One of the highlights this summer was our holiday to Spain. We stayed in a little town called Bubion in the Sierra Nevada nearish to Granada. The scenery was gorgeous. 

In each little town we went you could sit on the avenue or in the square and have a beer or coffee or whatever struck your fancy.

One of the things I really liked was with each beer I ordered something yummy came . Tapas. Sometimes it was Jamón Serrano or a plate of olives or potatoes simmered with onions in good olive oil for god knows how long. Big smiles.   

The pace of life in the mountains was unique. It was friendly and respectful and slow and business people seemed genuinely happy to see you show up at their shops.  

I think that has something to do with the siesta culture.  Most things close for several hours during the hottest part of the day.; mostly between 2pm and 5pm.  When I was young my mother called it nap-time and I fought against it with all I had in me. Now, I see it as a perfectly civilized way of dealing with my inevitable mid-day food coma. 

My Spanish is horrible. I was happy the people there were very patient with me.  

In art the product needs to have meaning both to the producer and to the person experiencing it.

Personally, I like it when things take a bit of skill and thought to create. You can see craftsmanship in the work. You can see meaning. It touches you in some way.

This means something to me because I was there.

The welcoming feeling, the relaxed atmosphere and stress melting off you body like butter and jam dripping of toast in the morning is something we can all relate to.

All of that comes back to me when I look at this drawing.  

It's like food for the soul.  

​As my little friend Oliver said, "... Please Sir, I want some more. "

We have reached the last twenty-four hours of our current stay in England.  We enjoyed walks in the countryside and trips to the city.  There is so much to do here and we never really seem to have enough time to do it. 

It is time for us to do our fall migration from here. 

What I'll miss most, as I always do, are the friends we've made and the experiences we've had.  

William Blake described England as a "... green and pleasant land."  It is that for me today even as it was for him then (late 18th century).  

What happens to the time? When I get here in the beginning of summer the panorama is open with activities, places to go and people to see. When the end comes I look and wonder where the time has gone. 

Living on an island makes you a subject of sand, sea and sky.  

Every once in a while this unholy trinity rears it's ugly head. 

We've lived in the Caribbean for almost six years with only slight brushes from hurricanes. They've nudged against St Thomas but haven't really landed.

When we moved to the island we kept hearing about Hurricane Marilyn in 1995. In 2011, the island was still smarting from that one. Marylin was still a ready topic of conversation.  

Marilyn had 105 mph sustained winds and devastated the island. Irma, this year, had 185 mph winds which stripped the island of vegetation and completely transforming the landscape.

Now Maria threatens with about 160 mph winds.  Two in one year stronger than Marilyn.  

Irma is still an open wound and her sister, Maria, is setting sites on the Leeward Islands with torrential rain and lashing winds. 

More people will lose their livelihoods, more properties will be destroyed and lives will be even more devastated.  

We're very lucky not to be on the island this season. We're waiting to hear what happens with Maria. She is a strong one and will come awfully close to the Virgin Islands; potentially right over St Thomas.

Reparation had just begun in earnest and now Maria crops up.  Two steps forward and one step back.  These sisters of 2017 are trying to make life even more difficult, flexing their muscles to show who's boss. 

We're gathering as much good karma as we can and sending it to the folks on the islands. It's gonna be another bumpy ride.  Please hunker down and stay safe.  

We're thinking of you.

This drawing has nothing to do with hurricanes. Just hope it makes you smile. It was a little French Bulldog we got to know briefly in Capileira Spain.

I think it was my uncle Billy who tried to teach me how to fly. 

He would get me to stand on the arm of the sofa and concentrate really hard.  

He'd said,  "If you concentrate really really hard you'll be a flying master in no time." 

I'd jump off the arm of the sofa flapping my arms fast as I possibly could. I really believed I could fly. I believe Billy believed it too.

No amount of sweat or practice gave me any different results. I always plummeted to earth quickly.  How quickly?  [F = G*((m sub 1*m sub 2)/r^2)].  I think this guy Newton came up with that one.  

I never mastered flying. I practiced and practiced but it never happened. I'm sure it was my fault. I wasn't trying hard enough. I couldn't flap my arms fast enough.  

It's a good thing I was a kid and had limited intelligence or else I might have concluded I just needed a higher platform to launch from.  Luckily I learned about that whole gravity thing before opting for increased height. 

I do a fair bit of flying today. I'm not opposed to flying but IT IS a VERY unnatural act.  I proved that at a young age. (see above)

Every time I get on a plane, I thoroughly expect it to require bending over, putting my head between my legs, and kissing my derriere adios. Not just every once in a while but every single time.
 
So...

I'm left with two options.

Give up a lifestyle I'm very happy with (understatement) or get on the darn plane.  

The former isn't really an option. It ain't gonna happen.   

Therefore, I'm left with the flying thing.  

For me flying is an exercise in courage and faith.

• Courage because I fear flying and, of course, courage is necessary in the face of fear.  One doesn't exist without the other. They are the yin and yang of everyday life.
• Faith because I put my life in the hands of someone I don't know who has motives are unknown to me as well. I assume he wants the same thing I do but I can't be sure. Nevertheless, I step in a big sardine can hurling through the sky almost as fast as a speeding bullet.  
   -      Bullets don't really fly they are just propelled really really fast 150 to 1,500 MPS.
  They begin falling immediately once they escape the barrel. 
   -      A 747 flies at somewhere around 250-260 MPS.  
  Since I have proven that my individual flying prowess lacks a certain effectiveness, I'm at the mercy of the aerodynamic structure of the plane, the thrust that keeps it aloft and the buckaroo flipping all the switches up front.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could apply the same kind of courage and faith to other aspects of our lives. I sure do.  

I'll work on that one.  You might want to try it too. 

"Get your motor runnin' 
Head out on the highway 
Lookin' for adventure 
And whatever comes our way…" - Steppenwolf 1968.

I think I was a lot like most kids when I grew up.  Maybe not.  We're all similar and different all at the same time. 

My first car was a 1964 Thunderbird. Then I fell in love with mustangs and had a string of them.  

One of the things on my bucket list is to rebuild a classic 1960's or 1970's car like a Mustang, a Camaro, a Corvette or something of that ilk.  Who knows that still might come true.  

Most things I have really ever wanted have come true.  I'm a very lucky guy. 

I'm also lucky in another way.  I have a friend who owns a classic 1960s era Jaguar. The kind that Inspector Morse drove in the television series of the same name.  My friend belongs to the Jaguar Club and goes to Jaguar events and hangs out with Jaguar people.  He knows everything there is to know about Jaguars and knows more about cars in general than I could ever fit into my head.

He also lets me ride around with him in his fabulous classic car.  We turn heads and get raised eyebrows and small winks of appreciation.  None of it has to do with us of course but all of it has to do with that very cool car.  

When I'm riding in the car and we rocket down the highway I remember a little bit of what it was like to be in my teens and early twenties.  

I'm really no longer born to be wild.
​I probably never was.  Now I'm a bit more born to be mild.

​Nevertheless, good memories and good friends are great to share.  

I created this drawing for him.  

The Jaguar hood ornament is a very classic bit of auto history.  Whenever I see one it makes me a little happier.  

My drawing of the hood ornament is going to be a 20" x 24" poster on his wall.  ​

People who keep at it day after day, week after week are inspiring. Their dedication and discipline is admirable.   

What does it take to keep up that kind of commitment?

​I'd really like to know.

Here are some things that tend to get me sidetracked.

1. Letting things slide. When my foggy, misty goal is far off, when the path is overgrown and difficult to hack through, it's easy to let things slide.  

It's not important to do this or that today. There is always tomorrow. Tomorrow's good enough. I can get back to it then.  

This is a big trap. If I let something slide once it's oh so frigging easy to let it slide again.

Then I need a swift kick in the pants to get going again.

2.  Contemplating My Navel. I'm a pretty laid-back guy. I like contemplating things. Sometimes it works against me. Sometimes it will break my rhythm and get me out of the groove. If it gets out of control it'll get me off the path quicker bacon disappears at the breakfast table. 

3. Breaking it into Parts. When things get complicated, I like to break things down into smaller parts.  Then I find each part has another smaller part. It is so easy to slide into this morass of mental manipulation.  Then I'm caught wading quagmire of indecision and procrastination. 

4. Losing Interest.  If something's been sliding for too long I can easily lose interest.

When I'm in the moment it's interesting and exciting. When I pursue a goal daily I'm more apt to stay interested.  It's more likely to feed my enthusiasm.  

When I lose interest in an idea it can lingers in the back of my mind stifling other things I want to do.  

5.  Finding a New Shiny Thing.  When my mind is chugging along there are always new and exciting ideas popping up to distract me.  Unfortunately, I don't have time to chase them all down. I have to make a decision. I have to choose. If something new comes in that means something has to go.  It's all so difficult.  I make it difficult on myself. 

Remembering Why

I read a great book by Simon Senik called "Start With Why".  This book describes why some people are successful and can accomplish things over and over again and why some people cannot.

Senik says those that are successful start with a good foundation. They begin with why they're doing what they're doing.

That "why" has to be compelling enough to break through the automatic pilot.  

This means I have to discover a compelling driver. 

I am pretty good at doing things just because they're a challenge but only for a while. Sometimes I need more.  Sometimes the challenge itself just isn't enough. 

Well, I'll to try to discover that "why" as I continue to practice my drawing and painting.  I need to discover why drawing and painting is so important to me.  I do enjoy it.  

But it has to be more than that. 

Is it important because I get positive feedback or I have something to say? 

Those might be true but I think it's a bit deeper than that.  We each have something positive to give while our heart's pumps and our lungs suck air.  

Giving is always better than receiving.  At least that is what I've been taught. 

I want to continue to do this because when I'm creating I'm contributing.  When I express myself I'm making the world a better place. When I create I can possibly inspire someone else to create as well.  That would make me feel like I've really accomplished something of value. 

I want to be that kind of person.  

I want to be the kind of person that helps; the person who can inspire.  

I think I just want to be a good person. 

I didn't realize it has been so long since I had posted anything on my blog.  I was going to be so diligent and disciplined but that didn't seem to work out.  I have done lots of stuff in the interim.  Too much to go into here.  The best laid plans and such.  

I did learn something though.  I do have to better keep my eye on the ball.  I am grateful that I have the opportunity to do many things but I should really make this a priority. 

I was fortunate enough to go to Spain for ten days.  I brought my sketch book and was able to eek out a few drawings over that period.  I plan on doing more pen and wash type drawings. I like the effect 

These were fun to do.