4am, isn't anyone ELSE up with a cranky woodstove?

cranky woodstove, dropping temps and wet wood
yup that's me

and here is a half done peek at my latest painting, which i think i messed up totally, as the cardinals are in their environment but not dominating it. they are so shy during nesting, but this is the rhodo out front with the cardinals that nest in it every year
now the deer ate most of the rhodo and almost all the yew bushes so we'll see if the cardinal come back this year
i am hoping to finish this series by mid april
there is one more painting in it and then i need to evaluate it
i know the last painting will have maple leaves...
then i need to decide..... do i do more with the maple leaves... and take the quail nest out of it
or set up a second series and continue with this on my drafting table and do the other series on the small easel...... i would like to have two series going at once, and maybe a blk/wht drawing going too
i just am feeling non-productive lately

i had to put my knitting down for a while, as i'd badly hurt both shoulders, elbows, wrists...... actually we suspect it may be a fibro flare brought on by cold, stress and lack of sleep (and heavy lifting of logs and chopping ice)
i was living on tylenol and what limited mobility i had there i was using for painting, which is another reason why this painting is going so slow....this and the rhodo leaves from hell
the pain is fading now so i can paint longer, and i am getting a bit more sleep.
bernie had me sleep in while he was off for his 'weekend', and that helped
actually he's been trying to make me sleep in during his week too
most often i am getting up at the crack of 11am!
cause the only real sleep i am getting is from 7am to whenever i get up- and as i type this, i am waiting for the wet wood in the stove to catch, there is a LOT of tree bark in there trying to help it.

i know i am not the only one that really hopes this winter is over soon
meanwhile i am continuing this series......planning the next couple of series
and basically waiting for real spring to come

i hope you all are ok out there
and i hope spring comes for you too as well