It's in the 80s here at the coast and just about 100 degrees inland. It's a Santa Ana where the hot winds blow west off the desert, and that means danger of wildfires ... again. It's too hot to go out an paint so this landscape painter is hiding out in the cool of the studio and finishing up some work previously started.

And would you look at the price of gas at the pump! It's about $4 a gallon here in So Cal. I've even seen $4.50 at one station! Guess I'm saving gas by staying in the studio. And later this week when it cools off and I do go out I'll really have to plan my trip so that I'm not wasting the petrol.

Meanwhile here's a new painting just off the easel. A simple scene of rolling hills and oaks in springtime bloom. If you go to higher elevations where it's cooler you can still see some wildflowers, or rather I should say that could have seen them recently. Now that the Santa Ana is blowing through they are probably all gone. Bummer.

"Southern California Spring", 9 by 12 inches, oil on canvas.