Happy Earth Day! I am celebrating by looking out my window and wondering what the heck Earth is thinking with this snow situation. It’s fine though- it’s all fine! I’m channeling my inner Bob Ross. Happy happy happy. And speaking of Bob Ross, the Bob Ross Happy Little 5K is going on this week (to cover Earth Day today, and Arbor Day on Friday). What’s interesting about this race is that it was virtual even before all races went virtual! An article on MLive says registration opened in October with a cap of 1,000 registrants, but had to up that to 25,000 because who wouldn’t want in on this? Everyone loves Earth, everyone loves trees, and everyone loves loves loves Bob Ross!

Bob Ross wasn’t just awesome because of his hair and “happy little accidents” catchphrase. He was a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force, and that is where he (surprisingly) nurtured his skill and love of art. After twenty years of military service he became a full-time artist, and eventually began his famous eleven year run on PBS doing “The Joy of Painting.” Bob Ross was a famous art instructor, and a really talented painter, but he doesn’t have any particularly famous paintings, which is kind of nuts.

Ross died of lymphoma at the young age of 52. All his (billions?) of paintings, with and without happy little trees are housed in a Virginia warehouse, though the Smithsonian got their hands on some. I’d love to post some of his paintings here, but most Bob Ross paintings floating around the internet are of recreations that random people have done. (Something tells me there’s been a huge uptick in Ross-esque paintings since Covid came to town.) 

In lieu of some Rossy artwork, let me brighten your Earth Day with this cheery face: