Back from a Break

I have been on a blog break. Last week I did a fair amount of painting outdoors and last weekend was spent with my niece, Amanda and her kids in the backyard of her new house. There's enough flat space to set up a little soccer field if they wanted and a sunken seating area (under a grape arbor) with a built in fire pit. I stood up on the chimney and looked across the alley to the neighbors garden; all manner of vegetables and herbs - the dinner plate dahlias are a feast of late summer color. Couldn't resist a quick little sketch.  Now there's a break in the heat, kids are starting second week of school, Halloween is right around the corner!