Hunting

I finally found a little time to turkey hunt Saturday morning and actually filled a tag. It was a small turkey but a turkey none the less. Hunting has slowly taken a back seat to everything else I am trying to get done in my life right now especially raising busy kids and painting. I was not aware of how much time, energy and attention painting would require and consume. Nobody warned me. Before I knew it, it had me. Even when I hunt, the painting wheels are turning in my head. "Look how close those values are." "How would I get that color?" "Man I wish I were set up right now." And on and on. I posted the photo of my hunting compadre because if you will notice the sun was rising and casting light on the ridge to the left in unbelievable colors with the fog hanging along the Duck River in the background. I almost threw my gun down and ran screaming back to the truck for my painting gear. The only thing that stopped me was as I was taking this photo, two of the largest turkeys I have heard in awhile were gobbling their heads off about 50 yrds. to the right just over the crest of the hill we are on. I wanted the turkeys to wait until I had finished watching this sun-up or for the sun-up to hang on just a minute until I had dispatched one of these turkeys. Of course neither happened because when you are out there you are just a spectator on Mother Nature's time. You can't stop it or slow it down. Just feel incredibly fortunate for the experience.

The paintings are a couple from the week and the tree line with the chert rock road is from class last Thursday. We got out and did a little plein air painting there in Leiper's Fork and I have to say I was quite proud of the class. It was windy and about 50-55 degrees and they all hung in there and had some real nice paintings for their effort.