A puffin “flew” all the way to our Ontario home today!

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Eleanor

Opening the side door to get the newspaper out of the mailbox this morning, I found a paper cylinder dangling from the inside of the storm door by a mauve ribbon. Carefully pulling the cylinder out of the ribbon, I felt something soft inside. It was a dear little puffin, made out of plush fabric!

Above the coloured photo of him on the page was this note:

A little bird has told me

that you are putting your lovely painting ability to the test

of creating pictures of my relatives on “the Rock.”

I just thought that I’d drop in to see if I can be of assistance to you.

I don’t charge much for my modeling talent, just a bite of food now and again.

Needless to say, the bright-eyed little puffin got our day off to the happiest of beginnings! I’ll let you know if I can unravel this delightful mystery.

Special Visitor

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Eleanor

A person who meant so much to me in my pig-tailed days is coming to visit my studio on Thursday! Once upon a time, he was the hired man on our 100-acre farm.

Bert Kempster, tall with black wavy hair, loved to ride horses, drove a Model-T Ford, which had a rumble seat, and was ever so patient with my four sisters and I. He had a marvellous way of recounting anecdotes!

Most exciting of all, he chewed Dentyne gum! Back then, we tykes had never heard of such things as germs. Unbeknownst to Bert, when he was out, my younger sister and I snuck into his room, pried off some gum he thought he had hidden on the back of his metal bedstead . . . and chewed it!!

Although I haven’t rode or exhibited horses like Bert has, I do share a love for them, and have painted four, fascinated by their intelligent eyes and graceful form.