I am back at my desk after an action-packed half term. The camping trip was a surprising success considering we slept through an almighty thunderstorm. ‘Sleeping’ is probably a bit of a stretch but we definitely nodded off at some points during the night. It was all worth it for the amount of fun the kids had. We were camping on a small family-run, working farm not far from us. We watched the cows being milked, visited the pigs and chickens, paddled in the stream, and bought the milk for our breakfast from the farm shop in an old-fashioned milk bottle. Hopefully we made some happy childhood memories that will stick.
The rain has had an enormous impact down at the allotment. The odd untended plot sports shoulder-height grass. My little patch has come alive with weeds. It’s a job to sort the newly-sprouted seedlings from all the other sproutings! Down by the river the swaying reeds have shot up and the banks are dotted with the golden crowns of yellow irises. In other news, our loft conversion is finally complete. As nice as the builders were, it’s a relief to have the house back to ourselves. Little Owl was delighted to christen the new toilet. Finch keeps going up and gazing at it as if he’s never seen a toilet before, y’know, like the other one downstairs!
Here are my pieces from the Exeter Illustrators’ Be Inspired Exhibition 2018 which ended yesterday.
Great to hear half term holiday went well. Childhood memories are so important. The weeds are having great fun aren’t they – I’ve been sorting out all the old bits of glass, mortar, brick, tile & other debris like plastic from what will be my flower beds. Weeds are getting fewer……….. the little sparrows seem to like the more earthy beds, little dimples appear after they’ve been dust bathing……I think that’s a seal of approval. Love the little dog watching the swans & that stonework is just terrific……..so evocative of algae & the myriad of colours that water soaked rocks emit.
Ahh – I love the thought of the little sparrows dust bathing in your flowerbeds. We’ve been doing some more cat-proofing of our garden this weekend. Hopefully, one day, we’ll get some little sparrows too!