Manzanita - Ruth Andre

"Manzanita"

6"x6" Oil on Canvas Panel

by Ruth Andre

$95

I live in the back country and the native manzanita bushes line the mountainside as we travel the back road to upcountry. Occasionally I see truckloads of cut manzanita being hauled away. It must be going to a wholesaler that may sell to craft outlets or florists. The red bark is beautiful and and the leaf colors are the palette of old California, muted and desert like. Manzanita seems to be quite tolerant of granite and rocky soils  and can survive with little water. The deer leave it alone and that is really saying something since they want to eat everything they can on our small ranch. Last night a momma deer and her twin fawns found the hay wagon and took on loosening the tarp and having a feast. Hay is close to $20 a bale and each of our horses eats one bale a week. When we lived on our farm in Missouri we had a 20 acre fescue pasture just for the horses. Our hay bill was quite low but here in California with only five acres and just two horses the expense shines each year on the tax form. Our accountant reminds of the animal care costs. We do love our horses.

 It has been, "A Painting Day".

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