Sweet sixteen

 I know it's been a while since my last post and, sadly, I don't have much to show for it. In a way I have been taking this month off in preparation for my big Alaska trip at the end of May. Since my dad has been gone on his birding trips I haven't had much ambition to do my own. I did drive around  and see some normal South Dakota birds but nothing truly fantastic. So far the big things that I've changed in my life is that I am 16. That was last week and and I got to see family and go to the mall America with my friends and to an art museum with my art class. Just seeing all the art at the museum inspired me to start sketching again which is another of the more notable changes this April.

I the beginning of April my dad had been driving around looking for a yellow headed blackbird. My mom had seen one already by then which bugged him. I hate to say this made me happy, but that would be lying which is wrong. I knew he would get one this summer and so I didn't feel overly bad for enjoying having a bird he didn’t have. He did recently see one of his own down in Texas after I saw mine here in Milbank. I was just driving around with my grandparents looking for an antique store and there was a yellow headed blackbird! I saw two more when I was driving home from my birthday party in the cities. I also saw a Baltimore oriole. Sadly my camera is getting cleaned, so I wasn't able to take any pictures of them.

Before seeing those birds I was inspired to start doing some art of my own at home due to the art trip we did last Thursday. Something about seeing all of these artists paintings and sculptures immortalized forever in the museum inspired me to start drawing on my own. I'm not a big painter, but I love to sketch, and so I have been more and more lately. I started trying to break out of comfort zone by drawing portraits. Last night I attempted to draw my cat who was sitting next to me. She actually held still for about an hour before she got scared by the movie I was watching and left. I think it turned out pretty good for my second cat sketch.

Besides that I've mostly been taking it easy and trying to finish everything before school ends on May 20th. After that I'm in Alaska with my dad till June 10th. While I am excited to go the part of me that loves Netflix, wifi, milk, good food and running water is not as excited as the rest of me. It doesn't help that I'm missing a good piece of my summer. But I know once I get there and see the ocean and all the wild life I will forget about he rest of the world and fall in love with the new places and animals. (As long as I don't get too sea sick that is). I have only been to Alaska once and it wasn't anywhere near where we will be going and i will get to see entirely new birds and other animals while I'm there which will be really amazing. 

My camera will be newly cleaned and so I promise some good pictures when I get back in an area where I can post them. However that is still a good while away and I am not quite sure if I'll go on any trips before then. If not you will have to make due with this and hope my dad takes me chasing some rare bird with him soon. 

Thank you for reading and may this blog find you in good health and happiness!

L