ROOSTERS AND A LINE OF SKATING GIRLS

I'm on my electric tricycle and I   go for a ride at about ten every morning.

Four homes on this route have chickens with roosters and as I pass, I give my version of a rooster crow.  They've gotten  to know me, somehow, and now will usually beat me to the crow...(damned egotists). :-)

I kept chickens as a kid...also white rabbits, six nanny goats, a loft of white pigeons, four muscovy ducks and a dog named "BO BO"...about the dog...I still keep a "BO BO" but it's a fake.

We might like a live one, but the vets in our town treat pets like children and they really run up huge bills for care.  So we pass.

This A.M. as I was nearing the park, a line of girls on skates were approaching.  I stopped my trike and got my camera out...the lead girl hollered "Picture" and caused great disorder in the line...folks really like to look good in a picture. you can be sure of it.

The reason I'm on an electric assist tricycle is my age and safety concerns.  I really love the thing and I call it my Cadillac.  It really is a lifesaver because I have to peddle to make it operate.  My other electric bike is full on power, no peddling required...but I really need the exercise of peddling.
                                                                                ELBERT

SHIRLEY'S PORTRAIT

                                               Shirley's Portrait      


I've always kept the photo that I took of Shirley, taken when she was with the mall.  She was about thirty-nine and we were dating.  I decided to paint the portrait including events in her history.  In the far background is "Eva" the mail and passenger boat owned and captained by her Grandfather, Ed Calhoun.  He also organized the local fur trapping on Johnsons Bayou. She lived with them for the first five years of her childhood.
The hay stacks and tractor represent the annual hay mowing that she did.
Ole Billy was actually sort of brownish but I needed his coat to be white.  The sunflowers were other loves of her early years.  The huge wooden palette, we had both used in past studio sessions.
She looked good at thirty-nine...so at least on my canvas, she gets to stay there.

                                           Shirley Picking Figs

We've been picking figs for two month.  Shirley finally agreed to allow me to preserve two dozen with added lemon and a little sugar.  i split them into quarters.  WHAT A TREAT! (I gained four pounds).  Elbert

                                           Elbert's Fig Preserves