Winter Solstice

Posted on December 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Longest night, Plant, Poem, Poetry, Solstice, Summer solstice, Winter Solstice2 Comments

Today, 22.12.2019, is the Winter Solstice.

Which is why I have posted a picture of a marrow or cucumber plant trying to grow on my windowledge.

What? Why? Because the solstice is when the longest night in the Northern hemisphere happens. And the plant? Because its an annual plant as far as I know. But its from a random seed my hubby put in an indoor plant’s pot a few months ago. It’s even flowered a few times. What does it prove? That we must have our kitchen lights on a lot, that we obviously keep our heating too warm.

Solstice, an ancient cerimony happens,

Druids celebrate the return of the sun.

Long nights start shortening again.

The night begins to dwindle.

Sun rejoices in its mastery.

The world spins and tips round the sun.

Canted at an angle,

South lands have their longest day.

Slowly, over months, they swap.

Till first day and night equalise.

Then Summer sun revolves into view.

Till once again Autumn equinox flies past,

and Winter comes around again.

Australian fires

Posted on December 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Australia, Bush fire, Climate change, Fire, global warming, Life, South East Australia, Southern Australia, Sydney, Western Australia19 Comments

sketch-1576969772598

I’ve been watching the news about the bush fires in Australia an it is awful and devastating. Not only are there hundreds of fires, but they have spread over a huge area. The started around Sidney which has been smothered in smoke for weeks. But then more have started in the West and South of the continent. The Southern hemisphere is moving into summer and the temperatures are rising. They have measured the highest ever temperature there in the last couple of days. Over 40°C and rising. The fires are being fanned by 40 mile an hour winds. They are burning out of control in some places, and the drought affected land is so parched there isn’t the water to put them out. I have friends out there and I worry for them. Meanwhile their prime minister went away on holiday to Hawaii and is only coming home because of the outcry from its population.

Berry fool.

Posted on December 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Berries, Colour, Layout, Life, Multiple image, Photo, Sheen, StrangeLeave a comment

IMG_20190809_004451_optimized

Close up berries turned into a strange pattern. It looks almost like some odd creature. Symmetry does strange things, creating unexpected images. I was pleased with the clarity of the photo I took this from. Being able to see the individual hairs on the fruit, and the sheen on the berries. The shadows and hollows also work really well.

Colour/color

Posted on December 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Artrage oils, Bright, Color, Colour, Creative, Curves, Design, Digital art, Digital drawings, Free app, Fun, Layout, photo editor, Poem, Poetry, WordsLeave a comment

IMG_20191220_183949

Zing, pow, wow, words

Colour, fields, world

Splashing, crashing, dashing

Down new ways and old.

Bold, hidden, subtle, explosions.

Harsh or soft.

Voom va voo.

Give me 54321…..

Lift off!

Colour or color

don’t care how you spell it..

Just share it!

Worst day to travel?

Posted on December 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Floods, Humour, Motorways, News, Rain, Roads, Travel, Weather, Worst day to travelLeave a comment

_20191220_230746

This is the worst day to travel according to the news today. Fifteen Million people were due to visit relatives or jet away. Then it rained, and it has flooded in several places. Traffic in and out of Gatwick Airport has been seriously delayed. There are flood warnings on rivers in the south of the country. I hope people are going to get where they want to, safely. In the past it would have been snow, or ice, now its pouring with rain.

Depressed

Posted on December 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, depressed, Election, Government, Life, News, Sad, Trouble, UK, Winter, World8 Comments

DSC_2356_optimized (4)

Being honest with myself, what’s been happening in the UK has really upset and depressed me. The government has just become strongly right wing Conservative after a general election. People seemed to use it as another Brexit referendum (a vote for the UK to leave the European Union). The world keeps turning, but my country seems to be turning inward on itself. Promises were made but are already apparently being broken, where promises to support workers rights have been withdrawn.

So my depression is not internal but has external causes. If I wasn’t to bothered about what happens to people perhaps I could be blasé about it and just feel happy to celebrate the season. But I can’t help worrying about what’s going to happen in the future. I hope this mood lifts soon.

Christmas Cactii

Posted on December 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cactii, Christmas cactus, Flowers, Indoor plants, Kitchen window ledge, Life, PlantsLeave a comment

Watching the flowers bloom on my kitchen window ledge. One Christmas cactus has flowered abd faded. One is in full bloom and the third is just coming into flower. I also have one which has tiny buds on it. It’s interesting how they have flowered in progression. I don’t know if some have had more water than others. But they must be healthy. Easy to look after. I put a bit that broke off in a mug of water and it has now grown roots.

Cat staring

Posted on December 19, 2019December 19, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Big cats, Cat, Fun, Interested, Life, Staring, TV, WorldLeave a comment

_20191009_002050_optimized

One of our cats watches TV. If she sees animals she gets interested. If it’s a dog she will get nervous and walk away. But if it’s a cat, leopard, or lion she gets very interested and stares at the TV. She sometimes goes up and puts her paws or nose on the screen. She seems to notice movement mostly. If it’s a cat stalking another animal she stares intently. She is the first cat that I have ever seen take an interest in TV programmes.

Fish

Posted on December 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Fish, Glimmer, Glint, Poem, Poetry, Stream, WaterLeave a comment

_20191217_230408

Shimmering silver and gold,

Flicker in the sunshine,

catching erratic mayflies.

Slipping down the stream,

glinting and glimmering,

Sun and shade stripes of branches,

camouflaged and hidden

above the pebbled bed.

Leaping and jumping

flying fish for a second

mid air,

then like raindrops falling,

back into the crystal clear,

cold, brisk, water…

Our history

Posted on December 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Drawing, Gladstone Pottery, Life, Rain, Sketching, Stoke urban sketchers, Stoke-on trent, Sunshine, WeatherLeave a comment

Potbank, Stoke-on-Trent. I think I drew this at the Gladstone Pottery museum last year? This was part of a ‘throw down’ held by Stoke Urban Sketchers after an afternoon of drawing in rain and shine. We were in a covered area so we could put the drawings down on the ground.

Urban sketchers usually draw outside, so we need to wrap up warm when we go out in the winter, and shelter when it’s raining or windy.

Next year I want to go out with them more often. You get to see places you might not go to otherwise.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Uncategorized