gazebo is well on its way to being done. It still needs roofing and some paint and plantings and ...... it doesn't end, but we are sure to enjoy it. Because it has the little cupola the hot air rises and escapes and it stays cool and breezy. 

We're so glad Ann didn't want it any more.

James numbered all the parts and resurrected it here and it has a new roof of 

1 x 5 cedar in a quilty pattern.

 A week ago we held a time of remembrance for my mom in the pavilion and gardens behind Morris Flowers Garden Center. 

Last fall, when she passed on, we were not ready for another service having just lost a close friends mother, father, and aunt so we said "In the spring, when the flowers are blooming."

In between we lost another close friend's mom and a very dear auntie. It is a time of losses and we are becoming the "older generation."

The tea for our mother was just lovely, very informal with lots of folks visiting and our cousin Jean had made my sister and I each a memory book of pictures of our mom's life starting in early childhood and we were able to bring those along for folks to enjoy also.
My sister and her husband and all my mother's grandchildren and her future grand daughter-in-law were able to come.

The last picture here is of my mom as a little girl.

After this weekend I've an art show to put up in the library for ArtWalk and then I can get back to blithering softly in my own garden.

The wonderful news ... there's a wedding next summer!