I’m not sure where this was painted, but it must’ve been a plein air competition. Paul participated in several of these here and in Wisconsin. The location isn’t nearly as important as the feelings emoted by it. It reminds me of summer days. Winter will be melting into oblivion this week with warmer temperatures. We’ve been fortunate to have a fairly decent winter. The pipes only froze once. Still, Spring is beckoning as the sun gets stronger.

ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

The black and white of winter’s cold, seems lost in longer days,

The palette is monotonous, surrounded with a haze,

Gone are the days of shades of green, of life’s pure breath of life,

No luscious hues of red and gold. to take away our strife.

The glorious pigmentation, the blooms that fill each day,

Are buried in a quilt of snow, they all have passed away,

I long to see them grow again, and push to fullest heights,

To smell the fragrance they exude, to fill the summer nights.

Though summer seems so far away, I still can fill my dreams,

Hues so intense and exquisite, invade in brilliant streams,

They fill my head with pleasure sweet and conquer winter blues,

For spring will have to wait a while as winter pays its dues.