Start with some good coffee, and morning writing with a smooth flowing fountain pen. After breakfast, step outside to feel the air. It’s surprisingly warm, possibly because of the overcast sky. A little humid. Wander around the garden, listening to the chatter of evening grosbeaks in the neighborhood tree canopy. Time to put those pepper plants in the ground. Hands in the soil, tucking roots into a hole, patting the dirt around them. Grow well, little plants. The whole day goes like that, effortlessly going from one thing to another. The solomon’s seal (Smilacena racemosa) is blooming. I got my clump from Gramma’s, and it has flourished here, reaching three feet tall with creamy white flowers. This northwest native lily is lavishly perfumed, sending my deep limbic brain into curls of joy when the scent wafts into my nose.

I carried my watercolors outside and set them up on a card table. As I passed the table, I picked up the paintbrush and moved some color around. Then left it to dry and went off to plant something else. Watercolor on paper is sensitive to atmosphere. The temperature and relative humidity of the air affect the drying qualities of the paint. Much faster drying outside today, in spite of the lack of direct sun. How the paint dries affects the mark that is made. Fascinating, really. Not sure I can articulate any more than that. If I could get by with talking about everything, I wouldn’t need to paint. I know the scent of solomon’s seal made its way into the colors I chose and the brushstrokes I made.

Back to the trail tomorrow.