Shakespeare Festival

The Shakespeare Festival was loads of fun today. They all seemed to love Ardenwood and are looking forward to coming back next year. The public certainly seemed to love it.

And the Jousters actually survived!

4th of July at Ardenwood!

A most beautiful day to celebrate our country's birthday!  

It is always so nice to be painting while surrounded by the sounds of families enjoying each other and having fun.  I took my travel watercolor set in my picnic basket.  After checking out the activities in the farmyard, the spinning of wool, outdoor kitchen, music on the grainery porch and the various animals, I found a nice old stump, pulled out the paints and painted.  I haven't really used my watercolors for the past two years so it was nice to use them again.  I had a lovely view of the Fremont hills across the Ardenwood fields.  I did take pictures and will post them.

As lunch time approached I left to go to the gazebo area.  The band was warming up as I choose a nice dry, shady spot on the lawn (I was in Victorian dress, remember).  The lawn area was quite populated with happy picnics.  My husband arrived as the band started to play and we pulled out the fried chicken, potato salad and apple crisp from the hamper and enjoyed our picnic to the music of the gay 90's.

I took some photos to use as studies for future paintings in the "rainy times".  

As always it was so nice to enjoy the 4th with all the friends we came across.  The flow-thru tours of the Patterson House were busy as always and it was fun to have the magic show so popular on the lawn right in front of the house.  I heard the watermelon seed spitting contest and the water bragade were very popular,  I heard them!

Another wonderful Victorian 4th!

The Little Shop on the Corner

The little Victorian shop on the corner is currently a "paint your own ceramics" shop.  It was catching the sunbeams from a break in the clouds on a day that couldn't decide whether to rain or shine.  I felt a horse and buggy should be where the car is... wouldn't that be fun!