#3005 "March at Jim Day Rapids"

#3005 "March at Jim Day Rapids" 
8 X 10  (inches).
Started 10:45 am Wednesday, March 4th, 2026

#3004 "March Morning Light at Jim Day"  was done, and the morning was still young. I went back to the Studio for a replacement panel and some oils that I would need. 

I kept the field easel in exactly the same location but turned my attention upstream to the inflow of Jim Day Rapids. The trumpeter swans were happily feeding in the shallows. Nature was content again with me standing on the edge of the current. 

Some bands of cirrus appeared in the northern sky. A weather system was approaching. 

I had to relearn a lesson about not putting my palette on the snow while going to the Studio for some different tubes of paint. The Springtails were out in large numbers. As their name suggests, they are apt to jump onto any surface. The tiny "snow fleas" got stuck in the oils, and sometimes that is where they stay. There were literally millions of Sprintails all over the soil and the snow. They indicate a healthy environment. We do not use poisons at Singleton. 

The following describes their biology, including some images. 

Sometimes you will also find biting bugs in my oils. A mosquito or black fly that lands on my painting is apt to be ground up into the pigment. Honey bees are carefully extracted so they can return to the hive, where other bees will clean it and finish the rescue. 

For this and much more art, click on the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick