Abstract Green Palm

I've been working on painting trees this afternoon and realizing how the fact that every tree is different makes them all different to paint as well! This is the impressionist version of a the green top of a palm tree, interesting in itself from a painting point of view. The backdrop of burned trees covering the hills behind is a good example of the technique I have been working on. These particular hills are not showing any signs of coming back but every sign of being a fire hazard!

Speaking of fire...the area has just designated a 'Select Committee on Fire Mitigation', yet another group of people who seem to meet to state the obvious. Nothing that came out of the inaugural meeting was anything new to people who live here and struck me as another pointless endeavor which didn't really address any of the most worrisome subjects such as evacuation and proposed building projects.

The county has learned a lot from each catastrophic fire we have suffered here, but the basic cause (aside from PG&E's faulty equipment) is climate change, which will require a concerted effort from government immediately if we are to avert further disaster. It's an effort I don't really see happening despite numerous stories of individual and even local attempts at solutions. Much money will have to be spent and many sacrifices will have to be made, and I  think money for yet another local committee is like putting it down a rathole....

My ottoman has not arrived yet, despite daily emails that the estimated delivery date is the next day. We are invited to sign up for an app which will track our order but it is less enlightening than the emails. There doesn't seem to be anybody to call, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I thought a one day furniture delivery was a little too good to be true...

The weather is heating up again after a few days of near perfect temperatures so I may be forced to carry out some of the suggestions received for dusting the plate rack. I hate to think where that will lead....