It Was A Perfect Day

Weather for many of us is weird this year, but I suspect we need to get used to weird.  We’re in the middle of another heat wave, with records set in Montreal and everyone crying that their beaches are not open due to COVID.

Have you ever thought of how different a plein air artist views weather from the rest of the world?  I have a love/hate relationship with sun.  Love it for shadows.  Hate it for how it blinds me when it reflects off my sketchbook.  Gardeners, on the other hand, want every photon our stingy sun will give us.

Generally rain limits my sketching opportunities and right now we aren’t getting any (should be thunderstorm time), but farmers are in dire straits for the same reason that I’m happy.

Wind…yuck from my point of view, though a slight breeze on a hot day is welcome.  I doubt the the windsurfers being dragged across the Ste Lawrence River by brightly colored kites see it that way.

We’ve been a couple degrees luckier than Montreal and while it’s blistering hot today, we had an absolutely perfect day a couple days ago.  Jodie and I headed to the small park that’s just south of our house, her with a book and me with sketching gear.  It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve sat on my stool and let the world drift away for an hour or so.  From a nice, shady spot, I sketched this old brick residence.  I think the building complex may be part of the church that is behind it but I’m not sure.  What I do know is that I had a perfect day.  We even made milk shakes in the afternoon.

Fabriano Artistico (7×8), DeAtramentis Document Black, Platinum Plaisir

6 thoughts on “It Was A Perfect Day

  1. Wow, that does sound perfect. I still haven’t ventured outside my neighborhood. . . I’m not sure I’m up to it yet, but our weather is really beautiful (and comfortable) lately, so it’s very tempting.

    • If I lived in Washington I’d probably feel the same. Seems to me that Insley and Washingtonians have done a much better job than most states but sadly, I see that your cases are increasing again as well. Also saw the mandatory mask announcement. Wish they’d do that here.

      I’ve mentioned a lot of times that I don’t live on planet Earth because I live on planet Quebec City. The virus is one reason I can be thankful for that. Quebec (the province) leads all others in Canada in terms of cases and deaths, though it is largely under control (as Washington’s was) but the virus has done most of its damage in and around Montreal. We’ve had very little impact on planet Quebec City. Quebec’s lockdown came early and Quebec City benefited a lot from it. We just never had many cases here. Aside from restrictions on large gatherings and places/events where they could occur, we’re kinda-sorta back to normal, though there’s lots of enforced distancing going on and most people acknowledge the importance of that.

      I wear a mask whenever I go to a store but otherwise I roam freely, though with some personal caution. For me that mostly that means a LOT of walking, 6-7km a day, in an attempt to get some muscle back in my bad leg. That’s working well but it does burn a lot of time and the need to put in the steps keeps me from sitting down and sketching a lot. But life is pretty good on planet Quebec City right now.

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