Day 18, Project 125 Meadow Lake Rd, Oregon plein air painting by BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy     Meadow Lake Rd, Oregon      oil on panel    6 inches x 6 inches      $125.

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Day 18 now. I went out early this morning to beat the heat, but instead I spent most of the day out painting, not too surprising! I started the morning driving out in the country. I just turned on a road that looked interesting. I drove down several roads, finding one that had several old farm homes and barns. I spent an hour or more photographing, some while driving. Thank goodness they weren't busy roads. The problem with country roads is that there aren't many places to pull off and park. I then turned down a road with a familiar name, Panther Creek. I knew it was by my sister's old farm.

As I drove I got deeper into forest and I could tell I was heading toward the coast. I stopped when I saw an old abandoned farm house with some big trees and the remnants of an orchard and the plus, there was a place to park. (The painting is below) I almost finished the painting when a man and his high school age daughter stopped to see what I was painting. We talked and he gave me some history on the house. It was his grandmother's house and had been vacant for about 20 years. He lived across the street on part of the family farm. The farm had been in the family for generations and was the old stagecoach stop on Panther Creek from McMinville to the coast.

We also got to talking when I told him that I stopped on Panther Creek, because it was near my sister's old farm. I told them she was a teacher in Carlton and said her name. The daughter asked if she was the one with 3 Chinese daughters in high school. Yep, that's her and with two older kids that are grown. The girl had been a student of her's and she now was in high school with the younger girls. The father then said, "You know there are some Henry's around here." I said both he and his brother lived here, so there are others in the family. I said I knew I was close to there place.

When I left and went out to the next cross street I could see the name of the road, Meadow Lake, the road my sister lived on. I drove about a mile down the road and there was their house up on the hill with the field and oak trees. It has been a good 15 to 20 years since she moved. Strange, I was driving all these roads I didn't know and landed up right there. Anyway, I had to stop along Meadow Lake and paint on the road. The result is the top painting. It was HOT by then!

© 2013 Becky Joy    Panther Creek Stagecoach Stop    oil    14 inches x 11 inches

Talk to you tomorrow,

Becky Joy