Creek Kayaking

My daughter and I, kayaked a creek near our home a few days ago. The night before, there was a big rain and the creek was up a bite. Even with the extra water, the creek remained a lazy creek and perfect for a new kayaker like my daughter, Sarah.

I didn't get a chance to fish much, but wildlife viewing was easy. It seemed that a majority of critters were out enjoying the sunshine after the rain.

This creek is called Sycamore and runs into the Cumberland River, near Nashville. I didn't see many Sycamore trees.

I noticed that there are lots and lots of turtles! You know, every time that I see lots of turtles, I don't catch many fish. What's up with that? Is it me?

Every waterway around here has a family of Canadian Geese. A lot of folks run them away because the mess that they create on their lawns. Beautiful birds, but they do poo on everything!

Not a bad photo of a hawk! Think about it, I quickly took this photo from a kayak during waves when the hawk was straight overhead. Lucky, I didn't fall out of the kayak.

This used to be a train bridge, but it has been converted to a green-way bridge. In fact, we run this green-way and the view off the bridge is very nice.

The trip must come to an end as Sarah paddles down the creek with a paddle, as opposed to being up a creek without a paddle!

Check-out my Lake, River and Bay Decor Maps!

LeoLake.com

Custom lake maps

I just completed this 20x40, custom lake map of Lake Washington located in Minnesota. It's a beautiful lake with lots of wildlife.

Not only are walleyes common, but large and small mouth bass, crappie, blue gill, and northern pike are too. You will find much wildlife/waterfowl around the lake such as eagles, osprey, cranes, otter, beaver and my favorite, loons. In fact, I added a couple of loons on the map along with fish, and Canadian Geese. Interesting, I always hide a tiny mermaid to the waters of all my lake map paintings that folks love to search for. 

Also, you can add a star to your favorite spot. If you would like to see more and read about my treasured maps go to LeoLakes.com.  We have Lake house maps, and vintage style maps, that make great gifts for the lake house.

Remember: Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream.

Old Field Studio News

BE GOOD TO SARAH, WISCONSIN!

My daughter, Sarah was lucky to be selected for an undergraduate research program at the University of Wisconsin, La Cross. She will be researching "White-nose Syndrome" that affects bats. It's a ten week research program and she gets paid, room board, and a food stipend. Hopefully it will be published in a scientific journal. Sarah is a junior at Sewanee majoring in Mathematics. We are going to miss you during the summer!

Leo Lakes Treasured Maps - Check-out my maps! My maps make great gifts for the lake house owner, lake lover, or fisherman. I have over two hundred on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes lake, river or bay maps, too. I have maps of Lake Winnipesaukee, Table Rock Lake, Greers Ferry, Lake Lanier, Gaston Lake, Choctawhatchee Bay, Toledo Bend, Raystown, and many others. Oh yeah, I hide a tiny mermaid in the waters of all my maps that folks love to search for. Find out more interesting facts about my treasured maps by going to LeoMaps.com. 

A Beautiful Vintage Style Lake Map for the House House

Think about it, if you have a lake house, what's better than having a beautiful vintage style lake map hanging in the great room! I just finished this beautiful 2'x4' vintage style lake map of Lake Bob Sandlin. The colors came out perfect and they work well with the mahogany frame. I'm sure it will look great hanging in the customers lake house.  

I've been doing lake, river and bay maps for approximately six years. Over the years, I have experimented with different elements of map art in order to provide the best and most unique map on the market. Folks will be drawn to the map like a crackling fire on a cold winter night.  I try very hard to make my maps special by adding interest to the maps.

You will find no road names, county, or state lines on my maps. I have found that folks enjoy traveling the roads with their eyes, while trying to get their bearing. I call this the "Leo Lakes gaze." 
You can add a star or symbol with a few words to mark that special place, it maybe the location of the lake house, the spot where you caught that trophy fish or some grand view. This will make a very special gift for the lake lover. I hide a few fish and even a tiny mermaid in the waters of my lakes. Yep, but they're very shy and don't want to be found. Folks just love'm, especially the kids. You might even think they move around overtime.

Did you know that you can always tell if its morning or evening on a Leo Lakes map? Just look at the shadows cast by the wildlife, is the shadow on the east or west? If it's on the west, then it’s morning time. Oh yeah, I have had folks tell me that they change through the day, but don't believe them.

Also, each framed map or map over 16x32, comes with a certificate of authenticity, lake poem, and interesting facts abut the map.

I have hundreds of maps on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes vintage style lake maps, too. I have maps, such as Lake Bob Sandlin Vintage Style map, Lake Logan Martin Vintage Style Map, Center Hill Lake vintage style map, Lake Texoma vintage style map, Gaston Lake, Choctawhatchee Bay vintage style map, Toledo Bend Lake Vintage style map, Raystown Lake vintage style map. Lake maps will add beauty to your Lake House Decor! Find out more interesting facts about my treasured maps by going to LeoMaps.com. 

Lake House Collage

My daughter is home from college and is working in the studio. She has been working on taking some of my maps and making a collage. She cleared out the studio came up with this lake collage. Look around, you may know a few of these!

I must say, I wouldn't have thought of doing this and it does look kind of cool. So far she has completed about 20 of these with random stuff. I may use some of these photos on the website as ideas.

I have over two hundred on my website that can be purchased right from the site, or I can do custom and personalizes lake, river or bay maps, too. I have maps of Lake Winnipesaukee, Table Rock Lake, Greers Ferry, Lake Lanier, Gaston Lake, Choctawhatchee Bay, Toledo Bend, Raystown, and many others. Oh yeah, I hide a tiny mermaid in the waters of all my maps that folks love to search for. Find out more interesting facts about my treasured maps by going to LeoMaps.com. 

Oh yeah, this is part of my studio! I think I have become a map elf!

Learning to Paddle

I must tell you about teaching my daughter how to paddle. To get her to go, I told her that we will do "Paddle Yoga" and all the millennials are doing it. 

It's obvious that on the list of things to learn, paddling is pretty much at the bottom. Let's face it, paddling is not an essential task to learn for life. Today, most millennials would rather be indoors in front of a computer screen, rather than on the water with a paddle. 

In the old days, you grew up paddling if you lived near the water. Do you remember learning to paddle? I don't, but I do remember when I was a child being in the boat while my dad paddled. I don't think that there was a very moment that I learned to paddle, I think that by watching, I just knew and started paddling. However, lets face it, paddling is not rocket science. It's kind of like a puppy that has never been in water, but when placed over water the puppy instinctively starts to "dog paddle". 

 Our paddling adventure began on Old Hickory Lake. Sarah has been boating many times before, but never has she paddled a boat by herself. With very little direction, as you can see from the photo she took off like a rocket. The only problem, if you look closely you will see it, she has the paddle backwards.

Now it's time for "KAYAK FOOTBALL" Check this out! The fastest way to learn to paddle is playing Kayak Football. Yes, the object is to.....No, I can't keep this fake game up, I'm kidding, there is no such thing as Kayak Football. This football just floated up from somewhere and I thought that it would make a great photo and nice fake story. It's amazing what you see on the water.

Anyway, it looks like Sarah has the hang of padding in smooth water. In the future I will take her to a river for a little more excitement, paddle in some water rapids.  

Going, Going, Gone!

Check-up my vintage style Lake, River and Bay Maps.  We have many popular lake maps such as the Lake Winnipesaukee map, Great Sacandaga Lake map, Lewis Smith Lake map, Pickwick Lake map, Greer's Ferry Lake map, Lake Sidney Lanier map, Lake Sinclair map, Table Rock Lake map, and Lake Wallenpaupack map. These vintage style lake maps are great for the lake house. Also, we paint custom maps and have personalized Lake maps for that special someone. Go to www.Leolakes.com to see if we have your map.

Lake Superhero?

I think that I have seen this superhero at the lake. Have you? Anyway, I just can't stop with the bobber humor!  

Paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com. I paint beautiful lake, river and bay decor maps. Folks are discovering that these decor maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My vintage style lake maps make a great gift for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

Just remember: "Life is short, get away from the big screen and get on a big stream".

Lunch near the waters edge?

It's a nice day to have lunch near the waters edge. This water snake was munching on a 2-3 pound bass on the Elk River. I believe the snake is a northern water snake, non-venous. I've seen them many times. Most folks mistakenly identify them as a copperhead. 

When I was a child, my father and I would float down the Duck River fishing from a flat bottom aluminum boat that he purchased from Sears department store. As we floated along, he would keep his eye open for a water snake coiled around a low hanging branch above the waters edge. If he spotted one, he would slowly paddle over without me knowing what was about to happen. When we were near, he would carefully raise his paddle and tap the branch. I was always oblivious to what was about to happen, until the snake came crashing down near were I was sitting, in a huge splash. It would scare the crap out of me, but my dad would laugh and laugh and laugh!

This is one of those treasured memories of the beloved river that I grew up on. I decided to paint a map of this river in a vintage style and it turned out so well, I ended up creating Leo Lake Treasured Maps. Paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com, no snakes allowed.  Folks are discovering that my vintage style maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.