Maureen at work with Biscuit
Maureen taking notes
With Chico and Biscuit
Chico catches a nap
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After consulting our cabin log, I realized that we have had 14 days of good weather during July. That doesn't sound too bad when I recall 1996 when we had much worse. However with the last two days of dense fog, high humidity and low light, our spirits were low too. Maybe it is so depressing because we haven't had fresh food for 6 weeks. Our supplies were delivered by helicopter, three days ago, to the Science Station at Kurilskoye Lake. With the fog, Charlie couldn't fly over for them. I am imagining our fresh produce slowly rotting. Wish us luck for good weather tomorrow.
I have started a new landscape series that I hope will build on the one of two years ago titled "The Bears Who Looked for Beauty". In that series as I have described in earlier web site entries, I sat in bears' day beds (which I call 'nesting sites') and paint the view while imagining what it would be like to do so as a bear. I discovered that a very high percentage of these sites were located with spectacular views and put forward the notion that they are selected with an eye for appreciating the beautiful landscape.
This summer, as I walk with the cubs, I often carry my sketchbook, noting what they seem to stop and admire. I paint when they stop for naps and have noticed that they predictably choose sleeping locations where nesting sites have previously existed. More good views. I have also been taking some careful notes, minute by minute, of what Chico and Biscuit do over a specific time period. My notes tend to be visual ones and reflect my artist's eye. For example, I note, as they eat Equisetum(horse tails), -the range of greens. I see the brilliant rose color of the Kamchatka Rhododendron that is beside the sedge plant being consumed. I note how I think that Biscuit feels as she sniffs every new bit of wind and admire her pose and the texture of her fur blowing in the wind. Careful looking at nature is something I wanted to do, with Chico and Biscuit as guides, for some time. I have noticed that both cubs love all this attention. They exhibit clear enjoyment when I show up to study their minute by minute activities. Chico continues to come over and stand in front of me if I am paying to much attention to Biscuit. They both would like to taste the paint or play with my sketchbook.
Maureen