October 24, and I headed off to Cowanshannock Creek to fish and take some photos of this beautiful waterway. This area of the stream, although beautiful, can be treacherous for the water is fast and deep in many places. To add to the potential of falling, the shorelines of the creek are covered with rocks of various sizes and moss. Older legs need to be extremely careful. I remembered while moving along how there was a time, I would welcome the challenge even jumping from one rock to another. Older wisdom prevented such actions today.
A beautiful Brown trout.
One bank along the stream became steep and rocky with thick vegetation. I needed to cross to avoid the steepness and struggled finding an area I felt secure with crossing. A large log offered a chance, but I would need to straddle and work across on my butt. This log was wet and bark less and standing or walking across it would NOT HAVE WORKED!
I spent the morning in the area until the temperatures began climbing too much for how I was dressed.
Sometimes I get on a roll with my art. I had decided to enter the Pennsylvania Waterfowl Stamp selection event with a Hooded Merganser. (See post on the Hooded Merganser painting.) Upon completion of that painting, I elected to do another painting of a Canada Goose. The event allows the artist to submit two pieces for selection consideration. Once the idea was sketched, I quickly determined the title to be,“High Over the Allegheny.”
The above sketch was the beginning of this painting.I thought, at first, to do fog in the lower terrain of the landscape and over the river.
I liked the initial idea and sketch, and I would soon transfer this sketch onto a prepared, with gesso, Masonite panel of the proper size as per the rules.
The slapping on of the paint began. I used acrylic paints to do this art.
The “slapping on the paint” beginning.
After about ten or twelve hours the painting is shaping up. Notice chalk lines on the piece to help me with direction and visualize contours and shapes.
The detail is being completed on the Canada Goose, but I still have some time before I can say, finished!
I finished this painting in 13 days. Like I said above I was on a roll with an inspiration to paint.
Recently, I happened upon an interesting site at the house. I noticed a Monarch Butterfly chrysalis. I do not often see such an interesting, so I took a few photos and vowed to observe the chrysalis daily. I, jokingly, stated I was to be a father.
The Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis.
I would soon see the indistinct black lines of the future wings inside of this cocoon. A few days later, upon observing I noticed the adult Monarch Butterfly on a leaf drying in preparation for flight. Another day and the butterfly had moved on in flight.
The life cycle of this gorgeous butterfly is one on unbelief. The female lays eggs on a bottom of a leaf, often Milkweed for that is their food source. The number of eggs is between one hundred and three hundred eggs. They will hatch in about four days eating their egg cases.
This larva stage will grow over ten to fourteen days shedding their shells five times. Each of the five molts known as an instar. This caterpillar is ribbed with yellow, white and black stripes.
Once the growth cycle reaches peak the caterpillar will go into a pupa stage. The caterpillar is now in the chrysalis stage. (See photo.) Here the caterpillar will form into the adult butterfly. As stated, I would soon notice the black veins of the wings during this cycle.
The males have a dark spot on each hind wing on one of the darkened veins. The females lack these spots. The late forming Monarchs will migrate to Mexico and California depending on where their early life began. This butterfly would be heading for Mexico. The following February or March they will migrate back ready to rep.
The completed painting called, “Laurel Rest-Hooded Merganser.” (Minus the signature.)
Readers of my entries may remember I had suffered from some serious asthma issues this May into June. I didn’t get to hunt spring gobblers very much due to coughing and fatigue, however, when I received an entry form from the Pennsylvania Game Commision for their annual Pennsylvania Waterfowl Management Stamp Contest I found myself wondering if I should enter. Afterall I wasn’t doing much else.
I have not entered this contest very often over the years for various reasons. With time not hunting or fishing due to my illness I began to think of potential painting ideas. The event rules limited five species of waterfowl for this year’s art. (Selected art would be for the 2024 print and stamp) The Hooded Merganser was one option. Others were: Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Redhead and Canada Goose. (I would do a second painting of a Canada Goose. This story will be on a separate entry.)
I do not see the Hooded Merganser in my area as often as I would like for this waterfowl specie is a beautiful bird to behold. The Common Merganser is plentiful, but the Hooded Merganser is not so common locally. In fact, seeing one can be rare.
I began to sketch the bird with an idea I had incorporating the state flower of Pennsylvania, the Mountain Laurel. I liked the idea and worked up some preliminary drawings of the bird.
The initial rough idea of the Hooded Merganser with Mountain laurel on scrap paper.
Notice I was undecided on the bill placement on this sketch.
A further refined drawing.
The drawings were refined for placement and composition as the idea began to finalize in my thoughts.
Finally, I transferred the working sketch to the gessoed-prepared Masonite panel. The image to be viewed at the contest was to be ten inches by fourteen inches, but I planned on eleven, maybe twelve inches by fourteen, in case I wanted to frame it to that size later. A white mat, as per contest rules, would be placed over the finished painting to only show the ten by fourteen size.
Six, or so, hours into the acrylic painting. I was having issues with the background color blending to my liking.
Ten or twelve hours into the painting. At this stage I realized the bill of the merganser was too thick so I would need to paint this over and redo to size. The laurel is taking shape, too.The ripples in the water were made with chalk to get the feel as the direction I would take once I began painting them.
As the painting began to take form, I noticed something was not looking correct. I studied the art with actual merganser photos and decided the beak was much too thick for a merganser. This example shown above shows a beak more associated with a Mallard and others. I would need to mix paints and cover the bill over.
Once the bill size was changed, I could begin further detail work for it seemed correct. At least I hope I got it correct!
Many hours later, the painting, shown above, was completed.
The last couple of hikes allowed from interesting sights to behold in the natural world. Hints of autumn are everywhere. Mornings are cooler, flannel-shirt weather, however, once the sun gains sime height the coolness quickly becomes very warm.
Katydid.
Baby Snapping Turtle with eggshells.
While moving along I spotted disturbed ground. A hole with a diameter of about six inches was observed, as well. I soon spotted what the hole was, and a Snapping Turtle had laid her eggs in the dirt. Eggshells were scattered about, and I believe this nest was disturbed supplying a food source from some predator. However, one eggshell had a baby Snapper within, and I saw the little one was alive. I truly hope this baby turtle has the will to survive.
From past posts here, the reader will remember of a huge oak falling down near my house. The crew took three days to clean up the massive tree, but I had a number of issues I would have to deal with. I had to cut out and replace bricks, erect a new exterior light pole and split wood to sell and give to some friends.
My time was busy as one might imagine. I am presently finishing up repairing and re-erecting a front deck. The root pushed the deck out-of-whack, so to speak. I originally built this deck over thirty years ago. Joice hangers had rusted in places and the upheaval from the roots snapped them. As I type this the deck should be completed by tomorrow.
I still managed to get out for some walks and photo-taking. One noticed subject were the deer. I saw a lot of deer on my excursions with plenty of pics. I am including some on this post.
I have been dealt a stressful 2023. With that in mind, once I heard of early morning temperatures in the fifties, a hike was in order. I donned a light flannel shirt and off I went to enjoy some time to reflect.
I had only walked less than a quarter of a mile when I spotted the bear at about eighty yards. I quickly snapped some photos in the early morning woods not expecting super quality photos, but what can you do but attempt to get clarity. I shot several shots before the bruin walked away. I attempted to circle and close the gap but no bear was to be viewed.
I did see a hen turkey with five fist-size poults. She must have lost her first clutch for these birds were very small for late July. I saw several deer as well.
Laurie and I were arriving home on July 12 around five when I noticed something was amiss. The huge Black Oak tree living on the front yard was down! The driveway was completely covered with the tree, so I had to come in from the road onto the yard.
After the initial shock wore off I gathered my little chain saw and began to clear a way to get to teh garage. This was a big job, and I completed this task in the following morning with a charged battery for the saw.
We were extremely fortunate with no part of the tree hitting the house and deck. The satellite dish was missed, also. My rail fence across the drive had one post knocked off level but no breakage. I do have various damages that will need replaced, but the fact of nothing major sure is a great thought.
I called the insurance company and a couple of tree crews and settled on one outfit. It took three days for the oak to be removed and cleanup.
Interestingly, I counted the rings the best I could and came up with 158 to 160 growth rings. This tree’s growth began around 1863 or so at the time of the Civil War! Once the stump was cut close to ground level I measured the base at six feet- four inches.
I always liked the old tree and will miss the shade it provided. Acorns were forming on the limbs. The tree man said he could evidence of a disease around the roots. This was what caused the decay at base level. The rest of the tree was sound solid wood.
I captured some minnows and went early to catch hundreds of fish on the Allegheny River at Lock Number Seven at Kittanning, PA. I didn’t catch hundreds of fish in fact in the two hours I did not have a bite. Yes, I was skunked!
Interestingly, a Great Blue Heron flew past and settled below the dam to catch some fish. I noticed the bird catch and devour three fish up to about a foot in length.
Since I spent time watching my rod tip for movement, it is quite possible the heron may have ingested more than three fish. I am thinking of trading my rod and reel for a long sharp beak!
Eventually, I quit and walked the shoreline to see what I could find. I found a fisherman’s net. As to be expected by me, I did search for early summer wetland wildflowers along the river’s edge. I took photos and I included the Pickeral Flower above.
Close to a month ago, I was setting on my deck when I gazed upon the back forty and saw a hen turkey walking about the yard. She stopped at the bird feeding station and filled up on spilled over seeds. The interesting part of this event is that the hen is still around. I have seen her a number of times in the back yard landscaping and bird feeder.
I do not know if she is nesting among my landscaping since it appears as a natural woodland area even having Skunk Cabbage that I planted years ago. I have watched for poults and haven’t seen any.
Yesterday I walked down the lower deck to the yard and startled her at about ten feet. She was feeding behind lots of flowers and ornamental grass by the bird feeder. She moved away into other thick areas. I continued my movement to the fire pit. In a short time, she appeared again and walked across the yard unafraid of my presence and back to the bird feeder. I circled around to return to the house, and she continued feeding.
I hope to soon see some poults, but I do not know if she has nested at all. Time will tell.
Larry A. Smail's Blog 