Blogging Workshop!

If you live in or around Spartanburg County, SC and are interested in having your own blog, Daisy suggests the following....

Workshop: Blog as Noun, Blog as Verb

Helen Correll and Ned Barrett

February 27, 7-9pm at The Showroom

Over the last decade, “blog” has become a noun and a verb, both something we keep and something we do. Perhaps you would like to start a blog or improve on the blog you already have. This workshop will explain the benefits of blogging, help you define your blog, and discuss effective blog writing, approaching posts in a way that will attract readers and keep them coming back for more. With a fun and creative approach, you should leave the workshop with several posts written or planned and a direction for your blogging future.

Read more about HUB CITY WRITERS PROJECT and the workshop leaders, and register HERE.

FYI: It's going to be fun!

Seedbox & Tag Alder

I made a point to squeeze in drawing time today because yesterday, while walking the dogs down by Meetinghouse Creek, I was surprised to see the Tag Alder in bloom. "In bloom" for an Alder means long yellow catkins (male) and tiny erect reddish cones (female). The mature cones, which are 3/4 inch long and woody, persist through the winter and are another way to identify the Tag Alder. I don't like to break living branches off a tree, so I stood in front of this low branch to draw, the drop off into the creek about a foot away. All was well until I turned to see if the dogs were about to pounce on me and lost my footing. I caught myself easily enough, but dropped my journal. Down it slid untill it was snagged by a several dormant stems of Yellowroot, leaving about a third of the book hanging out over the water. That was a close call.

The Seedbox grows beside Meetinghouse Creek, practically in the water. The plant is at least three feet high, the branches topped with the tiny boxes, or seed shakers. Poppyseed-like seeds come out of the tiny hole on the top of the box. I broke part of a branch and carried it up and away from the creek to draw. I'd had enough excitement for the day.

Cottonwood Leaves

Today the temperature is almost 70 degrees, sunny with a gentle breeze. The dogs and I went on a hike to the kudzu hill with backpack & journal thinking I would head down the path into the tangled woods at the upper end of Meetinghouse Creek. That hasn't happened yet because I was dressed completely wrong and got quite hot. Came back to change and remembered along the way that I have several entries that haven't been posted that I should post... then I remembered that the journal with all others except this one is off at the publisher's, and are inaccessible. So here is the one I have from the end of January of Cottonwood leaves. January 25 was also a beautiful day (we've had many unseasonably warm days in the past few weeks) and I enjoyed sneaking away from work to go out and draw.

Old Cottonwood leaves dry out to a pale taupe color that looks ghostly against the russets of a piney woodland floor. They jumped out at me as I walked past and I immediately wanted to draw. Nothing was stirring as I drew, but just behind where I was sitting, something VERY LARGE had been digging into a rotting pine log, looking for insects, I'd say... possibly the male Black Bear that was spotted around here in September, and whose track I found before Christmas, and although female bears would be denning right now, a male Black Bear would be out and about and looking for food. I like to think it was that big old Papa Bear...... let's just say it was!