Sunday, January 25, 2026

Artnotes: Two Second Flutter

 

25 January 2026   Roccamalatina, MO   ITALIA
Join us for Sunday Salon  25 January (see below)


Berlino had a great week – his fun and accomplishments outshine ours.    He caught and released a shrew after carrying it down the path.  He’s a bird dog, careful not to ruffle the feathers, and the shrew appeared to be healthy and unharmed.  Not so untouched was I, who tried to pry it out of his jaws (will it hurt me?) before my nonchalant dog just dropped it. I lost my hat and my headlight in a puddle.  He’s learned to pee in the water gulley by by suspending himself between the path (back legs) to the hill (front legs):  lots of area covered with this technique.


I record bird calls on the walk:  8 that day. Not so bad considering the fog and light rain.  I miss the birds when they are not present.  It is not unusual to hear 20 different songs in as many minutes in the spring and summer.   Merlin (Cornell’s bird app, courtesy my friend Jennifer) said there were 171 likely birds in the Guiglia area this day.  I was happy with eight and painted pictures of two.   In the larger picture (Emilia Romagna) there are hundreds (390) more birds just an hour or so car drive away, including spoonbills, flamingoes, ibis and osprey who all pass through the Po Delta. 


We entertained for lunch this week:  cauliflower soup, duck breast with a cherry gastrique, and pommes sarladaises.   0 kilometer sourcing:  actually, maybe 20 (how can they ever say 0?).  We have some great food raised in our area.   Our guest made an apple cake (her apples) for dessert.   It wasn’t an Italian menu, but neither are we. 


I am trying hard to make it through all this “indoor” time.  Bernie and I go out to walk in the morning, but frankly, I am tired of being holed up in the house for much of the day.  I read poems about being indoors looking out the window.  Poet John O’Donohue from Ireland is good for that one – I am anticipating reading his books that I just found today.  

Crab  Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas    9.5: x 13"  24 x 33  390.00

Po Delta Migrating bird (Stork or Heron) Laure Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/paper  11 x 6.5  16 x 28 cm 150.00

We drove the short distance to the junk store and bought a Chinese dish, two potholders and a stuffed badger for Berlino for all of 8 euros.  He tears it apart in record time, but that beast beneath the fig tree has been bugging him for a year.  Hmmph.

Eurasian Green Woodpecker      Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/paper  7.5 x 10”   19 x 25cm  90.00


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