Connecticut Wanderings

 One minute I was in a quiet Connecticut suburb (Trumbull) and the next, I’m on a bucolic trail, wading through fallen leaves and pine needles in the wooded Pequonnock River Valley.

continue reading "Connecticut Wanderings"

Glamping in Maine

 When staying at Huttopia, a resort in Southern Maine, you’ll be glamping where your cozy, comfortable dwelling is snuggled by soaring Eastern white pine trees.

Everything about Huttopia in Southern Maine is peaceful, especially in the early morning and evening. My tiny house faced Sand Pond where the wee beach and the dock with a pair of Adirondack chairs were perfect places to enjoy the bucolic scenery.

Sand Pond is a nexus for relaxation and recreation at Huttopia in Southern Maine. I never tired of the sunrise - or anything else at this playful and peaceful resort.

continue reading "Glamping in Maine"

Watercolors Part 3 - Landscapes

Until it’s safe to travel widely, I’m spending time painting. This is part 3 of my landscape watercolor series based on my domestic and international travels. Each image reflects a scene inspired by one or more of my journeys. (All of my paintings are available as prints.)


Sometimes forests have colors that only I can see.

For me, the sky and sea are one.

Even though the only forests I see now are in my dreams, they still snuggle me with comfort.

In my dreams, the colors of the sky, clouds, and trees can be unusual but no less beautiful and inspiring.

Entering each and every forest is a magical and transformative experience for me.

continue reading "Watercolors Part 3 - Landscapes"

Watercolors Part 2 - Landscapes

With my round-the-world travels on pause for now, I’m finding great comfort in the myriad creative endeavors I’m involved with, and that includes my artistic pursuits. This is Part 2 of my watercolor series. Each image reflects a scene inspired by one or more of my journeys. (All of my paintings are available as prints.)


When I walk through forests, especially those that have existed for centuries, I feel a great sense of hope, peace, wonder and vitality.

The sun rising above natural landscapes gives me hope that the day holds promise and opportunities.

It seems like nowadays even the trees are now crying.

I never tire of the varieties of colors, shapes, sizes and textures in nature.

continue reading "Watercolors Part 2 - Landscapes"

Watercolors: Trees, Trees and More Trees

I had always considered myself a city girl who adores the country - especially forest lands. But with the pandemic that has me trapped in a distant neighborhood of NYC with no access to woodland, I feel like my love of the urban environment has plummeted while my need for nature grows with each passing day. This is part one of a series of blog posts featuring my pastoral watercolors. (Prints are all available for purchase. Contact me for more information.) For those who are sheltering or in some sort of lockdown in these pandemic days, perhaps these scenes will satisfy your wanderlust or act as a much needed stress reducer.

Trees have always been one of my favorite subjects, whether in my photography or paintings. But, now, I’m missing forests and woodland more than anything else.

These scenes are all inspired by my round-the-world travels.

I’m longing for the day when I can again walk through dense forests dappled with sun

I never tire of trees. Each has a distinctive personality. And each radiates a sense of calm. If I could transport myself somewhere right now, it would definitely be a forest, specifically the woodlands along the Camino dos Faros in Galicia, Spain that I had hiked. This painting of mine (below) reminds me of those forests.

continue reading "Watercolors: Trees, Trees and More Trees"

Cayman Islands in Pictures

The Cayman Islands that I recently experienced is the one few spend the time to become acquainted with. Not the Caymans of snorkeling, diving, endless hours on the beach or stepping off a cruise ship for a quick visit. My Cayman Island travels -- aside from Grand Cayman, I overnighted on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman -- was all about wandering walking trails through the dense forests, spying exotic parrots, browsing contemporary art in the National Gallery, bicycling to an iguana nesting sanctuary, and strolling through orchid and palm gardens.

My short YouTube video slideshow provides a small window into the authentic Cayman Islands that I know.

continue reading "Cayman Islands in Pictures"

Maine Cross Country Ski Weekend in Pictures

It's probably not surprising to read an article describing how cell phones have infiltrated every aspect of our lives. But reading an article in the Sunday New York Times today "Step Away From The Phone"  -- describing, among the cell phone "detox" methods, how phones may need to be put into a lock box in order to foster normal human interactions in the home -- made me reflect on how I often completely disconnect from the phone and the Web by immersing myself in the wilderness. 

One of these trips with the Appalachian Mountain Club was a long weekend of guided lodge-to-lodge cross country skiing from Gorman Chairback to Little Lyford Lodge in Maine. The phone is the furthest thing from my mind -- lock box not needed -- as I embrace the simple pleases, such as stepping into a wood-fired sauna; enjoying a family-style dinner of pan-seared salmon with blueberry chutney; and snuggling in my bed that's decked out with comfy, flannel bedding. This short YouTube video slideshow provides a window into my experience.

continue reading "Maine Cross Country Ski Weekend in Pictures"