Ayrmount

I took a walk today at Ayrmount. I took my best friend.

We strolled the Poet's Walk and looked at the light on the yellow beech leaves, the ripples on the Eno River, and the warm sun shining on the valley spread out beyond the four Adirondack chairs set on the brow of the hill behind the old house. Then we walked the whole thing again, backwards, which we've never done before. It was like walking a new trail.

During the entire walk I was nearly bursting with two paintings that are trying to get to the surface. I have now struggled much of the afternoon with one, and feel worn out and a bit discouraged as I can't get the vision from inside to come out on the paper. The spirit of the thing isn't coming through. I don't know how to draw playfully enough to make it happen.

But I'll keep at it, maybe Wednesday. Meanwhile, the best thing all day was time spent with my best friend. After dinner, she and I have a movie just for the two of us. And after that I'll go to bed earlier; she gets insomnia if she comes to bed too soon. And perhaps I'll wake when she does come to bed, so I can hold her a while before we both go to sleep.