Saw a coyote outside the kitchen window this morning. No more than fifteen, twenty feet from the house. Beautiful fella. His dunn/gray coat blended in with the autumn dead grasses and bare trees of the forest where we live. I called my sister to come look. The window was closed but he heard me. He turned around and stared for a few seconds before running off.

They always stare face full on.

This time of year it’s not unusual to see them later in the morning, earlier in the evening. Outside of their normal hunting hours. Something to do with the longer periods of darkness.Today’s encounter at 10AM was a reminder to keep the Littles close at hand. I don’t want them to become anyone’s dinner.

Lot of action outside tonight. The hunt is on for someone. But I’m inside with the Littles. Bean is snuggled between my thigh and the arm of the comfy chair. The arm he chewed a hole in a few years back when he was a young Bean and didn’t know any better. Sophie is crashed up against Margie on the sofa. Margie is sitting there talking art. Right now she’s on Rothko. Talking about color fields. Before that she was looking through my encaustic books, talking wax.

This is a winding down time. The show is hung. Publicity wheels are spinning. Now it’s time to regroup. Clean the studio. Clean the house. Get some sleep. Eat healthy. Play. Enjoy ourselves.

Recharge.

And then paint some more.