visiting friends, part 2

We took the long way driving home from Kansas to Texas. We had returned to Kansas in order to pick up a rack for Bill's woodshop that had not fit in the moving van last January . . . and visit a few friends and family in El Dorado.

On the return trip we went by way of Arkansas to check on our dear friends, George and Shirley. When Bill and I were still in high school and in need of someone who would simply care and listen, this dear couple was always there for us. In fact, I met Bill through their son Steve who I was dating at the time --- the best thing Steve ever did for me was to introduce me to his best friend, Bill. Except for when Steve took me to church, where I first met the Lord Jesus.

Anyway, George and Shirley remain our adoptive parents to this day. Spending time with them was very special. They live in a heavily wooded area near Norfolk Lake. I wanted to paint some of the view from their back yard but failed to capture its beauty . . . so I used the pages as background to some journaling.

The sketch on the right side is their current dog, Maggie. There were always dogs at their home, each with memorable personalities. Maggie and our Scottie, Ceilidh, had lots of fun romping in the yard and fighting over toys.

On the left, a huge pine cone that fell from a tree right as Ceilidh and I were walking under it, with such force it seemed to be thrown right at us. We had stopped at a roadside park to let the dog run a bit. No other pine cones fell and none others were on the ground.