Every Day in May #8- Living in Ozona ( ie. paradise)

I was really in a painting mood today and wanted to break out the acrylics, but I am going for a somewhat cohesive look in my Gratitude sketch journal, so I decided on the drawing/illustration style I have been using so far in the journal, using the Micron pens and watercolor.

I primarily used a Micron 01, but I wanted some thicker lines in certain places and added a 08 Zig Millennium line for those. I drew some, painted some, and then drew some more over the painted areas, but found that my pen (especially the thin 01) didn't like going over the painted paper. Maybe it just wasn't dry enough.

I'm up in my studio, listening to the sound of Osprey outside. They have a very distinct call. In fact, it is a bit surprising to hear their high-pitched, rapid-fire cheep cheep cheep since they are a more powerful bird. If you are unfamiliar with osprey, they are birds of prey and are something like a hawk or eagle. I often seeing them fly with a fish in their talons. They like to be up high, and build their massive nests up in tall trees, and many times build them on platforms that have been supplied at the tops of telephone poles for them.

Just across the street, we are fortunate to have a nest in view. Unfortunately, I can't quite see it from my studio window, but I can hear them out there. Just about 1/4 mile down the road is a large marina, and a osprey couple builds a nest there on top of the marina sign every year. It is built amazingly low for an osprey nest and you can get a really great view of their goings-on.

I LOVE the tiny little town where I live. It's called Ozona (I know, the name is funny but I like it!) We have been here now in this house for the past eleven years. Prior to that, my husband and I moved around in Florida a lot because of our jobs, and never had a place longer than about two years or so.

We've put roots down here, and have called Ozona home, and it feels really nice when you live in a house that you know that you will keep for a long while.

We can paint our rooms whatever colors we like and not have to worry about keeping them neutral for re-sale. We can build things the way we like them for our family and the dogs (a dog run, for example).

I live one street over from one of my sisters, and I can tell you that it is a wonderful thing to have her so close by. We get together frequently, and it is nice for my daughter to have her aunt and uncle right around the corner.

Whenever I am out gardening or in the front yard doing something, neighbors honk and wave. I know a lot of people here, another advantage of staying in a place for a long time.

Ozona also attracts a lot of artists and creative types. We have writers and musicians, etc, as well as a good number of visual artists living here. It is a tiny, quirky, old-Florida, go out on the front porch and sit a spell kind of place.

Ozona is lovely, and I am grateful to live here.