Last Week in Review: Birds, Art, and a Lot of Truman

I take Truman on my outings whenever I can, because, you know, why not?  He's very well-mannered -- he even went to an Episcopalian church service on October 1 for the annual St Francis blessing of the animals, and he never made a single sound.  He just say quietly on the padded pew and was admired by all.

So last week he came with me everywhere I went.  Our first outing was to the UW Farm, which is just off the entrance to the Montlake Fill (AKA Union Bay Natural Area).  Sparrows have been there in abundance because of the many sunflowers, but when we arrived, the sparrows were hiding, due to this:

Predator!  This Red-tailed Hawk was chased off by crows, and then it swooped down to grab a rodent and then swooped off to a tree, leaving the sparrows alone.

Truman waited patiently at the farm while I took photos of the hawk, which was in an area he couldn't get to easily (too bumpy for the stroller, and too many thorny blackberry vines on the ground for walking).  See how well-mannered he is?

Back at the farm, I admired lots of Golden-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, and this less common visitor from eastern Washington, a juvenile Yellow-headed Blackbird:

Afterwards, we tootled on up to the UW campus for a stroll -- this is in front of the neo-Gothic Suzzallo Library:

Then we made our way to the frame shop/gallery that sells my paintings, where Truman is allowed inside because, of course, he is extremely well-mannered.

Another one of my paintings had recently sold, so I was able to pick up a check.  Yay!

Next we stopped in at the University Bookstore, where all dogs are allowed, though I'm sure Truman is one of the very best-behaved ones there.

On another fine sunny day this past week we paid a visit to Golden Gardens Park.  We've had a lovely Indian Summer and wanted to make the most of it.

The first American Wigeons of the fall/winter season have arrived at the marsh there:

Truman allowed me to pose him on this driftwood:

And then he waited ever so patiently while I sketched the driftwood.

Over the weekend I went on several sketch outings with Tina and Nicole.  On Saturday we stopped by the Shoreline Farmer's Market, the last one of the season, where they were hosting the annual giant pumpkin weight contest.

One of the pumpkin growers admired this sketch so much that he bought it from me!  "I have dozens of photos of the pumpkin contests," he told me, "but this will make a unique souvenir."

Our next stop that day was the collection of shops and restaurants inside old-fashioned buildings known as Bothell Country Village.

Sadly, the owners are planning to sell the land to a developer and this quaint spot, which has been in operation for many decades, will likely disappear in a few years.

Truman, of course, was very well-behaved, and got to visit a bead store where Nicole went shopping.  And then he waited patiently while I sketched.

Finally, on Sunday we all went to the Lake Forest Park farmer's market to draw the alpacas there.  Truman was not impressed by them.

He was more impressed by the free sample slice of cinnamon-swirl bread that I picked up at the nearby Great Harvest Bread Company.

He did not get a bite of my bread.  Instead, I took him to the nearby Mud Bay pet supply store where he got his favorite treat and a new toy.  And where, naturally, he was very well-behaved!