IS THIS THE RIGHT PATH?

Painters Palette

2012-01-29T10:40:00.000-08:00

Red Spot 11 by Wassily Kandinsky.

Breathe and hold my concentration
my hand, stop your shaking
the line must be pure and deftly accurate
venetian red and lamp black must never merge
their colours pristine
blood green and blue rocket
light up each other
with a touch of hyacinth and camel
and a smidgen of pawnbrokers gold
just to make it pop.

A badgers hair has escaped the brush
I fish it from the verdigris
no damage done.

Breathe
step back
and contemplate my work
oxblood, moss rose and parchment
all await their turn on my palette.

29/1/12

with thanks to Tess at the magpie tales and to Ciaran Carson for his wonderful list of artists colours!!

derelict

2012-01-24T10:18:00.000-08:00

once the cows ambled in here

maybe milk flowed

the ivy has taken over

rambling through broken panes

tickling our necks

as we dipped in

echoing memories of swifts now left

and

paper wasps nests hang silently from rafters

cold

the sun never penetrates the shadows

silently we walk away.

you don't know me..

today if i....

2012-01-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

Credit ; Ever by Boris Hoppek

Today
if i curl up
tight
you might not notice me
if my eyes never meet yours
you may not blame me
for your mistakes
if i stay frozen here
my actions restricted
the bloom of your anger
may not rise
on my cheek
i am still
i am quiet
i am bound by fear.

Todays Magpie Tale from Tess, the prompt photo really stumped me for a while but i got there in the end!!

frosty morning by the canal

2012-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

....we have had days of frost....this was a particularly cold morning, the lodger and i found ourselves unexpectedly by the canal, he stopped short of hurling himself into the boating lake to chase the seagulls skating on the ice...( no we are totally landlocked and the sea is a long way away) but happily sniffed away at the new smells..i quickly dragged him away from the childrens play area as he was ready to 'christen' every swing and roundabout in sight, he met a westie who barking even more than him..(so nice to know) and looked longingly after a collie chasing a stick. We made a hasty retreat from the swans who thought he was breakfast and held our faces to the sun for a moment in reflection. Happy days!!

going home

2012-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

sculpture: Jason deCaires Taylor

i am breathing

in the blue

as i sing

the song of songs

my echo ripples for miles

causing whale and porpoise

to turn a quizzical head

in my direction

and respond

with fins and tails

as they

sway and splash with delight

that i have come home.

This is my take on the prompt from tess at magpie tales..this is the 100th..congrats Tess!!

the long haul..

2012-01-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

such an amazing sunrise today

gradually the sky turned lilac

the birdsong is getting louder everyday

the lodger and i are now fed up

with the morning walk in the dark

we ache for a light were you can see where you walk

without a torch and tripping over

random sticks and stones

abstract, the poem and the painting!!

2012-01-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

i am but a speck on the floor

walk by and you will miss me

grand towers rise

to the copper sky

of sunset

and icons watch

unblinking

while i breathe the city dust

and dirt

and spit the phlegm of despair at your feet .

This is the 99th Magpie tale from Tess, since i am trying to paint a picture a day this is also day 8 of that challenge!!!

Boy what was i thinking!! ha ha!!

Do go over and see what everyone else is up to.

daily painting day 5

2012-01-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

this is a bit of an experiment

inspired by Spanish religious paintings

i made a watercolour painting ..on very wet paper and then made a print of the original

this is the result

a sort of ghost of a painting

i may add some gold paint to highlight the headdress.

Midwinter

2012-01-04T03:11:00.000-08:00

on walking on new years day high up on the ridgeway the landscape was laid out before us

sleeping and bare trees in wind-stopping rows silhouetted against a cold blue sky

cloud scudding sky the showers were frequent but as the sun shone it cast long late afternoon shadows across fields of winter sown crops

old farm buildings seen better days rusting with enviable paint colour stained...blue and green in stark contrast

our hands were frozen by the end ears ringing numb buffeted along by the blustery gale. hawthorn bushes bent windward ,stunted but alive with berries a snack for the birds if the snow comes again.

It was bracing our lungs filled with fresh cold air glad to be alive, walking confidently into another year and all its possibilities and dreams there for the taking.

deep waters

2012-01-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

This is the first Magpie Tale of 2012 from Tess at willow manor.

it may seem quiet

after the storm

still now

the creaking logs

settle into stone

as the rain clouds clear

rising mist

clearing tree top

we breathe again

our soaked clothes

steam

and

squelch

wet hands slide together

cold becoming warm

we are walking on

with waters running deep.

New Year Morning

2012-01-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

The rose glow of rippled water

a promised sunrise on a new year

paper thin leaves rustle underfoot

hiding secrets below the surface

they wait.

In my attempt to go back to my daily painting..who knows if it will work this time but in the bravo of the new year all things seem possible.

the year end

2011-12-29T12:29:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired by a lady in our lane who has had candles burning in her windows all through Christmas time..

Her cottage has taken on this timeless magical aura....

Wishing you all a wonderful end to the year and may the new one bring you your hearts desire....

Marilyn laughing

2011-12-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

this was the time

when i forgot who i was

i only saw you

you made me laugh

until

i almost cried

sometimes

its hard to tell the difference

between the two.

Tess's prompt photo for Magpie Tales 97.

(photo Bert Stern)

the start and the end of it....

2011-12-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

in these short December days the start and end of the day seem to merge and we walk in the twilight hours

these mornings of heavy frost and piercing icy winds

we wrap up fully...hat...gloves...scarves...the black Scottish chap has a smart black, with grey trim coat but continually shakes while walking as if to say

i am a hardy Scottish beast get this girly coat off me!!!

i usually relent and end up carrying the jacket

it was the most amazing sky this morning....an independence day sky...blazing red under clouds..lighting up the heathrow bound planes under carriages vibrant pink as they pass by...vapour trails scratching a line on unblemished blue..the now leafless...true winter skeletons of trees highlight the horizons..

..the view from the bridge.... teaming with wildlife..the water looks cold,cold....

move forward a few hours...late afternoon walk..high up on the ridgeway overlooking the oxfordshire countryside....we could see for miles and watched as the lights below us came on as we descended into dusk....in gullies snow still laid from a few days ago...icy and unyielding..

my constant companion wonders why we have stopped again to look through the lens...

i loved the barren textures of dried weeds and grasses silhouetted against the darkening sky

the sky streaked red as we cleaned muddy paws..the evening almost a mirror image of this morning.

in a weeks time Christmas day will be ebbing away...i have never been so unprepared...and so un-worried about it!!

Full Moon December Day

2011-12-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

full moon
on rippled water
this is the early morning
below a fish is belly up
while slowly the heron gracefully rises
in flight away
down stream
a hoar frost coats the bridge
we gingerly walk across
fearing slips
and slides
splash and chatter from the ducks
makes the black dog stand and consider
whether they are worth the effort
of being up to his neck in mud
with a shake
he decides against it
we walk towards the rising sun
this December Day.

This is a slight if somewhat clumsy nod to Tess's Magpie tales number 95 today, go over and see the 'real' prompt picture and others wonderful creations.

Canteen Romance

2011-12-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

This is todays Magpie Tales prompt picture from Tess, i found it a hugely sad picture , isolating and lonely,

Canteen Romance

you may feel my eyes

upon the back of your neck

while you watch your lunch

diminish

overcome with loneliness

a tear

caught with my tongue

my only sustenance

i am the pitied

the next door nudge

all eyes are cast down

with knowledge ignored.

for goodness sake.....

2011-12-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

...after a long day in the shop which was soooooo busy

i got home to realize

my hair clip had fallen out and my hair style resembled the highland cow fringe effect

i had lost an earring

and i had had my dress on back to front..

i'll try harder tomorrow!!!

cliff

2011-11-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

the white cliff face at Saltdean in Sussex on Sunday..such a beautiful day

unbelievably blue sky

the sea was rough

air filled with the taste of salt

sunday lunch

and a long walk

we found the enchanting walled gardens of the writer Rudyard Kipling

and thought this door amazing with its covering of ivy

as we walked back we watched the sun set over the now calm sea

flocks of seagulls flying out to the horizon

and a lone surfer catching the waves

thanks my darling girl for a wonderful day..x

2011-11-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

picture from tess at magpie tales no.93

by c.donnier-valentin

Bag Lady

my back so sore

found

by way of a miracle

under the arches

of Saint Pancras

a raspberry red,

if somewhat dusty

sofa

itchy velvet reminded me

of the seats on the number 47 bus

on my daily ride to school

i think it was in '41

that was some time ago

the trains lulled me asleep

slumber only disturbed by the uninterested revelers

who passed by loudly unseeing

in the night

i clutched my bags closer and turned my back

to dream of better times to come.

the roosting pigeons cooed and fluttered

my alarm call at dawn

i stretched old bones creakily

to another day

wandering the city

hopeful that my bed

may remain another night

abandoned.

I once read that we are all only two steps away from being homeless, i can think of nothing worse that being in that situation, to have nowhere to call home.

what a week

2011-11-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

....the last week has been an epic one....the downsizing from a big house to an apartment has been completed for my Mum.....the whole family pulled together to get the house cleared and it was undoubtedly a hard time for her..there were tears and then relief it was done and the next chapter of her life could start....

..the early morning and late afternoon walks were a solace for me....a gentle breather from the mayhem around me...a time to stop the organising...the 'have I remembered to do everything'....and feel the sun rise through the misty mornings....the amazing skies....watching the wildlife on the river.....and the autumn changing into winter......frost on the grass.....highlighted cobwebs.....and leaves to kick through.......that late year sharpened scent....breathing deep, waiting for my wings to start unfurling....

....smiling through the mountain of packing paper!!!

..the lodger...'wake me up when its all over, please!!'

white linen

2011-11-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

steam rises from the board

the lavender scent engulfing me

crisp white linen

now flat

and

tucked in

waits for the curve of your body

Magpie tales prompt from Tess at Willow Manor.

breathe

2011-11-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

I have waited for what seems
like a lifetime of time and space
for this moment
we have loved and lost
been lost and found
beholden,betrayed
idolized and scorned.
we have
fallen in love
and fallen out so often
and not just with each another

and yet I always knew
that one day
you would return
so here we are
with the mist just rising
as the dawn breaks
with the debris of last night
laid waste
come let me skim the dew from your brow
and gather the perfume of lost time
in my cupped hands
may i breathe the future into us
and hope
that i am yours.

Magpie tales with prompt photo from tess.

late november afternoon

2011-11-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

we walked along the road the lodger usually refuses to walk down....don't ask me why but at times he is like a stubborn child and just sits and refuses to budge.....he may sit suddenly on the pavement for no reason and refuse to go forward, i have learnt that this usually means he would like to cross the road and having done so will walk perfectly...some would say he has me wrapped around his little(paw) finger...possibly i might agree...

...the road we have never walked down led to this fantastic red brick wall ...obviously meant to keep the peasants out at some point in history but now only holding back an abandoned walled garden...

i could see the abandoned greenhouses and untended vegetable beds through this amazing gate..

..the row of cottages...beautifully thatched probably the workers tied cottages once upon a time...the sun was setting and the sky had a wonderful light...we are quite close to the river and could hear the ducks quacking furiously!!

..the old GR post box on the side of a house..i wonder how many letters have been posted here across the decades?

on the walk back, beautiful lichened twigs in a hedge slowly decaying, just loved the colours and textures..

flaking gray and mustard

looking dead

but so alive.

Remembrance Day

2011-11-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Standing here,

my heart beats fast with emotion

pin pricks of scarlet on my cheeks.

The rough worsted collar

grey-green, chaffs my fragile skin,

while coloured ribbons of medals sway

slower in time now the march has stopped

the brisk November wind

makes them clink

now and again.

My body soft with age trembles

as the minutes tick by

the birds overhead are the only sound

as we stand lost in our silent thoughts

of battle

fear

exhaustion

sadness

of aeroplanes screeching,

gunfire thundering

and as the dust settles
triumph is marred by

the counting of despair.

My rheumy eyes focus on the plain white stone ahead

arthritic fingers clasp

the wreath of poppies.

The last post echoes through the cemetery.

I walk to lay my tribute

my fallen comrades surround me

on this Remembrance Day.

This is my entry for Magpie tales from Tess's prompt

The years....

2011-11-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

can you believe it is just about three years since i started this blog?.......i can't tell you what a slog this year has been....in a few weeks though my life may be my own again....i can finally feel that my new home is my 'new home'

.....cook books ready to invite friends for dinner...i have such a basic kitchen now who knows what will be dished up!!

the lodger won't mind as long as there might be sausages....

my daily chat to the money plant is working wonders!!!..no i'm not mad..go on try it!!

favourite things are finding their place

i'm trying to clear unnecessary stuff but somehow there are too many memories to some things.....my first real antique bought over 30 years ago...knocked over by a kitten and repaired.....feathers from countless walks in the countryside and a eighteenth century broken teapot decorated with insects..bashed and broken but deliciously beautiful can stay a bit longer!!

Do you have things that you can't bear to part with!

Our shop Martin and the Magpie is ONE YEAR OLD today!!!

I find that incredible, it was surely only last week we opened the doors...

the months have flown by and a part of me ..at this point in my life... feels like the sand is hurtling through the timer too fast....

slow down , slow down....

give me time to savour all that life is giving me at the moment...i want to look, touch, feel in my heart all that is happening....

this is my wish

has this year been good for you and what are your hopes for next year?

Muse

2011-10-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

I hadn't been working for him long,
that big shot author
he thought he'd hired a cleaner
someone to dust around the edges
pick up the the hurled mistakes
and mop up the ink stains of his frustration
on the cheap.

Slowly I smoothed out the creases
jotted a comment
sowed a seed
made him look to a further horizon
a blank wall is not inspiring, I said
so he moved to a vista of endless possibilities
and took me with him .

My magpie tales no 89 from Tess

life, the sky and sheep identification....

2011-10-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

...travelling home the sky took on an

end of the world

eighteenth century landscape painters

demeanor

with memories of trips to the Tate gallery

storm tossed seas and Delacroix

thankfully i was saved from disaster

this time......

..... a favourite walk on Sunday, only spoilt by loud ramblers of a certain age shouting..sheep!...sheep!....

i was amazed by their powers of identification of farm animals

even the lodger turned away with a 'even i know what they are ' look on his whiskery face...

we walked slowly the lodger savoring every new smell along the way and me picking sloes..if there was ever a time in my life to turn to gin it is now.

Third Floor Flutter

2011-10-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

open window

the city breeze blows in

thump thump my heart pounds in

the flimsy shirt

white cotton frilled

the rise and fall

shudders

your window is up there

third floor

slightly ajar

your curtains flutter

gently licking brickwork

in and out

tick tick tick

the left hand light flashes

loading stop only

my minutes are nearly up

but i chance it

a few more

whose to know?

the mirror reflects the past

when we danced up the steps to

delight

laughter echoing down the street

late one night

not so long ago

or so it seems

the rush of cars screech by and wake me

the memories dispersed by the police car pulling up behind me

a last glance upwards

there is to be no glimpse of you

a sigh surfaces with tears

as i pull away.

My take on this weeks magpie tales no. 88 from Tess at Willow Manor

when the world is spinning out of control....

2011-10-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

....and life seems like it will never get back on an even keel...

i dream of the day..soon..when i come down in the morning after a peaceful nights sleep,

warm and wrapped in a cashmere robe

i lift the cover of the hotplate of the aga and put the kettle on for tea

while waiting for it to boil

i open the french windows into the garden

where the scent of fresh and flowers greet me

the dogs, excited run out

i follow

barefooted and walk in the morning dew

the sun is slowly rising

its going to be a beautiful day

following the dogs to the paddock

i bend and tug a handful of grass and hold it out to the gentle soft muzzle waiting for me

i stroke the velvet skin and the warmth of horse pushes against me

all is well

i am happy

i am loved

this is mine

one day soon.

memento mori

2011-10-17T02:02:00.000-07:00

remember

the splashed water

leaving trapped rainbows

cascading

water droplets

over iridescent feathers.

Once I was beautiful.

This my piece for the prompt on Magpie Tales. if you want to see Tess's picture head over to the blog.

today.....

2011-10-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

was the most stunning autumn afternoon....once the chores were almost done ......we walked on the common........

..the beautiful but flighty exmoor ponies which graze all year here...the foals now almost as big as their mothers.....

i just loved that colour of the artificial track picked up that of the rose hips..........

..dewy nosed cows enjoying the warmth....

England...country....nature.....big skies...heaven....

...just love the reflection.......the sky.....the clouds.....the water......the world....

....the nicest end to the day......wood smoke and wine!!

here i stand.....

2011-10-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

here i stand
alone
the past flies like demons around the dark corners of my mind
the haunting wrongs cast in my name
creep from under floorboards hammered shut long ago
i stare
unseeing into the blackest pages
of copperplate script
and understand nothing

here i stand
waiting
for the clink of keys
the smell of incense and the chanting of gold trimmed charlatans
while the moon that has been my last companion
waxes
and the dawn rises
i stare at the door
resigned.

my latest effort in MAGPIE TALES no.86 with thanks to Tess for the prompt.

into the blue

2011-10-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

..we walked through the forest..

..trees tall creaking slightly in the wind...

...needles and fir-cones drop around us...

...the air has that dark

dank

scent that makes you breath deeply and rejoice that autumn is here...

we jump muddy puddles..

the ground churned up in places by horses hooves..

there is silence broken only by birdsong...

..we see no birds

turning the corner the path rises

our gradual climb into the blue....

In the striped tent

2011-10-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

In a last ditch effort

to draw the disenchanted

to the Big Top

the last pot of glue lay empty

behind the vultures cage

the storm of feathers floating

gently down

on red sand

the crowd watched the grand finale

speechless.

with thanks to Tess at magpie tales for the prompt!

Morning light....

2011-10-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

and the sky gives me a big kiss!!!!.....the first of October and our morning walks are getting later......The Lodger ever the early morning riser is now in winter hours and is quite happy to stay curled up on his chair until I go downstairs and switch the kettle on.....

seven and the sky is showing off on this misty morning....the promise of another hot day....so unseasonably hot by eleven it even smells of summer......warmth....back to summer frocks and sandals when i really want a warm jacket, boots and scarves....what is happening to this world of ours??

across the bridge over the river and the usual suspects are all present and correct!!...the heron who flies off as soon a a glimpse of black dog appears...the argumentative ducks quacking and paddling happily away....and the sedate trio of mum, dad, and cygnet....gliding gracefully by.....i adore swans.....

..out of the mist rises a hot air balloon....we see them quite often here....it silently lifted off into the blue and away...
fortunately the lodger was so intent on the three squirrels fighting over acorns above us that he missed the balloon..there would have been no peace and in fact quite a fraca , as the lodger gets older anything in the sky is apparently his arch enemy be it pigeons, the moon, aeroplanes or hot air balloons

later back to one of the day jobs, a wedding which we did the flowers for, the bride wanted a crisp autumn day, unfortunately for her it was a hot, sultry one but perfect all the same.
At least the flowers were showing the their autumnal colours!!

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend.xx

another magpie

2011-09-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

while the rain

cascades cold and salt

we wait

there

a light

the smallest blink

a candle gutter

tells us you are near

our journey

over centuries to this place

concludes.

my first effort for Magpie Tales, this picture just inspires

the prince and the pea....

2011-09-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

..what pea?

The Lodger, always a devotee of a comfy chair takes advantage of hastily thrown cushions
while changing the bed linen....
when asked politely to 'get off' he sighed heavily and refused.

its a dogs life.....

recommendation for the soul

2011-09-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

For a few years I have been following this blog

I wanted to share his writing with you

**********

mothers love

2011-09-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago it was birthday time here.....84 years....supper out in her favourite restaurant..just us girls!!

..what can you say....a woman who all her life has given total unconditional love to her children...

Her eyes are failing so my brother sent her a kindle so she can read books in larger than large print which she loves.....

At this age she is realising that it is her who has to make the decisions because the one she loves and has been married to for 35 years can't do it any more...

She has stepped up to the plate and has rediscovered that she is a feisty lady who takes no nonsense from anyone...makes the phone calls..keeps the diary...sorts it out.

She is the figurehead of the family.

I come from a long line of strong women...

I have a lot to live up to.....

Sky

2011-08-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

.....the sky the other evening was an amazing sweep of pink clouds speeding across the blue.....

today

2011-08-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am in Nancys Garden.xx

Sheltered Haven

2011-08-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

When....as a student I used to travel each day on the train .......it used to fascinate me .....on dark winter evenings......the glimpses you would get into peoples lives........the lights turned on....but not yet shuttered down for the night........as we clickedy clacked out of the station through the suburbs......

......I hate to say it but the evenings here..... although warm and balmy of late are starting to draw in........nine pm in the gloaming on our last walk of the day.....

......my little home....all bright and welcoming...after a challenging and traumatic week with Miss Matthews and The Air Con |Man.....it is a little sheltered haven...a slice of cheese ,a glass of wine and a contented dog snoring on the sofa.

Have a lovely peaceful weekend.

textures at the height of summer

2011-08-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Grass waves

in the wind

gently

misted

with rain

bends with the weight

of heavy seeds

ready to cascade

down

to blend in earth

'til spring

Out and about in inclemant weather

2011-07-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

The Lodger and I finally got to have a look round our new neighbourhood on a very grey and drizzly day ...just along the road is the church...........we are under the thatched lynch-gate..........

..through the woods and over the bridge......

into the wheat fields.....for those of you who have followed for a while I have managed to get 'just' back into Wiltshire!!!!..but its so good to be in the country again after my 'A Eighteen Months In The Suburbs'.....

for such a small place there are remarkably distinguished looking memorials....

and I was very happy to see an angel watching over us!

Weekend

2011-07-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

No its not raining!!!.....I find it strangely therapeutic taking the car through the car wash.

The Lovely Dutchman's Birthday Lunch...chocolate brownies, cherries and chocolate sauce....we had to fight the wasps!!

......might there be a sausage off the bar-be-que for me..pleassssssse...xxx

blue skies sunshine

...sometimes i can colour co-ordinate.

Hope you had a lovely weekend to.

52 Flea Giveaway

2011-07-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Lovely Laura at 52 Flea is having a giveaway along with Cabbages and Roses.....gorgeous fabrics and a fabulous looking book.......go over and look its lovely.....

i was going to give you a sneak at my new home......and the walk down to the river.....the swallows..swooping and diving....the lodger saying with a quizzical twitch of his eyebrows 'why am I here?'...but we have a technical hitch...we have lost the lead to connect the camera to the computer...I know its here.......somewhere.....maybe this box.....or this bag......so this is a picture of a walk we had through the beautiful woodlands at Highclere a few weeks ago.....the foxgloves like a purple forest of spires....

.....how many times??

2011-06-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

......i will shortly be moving home.............again............this will be the 21st time since i left my parents house aged 17!!!!....

i could write a book you know...not only on the places I've moved to......

Scottish island.....welsh mountains.......wild sea shores......gentle farmland......

but the best way to pack up and ship out.....

i have it to a fine art.....

every time i clear out more stuff.....

on my last journey i hope i will leave a battered old suitcase with my most treasured memories held safe inside..the essence of me...

but for the moment it will have to be a man with a van!!

gladden the heart..

2011-06-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

...sometimes...when you least expect it...a view grabs you by the throat and demands to be investigated...

chatting about why the field of bright blue linseed was suddenly gone on our return from a lazy lunch of steak pomme frites and fizzy pop..cursing that we didn't stop to photograph it on our sunny journey out...around the next bend and a fast u-turn led us to this ......

pure beauty...nature at its flamboyant best....

all thought of blue a hazy memory.

if you go down to the woods today..

2011-06-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

.....it is amazing what random things you find while walking the dog......this gave me a fright as I rounded the corner!!!!!........when i got close it looks like some sculpture......a rural twist on the statue in the park........may be some art project? or just a lost helmet in the woods....

as usual as soon as someone mentions the word drought the English weather decides to rain solid for twenty four hours....flaming June it is not.

Magpie Academy: Our Magpie Academy....blooming beautiful!

2011-06-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Magpie Academy: Our Magpie Academy....blooming beautiful!: "Martin and the Magpie New course dates 2011 Welcome to our summer and autumn classes. We have tried to make these a bit different and what..."

read it!

2011-06-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

.....for everyone who has felt a bit different to the crowd......gathered herbs......hated school...stitched a quilt.....smelt the warm dusty mane of a horse...known rejection....wished something they wouldn't dare to do.....there is a piece of Truly in us all.

pathways

2011-06-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

ancient......rovers.....high point.....three counties......late evening.....hazy.........sun setting...skylarks singing....steady breeze blowing....breath taking...mind clearing....distant ploughed furrows.....green...yellow...blue....nature....England.....my land.....awe inspiring beauty...

reaching out

2011-06-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

its time is past

it is reaching out

skyward glances

2011-05-29T00:08:00.000-07:00

walking into the wind.....scuttling clouds............mares tails prancing...........looking skyward................marvelling natures beauty.....

self portrait

2011-05-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

todays lesson was a self portrait.....most people are photographers....but my desire is to practise painting so this is a idea from another course done last year.

take your pencil and paper...close your eyes and do not open whatever!!!

with one hand follow the contours of your face and draw what you feel onto the paper..no peaking now!!!

i go around a few times building up marks and lines

when you feel you have done enough open your eyes and see the results....

it is always fascinating

you can also use any other medium..say coloured markers, and change the colour a few times..go on have a go!!

poem

2011-05-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

art again...

2011-05-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

...in an attempt to get me working on my painting again i have joined an art course.....day 3

..we have just danced a yoga dance workshop to get our creative juices flowing....the dog is bemused and the floorboards have developed a sinister creak....watch this space....

blackbird sings...

2011-05-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

today i realised a few things

if someone you look after is depressed its not your fault just give the pills time to work and hang on in there

warm air blowing through open windows makes my heart sing

clematis montana smells wonderful but lasts only seconds when picked for a vase

planting seeds stirs something old and ancient in me

joy is watching a blackbird pick worms for her family from my newly turned compost

what makes your heart sing?

easter

2011-04-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

new spring haircut........unsuitable dress for dog walking.......tick tock........spring greens...

Happy Easter Time

APRIL..

2011-04-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Perfect scrummy blooms.........rag-a-muffin black dog.......wild flowers........primroses and violets....the exmoors with new foal.....blue sky sunrise......much love....x

blossom

2011-03-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

we walked past a hedge of may

disturbing a pigeon

hiding in white blossom

feathers set a storm of petals

floating gently down

swirling around us

like snowy confetti

alighting in our hair

to be discovered later

with a smile

purple

2011-03-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

..is there anything more happy than a pansy?..

different but the same

2011-03-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

my view march last year

my view march this morning

sun

early

trees

nature

wildlife

black dog

walks

side

some things are the same

many are not

down

life

is never

dull

rust,lichen and the black dog

2011-03-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

decades ago a man taught me to use my eyes
nature never disappoints
trees stand like rusting iron
posturing at times like dancers
lichen hangs tight curling in the wood scented air
musty with pine and mud
while a black dogs nose works over time
the birds have lots to discuss

we are here

2011-03-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

....the sunshine proves

that we are not invisible

we have not faded into the grey...

of these leaden steel days..

we are real..we do exist.

journey

2011-03-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

there is an ethereal beauty

in the dried seed heads

as beneath them

the shoots of spring

start the journey

this and that...

2011-02-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

...I am facinated by the beauty in this old tree trunk....we walk past it most days...a regular sniffing spot for the lodger.....it has been made into a bench, although we never have time to sit....but as you look closely the colours are amazing....greens...pinks ..greys and blues....the ponies gathered by it this morning in the murky daybreak light...a nibbling post for velvet muzzles....though they are wild and we don't get too close..we respect their herd and give a wide distance as they can be easily spooked and I have seen them kick a dog that gets a bit to friendly...

....the last few days have been a blur of red roses and spring flowers in the shop....it is a long time since i posted food on this blog....which is weird as less than a year ago it was my job.....( the twists and turns of life!!!).....it has just been snatched bites lately.....dips in tubs and torn up celery.....oh and of course chocolate...

......i hope you all had hearts....chocolate, floral and fluttering..xx

The Promise

2011-02-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

...the promise of a beautiful day......early mornings are getting lighter and at 7'ish the day is clear....so wonderful, we have had so many grey days here lately....the birds are in agreement and send up a cacophony of sound.............there is much flying and fluttering......singing and twittering, and amongst the canopy the screeching of jays......the ground is hard with frost until you get into the tree line where the mud cakes itself to a black dogs hairy feet!!!........today it feels like spring is here....home to open the windows...shake out the cushions and breathe....

Denial is Futile

2011-02-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

At last!!!!....the sloe gin can be ignored no longer.......it has sat quietly in the garage for 3 months ...singing gently...I'm here .....I'm here!!......it is delicious....well worth the wait

it seems an absolute age ago, that in the autumns fading light i picked bags of sloes....hands purple and scratched....

mmmm.....what does this say about me????

Gin anyone!!!

sticks and twine....

2011-02-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

bleached .....stripped bare

twine....raffia....string

bending in the breeze....shuddering

arching...abandoned...

dormant.....asleep...

lime green lichened

branches strong unbending angular

the intensity of colour

magnified against

unseasonal azure blue sky

belays the winter cold

quietly...waiting...longing.

the colour purple....

2011-02-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

..sunrise over the common......the colour was a surprise.....maybe the light mixed it up in the camera.....i sort of like it.......pale delphinium..............the iconic control tower on the skyline..there is great debate about what to do with it as now it stands empty......a visitor center.....demolish it.......sell it to the highest bidder.....a cold war des res with views of cruise missile silos..how much would you pay????...I'm sure with the right marketing it could be sold off....like the government are doing to the rest of our beautiful countryside.......

the gloaming..

2011-01-28T10:02:00.000-08:00

....the forest floor still carpeted with autumns leaves....no longer crunching underfoot....the last glimpse of the sun that finished on a bright note given the cold grey day....so many grey days lately...

...part of the forest is being harvested..mud and carnage everywhere...here there is birdsong and rustling...

..the last rays shine like a golden rainbow.....a painters sky...

..the gloaming gathers in as we return....the wind chill hurrying us on....

Louisdog where have you been????

2011-01-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

Last year...you may remember i took an experimental art course......louisdog evolved out of one of the tasks that was set by the tutor......i love him to bits as he reminds me of the real Louis Dog...:(

Well...someone featured one of my fabric works on her blog and sent me an email to tell me this and while i was on flickr i took a look at my other pictures......a few people had looked at them....maybe 10 or 20 views.....but when i got to louisdog.........2,800 views!!!!

I don't know leave an english bull terror alone for a while and he's scooting across the blog-a-sphere talking to strangers......got to love him though and looks like a few others did too.......

sometimes....

2011-01-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

....the world turns topsy turvy.......
..grey reflections on a January day.....
..shame that I missed that the last post was my 300th!!!.......how time flies....

Wordle - soaring sky

2011-01-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

Wordle - soaring sky: ""

a new toy!!!

between the dusk and the dark.....

2011-01-18T02:01:00.000-08:00

......so late walking today.....one of the family has a brand new shiney hip and hospital trips are a daily occurrence for the moment....

..the woods are awash....we wade rather than walk and the black dog with his belly quite close to the ground has turned a muddy grey colour by the finish.....

....the sky has that late reflected light.....satin gowned in candlelight sort of colour........but the dark is setting in and in the distance the owls are already calling.....

..we are alone save perhaps a few spirits........this time between the dusk and the dark are atmospherically eerie.....

...the noises of the forest and our lonely footsteps.........

..as we walk back to the car the moon is above us.....glimpsed through the folds of cloud......

.....at home i am told off for reckless walking in the dark...i shall aways be the child here.

Bad habits and wildlife ....

2011-01-14T01:48:00.000-08:00

This morning while walking on the common...in the grey sky I heard the approaching sound of huge white wings flapping....i can never get over the beauty of swans flying......so once again....a rubbish wildlife photo......

.....as some of you my know The Lodger is a lodger with me.....he has been for a while now ....I'm afraid while living with me he has picked up some bad habits!!!........
.......licking the plates in the dishwasher is one of them...at least he doesn't actually get in the washer unlike the doggie here!!!

"Mmmmmmm could you possibly leave more on the plates next time???"

How the days go by....

2011-01-13T07:37:00.000-08:00

...the days of January march on unabated......leaving me with windswept hair and soggy boots...

....looking at the infinitesimally small parts of life as the bigger picture is at times too depressing to contemplate.......

.......time flies by in a blur of promise and duty...

New Year

2010-12-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

.....may you find the right path for you and may it lead you to your dreams....................

sweetie!!

2010-12-29T01:35:00.001-08:00

...while delivering flowers down a icy lane i came across this little chap......
......a million years ago i learnt to ride on a furry fellow like this.......
....happy memories...........

.
.
our snow has now gone and we are left with slushy mud...joy!!

Greetings!!!

2010-12-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

...from me.....and him......may you have joy and peace this Christmas and may all your dreams come true...xx

an extraordinary sight....

2010-12-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

today i passed the most amazing sight......i was on a back road....icy and pretty skiddy when as i passed by a field there where four herons.....

.....stood like several rectors discussing last Sunday sermon......

.....i often see a single heron.......
..i have never seen four together.......in the snow.....in the middle of a field.......

...the weather creates a new world...where the ordinary looks extraordinary......
...where the once only glimpsed become common place....every day i see a red kite....
in the summer you see them way up high and occasionally but in this harsh and cold environment they swirl in the path of cars on the look out for road kill.....we have plenty with all the pheasants are hap- hazardley walking in the road into oncoming cars as if they have a built in death wish....

..i looked up the collective for herons....

......it is a siege.......just what we appear to be in at the moment...us against the ice....

stay warm.....xxx

WINTER SOLSTICE

2010-12-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

...we are in the bleak midwinter........

snow on snow and frost on frost............

it is magical .........

and cold.........

1. the view from my window..........sunrise..

2.the lodger has given up all thoughts of macho and started to wear his winter coat!! he must be cold.

3.nature still providing food for the birds...

we have turned a corner.............x

twilight....or a walk in the dark...

2010-12-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

....I am becoming a twilight person......my day starts in the dark and as we walk...

...............the sun slowly rises ....sometimes into a clear and frosty sky....sometimes hardly lightening the heavy clouds....we are shadowy creatures...sometimes meeting others of our kind
......the well wrapped up dog walkers......whose day does not allow waiting until we can properly see a step in front of us.....we greet each other with a muffled hello and for the regulars a few comments on the coming day and maybe a brief skirmish of a dog or two before we part and disappear into the gloom.....

this is repeated at dusk..more urgency in the walk as the dark fills in.....tonight we had the bonus of reflected light from the light covering of snow...in the distance Beacon Hill....we climbed the road leading up...a sharp incline got my heart beating......only when venturing down did i realise that the road was a sheet of ice.....the lodger tried his best to pull me over in his quest for new and alluring scents that couldn't possibly be missed.....I remained on two feet...and he on four....thankfully.....

cold ,cold,hold ,hold...

2010-12-09T13:32:00.001-08:00

the lodger...poor boy..... had a few days in the luxury doggie hotel down the road at the weekend
...heated rooms.......food on demand.......and three kennel maids all looking for a handsome chap to spoil!!!!...tough life eh!!!...as a treat on his release we walked along the canal.....it is nearly frozen right over...the barges encased....a line of smoke escapes from their chimneys....there was one for sale....but I have no sea legs....or even canal legs..!!

....hoar frost on the larch trees in the woods......every year at the moment it seems we are having these long cold spells......

.....it is like a beautiful winter wonderland but...cold, cold.....

...the promise of the sun breaking through...we must hold, hold.....

Hope you are all keeping cosy....xx

monotone...

2010-12-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

grey sky
.
.
white earth
,
,
black dog
.
.
the world is beautiful in its reduced palette...

..today i realised that being a carer means having your name tagged on someone elses Christmas card, as though you had become a child again and only worthy of a slight doff of the cap to your existence.....instead of the 'happy yuletide greetings' you have received for the last twenty odd years...i feel i am fading slowly into invisibility .......

grey.....

2010-12-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

As the lodger and I walked on the common the other day......the air crackling with frost and ice around our ears...we heard a curious slurping sound..on investigating
this we found the cattle so desperate for a drink they were making ice holes and sucking the pond water out......they lifted their heads to view us....icicles dripping from their soft muzzles.....their black, white and grey bodies perfect winter camouflage .....

Winter sunset.....

2010-11-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

........or.....

after a particularly hard day how nature can make you glad to be alive.....

Shades of Impressionism

2010-11-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

While out walking this morning...through the woods....the cattle grazing on fallen leaves and the damp, musty smell of late autumn.....

.....the scenes reminded me of a french impressionist painting......especially the silver birch against the copper leaves......

or maybe one of the Glasgow boys scenes... the colours of the brambles against flank of beast.....

tonight I may get the paints out and try my hand at capturing my impression.....

rememberance

2010-11-14T13:01:00.001-08:00

.........this morning the world looked fresh and newly emerging from its misty garments....for a brief hour before the rain set in.....
.........the cows saunter past oblivious to the snuffing Scottie dog beside them......they walk a time worn path through the gorse.....stopping only to munch on fallen leaves....

.........the sun briefly shining through dappled clouds.........a pair of swans flew low..the air beating through their wings the only noise....

then in the distance the ringing of church bells....peeling.....

this is my picture of England today .......

The Solider

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there’s some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England’s, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

Rupert Brook

Busy, busy

2010-11-05T09:25:00.001-07:00

It has been a roller coaster of work....duty.....inspiration......laughter......sulks.......fizz......cakes.....but most of all happiness.

We have opened our shop this week........

the picture is one of my favourite pieces....a antique teapot with a mini moth orchid.....sorry its sold.......

To see more visit our blog....Martin and The Magpie and if you are ever in the area please call in and see us..the cake is gone but we have tea!!!

Yellow

2010-11-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

...it seems that my whole world is yellow...............

Glorious Autumn

2010-10-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Today has been absolutely glorious....clean blue skies one minute then a dark cloud sending the autumn colours into intensity...........

..the leaves of the silver birch are hanging on by a gossamer thread......

...the sunlight reflects off of the spindly tree trunks....as the forest floor turns to amber..

...after a brief shower the sky is alive with the rainbow colours........

......

....i whispered a wish.......

..where did you spring from??

2010-10-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

...... i pride myself on my observational powers..i notice things....moths and bugs.....twigs and shoots...the shape of the clouds....the slightest changes in the seasons.....
but i never noticed this before and i have walked this path often!!!

..a huge redwood tree.

...its bark deeply grooved.....flaking and lichen covered.....a beautiful shade of verdigris....

......its upper most branches way above me....... standing straight and solid against the cold blue sky.........

...i once lived in a house flanked by two of these magnificent trees......they must have been so old..and i always wondered if the trees or the house came first....

..how do you tell how old a redwood is???..or do they just appear overnight like mushrooms?

First frost

2010-10-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

The shock of the first frost this morning.....

scraping ice from the car windscreen....

the crunch of walking on the frozen ground....

the sun slowly rises through the cloud...

highlighting the vapor trails flying east...
.....cold hands...warm heart......xx

thinking of spring...

2010-10-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

...i am already thinking of bulbs.....seeds and plantings for next year in the garden......the seasons change and we move with them..............

this morning was so dark and although i relish those dark winter days when you are cozy inside....part of me is already longing for spring....xx

not fair...

2010-10-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

..every morning i have a date.......in France with Angus and Wilf.....they brighten my day with their tales of their life...the font, madame bay, the beer and absinthe crowd, the old dog Jerome and hilarious goings on in their village....as Angus says 'you couldn't make it up'....

..a while back Wilf lost his brother to a tick born disease but has 'soldiered on' giving me and a whole lot more people all around the world a happy warm glow each day.....

it seems wholly unfair that now Wilf has been taken ill and has only a few days to live.....it was such a shock to read this...somehow Angus has managed to keep us all informed about the wonderful Wilfs progress and you can just feel the love that surrounds him in peoples comments on their blog.......

it never ceases to amaze me of the kindness of strangers on the Internet...it makes communities of friends who may never meet but are somehow connected....by an interest...or a passion....or a polish lowland sheepdog called Wilf....

Merry-go-round..

2010-10-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

......sometimes my life is like a merry-go-round....
I twirl......
and dip.....
go fast.....
go slow....
....sometimes I feel nauseous.....
...sometimes elated....
maybe a bit scared....
but surely life is never boring at my fairground.......

....a beautiful bunch of autumn coloured roses for your weekend my friends.....

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mists & Rainbows

2010-10-01T07:57:00.001-07:00

autumn has truly arrived .....

.....today I passed a sign saying 1st October come to the Christmas fair today!!!......Tescos has its aisles laden with Halloween goodies and there are Christmas cakes on the shelves..........

..I find....

.....I am becoming an old 'humbug' person.....is it really necessary to sell Christmas cake on October 1st????.....OK if you are going to make one and douse it with brandy every week until Dec.25th...thats fine...but.....the cynic in me thinks that the supermarkets expect you to buy it and having no self control you will then eat it before 25/12 and therefore have to buy another.......move over Ebenezer!!!............

...there skies have been weird lately......foggy mornings.....rainy days........then evening rainbows.......

...wishing you all a lovely weekend....xx

All In A Spin!!

2010-09-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

As the astute of you can see I was quite happy asleep on the sofa...nuzzling 'my' cushions.......but no......

...it was apparently time to go out.........In The Rain!!......my worst nightmare I can tell you..........

...so I walked as fast as I could.........

...stopping only to sniff the mushroom that I am hiding from her camera......

......and christen the odd tree or maybe it was several trees.........

...lets run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....

...faster!!!!!!!!!!!!!......................

..'til we are both in a spin..........xx