Nice hike...but what happened to my boots? September 2026 update
We're finally feeling a little chill in the air overnight, and I, for one, am OK with that! August was long, hot and sunny where I was (when it wasn't smoky). I don't know if I spent more time painting or cooling off at the beach. I'm definitely looking forward to some cooler weather. And a lot of activities, as you'll read below!
In this update:
Nice hike...but what happened to my boots?
Come see me at the Lake Country ArtWalk and enter my draw!
Join me for a two-day workshop in Invermere in October
Nice hike...but what happened to my boots?
We arrived at the trailhead mid-afternoon, later than I hoped. Lots to do at home, things to pick up along the way, a four-hour drive…it all set us back. But my hiking partner and I were eager to get going, even so late in the day. We put on our packs and set out.
Soon we noticed how hot it was. And how the trail went straight up the mountain in zigging and zagging switchbacks. There were no trees for cover, and we were soon bathed in sweat. It was hard to appreciate the beautiful views with sweat streaming into our eyes and down our backs.
By the time we reached our campsite at the top of the trail, we were exhausted and beyond overheated. We didn’t say much, just made a quick dinner, set up our tent and went to bed. We slept in opposite directions; we were hiking partners, not life partners, if you know what I mean. His head was at the far end of the tent and my head was near the door. I spread my sweat-soaked T-shirt over my boots just above my head and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
In the morning, I took time to admire the river we were camped beside and enjoy the cool, morning air. I put on my now-dry lime-green T-shirt to get ready for the day’s hike.
But wait, what was this? Something was wrong with my T-shirt. I looked at it, felt around and realized — oh my gosh! — the collar was missing. How could that have happened? I reached down to tie up my leather boots and stopped again. What? The insides of the tongues of my boots were gone. All that remained was a ripped-up mess.
I thought for a minute and realized what must have happened. While I was sleeping so deeply, a small creature like a squirrel or a chipmunk had chewed up my shirt and my boots. It was probably attracted by the salt in my sweat. That little so and so! I didn’t hear a thing, and he chewed up everything right by my head!
There was nothing to be done about it. I wore the collarless, lime-green T-shirt and tightened my tongueless boots and we continued our hike. Later that morning, we stopped to rest on a large rock overlooking a lake. I put my pack down on the rock and no more than a few seconds later, a squirrel appeared and tried to burrow into my pack, looking for goodies.
You just never know when wildlife is going to strike or how it will change your day, do you? Even wildlife as small as a squirrel. Maybe I’ll paint that squirrel, or send him a bill for a new shirt and boots.
Come see me at the Lake Country ArtWalk and enter my draw!
Yikes! Just a few days until Lake Country ArtWalk, and I’ve got an even bigger role in the show than I originally thought!
ArtWalk runs from September 12-13 in Lake Country, B.C. (the Winfield part of Lake Country). It features more than 200 artists, all of whom must apply and go through a jurying process before being accepted for the show.
The theme of this year’s ArtWalk is Art On The Move; that’s appropriate, because after 27 years in the same place, the show will be held in a new location. The new location is 9718 Bottom Wood Lake Road, a large industrial site that was previously an apple cold storage site.
I will be in the Green Room for the show, which I think fits pretty well with my art and love of nature. I will be displaying new work in my Wild Essence Series and new work in my Little Birds Series. I haven’t shown all of my new paintings online, so be sure to come and see them in person! When you do, you can enter a draw to win a free print of one of my paintings. You don’t want to miss that!
Now here’s the scary part: as well as exhibiting in the show, I’ll be taking part in the Quick Draw special event. On Saturday at 1 p.m. I’ll join seven other artists and we will each create a painting in only one hour. Afterwards, the paintings will be sold in a live auction. I’m nervous about doing the Quick Draw, but also excited!
Besides admiring my art and cheering for me in the Quick Draw, there are lots of other things to do at ArtWalk. There is food and music and of course, other artists. And admission is only $2! How can you go wrong?
See you there?
Join me for a two-day workshop in Invermere in October
In the autumn, Rocky Mountain Bighorn rams take centre stage in the Columbia Valley, putting on their show of butting heads and competing for mating rights.
You can capture all of the energy and spirit of the rams in a weekend art workshop I’m offering on October 24-25 with Columbia Valley Arts at the Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere, B.C.
In the workshop, students will paint a ram on canvas, using both acrylic and oil paint. They will learn how to transfer a reference image to the canvas, create an underpainting using acrylic paint and finish and enhance the painting using oil paint. They will also learn about colour harmony, composition and so much more. I will guide students through each step, making sure they all finish the weekend with paintings they will be proud to hang or present as a gift!
Canvases, acrylic paint and miscellaneous supplies are included in the cost of registration. You will need to bring brushes and a few oil paint colours — I’ll provide a supply list.
Interested? You can find more information and register here, on my website.
Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.
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