sunny day

 A most pleasant day today ..washing done and dried, ironing not done yet...

Study floor has been cleared...then my brother can decide if he wants to sleep there when he comes or on the sofabed. I need to get new curtain rings for the study....ones that the screw in eyes ( that you clip the curtain hooks into) don't pull out of the ring.

Later on I went for a walk through the nature reserve. Where the top exit to fields is there is an apple tree...not ripe yet! Although there were a few handy windfalls.

Across to the next apple trees...past some inquisitive young cows....

I was lucky to see our farmer friend on whose land I forage. I hadn't seen him since Pirate died. He said I was looking well anyway...and so is he at 85, checking round the sheep that are on his fields for grazing, on his quad bike with sheepdog!

I picked another bag of plums and found a different apple tree with plenty brought down by the winds that we've haf the past few days....then home before the bag got too full!

Then the first five foot long row of tatties was dug...and berries  picked from the elder tree that I grew from a cutting.

Making food

 Days at the gallery leave me feeling washed out the following day.possibly because it is a day without much moving around, let alone exercise. Because of that, I don't sleep well..which compounds the problem.

So today was, shall we say...low key. I wasn't a day for much walking either, with sudden showers!

I did a little tidying in the greenhouse. Taking out the tomato plants that are going nowhere, taking off leaves that are past their best.  Hoping that the blight stays out of the greenhouse!

The squash are making the greenhouse all jungly!! the squashes are only large marble size...but it shows what is possible, if I get them going early enough.

The plums that I'd foraged were crying out for attention....Three and a half pounds are now being pickled..a sweet pickle..this takes over a week after the first cooking in the oven, each day boiling up the vinegar syrup then pouring it back over the plums.

I had bought some limes, reduced  to pence..they are now being pickled on the windowsill in a large glass jar.

As the oven was warm...a batch of granola went in. 

None of these were a lot of work...and plenty of breaks were had!

The last job, start a batch of yoghurt..that looks after itself overnight.

Then to Duolingo. The course finished at level 129, I've gone back to the beginning...

We'll see if I remember enough!!

stocking up

 I remembered to take my cards to the gallery today...stocked up, then stocked up a little more after today's sales!!

one side each ...there are two spinners for cards. The red Two Trees is going well, that was the one I made for our wedding invites!

Heron has never sold much..Howlet did but now has stopped..so they came out.

I need to find a way of "de-briefing" /chilling out after going out that doesn't take an hour or so....  you do it then stress that there are other things not yet done....

I've just realised that it is after 9pm and the bed isn't made...not a big job even after hauling back on the mattress topper that  came off to air everything ....but not the time of day I need to be actively doing it!!

cards

 Today has been mainly cards...even when it was sunny outside it was still a strong gusty wind.

This is the latest batch..that and some other designs will come with me to the gallery tomorrow.

colour!

 A mostly sunny day for a change..taking a breather before tomorrow I think!

Today's achievements have been mainly

A jungly greenhouse...

(note to self...sow seeds earlier next year AND look after them properly!)

foraging...apples plums and brambles...and watching swallows...

a much nicer sight than the metal birds that have been roaring overhead for the Ayr International Air show...

I gave my over the road neighbour a couple of pounds each of apples and plums, and received three ripe tomatoes from her greenhouse!

Then after a cuppa, painting time....

Using watercolour washes on a print.

It will be interesting to see how these sell.

I must look through my drawing books and photos to find the next images to make.

successes..and a blogger blip

 First thing, phone the dental surgery...and they could fit me in..so off on the bus on a blustery day.

Teeth sorted in five minutes...it is a matter of getting the technique right! Which is a relief.

Shoes...tough..they ARE leather..but Nubuck is a sort of suède. Nice to see the wee cobbler anyway...and yes, he is a little short of stature! One can of water repellant bought .

It had started that fine very wet rain as I took this photo...the newer building on the left with token references to the one next to it....

With rain and wind...no point in having a day in Ayr. There is also good coffee at home....

I spent the afternoon being productive...

The one on the bottom right is new as a print or card. I made the block a while ago but never took it further. However it has a strength and vitality that will lead somewhere...

Blogger is having a blip again...sometimes I can't reply to a comment...sometimes I can't make a comment....things like this differ between mobile and web versions..

So I'm not ignoring you all..and I'm not the only one this is happening to...Tiggers Mum at least and probably others too.

They'll sort it out soon enough..just carry on regardless!!

new things

 New shoes! 

After getting new top teeth (a new plate) I hopped on the express bus to Glasgow.

Walked down the long hill to Argyll Street and found Clark's shoe shop.

I said "I'd just like another pair like the ones I'm wearing" !!  The lad serving was very doubtful....but eventually I spotted two. One was leather, which I wanted...but the back was far too high and the sole not quite right.

Then I noticed these....Nubuck not leather, so I'll need to treat them somehow..I'll ask the "Little Cobbler" in Ayr.  That is the nearest I'll get to the shoes that I bought ten years ago in the Clark's outlet shop in Gretna Green!!  The old ones will carry on of course, they aren't falling apart quite yet!!

It is another story about the teeth however.

After a sandwich lunch on the bus back...I had an hour in Glasgow and that was enough!!! (far too peoply even on a Thursday lunchtime!!) The rain as we left the city developed into a downpour!!

In Ayr I just went straight for the bus for home....I didn't fancy walking around in that!! The bus took three times as long as usual as the traffic was jammed up for the first two miles. The Ayr Air Show starts tomorrow...

Making supper I thought to take my new teeth out, just to practice....one side won't budge...so I'll be back to Ayr tomorrow!!

What a day!!