thank goodness

brand new gouache paint set and a new No. 4 brush

It's cool here this morning. I'm not sure if it's the remnants of Fay finally reaching our shores or if it's some weather system from Ontario or perhaps the meeting of the two but it's supposed to be very cold here today. Not cool but cold. Close the windows cold. Then by the weekend the temperature will shoot back up to 29 C which is hot and almost as high as it gets here. Sunny and summery weather from the beginning of the weekend on and if you are a summery sunny person (remember I'm a little dark rain cloud with some thunder thrown in) that will be a huge relief. Our August the weather has been tres shitty as summery and sunny goes. Rain and rain and more rain. Lots of overcast skies with dark stormy clouds and thunder storms - maybe that's why mood has been lifted lately. It's not the kind of weather they want to have, here at the seaside. And the bad weather is an ongoing hot topic of conversation. We Canadians we are famous for our love of the weather chat and complaining chat the best and always most favourite.

My Etsy store art card component bits and pieces (envelopes and cellophane sleeves etc.) continue to arrive. It's the first time curse. Once I have this initial shop update done, reordering all these bits and pieces and adding to my collection of photo and illustration, sweet, matted print cards, should be a cinch. It's all this first time care and detail and an awful lot of measuring (a personal handicap of mine) that's been bogging me down. But they are still coming and still being worked on.

And I've had tons of paying design work on the teak topped desk which has kept me very busy these last few weeks. I'm at my desk through the day and into the evenings. Stopping to do the dishes, feed the beasts, and to walk with Miss Dixon down into the park each early evening.

Thank goodness for live streaming of Olympic coverage on CBC.ca, for bubbles with lavender and orange, and orange pekoe tea with lots of milk & sweet perfect clementines.

And of course for my Sugar Beet - Miss Winnie Dixon.

8:50 am - Three Harrier Hawks swooping and flying low in the pastures where we walk this early morning. Spectacular large rusty brown birds with a distinctive white stripe on their tail. The hawk totem means messenger.