Katie’s dad is doing something noisy in the basement while getting ready for an insulation contractor who is coming next week.  Katie’s not so good about remaining her normal rational self when there are strange noises coming from below her feet.  So we went on an adventure.

Katie will tell you about where we went and what we saw in another blog; what I wanted to share with you today is the happenstance of chance.  How sometimes just a bit of odd luck brings you to an interesting moment.

Because as Katie and I were wondering down a country road I happened to see this:

No matter that the temperature outside was 16 degrees F, the sky was gray, and there was a steady stream of cars going by only feet from her easel; here was a woman standing in a driveway of an abandoned home painting.

As soon as I could I turned around to go back.  As I approached her from the other direction I noticed the beautiful red barns across the road.  Obviously her inspiration.

I parked the car and walked back to her, letting her know I didn’t want to startle her, but could I please see what she was working on?  She giggled and said she wasn’t very good, had just started painting…but her work was very nice.  She was painting with oils, and I asked her how they worked in such cold weather.  She said it was a bit more difficult, the paint was a bit stiff, but that last weekend she had been painting out at Kensington (a park) when it was only 8 degrees.  EIGHT?  Are you kidding me?  You were out paining in 8 degree weather?  She talked about how the snow falling mixed in with the oil paints and caused some problems.  Yea. I bet!

Anyway I asked if I could take her picture, and she hesitantly said yes.  This is the first time I’ve ever asked a stranger if I could take their picture.  But I wanted this photo so bad.  She in her red beret, the gray day, the snow boots, the easel.

So here she is.

I left her after a bit more chatting.  Her feet were getting cold.  My ears were freezing.  Katie was waiting in the car.  Such an unexpected encounter –  I hope I meet her again somewhere.   I left with a smile on my face.

And I hope she was smiling too.

Yesterday we had a heat wave…temps in the 40’s and lots of rain.  Even thunder.  As the snow melted I tried to convince myself the rain smelled like spring, but it didn’t work.  Somewhere in my mind the truth lurks…that we have weeks and weeks, months even, of winter still ahead of us.

But today, with the backyard bare and the grass still faintly green, Katie and I went out to play.  Twice.  It was soooooo cold, with temperatures in the teens and the wind blowing, that each of our play times was short.  But Katie needed to run, and I needed some fresh air.

We explored the yard the first time.  I asked her to sit for me in front of one of our backyard Christmas trees…she did, but she was much more interested in those noises from the woods where all the rabbits and squirrels and pesky deer lurk.  So we investigated, and though we never actually saw anything interesting…there were plenty of good things to sniff.

Later in the afternoon, with tiny little snowflakes gently floating we went out again, this time to chase the frisbee.  She loves her frisbee.

We didn’t stay out long because it was freezing, but we had a good time running around the yard.  Apparently catching a frozen frisbee isn’t that comfortable so she mostly let it land, then picked it up and brought it back.  Or not, depending on her mood.  Sometimes she waited for me to walk over and get it, then she’d get all excited to chase it again.  I guess it’s all about the chase, not so much about bringing it back to her Mama.  Silly girl.

And so the first weekend of the year passed peacefully, quietly, with plenty of naps and a few spurts of activity.  All good as Katie and I get ready to start the next week.

Next weekend maybe we’ll explore a bit further than the yard.  This weekend we had all we needed right here at home.