I took Mary to her office near the east/west 8 lane highway. From there I went to the acrylic paint factory. I was looking forward to another studio day. While buying paint I looked at the tubes and remembered sketching outdoors last fall. I felt a longing. It was a warmer day than my last day sketching the Autumn Series. I called Tony Cooper who lives about 90 kilometers east and north of here.

I asked him what he was doing. He said he had been doing sketches of a stream all winter and he planned to go there. I asked if I could join him.

"Sure," he said, "do you have your paints?"