Finally...

"Red Branch" by Betsy Walton

Woke this morning to about 5 inches of new snow, wasn't expecting it but glad to see it. It's been so dry here this winter and after last weeks wildfire, snow is exactly what we need around here. I do enjoy being able to get outside and ride on dry trails in the winter but not at the expense of our well running dry and mountains as brittle as old bones.
I'm slowly gearing up for another season of art shows this year, putting into place more local events which means less traveling and saving money. I think the only show I will do out of state this year is Scottsdale, AZ in March, which is a solid show for me and a lovely place to be in early spring. I'll look forward to it and we'll bring the bikes. There's so many beautiful places down there to ride and experience. I'm also opening a retail shop on Etsy that will showcase and sell my artwork. Etsy is a great site for artists and crafts people, it's well laid out and has a strong following, I'm really looking forward to this adventure in E-Commerce and have strong hopes for it's success.
Craig and I are putting ourselves on a very strict financial diet as well. We need to work with our current situation and make our future more secure than it is. This will take a lot of work from both of us, some sacrifices, longer hair probably, less holidays and trips to the desert (that one will hurt me, as my soul wanders there in my mind everyday) but in the long run it will place us where we need to be. There are times when you have to suck it up and then suck it up some more and that's now for us, for me, it's a shift of mentality. I believe that things work out mostly, sometimes they don't but probably because they weren't supposed to. You put your positive intentions into the stream of life and it comes back to you, you give out with kindness and the giving comes back, mostly. The best you can is good enough.
So the looking within continues, the snow is falling, the days are growing longer, the sun is climbing higher and burning stronger, the dark is receding with each day, new art is created and pedals are spun in circles over dirt.