The best laid plans of mice and men....and artists....

     The closing lines from one of Robert Burns most famous poems, which tell us that we have no control over the ultimate fate of our life's plans,  have been frequently quoted and referenced in other literary works over the years, most note-ably as the title of the John Steinbeck novel.  My addition of the word "artists", to the identities of the creatures great and small, who often have their well laid plans go astray, is a reference to personal plans of my own, which recently went badly astray, despite being as well prepared as could be expected.
     Recently, in a vow to continue doing what I have always done, until I am physically unable to carry on, I declared that I would never say never again.  So, with that vow in mind, I spent several weeks or so, preparing to do at least one more outdoor show.  However, the one uncontrollable factor in such plans is always the weather.  We can not count on Mother Nature being in a beneficent mood on specific days.  It is always the luck of the draw, as to what the days will bring.  We cross our fingers and wonder if it will it be fair weather or foul.

     Unfortunately, Mother Nature was in an extremely foul mood on the weekend of the show.  The rains descended in heavy torrents on Saturday, turning the grounds into swampy muck, and then the downpour continued in the night, making it pointless to stay on through Sunday.  So, as a result, I owe an apology to anyone who tried to wade through the mire, expecting to find me there somewhere, still sheltering from the rain and refusing to surrender. I can only say that I'm sorry I missed seeing you this time.  As to whether or not there will be a next time, who knows the answer to that?  As Robert Burns would warn us, don't ever believe that you are in complete control of your future.


     I have a painting which would have been apropos to go with this posting, a landscape of a electrical storm, sweeping in over the prairie, which I called Thunder Will Come.  I will try to get that painting photographed and post it on the blog.