It’s very nice warm weather for days in Santa Rosa, CA.

I took a walk to the Nagasawa Community Park, which has a little lake.

Canadian geese are coming back to this lake. They were quaking. Pre soon many babies follow mothers.

Flowers are starting to bloom.

I wonder if Douglas Iris make a mistake to start bloom on Mendocino Headlands, because unbelievable nice warm days, just like in Spring.

“740. Iris at Headlands” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

“590. Secret Trail to the Beach” Watercolor painting by Mariko Irie

This trail leads to Northwest side of Van Damme Beach in Little Rive CA.

I got a note from the gallery: It was the couple who asked where the trail was located. It held special memories for them and they were so happy to purchase it for their home.

A lot of people have nice special memories at the locations.

“182. By Van Damme” Watercolor painting by Mariko Irie

I painted this “182. By Van Damme” in Watercolor in 2004, which is the same location, just a little going toward west from the “590. Secret Trail to the Beach”.

Long time I didn’t go to the place, but I was looking at the print of “182. By Van Damme”, I wondered what it looked like in 2011. So I went to there. It’s amazingly the place was not much changed.

“479. Trail to the Beach” Oil Painting by Mariko Irie

And again I went to back there when Margaret were blooming.

“480. Trail of Margaret” Oil Painting by Mariko Irie

The trail is winding and going down and down. Both side of the trail is wild plants including wild fuschias. Over grown plants cover the ocean view. Just keep going, and sudden it opens up and you are on the beach.

“415. A Trail from the Beach” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

When I was climbing back from the beach, I saw this Victorian house. And when I was painting the trail part, some how my memory went to my child food in Japan. I felt nostalgia. We were running as laughing on the trail.

Have you had that kind of flush back?

“730. Happy for Tomorrow” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

Happy New Year!!

I wondered what is “Happy”.

There is no such a phenomenon.

It’s depending on how you think or feel.

So a person feels happy because can walk. That is Happy one.

A person feels happy because can see. That is Happy two.

A person fell happy because can hear, eat ordinary, can breath normally on a on….

So you can have so much Happy.

If you want to be Happy, just say “I’m Happy.” Then you will be happy.

If you want to have positive energy, just say “I’m lucky.” Then you get good positive energy.

Because your brain listens to your voice all the time, “Words” have power.

And then just say “Thank You”.

Your happy life has begun.

Happy, Happy New Year from my heart.

Mariko

I painted several paintings scenes looking at the beach and ocean from this bridge.

“733. Jug Handle Creek Bridge” Oil Painting by Mariko Irie

This one is from ocean side looking at the scene with bridge.

I found the bridge name is Jug Handle Creek Bridge and the park is named after Jug Handle Creek, which runs through it; the name “Jug Handle” is also sometimes spelled as a single word, and comes from the shape of a bend in the old road across the creek.

California State Route 1, which we call High Way 1 now crosses the creek on a concrete open-spandrel deck arch bridge, built in 1938.

This bridge is where Jug Handle Creek Trestle used to be. The Trestle spanned the Jug Handle Creek. It’s built over Jug Handle Creek in 1884 by the Caspar Lumber Company to reach logs in Hare Creek to the north of Caspar. It was 1000 feet long and the rails were 160 feet above the creek, which was once the site of the tallest wooden trestle bridge in the world.

It fell down in the 1906 earthquake.

I love this open-spandrel deck arch bridge.

I’ve red Russian Gulch Bridge construction is very similar arch bridge to this Jug Handle Creek Bridge. I drive over Russian Gulch Bridge all the time, but I have never seen the bridge itself. I will do sometimes.

“728. Orangey Rocks” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This location was at Jug Handle Beach CA.

Afternoon sun shined the bank and rocks. That made the orange color brighter.

Ocean was quiet and waves were coming and going.

How peaceful it was.

I hope that you had a good Xmas Day.

It was sunny day in Santa Rosa yesterday.

I went to morning walk. Air was little cold, especially in a shade. But in the sunny spots, it was nice warm.

I gathered Sunray in my body. What a nice feeling.

“731. Sunny Van Damme Beach” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This location was Van Damme Beach CA.

Walking at sunny beach is wonderful thing to do, isn’t it?

“729. Warm Sunset” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This location is Jug Handle Beach CA.

This is one of my favor beaches.

I love these colors and lights. They make me happy.

Just like my favor Xmas Eve:

Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Goodnight everyone.

Merry Xmas.

This location is Portuguese Beach in Mendocino village CA.

We used to live in this small, old, charming village when my sons were Preschool and Grammar school students.

This village has everything we need: two regular markets, one organic food market, hardware store, gas station, preschool, Middle school (is other side of the Hi-way), high-school, Video store, Art Center, Galleries, Library, good book stores, good bakeries, good restaurants, nice outfit stores, Music store, Toy stores, what else do we need?

“726. Portuguese Beach” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

Yes, beautiful beaches are surrounded this village.

This is one of them. When we went there, always there were some children. So they played together.

A lot of loft woods are at this beach. We built something with these. Chasing waves, chasing each other, buried body in sand on an on.

We have a lot of nice memories on this beach

“724. Road at Rice Fields” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This location was in Hakusyu, Japan.

After harvesting time is over, rice fields are resting.

Along the road, weeds are shinning autumn colors in morning sun.

When I was a child, all roads along the rice fields used to be so narrow just like trails. Now they are much wider. They didn’t use cars and tractors back then. Guess what they used to use carry thing or plow. Everything was done by all human’s power. They carry things on their back. They spade the field. That’s why along the field, there was no road, just trails.

I found photos of the YouTube “Japanese 100 Years Ago”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEe2d1scqBM

It’s only 100 years; our life has been changed a lot. Just think about a moment what has been changed.

We celebrated a lady’s 103 years old birthday a couple months ago at Finley Senior Center where I go to play Ping-Pong. She still plays cards, healthy so on.

That’s why I said, “It’s only 100 years.”

Wow!?

Other 100 years from now, what looks like?????

“706. Wildflowers at Navarro ” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This location was by Navarro Ridge Road CA.

It was a cold day, I felt winter is coming.

And I started to think about springtime. So I chose to paint this springtime, wildflower season by ocean.

James M. Barrie who wrote “Peter Pan” says,

“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”

Exactly:)

Thank you for stopping by my Blog.