Return

 

A return to drawing...wheat and barley.

Not easy after a break.

The weather is back to cold wet and windy..so I am kicking my heels around the house. 

So many things to do, yet I want to get the next Celebration done first, on the 21st of this month... July already...

I have written cards to a couple of old friends of Pirate's...one we stayed with in NZ the other an old workmate in California who used to live in Ayrshire.  Plus a card to the widow of a workmate of his..he lived five miles away from here and I'm glad I called past them a little while after Pirate died.  He was a lifetime smoker of cigarettes and it was obvious then that he was seriously ill and failing. 

This afternoon I get the second one of the two part shingles jag. I reacted to the first a little, which was ok...you don't want no reaction as you need to know that your body is working against something "foreign"...but you don't want over-reaction either.  It isn't a "live" immunisation which is good. Once you've had chicken pox the virus sits there in your system until you get over stressed. I had it 45 years ago and I don't need anything like that again!!

Hale

 Storm Hale has left everything sodden...and Gisborne in a state of emergency this morning with floods and no power!!

We had rain from Tuesday  until this morning, so turbotrainer indoors has been the order!!  Plus an impromptu birthday party after the session last night for our coach!!

At least it has lifted by late morning here, and the washing is on the line.

I am keeping a weather eye out for it, while Pirate has an afternoon nap. He has been sweeping the drive here for our friends after the rain and wind brought down a load of leaves.

I am trying to get inspired again to do some drawing....

Drawing challenge

 A friend in Christchurch NZ has set a drawing challenge to friends...14 days..and she sets the subject... halfway done so far!

I have to think harder about the next subject...Happy!

This and that...

 We had a walk late on Sunday afternoon...it was so clear!

Starlings queueing up to roost.

,The meadow lawn has been mown... successful so far, first time back as a meadow after sixty years and more as a lawn!

The garden is nice and lush! Tomatoes and squash steadily ripening, peas being picked..and bringing a new flush of flowers! The runner beans have started producing...at last.

The frame is a cabbage cage... hopefully the crop won't be decimated by munching caterpillars....

The full moon looked like this to the tablet...but really it was like this...

To the eye it looked a deep orange!

And tonight's sunset, equally dramatic...was a bit more pink to the eye.

'night all!! Xx

Still drawing

 Well Carruthers....

More practice needed!!

Trees

 We managed a lunchtime walk today, by which time I had got all the washing out or in, washing up cleared and frozen soup put on the kitchen bench to thaw...

We had no snow but it was very cold last night. I am not sure what we had here but it was -18C in Bannockburn. They had heavy snow in East and Central Scotland, but nothing here until we had a shower of those small dry snow pellets after our walk.

The sheets were lovely...a good hot wash and nearly dry on the line..ironing damp as they say. It makes a nice smell, freshly ironed sheets...

Then try and sit down to draw...no concentration. Perhaps I need to get up earlier and do the drawing first?!You will have to read the pictures from the bottom up! I never know when blogger will do that 😄

These odd times

 We are trying to re-set our routine...waking seems to have slipped...and that means our heads don't get going until late morning....then it's lunchtime and then the light has gone again!!

TV and computers off at 9pm has been a good start and bed by 10 pm.....now to get a good night's sleep and up at a decent time and not waste daylight!! Easier said than done...

I make a reasonable list of Things I Need to Get Done....and it is frustrating how little is actually being done.  

At least drawing is getting there every other day on average...but I am not inspired.

Three down...

 Off the list... yoghurt and marmalade batch#1 and a drawing...

Print progress and politics

 Deciding which size to go for...I think the full A4 size, with small cards made from that...

For the moment I have taken off all but UK postage from my Etsy shop , and will only send to Scotland,Wales or England...until I can understand the new tariffs and rules...and it is not exorbitant.

I don't have many sales at the moment, and overall most do go abroad....

It is worrying....

I also wonder what I have to do to get home sales... 

New day, new beginning

 Apparently it was -8C at Ayr seashore this morning, so we must be minus double figures, just.

We are still walking most days, carefully, off-road. Just an hour or so is enough.

Still busy

slow greenhouse progress..but we have one side 100% right and now pirate has fixed wood bracing on the greenhouse to keep it square so we know exactly where the wall should be. It has been a steep learning curve!

The moat recedes slowly..until the next rain!

 Spectacular clouds...and more rain tonight?

I have been putting in a lot of time on Etsy and eBay, and even put a little on my website. Getting all up to date.

Now for some drawing and even some printing!