Towers of clouds after a quick afternoon thunderstorm.

Tall clouds in the sky in the late afternoon

At last fall’s ren fair, I was able to find a mini that matched my current Dragonborn character as he would have hatched. I finally painted him up and, because it was cast in transparent red resin, added an LED to give the embers around his egg a fiery glow. Really happy how he turned out.

dungeons and dragons mini of a blue dragon hatching from a purple egg that is all sitting on a bed of small rocks

My cat and I agree; sleeping in is one of life’s greatest luxuries. Five stars. Would sleep in again.

Tabby cat sleeping on a grey couch

High up the mountain is an old stone bridge that beckons travelers to pause. For those who accept, it will trade a moment of beholding for a thought you’ve been trying to ignore. You won’t be able to stop the thought from surfacing however, the bridge is kind and will ask the stream to take it away.

Low view of a small, rocky stream flowing out from a tall grove of trees in summer

The sun was its own firework over the lake this Independance Day.

High view of a yellow sunset over two houses with green grass between them running down to a large lake

A successful family vacation draws to a close with a trip through the great Smokey Mountains. (Their beauty is frustratingly difficult to capture from a fast moving vehicle.)

Rainy, empty road with trees and mountains in the foggy distance

“Sentinel”
One of the distinguished residents in the North Carolina Arboretum.

Very tall Bonsai plant against grey concrete

Let the winds awake,
let the branches rattle and shake In the light that remakes
all that water has worn away

Sun dapples through the trees onto a rushing brook with stony bottom

Sure, your hotel is famous but is it “contains a scale model of itself” famous? (Grove Park Inn, Asheville)

Model of Grove Park Inn on a table

Enjoying some breathtaking views of the great Smokey Mountains. My phone says we’ve hiked 25 floors in the last hour.

Sunset view of the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina

Southern cities, like Knoxville, look best in the beautiful glow of afternoon sunlight.

Street view of storefronts in Knoxville, Tennessee with sun reflecting off windows and trees lining sidewalk

Discovering new sights in downtown Knoxville, TN. Really a beautiful city.

Winding brick path between two buildings leading to an archway

One of my favorite pieces from this year’s student exhibition at the DIA. I laughed embarrassingly hard when we turned the corner and saw it.

Still-life painting by Dorothy Sidau

My grandmother’s passing continues to reverberate through my days. Namely, spending more time with the human side of art and creating.

Large iron bell with ornate decorations in perspective with a background of stone arches
Graveyard in daytime with family in the distance

The weekend was spent honoring a life lost. A time where we capsized against the part of life we all must face and grieved over what we could not change. In that breaking down, however, we also picked each other up and put ourselves back together into something more joyful, honest, and true.

Our sunrise showed that Canada’s wildfires are still burning.

Red sunrise caused by smoke from Canada’s wildfires

I had to be up early with the kid but I got to see this bearded iris enjoying the morning dew.

bearded iris with water drops on it nestled in green leaves

Appreciating the dahlias our neighbor has been cultivating. Their floral pattern is mesmerizing.

Red dahlia flower
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