TRAVEL LOG OF AN ARTIST

When life is lived we do not always appreciate the specialness of the moment. Often we realize the wonder of it when it has turned to a dusty page of the past. To keep the details clear and sharp, I decided to log my travels of this past week.

 Travel destination was Yosemite National Park in California, most known for Half
Dome (on the Right), El Capitain and other giant mountains, meadows and many waterfalls. (This week I'll post my pastel on Half Dome on Art Notes).
Saturday late afternoon we arrived, and I did not feel too good physically. Was even thinking of staying indoors on Sunday, but I was glad I felt much better after waking up in the morning.
This first day we used to explore and see what possibilities for hiking and painting spots there were.
The weather was on the cool side, so my worry not having enough short and tank tops with me and having to go to one of the three (or all three!) thrift shops in the town nearby, quickly disappeared.

We stayed in a cabin by Bass Lake, 45 min. drive from Yosemite. In our younger years we were "roughing" it in a tent (yes, I heard you laughing!), but now we do "urban camping", with all the modern amenities, and in most of the cabins a good bed.  What I also like is that in the evening I still can work on my paintings (always have an extra light bulb with me!). And more protection from the mosquitoes. This year they were big and vicious. Hubby never gets bitten, but this year even he got his share!

The cabin is a little removed from the road, and when we open the door we have this view.
This week it became very obvious to me that the economic downturn has effected the way American does vacations. In Yosemite we saw twice the amount of people in their twenties, over all more people, many motorbikes and RV's. Never had so much trouble finding parking!

Another major difference from past years was that many places where I stood in previous years to paint, were flooded! Kind of shocking. There has been so much more rain this year in California. This combined with snow still melting at higher elevations, water finds its way to the roads. It makes for involuntary "car washes!"

On each day of the Travel Log I'll try to post something a "little somethin" that peeked my curiosity. Today it is that vertical light streak in these rocks that made us stop the car to take a pic of it. If you enlarge the image you can see more clearly what it exactly is:)