Summer 2008 Wrap-Up

It flew by. And we are grateful for packing in as much activity as possible. I golfed a lot more this year than last year - and won a Nike Driver at the RISD Golf Tournament. Nico started a new school Brown/Fox Point -- (SPECIAL THANKS TO LEARNING BROOKE for 3 years of watching Nico - especially Miss Patty, Miss Melinda, Miss Nicole, Miss Melissa, Miss Daniele, Miss Cheryl and Miss Kate)

This summer: Groton Long Point, Crabbing, Sea Canoeing, Mystic Aquarium, Boston Museum of Science, NYC, Picnic at Colt State Park, Big Apple Circus, Campfire on the Beach, Westport Vineyards, Iggys, Wall-e, Kung Fu Panda, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Kite Flying Sea Swirl, Beethoven's Fifth at Tanglewood, East Matunuck Beach, Amherst, Eric Carle Museum, Cookout with the Soriano Family, Waterfire, Champlin's, Dinner with family at Harbourside, What Cheer Brigade Concert, Block Island and Newport.

Bye Summer. Fall is here.

July 4th weekend 2008

The holiday weekend was a fun festival for us - and it makes a worthy post i think. It started thursday morning - with me golfing my uncle Ralph at Melody Hills - 18 holes - then at night we all went to Iggys for a nice "lobstah" roll with clamcakes and "chowdah".

Friday:
On the 4th we went to visit our friends Liz and Scott at their mom's house on Groton Long Point - which is a great area geographically - you can see Long Island right from her porch. There we had a nice lunch, watched a parade go by (as cars went by they threw candy at nicolas who scooped it up), then we went crabbin' (this involves a clothspin - some string - a mashed-up mussel and lots of skill). We caught a bunch of crabs - then went canoeing for a bit and then a swim, at the end of the day - Nicolas passed out in the car. So Martha and I went went to The Sea Swirl for some fine shrimp (tasty).

Saturday:
We went to the mall (it was raining) and watched Wall-e.
Our second viewing - go see it.

Sunday:
We went to Westport River Vineyards, sampled some good wines and had a picnic - then we were off to Horseneck Beach where we flew a kite. Dinner was at Evelyn's in Tiverton RI - another great seafood meal.

Happy 4th! Here's to freedom!

MORE JULY 4th PICTURES HERE!!

watercolor sketches - 2008

These are 2 watercolors that I made while in venezuela this past january. I thank the gods of rum and coke for preventing me from feeling the 50+ mosquito bites I suffered in the process (see previous post).

:-)

a horsebarn



mountainview




I can't say i am really enjoying watercolors over oils - I am so messy with them - but it's the only way i get to work non-computer-wise anymore. I am only getting to paint every year or so... I think it would get better with practice. :-)

The last ones I made two years ago both won awards at the Providence Art Club, which surprised me. I don't think I ever posted them here as my dad had his stroke that year. Will post them soon.

Bill Gilbert

A friend of mine from RISD passed away last weekend having fought cancer for a year.

Read this blogpost to get a sense of how special he was to those who knew him.
http://frankgardner.blogspot.com/2008/02/bill-gilbert-1964-2008.html

Here is a photo of Bill at our 20th reunion in 2006 - having fallen out of touch over the years - it was a treat to spend time with him again. (from left to right, Mark Goodkin, Bill Gilbert (sticking tongue out), Brad Foltz and me – Eric Meier



He dressed like a biker - leather, mustache, skull rings - but was truly a gentleman in the best sense and the world is a lesser place without Bill in it. I am heartbroken as all who knew him are.


His online obit is here.

venezuela 2008

It's been a solid comfortable time in Caracas this year. Unlike last year - no sick little boy. We have discovered the show "Heroes" thanks to marathon watching of a boxed set of season 1 my brother-in-law has. We got so addicted to it that we took them with us to a camp/resort (that we spent 5 days at) and through the use of the camp projector in our cabin - did not lose track of the story.

Other travel benefits to Venezuela include: great food, seeing friends, parties with music and musical instruments, getting to play the Venezuelan Cuatro, eating steaks, arepas, tequeños, drinking whiskey, fine rums, and snacking on Flips cereal.

Highlights for me include: trying to make watercolors work and enduring 53 mosquito bites in the process (really. I counted. I didn't feel a thing while getting them though - thanks cuba libre! - the next day they started itching and made red marks - see photo)



I've been shooting more photos with new lumix camera - here are some samples - signs in venezuela (flikr gallery)

Nicolas is talking more and more - constructing sentences and describing what he wants now. It's in broken spanglish which makes it all the more endearing.
His highlights include: swimming on his own with floaties, riding a horse, riding in a pickup truck, petting horses, seeing water buffalos close-up, playing with dogs, holding a stick bug, sleeping in hammocks, playing timbals, and maracas and bongo drums.









>>>MORE PHOTOS HERE (flikr gallery)

we've had a time here in Caracas. now back to the grey.