Spring is finally here,... yeah!! My list of 'wonderful things about spring' is a mile long... but the top few items would be the beautiful robins that arrive on your lawn, new born baby farm animals, and Easter of course. We are finally experiencing some 50 and 60 degree weather,... we all welcome it with great excitement. Already there are a few farmers digging the soil and there are new born calves, lambs and chicks in the whole neighborhood! I have captured a few pictures here of these favorites! The robin was in our backyard just a week ago, early one morning,... let me tell you - you have to be quick to catch a picture of these guys. They fleet and fly so quickly, I had a tough time to get even one snapshot of him. And then there are baby lambs. It's no wonder that God chose lambs as the significant symbol of mankind. Their innocence and wonder leave you amused and pleasured, wanting to just sit and play all day long. This is a photo of Gerry, my neighbor and good friend who adopted this lamb after he was orphaned by his mother. Her name is Polly Anna, and she responds to his voice, like my children do to mine! All new life is truly amazing. AROUND THE STUDIO,... I've spent the last couple of weeks getting ready for, and then yesterday, being on press with the printing of 'I DO'. Things went quite well, but it's always tough to get the perfect match on press. This is one of the great frustrations of an artist. After weeks of perfecting a painting and color proofs,... the press has a mind of it's own, and you sometimes have to settle for the best it can give. Anyway, the cards and prints look quite beautiful, and we will start shipping orders by the end of the week. I've also spent time working on a 'test page' for a children's book that I've been asked to illustrate. I first spent a day, perusing through color samples to select my color pallet. I next did a pen sketch, and began my work. It was fun, and stimulating to try a different style of artwork! We will see if this develops into a project...! This week we will also be getting ready for the 'Spring Party' at Bonnie Mohr Studio - please join us if you can, Saturday, April 18th 8a-4p.
COWTALES AND FARM NEWS,... It is the season of regrouping cattle on the farm - sorting them by age, cleaning lots and getting ready for spring tillage. There is no more exciting place to live than in the country, on a farm, in the spring of the year. New life surrounds you, everywhere you look. There is a presence of anxiousness and excitement in the air as farmers gear up for a new season of cropping and field work. Tractors and implements are parading up and down our gravel road, and through the town...all heading to a shop for last minute work or a neighboring field. We begin prayers for good weather and a fruitful crop.
FAMILY MATTERS... Easter eggs are and will always be one of those things in life that make me smile. Each one as unique and individual and colorful as can be! This year's batch was exceptional, maybe because we used a different variety of vinegar?? We usually do about 100 eggs every Easter,... not because we love to eat them, as much as we love to hunt for them! It is the best game of hide and seek ever. We had a beautiful Easter day with Grandma and Grandpa Mohr, complete with a delicious home cooked ham dinner and the usual 'catch-up-visiting' around the table afterwords! Other family news,... 2nd daughter Katelyn begins her year as a McLeod County Dairy Ambassador (center of picture). She will spend time at various dairy industry events, handing out cheese and promotional literature supporting the dairy industry. She and the other girls will be busy with a full summer schedule of parades and June Dairy Month activities. I hope I didn't ramble too long, but since I missed a couple of weeks, there was lots of news to catch up on. Wishing you all the excitement that the spring will bring - have a wonderful day. Thanks for reading.