Wild Wednesday … Wiley Coyote?

Posted on April 22, 2015 by foresterartist

Wild as in wildlife. Naturally, the coyote comes after the roadrunner.

coyote, watercolor, watercolour, pen and ink, ink drawing, wildlife

Coyote in mixed media. Done with pen and ink, and watercolor.

I enjoy seeing wild coyotes and I see them often. As a dog lover, I’m sympathetic toward them. On the flip side I have no illusions about their predator nature and I keep an eye out for our pets and livestock.

This coyote was just west of the house. She came cruising through and posed very politely.

Ranchers have to protect their livestock because it’s their livelihood. Coyotes have to hunt because it’s their livelihood. It’s a tough reality for coyotes and ranchers alike. All part of the harsh balance of nature.

It’s tough being a coyote.

Roadrunner, the Coyote’s After You!

Posted on April 18, 2015 by foresterartist

watercolor, pen and ink, pen & ink, illustration, roadrunner, mixed media

Roadrunner in Watercolor and, pen and ink.

Here’s my inspiration. I don’t see them often, and what a treat to have a photogenic roadrunner!

Wild Wednesday … Canyon Delphinium

Posted on April 15, 2015 by foresterartist

Delphinium nudicaule, canyon delphinium, canyon larkspur, wildflowers

Canyon Delphinium, Delphinium nudicaule

They are red and orange sparks along the roadside in the spring mountains.

Also known by the common names canyon larkspur, red larkspur, and orange larkspur.

Forestry Friday … Weather Station

Posted on April 10, 2015 by foresterartist

The anemometer measures the wind speed and direction.

California is into the fourth year of drought. Wildfire is on our minds in the natural resources community. Hazardous fire conditions are just around the corner and we are already preparing. The state and federal agencies have a system for predicting high fire hazard conditions, and tracking weather and fuel moisture is at the core of it.

A portable weather station.

We utilize local weather stations on our timber lands to get pin point fire weather conditions. Our research department installs them. Some of these stations are permanent and some are mobile. The mobile stations, like the one shown above, can be relocated as needed. We put these at active logging sites so we can measure accurate on site fire weather conditions.

fuel moisture stick, fuel moisture, wildfire, fire weather

The fuel moisture stick measures moisture content in forest fuels.

Years ago, we used mechanical anemometers to measure wind speed, and fuel moisture sticks weighed with a scale to measure fuel moisture. During the summer season, measurements were taken on the hour by someone on the logging crew. When conditions became severe enough, operations were shut down for the day.

With today’s technology, we have the ability to monitor conditions continuously and have the data transmitted to our office. Changes in fire conditions can be spotted in real-time and radioed to the logging crews. We can collect much more data with the new weather stations than ever before, and respond to changing condition accordingly.

The Ponderosa Fire.

The weather stations won’t eliminate wildfire, but they do assist the logging crews in avoiding being the cause.

Wild Wednesday! … Fawn Lily

Posted on April 8, 2015 by foresterartist

Erythronium californicum, California fawn lily, Northern California

Erythronium californicum the California fawn lily. It lives in moist woodland areas in the mountains of Northern California

Starting today, “Wild Wednesday!” It may be wildflowers, wildlife, or whatever wild thing that comes along. Today’s wild thing is a California Fawn Lily.

Forestry Friday … Feller Buncher

Posted on April 3, 2015 by foresterartist

A speed chopping contest between Oregon State University and Shasta College students. Logging sports like this were inspired by how it was once done.

Every time I see a news report where the reporter says loggers “chopped” down trees, I want to bang my head against the coffee table. Loggers haven’t chopped down trees since chainsaws took over the job in the 30’s and 40’s.

chainsaw, logger, logging, faller, falling, felling, bucking, limbing

Using a chainsaw to limb a Ponderosa pine tree.

Chainsaws are still on every logging job, but now they share much of the tree falling duty with the feller bunchers. These machines look more like something from Star Wars. It’s not what most folks would expect on a logging job.

feller buncher, falling, felling, cutting, timber, loggers, logging

The disk on the front of the feller buncher is the saw blade. This type of saw head is called a “hot saw” because it runs constantly.

This machine is working on a fire salvage operation from last years wildfires. They cut trees all day long.

They grab the trees when they cut them. The trees are then stacked up in a “doodle” for the skidders to take to the log landing.

Life is a lot different for the loggers these days. Working in an air-condition cab is a world away for the days of axes and misery whips.

This tree shear is another example of tree cutting technology. Don’t worry, we let her go.

Our Northern California Skies

Posted on March 26, 2015 by foresterartist

Sunrise

From My Front Yard

Sunrise Over the Sacramento River

Sunrise at the Mill

Early Morning Light

Misty Morning

Snow Covered Trinity Alps

Mt Shasta

The Moon and Mt Lassen

Sunset

Sunset Palette

The Northern California skies from sunup to sundown.

Get Your Strut On, It’s Spring!!

Posted on March 20, 2015 by foresterartist

Spring, wild turkey, turkey, wildlife, photography, nature

I chance upon these handsome fellas on the way home the other night. I stopped and chatted them up a bit with my call. They obliged by talking back and showing me a strut that would make a runway model proud.

Old Dogs, New Dogs

Posted on March 16, 2015 by foresterartist

golden retriever, Blitz, pen and ink, drawing, pen, ink

It’s been almost a year since Blitz passed. Soon after, I did this portrait of her as a bit of art therapy.

Our new girl golden retriever puppy was born on the 6th. She will be coming home in about six weeks. I can’t wait.

Our new baby is in there somewhere. She’s the cute one. Photo courtesy of Susan Liptak.

It just so happens her Grandmother, Gracie, is staying with us for awhile. In fact, at this moment she is putting a stuffed toy wolverine in my lap and asking for me to throw it for her. She’s staying with us while I’m running her in the Junior Hunt Tests for her owner and personal friend, Sally. Blitz was Gracie’s cousin.

Gracie is schmoozing for a retrieve with a stuffed wolverine. I think the wolverine is well loved.

This weekend we attended the Marin Retriever Club Hunt Test in Corning, California. It was a double header and we ran dogs on Saturday and Sunday. Mary ran her Sailor, Sally ran her Bella and I ran Sally’s Gracie. Great fun was had by all, especially the dogs. Everybody qualified in both events.

hunt test, AKC Hunt Test, marking, duck, golden retriever

The gunner shoots the live flyer. Gracie and I are at the line watching her second bird go down. Photo courtesy of MaryA Livingston.

Prints available at Fine Art America.

The Art Challenge, Day Five … Story Books

Posted on February 26, 2015 by foresterartist

wolverine, watercolor, illustration, children's books

From “Buddy and the Magic Chicken Tree.”

From “Firestorm in the Forest.”

wolverine, watercolor, illustration, The Wayward Wolverine

From “Buddy, The Wayward Wolverine.”

It’s day five! I was tagged to do the 3 pieces of art a day for 5 days, Art Challenge, by Mark Mitchell. This is the last post. The theme for today is “Story Books”, that I’ve illustrated I put up illustrations from three different books.

I would love to give everyone a break, so I’m not tagging anybody for the Art Challenge. If you want to do it, then tell me and I’ll tag you!

The books:

Buddy, The Wayward Wolverine

Firestorm in the Forest

Buddy and the Magic Chicken Tree