Yeah, Amalia and Melanie both like dogs. I don't, but I admire a good dog. Horses and bovines, on the other hand, those are good animals.

There is much to paint and too little time, and I still have a need to get to Italy every few years to paint the scenery there!

The thing is: I rarely paint the Sierra Nevada because I have not found my voice in it yet. To do so, I will need to do it, and the Yosemite nocturne was a step in that direction. For now, I have to think of what I could add to Thomas Hill, William Keith, Edgar Payne, and Gregory Kondos.

And to do so, I will need to hike far into the mountains with easel, boards, paints, as well as my standard backpack. We are talking heavy-duty high altitude backpacking for a minimum of two weeks. So not only do I have to find the time and money to do that, you can't do these sort of trips alone, so I will have to find one or two or so other people with the similar goals (I don't know how it would work with non-painters, as the pacing of the trip would be odd for them), and a similar ability to take the time.

Certainly, one can do a lot in a day in areas where you can drive, but I think you really need to be immersed in the fashion I have described, at least a couple of times. I have had great, long trips in those mountains, but only with sketchbook and pen, not with paints, and I think I need to do some oil sketches to really get somewhere.

You look like my wife's brother. He also was once very fond of the arts, but ended up a lawyer.

I also like your daughter because she likes dogs.

But I especially like the scenery behind you. Aren't you ever bothered by the feeling - living out there - that there's so much to paint and too little time?