KC Cali took me over to Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, New York. Since summer season had begun there was an admission fee to get into the park.
We parked near a gentle stream where a toddle was wading barefoot in the water while her mother watched. Right near the parking lot there was a fountain that gushed periodically. I tasted the water which tasted salty. Since the 1800s people have been given prescriptions to come to the springs and taste the water. I am hoping my little sip will have added a few years to my artistic practice.
From the stream we hiked up a steep slope to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. There was a chain link fence at the top of the hill but we found our way around it. We only got to the box office and then were blocked by a tall iron fence before we got to the Arts Center.
From there we hiked to the hall of Springs where we set up to sketch. there are supposed to be 4 statues inset into the facade, bu there are only two. Maybe the money ran our before the final two statues were completed. A nude woman represented Earth, and a nude man represented Wind. KC sat on the opposite side of the large lawn sketching the building from the opposite angle.
Bob had remained back at the rental but he hiked the 3 miles or so to meet us at the springs. He sat near KC for a while and then took Frankie, the adorable pup they have, for the long hike back home. Bob is a cancer survivor and he hikes everywhere to continue to build his stamina. Spiders kept jumping from the tree I was under onto the sketch I was working on. In several spots you can see red bloody streaks from there I killed each spider. KC had warned me that there were Giant Joro spiders invading New York State, so I was sure it was these horrible beasts that I was contending with as I sketched. I also didn’t have my usual artist stool and I discovered that I was sitting on an ant trail, so they climbed over me and over my sketch. Since the ants were not giant spiders, I just brushed them off the sketch.