Trying to redeem myself

Yesterday, as I was saying, I spent my weekly Artist's Date in a bird journaling workshop where I was in far over my head because I didn't know a crow from a tangerine bearded whatchamacallit. But I found a photo to learn from and tried again. This, my friends, is a red-shouldered hawk, which I now know is common to the Eastern United States and to California. It has a raucous call, something I will listen for in the future because I seem to do better with listening than seeing. I used watercolor pencils here on the first page of the new Fabriano sketchbook I was given yesterday, the first page of a real nature journal!

It was quite cold here in Wine Country today (I'm glad the workshop was yesterday). Rain is forecast every day this week with snow falling in the hills and lower mountains. After a week of early spring we're suddenly back to winter.