Larger view of June’s thumbnails

This month seemed to focus on desert themes from a trip to Arizona, random dessert foods as well as crazy animals in the yard. I’ve also started to share with others the link to this blog, as it took awhile for me to get used to the idea that this is a real project. I’ve made it several months now, and it’s starting to feel more like a regular, fun routine rather than “I’ll probably draw 5 pictures and quit.” I haven’t quit yet, so yay for that! I’ve learned that it’s difficult to do a drawing each day, especially when travelling, so sometimes I have a bit of catching up to do. I can usually do up to 3 a day and then I have to take a break. But it has been good motivation to capture memories and images while they were still fresh.

• We had a conversation in the microbiology lab at work about what the agar (the brown Jello-looking stuff) in the petri dishes smells like (my vote was potatoes). We also have to step out into the hallway when the ultrasonic bath is running, and it sounds like a tattoo machine. So this is how you get to a microbiology lab smelling like potatoes and sounding like a tattoo shop.

• We scored the best campsite at Gifford Pinchot State Park in PA to kayak and hike around the lake.
• The view from the front of my inflatable kayak on the lake.
• Driving home.

• Sigh – The crows in the yard like to snip the leaves off my plumeria trees, right after the trees finally grew leaves for the summer.
• The fox sleeping in front of his den at the top the hill in our backyard.
• Smoke from the Canadian wildfires creating a red sky at sunrise.
• Trying 2 new ice cream flavors at the ice cream shop up the street. Mocha was way better than Vegan Mint Oreo.

• Skating is fun, until you fall backwards. My first crash!
• I seem to paint my “baking extravaganzas” frequently. This time I decided to illustrate the ingredients.
• Flying from DC to LA and spotting cool landmarks from the sky. I found my parents’ house and even got a picture from the plane window!

• The only way I survive crazy travel for work and all-day meetings is to bring my own lunch. Thankfully I have an awesome dinosaur lunch box!
• Stopping by the cleanroom to see the Europa Clipper spacecraft being built.
• More cool landmarks from the airplane window.
• Driving in AZ.

• Visiting the Grand Canyon.
• Everytime I visit my Mom she has a list of art projects for me to complete.
• Hiking the Salida Gulch Trail in Prescott, AZ and finding really cool petroglyphs!

• Prickly pear cactus of AZ.
• My “Goodbye Arizona” postcard.
• One of my most favorite snack combinations: Nutella and bananas!
• La Mère Poulard cookies. (In French I always call the accent grave (è) “the downhill E”).

• Squirrel (referred to as “squirrelio”) jumping on the front yard bird feeder to shake out the seed, much to the chagrin of the little birds (referred to as “The Little Bird Gang”).
• Fun Fact: The city of Alexandria has it’s own mini Washington Monument.
• Summer is here! Inspired by the Sunday Morning show.

• Chippity the chipmunk stealing peanuts from the front yard.
• Pink Calla Lily in bloom.
• Orange lilies in bloom.
• Packing the RV for a summer camping trip.

• Walking the bog trail along the lake of Black Moshannon State Park in PA.