Gett'n Close!

 

"McCormack Sunrise" - oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 

It's finally March and we had our first Robin of the year this morning!  Things are looking up...well, sort of.  Next week we're to have another 2-3 days of snow...maybe not much but still...ugh.

Really I'm not feeling as grumpy as I make it sound.  We are finally in a zone of precipitation, something that just hasn't been the norm here the past 3 years.  Although the ground remains frozen, we still have hope that some of this winter's snow and rain will make it into the soil.  Maybe some of the seeding we did again in the north pasture will actually take this time???  One can certainly hope!

My easel has been hopeful this winter as well, I figure if you can't have warm weather - just paint it!

The image above is of a nice little conservation area maybe 7 or 8 miles south of us "as the crow flies".  The McCormack area was donated to O'Brien County about 30 years back by Francis McCormack.  Francis was a native to the area having grown up in the vicinity of this location.  He left the area to serve in the US Navy...spent many years in Philadelphia after his service - then returned home in 1986 and purchased this ground from his brother - ground they were all so familiar with.  Family say Francis would spend time there "for peace and quiet".

It is a very nice quiet spot, one my wife and I and even grand kids have visited...over the years it has been on my regular visit list.  Thanks to people like Francis McCormack for giving back to the people of this area - there are so few places in our county still left that aren't plowed under or built up with houses or confinements.  The McCormack Area is a treasure of our natural heritage.

In the meantime I'm keeping at it in the studio - watching the landscape gradually change in the valley out front.  Spring is gett'n close!!!