Drizzly August Morning at Gasworks

One of the sketchers in our Friday group commented that we are the hardy, dedicated ones, to show up on such a day of dampness and drizzle.  And one proved that later when she pulled out her umbrella and continued to sketch!

I had a hard time choosing a spot...so many viewpoints and angles, and a rich variety of subject matter.  But I finally settled on a muted Seattle skyline, with the park and some "gasworks" in the foreground.  I sat partly under one of the shelters, but even so, as I started to paint my sky, some of the fine mist landed on my sketch.  And the whole time I kept reminding myself, "it's August!!  Just 4 days earlier, it was 96 degrees!!"

Gasworks Park Again

I was sitting here at my desk, shading this drawing I did today, thinking how nice it was at the park and on my long bike ride and how kind the rain was to wait until I was in for the night when I remembered I left my sunroof and windows open. I rushed down the stairs and outside to roll them up, and locked myself out of the building. Not wanting to disturb any tenants, I paced on the wet sidewalk, barefoot and in pajama bottoms trying to figure out what the room numbers might be for the two units that still had lights on at midnight. I made a few guesses and pressed some buttons but no one buzzed me in. Back on the sidewalk I tried calling up to the open windows. "Excuse me! Hello?" Nothing. I tried a few more buzzers. Nada. I had the car keys- should I drive to a friend's? Wait outside hoping someone would drive home this late on a Monday so I could walk into the garage behind their car? I dreaded waking anybody and getting barked at. The wet sidewalk was cold on my bare feet. Lightning cracked. Tired of waiting, I hit more random buzzers. "Who is it?" "Hi, sorry to bother you. I'm in 302 and I locked myself out when I shut my sunroof." He laughed and said he'd buzz me in. Thanks, nice young man with the pleasant voice in whatever unit that was.