I was on a hike today and stopped to watch milkweed seeds get blown back and forth in their cracked-open pod until a few of them took off in the wind. Tomorrow is my last full day of residency. I identified with those travelers.

Today I drove the Gator to the end of the Redrock Spur and did the Redrock Climb to a spectacular view over the river valley. Really. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Julie Andrews up there, twirling and singing. I started this painting and will go back tomorrow with a chair, more sunscreen and more insect repellant. There are some yellows and oranges here now and a lot more brown than when I arrived. At the bottom of the trail, I met a family from Wisconsin who decided to ford the river to reach another trail. As they waded across I heard the son say, “We were just WALKING before…..now we’re HIKING!”

When I got back to the Riverhouse, I decided to paint the dance barn from a new side. Once I rolled the doors and windows open, it took on such a jolly character. And why not? It has been a legendary events hall since Prohibition. Need I say more?

I’ll continue to paint from photos after I am home and everything from the trip will be posted online for sale during November. So, this is not the last blog entry about Whiterock, just the last one before I leave the land.