Contents

Stories

Stories about dogs 
Blame it on Beatrix Potter  - Members of my family dress up their pets.
Another Thing About Bill  - Bill steals my pets.
Leo, The Occasionally Good Dog  - Meet my dog Leo.
One Time When Leo Was Good  - I feed compelled to defend Leo's honor.
Biker Bob Goes for a Walk  - Biker Bob helps me walk the dogs.
Seals Aren't Smarter Than Leo  - Leo is a smart dog, apparently.
Rosie and the Bear  - Rosie protects me from a bear, sort of.
Ways to say "Leo," Part 1: Reading the Menu  -  Short animated cartoon about the Occasionally Good Dog.
Another Way to Say Leo  - Short animated cartoon about you-know-who.

Ways to say "Leo" - The Drive-by - Another animated cartoon about Leo.

Stories about birds and other wildlife


The Yard Robin Liked Me Better  - Finally, a pet that Bill isn't able to steal.
May is "Garden for Wildlife" Month  - How Bill and I set up a wildlife habitat.
Rosie and the Bear  - Rosie protects me from a bear, sort of.
The Last Great Ladybug Eviction  -  I have to throw the ladybugs out of the farmhouse for good. 
Listen to Orcas Live on the Hydrophone Network  - If you ever wondered how an orca whale sounds, here's your chance to find out. 
BAD BAD BAD Kitty How to make a bad kitty behave.
Wildlife Management (Not) What I know about managing the wildlife in our yard.


Stories about crows

Meet Bertram  - Introducing my "pet" crow, Bertram.
Bertie Goes Golfing   - Even Bill wants me to dress up Bertram.
Peanuts for Two, Please  - Bertram and his mate Corvina, are now nesting across the street.
Bertram's Disappearance  -  The strange disappearance of our favorite crow and a possible reason for it. 
Bertram is Back  - And looking a bit frazzled, too, I must say. 
Boy, Girl, Who Cares?  - I decide not to worry about which as which. At least when it comes to crows. 
A Marauding Eagle  - A bald eagle threatens the nest of Bertram and Corvina. 
Crows are Getting Some Bad Press  - Crows protecting their nests get a negative news report.
New Kids on the Block  - The kids are learning to fly.
Help Name the Baby Crows  - How can I write about them if I don't know their names? 
Crow Science  - Like me, scientific researchers have become very interested in crows, but for different reasons.
Watchbirds - Crows are the German Shepherds of the bird world.

Stories about people

On Being a Role Model  - My daughter Liz gets some bad news at school.
Biker Bob Goes for a Walk  - Taking a simple walk isn't all that easy.
The Year of the House  - Misadventures trying to sell one house and buy another.
Christine, a Made-up Story  - Sometimes silliness is just what the love doctor ordered.
Pete's Home Texaco  - More than just a stop on the road to paradise.
The Smoking Rock  - My sister and I escape the house.
Dear Bessie  - Teachers aren't always people. 
On Being Friends  -  Friends broaden my perspective on things, like what makes a good pet.
Sharp Metal Objects - How I became a favorite great auntie.
Gate C  - Sometimes patience pays off, and sometimes it doesn't.


Art in General
Artists of the First Nations -  A visit to the UBC Museum of Anthropology.
Sketching on Location - Drawing and painting quick sketches of a scene.
Artists Are Not Like Software Engineers - What 20 years in high tech failed to teach me.
Art Studio On Wheels - How I set up my art studio in a small space.

Watercolor Painting

On painting

Painting from Photos  - Advantages and pitfalls.
The Art of Making Mistakes  - On the unexpected gifts given by mistakes.
Tale of Two Paintings  - Homework for Tom Hoffman's class.
Digitizing Paintings  -  My somewhat feeble attempts to get good digital images of my watercolors 
Winslow Homer, The Color of Light, Behind the Scenes  - Links to an online exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago 
Summer Plein Air Schedule  - Opportunities for artists in the Seattle area to get together and paint outdoors. 
Painting in the Manner of Thomas Schaller  - I create a painting by following Thomas' painting process. 
Overcoming Fear of Paint  -  Someone once said to expand your abilities and horizons, you should do one thing a day that makes you afraid.
More Fear of Paint - I'm still putting lots of paint on the page while holding my breath.
Robin's Sketchbook - Photos of a watercolor sketchbook.
Robin's Sketchbook Part 2 - Robin's sketches of children at school and play.
Robin's Sketchbook, Travels Near and Far - Lucky for us, Robin paints even when she's on the road.
What's the What and So What? - Something I learned about painting from Catherine Gill.
Setting up an Outdoor Easel - I demonstrate how I converted my camera tripod into a watercolor easel.
Trying Too Hard - Creativity flees in the face of judgement.
How to Frame a Watercolor Painting - It can be a bit tricky your first time. Here's how I do it.
How to Start a Watercolor Meetup Group. If you're interested in establishing a supportive art community, here's one way to do it.

Watercolor books

A Review of My Watercolor Books  - The books currently in my watercolor library.
Books on Pictorial Composition  - A review of two composition books I've read.

Watercolor supplies                                                                                                    

Basic Setup for Watercolor Painting  - Description of what you need to get started.
Watercolor Resources  - List of web sites of interest to watercolor painters.
Art Studio On Wheels - How I set up my art studio in a small space.

Photography

Hyperfocusing  - How to get an entire scene in focus
Contrast  - What it means and some examples
Shutter speed  - Stopping motion, showing motion, and "painting" with light
Depth of Field  - What it is and how to change it
How to Make an HDR Photo from a Single RAW or NEF File  -  If you're tired of blurry HDR photos, try out this technique.
Always on the Lookout for Photo Ops  - As a painter and photographer, my camera is always handy.
An Excursion to the Flower and Garden Show - Liisa and I found lots of beauty to photograph.

Wildlife/ Gardening/ Environment
Gardening for Wildlife  - Find out how to create a backyard wildlife habitat.
Rain Gardening for Orcas  -  Rain gardens help keep raw sewage out of Puget Sound.
Plants for Pacific Northwest Shade Gardens  -  A list of plants that have thrived in my gardens.
How Much Stuff Does It Take to be Happy?  - After trying it both ways, I'm a convert of minimalism.
An Excursion to the Flower and Garden Show - Photos of the 2012 show in Seattle.
Wildlife Management - What I know about managing the wildlife in our yard.
2013 Flower and Garden Show - Bill and I saw lots of ideas for a backyard sitting area.
Planting a Native Australian Shade Garden in Sydney - My daughter, Liz, learns about native Australian plants as she plans her gardens.
A Native Shade Garden in Sydney -- Year Two - Liz gives us an update on her progress.

Writing

On Writing

Nora Ephron, Writer  - Quotes on writing
Favorite Nonfiction Books  - Books you might like, too.
First Writing Assignment  - "The Written Word and Me"

Reflections                                                                                                              
Laundry Day Haiku
The Art of Making Mistakes
Elegy for a Couple of Trees  -  Things that are no longer in my life, but are ever in my heart
World Environment Day  - I never would have heard about this, but for a comment from a reader in Indonesia.
Buhtan's Gross National Happiness  -  Would you rather have your government promote happiness or gross domestic product?
How Much Stuff Does It Take to be Happy?  - After trying it both ways, I'm a convert of minimalism.
Artists Are Not Like Software Engineers - What 20 years in high tech failed to teach me.
Golden Times - About holding on and letting go.

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