The Last Day of Summer

It is bittersweet that today is the last day of summer. Autumn used to be my favorite time of year, but summer has taken over the #1 spot, with autumn a close second.

It has been a very busy summer here. With gorgeous Pacific Northwest weather, we had picnics, camp-outs, barbecues and lots of fun celebrations like birthdays and weddings and anniversaries. All of that was in between one of my busiest "artwork" seasons. While enjoying the summer sun, I painted a lot of snowmen and Christmas botanicals. Here's just a few pictures of our summer 2014 in rural Oregon:

Sunflowers stand guard over the vegetable garden

"I brake for nurseries"

I felt as if I was floating in a puddle of the brightest
blue watercolor paint during the boat trip on Crater Lake

Crater Lake was so cold, but Glen and I had to dangle our feet in
one of the deepest and most pristine lakes in the world.

the ever-changing front perennial flower garden  

Cotton enjoyed strawberry ice cream on the 4th of July

We had the largest crops of tomatoes, corn, peppers
and blueberries this year. Glen learned to can!
And now, as the page on my daily planner turns, summer of 2014 is gone and autumn arrives. I see leaves turning red and gold, and rain is returning. The excitement of upcoming holiday celebrations and cozy autumn visits with friends and family has replaced the melancholy that summer is gone. 

I hope that you had a beautiful summer, and that now you are also looking forward to celebrating the wonderful fall awaiting us. Here's wishing you many beautiful autumn sunsets.

One of many beautiful sunsets in autumn