Turkish Festival

The Turkish Festival was held near the Lake Eola band shell on a steamy hot afternoon. Food vendors were lined up along Robinson Avenue. Terry joined me on this sketch outing. She wanted to see the menu for each food vendor. I of course was hunting for my sketch. While she went booth to booth, I stood in the shade and surveyed all the activity. Kids were bouncing on the inflatable fort which had been set up on the grass. Dancers were performing on stage but the sun beat down on the audience. I finally found a spot near this vendor who offered to shoot photos with the ornate middle eastern garments. There were several tables full of robes and turbans.

Perhaps three different families got dressed up as I sketched. Ismail Altintas wearing a large turban coached people on what they should wear and he shot the photos. A mother got her daughter to wear a bright red robe. I wondered were the father was. A young couple dressed up as royal sultans, then stood arm in arm for the photographer. Turkish and American flags fluttered in the breeze along with red and white balloons. When I finished sketching I found Terry so we could order some lunch. We got several gyros and sat in the food tent to eat. A large Turkish family was seated next to us. Little children pressed in to get close to a little baby cradled in the cloaked woman's arms. The children made faces at the baby and had him clutch their fingers. Terry was hot and tired. I agonized about doing another sketch of the folk dancers on the stage but decided I couldn't bake in the direct sunlight for the sake of a sketch.

Winter Park Art Festival

My wife works for Merrill Lynch. To kick off the start of the Winter Park Art Festival, Merrill Lynch opened the Winter Park office for a kick off party. The office branch has a wide open rooftop patio that overlooks Park Avenue. More important, food and drink were on the house all night. When Terry and I arrived there were lines of people waiting for food. I started sketching immediately. Irving Radar McLean was playing steel drum music all night. He quite honestly never took a break. I caught him briefly between songs to grab his business card. He said, "You'll be makin plenty of money from that sketch you did of me". He actually hadn't seen the sketch but he had noticed me working.

Clients and prospective clients of Terry's came to the rooftop event. While she was being a social butterfly, I sketched. Looking over the rooftop ledge unfortunately didn't offer a view of the art festival itself. The show tents began one block further north. With my sketch finished, I then loaded up a plate and grabbed a beer. Terry introduced me to a local magazine art director and I was surprised to find out she knew of my work. After another beer, I relaxed enjoying the sunset as the steel drum lifted me away to a Caribbean retreat.

Flash 2

A second Flash Mob was planned to promote Orlando, The City Beautiful. Secret rehearsals were held at the Orlando Convention Center. I was happy there was Free parking available behind the West building. I don't sketch many Convention events because of the price of parking. There was a long walk from the back entrance first up and then down frozen escalators. I followed a man who looked to be in his 80s and when I passed him, I followed two high school girls that looked like they knew where they were going. When I entered the convention room I was stunned by the vast empty space. The rehearsal took up less than a quarter of the space. When I entered, Randy Ross was speaking with all the volunteer dancers letting them know that they had to mingle and act natural prior to this flash mob performance. The last Flash Mob at the Millenia Mall, people stood around in a circle leaving the staging area wide open. It was painfully obvious that a staged performance was about to begin. This time they planned to do it right. Linda Elchak of NAO Dance then took over the rehearsal getting two large groups formed. This was the second rehearsal so most people quickly took their places. New arrivals were instructed where to line up.

I love the music they choose for these flash mobs, it is fun to sketch to. My favorite moment in rehearsal came when a group of about 20 retirees took center stage and shook their booties to Whoop There It Is! All the younger performers cheered and whooped. The youngest performer was the nephew of Linda Stewart and he held his own keeping up with the best dancers. Enthusiasm and a lust for life has no age limit. I decided not to publish the sketch prior to the Flash to keep the performance top secret. At one point Linda said, "Don't go past the grid, you will fall into the water." At that point I assumed they would perform at Lake Eola. I had to work during the time the Flash Mob happened. In hind sight it would have been an impossible sketching situation. If you went to Spring Fiesta at Lake Eola at the right time then you got to experience a high energy treat!

Buzzcatz

On Saturday, Terry and I went to the 5th Annual Baldwin Park Art & Jazz Festival. The festival looked very much like every other festival I have been to in Baldwin Park. Vendors arts and crafts tents were lined up down the length of New Broad Street. There are always a wide assortment of dogs being walked in this Celebration like "Leave it to Beaver" neighborhood. Our first order of business was to find some lunch. We decided to eat at La Bella Luna which was an Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria. Terry ordered a chicken Caesar salad and I ordered Lasagna. The chicken in Terry's salad was dry, overcooked and she couldn't eat it. My lasagna was tasteless except for the excessively salty sauce. I however can eat anything, although my stomach sometimes complains. The waiter asked how everything was and he got an earful from Terry. She said she was doing him a favor since the restaurant wouldn't be around for long if this is what then were passing off as food. He would be better off finding a better restaurant to work in.

After lunch we ran into Hal Stringer who was displaying his colorful paintings. He relaxed in the shade of a tree and watched as people examined his bold landscape paintings. He applies the paint thickly with a pallet knife. My favorite painting was an abstract that resembled liquid fire. Hal pointed out the program to us and told us where the two stages were set up. Terry and I wandered to the end of the streets and were drawn to the music of the Buzzcatz. Terry and I spotted Carol Stein, a wonderful pianist, song writer and composer. She grabbed a table and I sat down to sketch. While I worked, Terry decided to shop and explore the arts and crafts tents. Carol and I ordered margaritas. Carol said, "These people don't realize the world class caliber of musical talent they are listening to!" I had seen the guitarist on the left, Bobby Koeble, at a Rollins College Faculty showcase concert and he amazed me. The classic jazz, motown and rat pack era music kept the audience swaying. Several couples started to swing dance while children ran in circles on a patch of lawn. Behind the band people relaxed in the grass looking out over Lake Baldwin.

Festival of the Masters

Terry and I went down to Disney Village to see the Festival of the Masters. Artist who displayed their work in tents had to have won a "Best in Show" ribbon in another festival in order to exhibit here. I parked my truck in the lot behind Cirque du Soleil which isn't as crowded as the lots up front. As we walked in Terry told me to go find a spot to sketch since I'm not very good company until I have a sketch under my belt. I prowled the festival hunting for the perfect spot filled with color, crowds and contrast. I bumped into Kathy and Eric Blackmore and she showed me some cool brass sculpted bookmarks she had purchased. As I continued my search, I saw a woman sitting on the ground working on a bold ink line sketch of the Disney Architecture. She was about half way into the sketch so I resisted the temptation to find out if she was a fellow urban sketcher.

I finally decided to sit in the shade leaning back against a "Morning Glory" movie poster. Large metal sculptures of a horse, bull and a lion were on display in the center of the square. There was a constant crowd gathered taking iPhone photos and reading the plaques. 0ne man stood frozen a few feet in front of me and he said, "Should I hold still?" He had guessed that I was sketching and he asked , "Can I take a look?" I said, "Of Course." Rather than discuss art, he asked, "Did you see "Social Network?" I replied, "YES! It is without a doubt the best film I have seen this year!" He let me know, "I have seen it three times." When he found out I was a blogger he said, "You better watch what you write, you could get yourself in trouble. When I pointed out that , "Zuckerberg became a billionaire." He said, "Well at the time he wasn't."

I started adding color to the Wolfgang Puck signage, "Live, Love, Eat." I called Terry to find out where she was once I finished my sketch. We held hands as we walked towards the far end of Disney Village where Anna McCambridge and her mom were doing chalk sidewalk art. We found Anna's panel of a Blue Owl but the image was finished and Anna wasn't around. Terry and I considered getting a drink at the House of Blues but the slack service convinced us to leave. When we got back to my truck, I was shocked to find the original Carl Knickerbocker magnetic painting that I had on my tailgate had been stolen! The thief should know that for the rest of his life, he will be cursed by the horrible legend of the alligator man. Once a month in an agonizing process, his skin will turn scaly and green and he will return to the primitive, primordial swamp where his empty spirit belongs. I felt like I had been gator tail slapped in the stomach. Another reason I hate going to Disney.

July 4th - Celebration

Terry and I drove down to Celebration to catch the fireworks display. When we first entered the complex, there was a parking lot where we could then catch a bus to the downtown festivities. The place was packed and there was a huge crowd surrounding the main stage where an Elvis impersonator was singing and a group of 1950's dancers were performing. I didn't feel like sketching the huge crowd or the ever changing dancers so I wandered until I found a nice relaxing spot next to this Chinese food concession stand. The meals were prepared to order so the cook was in constant motion trying to keep up with the demand. Right next to the Chinese food was a beer tent which had just as much of a demand.
Several times mothers stopped to point out the artist to their children. I never stopped working and in time they wandered off. On little girl kept watch for close to half an hour before being dragged off to find a perfect fireworks viewing spot. Terry wandered around and found us a spot behind the hotel where she wanted to go to view the display. When the sketch was finished we went over to the hotel. There was now a guard at the door who told us we had to be guests of the hotel in order to get in. Terry was furious since she had gotten in earlier. We finally sat down on a grassy knoll and relaxed. There was a dramatic count down from ten but it was a false alarm. When the fireworks finally lit up the sky they were dramatic and well timed to the music. I saw some explosions that were new to me. Some mortars had secondary sparks which then buzzed away like bees. Terry and I muscled our way out of the crowd before the last of the mortars lit up the sky. Our bus was the first to leave the crowded downtown area.

sleepwalk 2: i walk over you

The week Winter Park hosted the 51st Annual Sidewalk Art Festival, Katie Windish of Frames Forever & Art Gallery hosted the 2nd Annual Outsider Art Fair in the parking lot of her framing shop. I like the sound of being an outsider, so I agreed to exhibit a bunch of my prints from sketches done around town. Doug Rhodehamel also was going to be there making paper bag mushrooms and this was going to be an opportunity for me to get a sketch of him at work.
I got to the Outsider Art Fair a little late and found I had to squeeze in to make some space for my work. I had just exhibited my work in the TheDailyCity.com Mobile Art Show and so I had a pile of prints which had been used to wallpaper the entire inside of the truck. I simply threw the pile of prints down on the pavement and let people who were interested flip through. I think I sold just 2 prints that day but I got to meet so many great artists. Tracy Burke was working on a large portrait of Pete Townsend in bold black and white brush work with just a touch of warmth added for the flesh tones. I was impressed by her work, yet didn't interrupt her to talk. I have bumped into her several times since and I keep trying to arrange to try and sketch her at work.
Towards the end of the day, I finally went up to the front of the shop to see Brian Feldman's performance called "sleepwalk 2: i walk over you." I set up across the street and watched Brian as he stumbled back and forth on the scaffolding that was set up in front of the shop. With the original "sleepwalk," Brian slept for 50 straight hours while people were allowed to walk over him. This time, the bystanders were under the scaffolding while Brian sleepwalked above them for 8 hours. A small sign read, Shout out, "Why don't you get a room?" A mother encouraged her little girl to shout this up to Brian in order to get a 1 inch button. He had a face mask on and thus really couldn't see where he was going. The metal railings were the only thing keeping him from falling to the ground.

30 Days of Sand

A month long sand sculpting festival was held on the space coast. Held at the Radisson Resort, this first time event was intended to help build and sustain a vibrant arts and cultural industry in Brevard County. Money raised is used to support the arts cultural ind historical organizations and to help artists decrease dependency on government funds and corporate sponsorships.
Terry and I drove out to this event one weekend in April. When we got to A1A the main drag in Coco Beach, the traffic got horrendous. Luckily the Resort is on the northern end and we pulled in to park without waiting in traffic too long. We were guided to a spot to park the car in the grass. At the ticket booth the high school kid taking tickets asked Terry if she was a senior citizen. I think it will take Terry some time to get over that one. But wait, if Terry is a senior citizen then I might be as well by association. What the....!
The sand sculpture were already finished which was disappointing to me. I had hoped to see the sculptors at work which would have made for a better sketch. There were eight huge sculptures. The level of detail was astounding. One sculpture of Italinan architecture and monuments used a forced perspective which mad every building look bigger and taller. People milled around the sculptures constantly, stopping once in a while to shoot photos using cell phones and cameras.
I found the only shady spot on the lot which was next to the merchandise tent. Terry agreed that she would wander for a while and then read a book as I sketched.
When I finished I went to get some lunch from a vendor. I was told the crab cakes were really good to I ordered those. The proprietor spoke with a thick Mediterranean accent. He didn't have any sodas so I went to the High School girls next door for a Coke. It turns out they are cheerleaders raising funds for a competition trip. I bought the Coke but didn't support the cause.
AS Terry and I ate lunch I spotted Derrick McKenzie and his girlfriend Pamela Vaughn. I worked with Derrick at Disney Feature Animation and we met a few times as I sketched the Singing Christmas Trees since he works for the First Baptist Church. When I saw him he was checking out the sound equipment on the stage. Like me his mind always seems to be in work mode. We joked around for a bit and after lunch Terry and I headed for the beach to experience more sand up close and personal.

Zora Neale Hurston Festival

The Zora Neale Hurston Festival is held in the final weeks of January. The festival is held in the small town of Eatonville which is just north of Lee Road. Eatonville is the the oldest incorporated African American municipality in the United States. Zora Neale Hurston is one of most significant authors of African-American culture in the world, and many of her works celebrate her hometown of Eatonville, right here in Central Florida! 2010 marked 50 years since Hurston's death.
The event features museum exhibitions, public talks, panel discussions, workshops and concerts. It culminates with a three-day weekend Street Festival of the Arts, which features everything from literacy programs for children; performances by local, regional and national acts; Juried Arts competitions, presenting fine artists with their original artwork in competition for cash prizes; an international marketplace, where visitors purchase wares from around the world, an international food pavilion featuring an array of food options and more.
When I got to the Eatonville, I found Kennedy Boulevard, the main road, closed to traffic. I pulled into a small churches dirt parking lot. I walked down the boulevard past a local bar and many small somewhat rundown wooden homes. Soon there were vendors tents and I walked the length of the vendors area looking for a subject for a sketch. I finally settled on this collection of large wooden sculptures. The proprietor wore a brown leather jacket and light brown pants. Once in a while he would move some of the larger pieces, I suppose figuring the new arrangement would draw in more costumers. Periodically people would look over my shoulder to see what I was up to. One woman told me all about a silk painting she had bought for really cheep. She later returned and showed me the artwork she had bought. The image is created entirely with thin strands of colored silk pasted down in a spiral pattern. The silk caught the light and sent it back to the viewer with a bright shimmer. Another family stopped to look, and it turns out the young boy has been teaching himself Flash animation on the computer, so I explained about how I had worked for Disney Feature Animation for ten years. They asked me for advice on any books about animation I might recommend and I gave them my top pics.
There was plenty of color to be seen at the festival although my sketch seems to only demonstrate a sea of brown. I ordered some food from a vendor and listened to some gospel music before I headed home.

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival

On Friday March 19th, the 51st Annual Winter Park Art Sidewalk Festival started. I decided to go right after work at Full Sail when Kathy Blackmore told me that there was going to be a jazz band featuring songwriter Peter White kicking off the night's festivities on the main stage. I knew I had other commitments over the weekend, so this would likely be my only chance to sketch the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. I would be exhibiting my art at the Outsider Art Fair at Frames Forever (941 Orange Avenue Winter Park). There, I plan to sketch Doug Rhodehamel, who makes his unmistakable mushrooms out of brown paper bags, and Brian Feldman, who will be performing "sleepwalk 2, i walk over you". Both of these are priceless sketch opportunities.
When I arrived at the festival, I wandered and soaked in the energy and excitement of all people gathered for the event. The outdoor cafes were packed. Conversations were buzzing. My pace quickened. As I looked through several artists booths, I ran into Terry and Rick Loewen. Terry and Rick are old friends from ORCA which stands for Orlando Reef Caretakers Association. Terry and Rick informed me that ORCA would be hosting the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America this September, so this is certainly an event I hope to sketch. They told me I could get a hotel room discount at the Marriott Resort, which didn't make sense at first. But then they told me they would have a Margarita making machine in their room and I agreed, a hotel room was a great idea! If you happen to work at the Marriott, I made that last piece of business up.
I was anxious to find my way to the Winter Park Arts Festival jazz, so I told Rick and Terry I would see them by the main stage. The lawn in front of the stage was already crowded. I walked down the sidewalk and found a spot between artist's tents where I could sit. I of course started sketching immediately since the sun was setting. A couple asked if they could sit in the spot next to me and, of course, I agreed. When I was about halfway through the sketch, the man seated next to me who was sipping a red wine, put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I love your work, can I see the sketch?" The watercolor was still wet in spots, but I handed it over. He shared it with his wife and they agreed, that they wanted to buy it. I gave him my card so he could check out the blog and told him to leave a comment if he still wanted it. I hope I have found another reader!
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival continues at Central Park in Winter Park through March 21st at 5 PM.

Holi Festival

Holi or the Festival of Colors is celebrated every spring by Hindus, Buddists and Sikks. It is primarily celebrated in countries with large Indic diaspora populations. From what I read, I anticipated people decorating themselves with brightly colored chalks. This was something I had to sketch. I read that this celebration was taking place right here in Orlando so I packed my art supplies and drove over to the Citrus Bowl where it was taking place. That evening I was also going to a Oscars party so I put on a nice suit and dress pants.
When I arrived at the Citrus bowl, I could hear the very loud music. Parking was $10 which was annoying, but I bit the bullet and drove into the dirt lot. When I entered the fenced in area where Holi Fest was happening there were a few tents set up for food and assorted goods. There was a table full of colorful, romance filled and vibrant Balliwood DVDs. Leaning against the fence were a wide variety of paintings of Krishna, Radna and other exotic and beautiful gods. The place was rather deserted when I got there. People were just setting up and the sound engineers were standing near the stage truck and the huge wall of speakers. As I was finishing my sketch of the main stage, a woman approached me from behind and rubbed her hand along the back of my neck. I thought, well, isn't that friendly. Then when I looked back at my sketchbook, I saw that the page was covered in bright pink powdered pigments. I quickly blew off as much pigment as I could but some had landed in a wet patch of watercolor so it remained. Then I noticed that my suit jacket was also coated in the pigment. Glancing around I realized that the field was now filled with hundreds of people, most of them dressed in white and covered in various pigments.
With my first sketch finished, I stated wandering around the crowd looking for my next subject. Everywhere I looked people were throwing or wiping brightly colored chalks on each other. People were using super soakers full of pigmented water and squinting each other. I was in a colorful war zone. I backed myself up against the fence and relaxed in the shade of a tree for a while.
Rather than try and draw the huge and constantly moving crowd, I decided to approach these children who were relaxing behind the speakers. I asked I they minded me sketching them, and the young girl said, "Of course not!" I sat a few feet away and started working. I was anointed with pigments several more times as I worked on this sketch. I realized that I stood out like a soar thumb since I was the only man in a black suit and everyone else was dressed mostly in white. I slowly blended in as I became more colorful. Performers who approached the stage would walk right in front of me. They were smart, having covered themselves with long raincoats which they only took off when they got on the stage. There was music and dancing all afternoon. Songs often would have to do with the epic love story of Radna Krishna. I didn't understand the words, but the spirit and playful fun of the event were not lost on me. By the time I finally decided to leave there had to be several thousand people crowded on the field. Everyone was brightly colored and often soaking wet. The family I sketched had flown from New York State to Orlando just to go to this event. I gave the mother of the children I had sketched the address to this blog so she could get a copy of the sketch. She then offered me a huge plate of Indian food which was fantastic. There was an apricot pastry, and several really tasty Guijia, which are fried dumplings. It is often impossible to sketch and observe an event without it coloring and influencing my life. How great that Orlando still offers new and unexpected experiences. This is a fabulous, fun and free event that I certainly plan to attend again next year.

Summer Bash Party

I attended the International Academy of Design & Technology Summer Bash Party. I was attracted to this event because I heard they were going to hold a sand castle building contest. I imagined engineers and artists working together as teams to create astounding architectural and sculptural wonders. What I found when I got there was a sad pile of sand with one ten year old girl digging a small hole with a plastic shovel. I stopped back several times and not a single sand castle appeared.
Several young women in tight shorts and white tee shirts did offer me a free drink however. They were Red Bull girls and things started looking up. My attention wandered to the sidewalk chalk artists. These students attacked the task at hand in the blazing noon day sun with gusto. The young woman in the foreground used a two fisted approach as she layered in the yellow and orange hair on her Henai creation. The artist in the black skull cap took a more somber view and half of his sidewalk square was filled in with pure black chalk.
On the stage in front of the entrance of the school, a group of man dressed in red sweats began a strength demonstration. They tore phone books in half, busted baseball bats and crushed a tower of cement blocks. Between bouts of destruction, they explained that they were destroying things for Jesus. Each of them at one point was at the top of their game living the plush life of a sports star, when for each, an unexpected injury bought them down and made them realize they were living only for themselves. When they discovered Jesus their lives were turned around. I applaud their dedication to destruction, but they would have been far more entertaining without the lecture.

Earth Day

On the same day as the Kentucky Derby, Lake Eola became the home of Earth Day in Orlando. Twenty eight groups and businesses helped sponsor the event. Dozens of tents were scattered around the lake. There was free music, a kids play area and various performances through out the day. You could learn about building a local food network, health and wellness and water conservation. I on the other hand was drawn to such luxuries as a good shoulder massage. As I leaned back against a tree and did this sketch, my shoulders as usual tensed up as I worked. Right next to me in the lake was a gooses nest with mom sitting pretty. Periodically well meaning adults and children would chase the mother goose away by crowding the nest and throwing bread at the her as she swam away.
When My sketch was finished Summer and her friend Teresa stopped to say hello and I decided to be sociable for once and joined them on a quest for a refreshing desert. After turning down some holistic cupcakes we all settled on flavored ices. I got a mango flavored ice and we all sat down to enjoy some free music as we ate. The ice really hit the spot on a hot summer afternoon. It was nice to just relax after a solid day of sketching.

Green Festival

On a sunny Sunday I went to Lake Baldwin to sketch the Green Festival. I assumed I was looking for a lakes side park so I drove around the neighborhood for a bit before I finally rolled down a window to ask for directions. An old woman walking her dog pointed me in the right direction. The street was blocked off and two blocks were cluttered with tents. I was thirsty so I immediately got an organic iced lemonade. Kristen Manieri wanted to get some photos of me at work and we were to meet here. I walked on the shady side of the street looking for a spot to sketch. I settled on Joe's Oat Patties stand because of the intermittent lines that would form offering me a chance to sketch people waiting in the foreground. The sun moved and within minutes I was no longer in the shade. I had stood in the shade of a palm tree and those never offer much cover. I dug through my bag for sunscreen but I had left it at home. My arms and neck got quite a burn.
Kristen walked right past me once then called me on her cell. She explained where she was and I could see her on her cell in the distance from where I was sketching. I steered her toward me until she saw me on my cell. She introduced me to her husband, Marc and baby, Elizabeth. Then she started taking shots while I continued to work. After perhaps a dozen shots she was done. Afterwords she and her family went to the lake side to have a picnic lunch. They had bought a picnic basket and blanket. I like the way she manages to mix work and pleasure.

Performers

This is the only sketch I did of Bluegrass Performers. By this time I was tired, cold, and the tablet had died. The lead singer of this group had on a loud jacket with roses sewn on so he looked like he belonged in a mariachi band rather than a bluegrass band. Terry and I had moved forward and sat in the lawn chairs left in place by people who had gone home. I imagine the people were planning to come back the next day to reclaim there prime seating.

Biker for Jesus

The tablet didn't come out until after the sunset. Terry and I had been sitting on the outskirts of the packed tent for most of the day. When the wind picked up and temperatures dropped, we were forced inside by workers who put up the side flaps to the tent. The couple in front of us fascinated me. The biker had a long grey beard that went down to his belly. The emblem on the jacket read: Christian Motorcyclists Association, with a bible in the middle of the logo. This groups vision , according to there website is: Changing the world, one heart at a time. Later when I got a Polish Sausage, I saw the couple in the picnic area and she was lovingly brushing his long beard.
Working with the tablet in the cold temperature had its advantages, like keeping my hand and lap warm as the computer chip heated up.

Bluegrass Sunset

As the sun set people began to bundle up. In the background you can see the septic truck which cleaned out the portopotties. Outside the staging area there were hundreds of RV's. Besides the acts on stage, people were jamming all day and night in tents and RV's.

Bluegrass Audience

This morning I woke up with a nasty cold and I have no doubt that it is from sitting outside at this Bluegrass festival till 9:30 at night while I could see my own breath. I am not sure what the temperature was but it was cold!

Bluegrass Festival

Yesterday Terry and I drove down to Yeehaw Junction (that is the real town name, honest) and we spent the day listening to Bluegrass bands. The music went on all day until 9:30 at night. Once the sun set, the temperatures plummeted and you could see your breath. The drive south on a small country road was enlightening. There were miles and miles of nothing but flat grazing land for cattle and horses.