Salmon Are Swimming Around Our Fence

The small fence getting it's first coat the primer.

Finally I finished painting the small hay bale fences. For two years I have been fretting and worrying about what I would paint on the fence. I had a few ideas, but the fence is so big I was a bit overwhelmed at the prospects of painting a mural  on the fence. The biggest fear I have to overcome is believing in what I can do. It's one thing sitting up in my attic room sewing or painting but the fence is so public. I really enjoyed talking to people as they passed by and made positive comments on the Salmon.

The Shuswap river is the main attraction in Enderby and the Salmon give life to the river. The Salmon have been feeding humans, bears, eagles for thousands of years. Human greed is causing the Salmon to decline. For more information on what is happening to the Salmon read Alexandra Morton's blog she has been studying fish for a long time. Alexandra is a Salmon Hero. The Norwegian fish farms on the BC coast line are giving the wild Salmon lice, viruses, and creating a toxic sludge under the nets. Don't eat farmed Salmon. I stopped eating the Salmon, it is more important to the Aboriginal, bear, and the Eagle than is is to my diet. River Days are September 30TH what are you doing that day? Respect the rivers they give us life.

This is the first fish I painted on the inside wall of the small fence. 

First color is painted, second color started.

Waiting for the final touches.

Salmon swimming around the corner on our fence.

Alexandra Morton

BC Day August 6, 2012

At the top of Mowat and Brash-Allen roads.

Steve and I started out the day with a bike ride . We did the loop crossing the bridge on Mabel Lake road, left on Enderby-Grindrod road, right on Mowat road. I was sure I was going to die riding up that hill, Steve seemed to have no problem. I guess I need to ride more often. Then we took a right down Brash-Allen road and right back onto Mabel lake road. It was beautiful. We started out as early as possible to beat the heat. Then we toiled in our yard and garden. Steve working on his gate.

We have a good crop of plums, looking forward to munching on a juicy yellow plum in the very near future.

Some of the garden is growing some of it is growing in miniature.

This is a watering device. a clay pot turned upside down with a clay saucer siliconed to the top which is now the bottom.  

The grapes are in abundance but not happy.

The sunflowers are giving balance to the front yard. At one time there were two hay bale walls in the front, I do not know the true story as to how the other one fell. With out the second wall in front it was just odd looking, so tall flowers for balance.

The Bee's love the sunflowers. I will plant more next year. We recently watched the documentary "Queen of the Sun".  It was good and a must see. Without Bee's we will not be. 

Double headed Sunflower.

Steve and the new gate, now he will add branches to make a closed in fence on each side of the gate.

Quince, we will have plenty.

Every day we check on the peaches all two of them. Brushing off insects and hoping the birds don't peck at them. Patience.

A brick self portrait watching over the side garden.

Oregon grape grows well in our yard. I don't mind it around the tall  Douglas Fir trees, they are so sappy, the Oregon Grape is prickly so you don't want to get to close to the trees. The grapes make a nice juice if you add sugar.

A single poppy among the tall Evening Primrose and the variety of succulents.

The circle of friends stand on the decaying Balsam stump that the ants are taking care of.

We finished off the day sitting on the front porch watching the lighting and counting the time between the thunder. Matty was hiding in his carrying cage under Steve's desk in the basement.

"The Fence"

Steve's branch fence project leaned against the hay bale fence inside the yard, in the shadow of the peach tree.

Those of you that follow my blog may remember seeing photo's of our fence. The hay bale fence covered with cement and stucco. For months we have been doing prep work to get the fence painted. I have the primer and paint for the first two coats. I don't want to just paint the fence, for me the wall is crying out to be embellished with art. My concept of the fence is to paint it like a stone wall with a stone archway in the center. In the archway I would paint the short history of the fence. I would paint a grid for the rocks and mortar and invite artist to paint a story in a block on the grid. It could be as a picture or written. I would have some blocks just for people to write their names in. In order to paint in a block you must bring a donation of accepted paint, brushes, cookies, fruit, carrots humm that leaves a lot out. I would use tones of stones for all the art work, so from a distance the fence will look like a stone fence, at closer inspection small paintings will imerge form the stones  

Karen scraping 

The paint first coat  will be primer and second coat will be Benjamin Moore & Co, OC-9 Ballet White

Interesting patterns of worn paint. 

Before Steve stuccoed. 

I will be at the Gypsy bazaar Friday's from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Saturday I hope to finish painting the primer and the first coat of paint. Stop by!