Recently, I became inspired to paint a couple of pieces of slate. The person requesting, thus inspiring me suggested a buck on one and one of his dogs on another, either a beagle or coonhound. Below are the results.
The 1954 Chevy Belaire is a real beauty. I had it at a car show last evening. I took my mother along. The car was originally purchased in 1954 at Plumville, Pennsylvania.
I have come to the realization that it has come a time when I wish to sell the car. I have no children or grandchildren to leave the car at a future date. Please contact me if interested. (hemlock404@windstream.net)
As one can see with the photos this is a gem of a car. It spent most of the years in a garage setting.
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Ron Negley on the right.
Many years ago, Ron Negley and I were part of the band scene. This was in the latter part of the seventies! A long time. He played the drums, and played them very professionally, and later he added some keyboards before we drifted in new directions. Ron moved in with other music and I eventually quit the band circuit for a long time as well. In fact, Ron’s new band were to play music at my wedding in 1979. They couldn’t make it, and he sent along another band to fill the void.
Recently we met up again through social media and today, July 21, 2025, we managed to make our scheduling work to get, an actual physical get together again. All these years and we finally greeted each other again.
We talked music almost the entire afternoon with lots of laughs. We talked about the many musicians we encountered in our lives. Those years in bands were a great time allowing to learn much about life. It is hard to believe how I wasn’t old enough to play out at clubs for a number of years until I reached the magic age of twenty-one.
Left to right…Ron Koedel, George Penn, Ron Negley on drums and Larry Smail on five-string banjo.
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Laurie and I spent some time on Mackinac Island recently for a getaway. Some interesting points about the island are there are no cars allowed on the island. This law was adapted in 1898. Besides that fact one has to wonder how the cars were originally present. There is no bridge to the island. So, this would mean even in that time any cars would need to be had been taken across by ferry. This was how we ventured to be on the island. Ferry boats schedule routine trips through the waters of Lake Huron. North of this island the Mackinac Bridge covers a long distance over the waters. I was told on windy days the bridge sways approximately fifteen feet.
Mackinac bridge
The island, to travel along the shoreline is around eight miles long. Over eighty percent of the island is state park. This became a park in 1875. This was before the island was handed over to the United States following the War of 1812. The Bristish built Fort Mackinac in 1780 during the timing of the fur trade.
In early history various native people lived on the island. One native legend tells of a giant turtle becoming the island. They called the island the Great Turtle. Mackinac is the Indian name for Great turtle. Europeans began to arrive in the seventeenth century for furs.
Today, over five-hundred horses are on the island. These horses pull various carriages and wagons all over the island areas. I watched very early prior to sunrise a freight boat bringing two food trucks into port. Immediately four forklifts unloaded to wagons ready to take the goods to wherever needed. Also, wagons would be viewed on the streets delivering packages. You could see many were from Amazon logo.
We toured the area including some of the park via carriages.
We visited and had lunch at the famous Grand Hotel. This building is very huge. This hotel opened in 1887. Many politicians and famous and wealthy people have been at this hotel. Movies were made on site too. One of the more recent movies was Somewhere in Time starting Christpher Reeves and Jane Seymore. (1980)
The streets are hosed down every night to help clean up horse fecal matter. Crews remove the bulk during the day.
From our third-floor balcony.
From our third-floor balcony. Notice the Fort Mackinac above the streets.
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I had three meals of Morels this spring.
Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildflowers, Wildlife | Leave a Comment »
I had not painted for almost a year when I suddenly became inspired to do some art. (I placed another painting of three gobblers earlier on this site.) The painting, “the Resting Post-Barn Owl” came to be because I received a notice from the Pennsylvania Game Commission of a contest for a Barn Owl. At first I let it pass for I knew my skills are professional enough with many artists, but through some encouragement from a couple of friends I decided to work on a composition.
Early sketch idea
Since I have never knowingly seen a Barn Owl, I needed to study from photos. For myself I do not use photos only for colors and patterns. I will not copy another’s work and claim the idea was mine. That is a problem for me for seeing live or even mounts of the owl would have helped my planning. During the thought process I decided to allow the wing to hang down to indicate a relaxed and resting owl. With hindsight that decision may not had been the best for Imany may not understand the resting wing.
The above two sketches were refining of the original concept.
The slapping of paint began in earnest soon and the final painting above was completed and sent via email. Unfortunately, I failed to be selected but never expecting to place makes it earlier to accept my place in the art world.
Early stage of paint slapping.
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It is a long story. I had bad service with my phone, and I was disgusted. I decided to cancel but the customer service was terrible, and I could not obtain a “real” person to explain the issue and to cancel. I had elected to have my monthly bill removed via card. Anyway, my only recourse was to cancel the card and have another one issued to me. Moving forward with this long story, I needed more purchase on my blog site for I was at 12.9 GB. out of 13 GB. So, until I obtained a new card, I was hesitant to place lots of photos for the site. Other problems came to be for the credit card company personnel overlooked adding the new card until a phone call was made.
Hoping you enjoy a few pics from the last month or so.
Bald Eagle nest
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I recently completed this acrylic painting of three gobblers I the springtime woodlands. It is 16 by 24 inches in size. This is the first painting I have done since my mother had a stroke last June of 2024. I have a fawn painting I had started just prior to her issue and will be working on it soon along with another painting I have started.
Detail of the above painting.
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At various times over the last couple of months I had been seeing this bird around my feeders. I recognized the bird immediately as a warbler. Warblers can be very difficult to identify because of various differences between males and females and seasonal feathering changes.
I finally managed to get a good clear photo, and the warbler is known as the Pine Warbler for they like pines. This is a male.
The interesting part of this bird is the fact they migrate and are not supposed to be in Pennsylvania over winter! I can’t help wondering why this little guy stayed here.
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Last year I painted very little. I did some art on turkey tail feathers early and began a painting of a fawn. And then it happened…mom had a stroke. With the exceptions of some ink art while I stayed with her I had not painted.
The small painting above is on a Canada Lily. I did the art for my wife at her request. The art has been framed. I am hoping to become more inspired.
NOTE: The Canada Lily is a native wildflower of our area in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, it is not very common.
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Larry A. Smail's Blog 