Sketching at the Arboretum

Last Wednesday was cloudy but not raining, so I took Truman for a birding walk around the Fill.  It was a bit cold and not all that enjoyable, except for the exciting spotting of three wigeons at the main pond.  I hadn't seen any wigeons at the Fill since January 27 and thought they'd all flown off north.

My theory is that these particular wigeons came from somewhere else and had been trying to fly north on Tuesday evening, and when the huge wind storm came up then, they were forced down for shelter.  I mean, if not, where have they been hiding for the past month?

Well, I suppose we'll never know.  Anyway, by the time we got back to the car, there were glints of sunbreaks here and there, and since I'd brought my sketch supplies along in a fit of earlier optimism regarding the weather, I decided to head over to the nearby Arboretum.  It turned out to be a little warmer and nice enough for sketching outside there.

There is a patio with a pergola next to the visitor center, which was a fine place to draw.  I hope to return (or more accurately, I hope to remember to return) in April when the pergola is swathed in wisteria blooms.  For now, they were bare.

It was nice enough for a short stroll, though of course, because he had already walked around the Loop Trail at the Fill, Truman was having no more of this walking nonsense.

We stopped at the wee pond that lies a short ways down the Azalea Way path, where I did a little more sketching.

Then darker clouds started to appear on the horizon, so we headed home.  The key to enjoying outdoor activities in this neck'o'the woods, I've determined, is to time your outings just right.  Which, of course, is only 10% actual weather forecasts and 90% serendipity.

I have an outing in mind for tomorrow -- fingers crossed that I time it right!

And Happy Friday!