Maverick! Eagles! Advent!

Maverick!

My book arrived and I am so happy with how it turned out!  It was such a joy to write and illustrate.  It pairs nicely with "My Name is Journey!", the first book I wrote and illustrated.  Along with Maverick's cover below, I included photos of a couple of pages from each book.  When I wrote about Journey, I initially thought that book would be a one and done.  Time passed and I wanted to experience that fulfilling kind of creativity again.  The idea for Maverick was routed from a very different place than Journey.  There is much to learn about what triggers an idea and when to jump on the right ones! What's that saying, everything happens in threes!!!

Journey's pages!

Eagles!

It was time to check in on the Carburn Eagles!  I was distracted by the sunrise as I walked towards the Bow River.  This distraction captured my attention for at least a half hour.  A few dozen photographs later, this is the one I choose to share.  Once again I say, it was time to check in on the Carburn Eagles!  I hoofed it over to the viewing location.  They were no where to be seen when I arrived.  I stuck around for about twenty minutes with no sightings.  As I began to leave.....

.....a Bald Eagle was in coming!

I followed it with my camera to see it land! 

It sat there and it sat there and it sat there, while I stood there and I stood there and I stood there!  I waited for about twenty minutes then left. It's partner had not arrived but this Eagle had more patience than me.  I chatted with a fellow who told me the most recent happenings.  The pair of Carburn Bald Eagles are having trouble building a nest.  They have been spending hours bringing in branches, placing them in the tree, only to watch them fall to the ground, stare at it, look around, then go get another branch. Branch after branch after branch fell to the ground after they placed them. Yes, they have patience!  While I watched today, there was no branch collecting.  I will continue to monitor them with hopes the next time I go, there will be nest success!  

I got distracted again as I headed to my vehicle!  The pond has a covering of ice with methane bubbles formed close to the shoreline. I got as close as I safely could then used my zoom a bit to capture photos.  They were such a cool sight to see on a very cool morning! Yes, it's that time of year!

I got distracted again as I arrived near the parking lot!  

The Parks People just built this fire. 

I sat for a short while before getting on with my day.

Yes!  It's that time of year!

Advent!

Last December, I saw that Lorrie from Fabric Paper Thread created an Advent Calendar and I just read that she is doing another one this December.  I was intrigued after seeing her project last year so decided I am going to join in and try to make one myself.  I will be following Harriet at De Winton Paper Co where she will give a short tutorial on what to paint for each day of Advent.  Instead of ordering Harriet's calendar page, I made my own.  The paper measures eleven by fifteen inches, it's 140 lb cold pressed watercolour paper.  Each square measures just over two inches.  Not that I want to rush through the rest of November, but bring on December 1st, I am excited to start this project!