Woodpile

When you heat your home with a log burner I guess you will get through a lot of wood, and apparently it has to dry out so that it burns hotter and steadily? This is what’s left of a friends store and she hopes this will last for a few months. The only problem that has been found is that wood fires give off carbon Dioxide and tiny particulates.

I guess eventually we will all have to shift our energy sources. My hubby says there is a hydrogen pipe line in the north west of England and that there is talk of adding it to gas supplies and even converting them to hydrogen only in time. I know some vehicles run on hydrogen fuel cells. The emissions when hydrogen is burnt is water, the hydrogen is produced by splitting the hydrogen and oxygen from water…. A circular system? All we need is energy to create it, solar power? And safety systems to make it safe as it has a higher burning temperature.

My hubby says it has a higher calorific value and has weaker electron bonds so its easier to split the bonds between the hydrogen atoms. Anyone who saw it being lit in chemistry class will know it ignites with an explosive bang! You can’t just use hydrogen for cooking and heating on its own as it burns too hot. The cookers and boilers will probably be OK with a mixture of hydrogen and methane. If they use hydrogen only they will need modifying or replacing. But that is for the future. In the meantime I hope my friend has enough wood for the rest of the winter.

Donkey in hot chocolate

I’ll doodle and sketch on anything. This was a cup where I drew a donkey into the froth on the inside of my hot chocolate mug. I have drawn with sticks on beaches, creating mermaids and seahorses, into the gravy on my plate when we have been out to lunch, and when I was a child I used a sweeping brush to draw swirls in the dust on our garden path. That reminds me of videos of people painting Chinese characters with ink using a mop. I guess if you love mark making, it’s not easy to stop!

Orme Art at the New Vic theatre

The one of art groups I am in, Orme art group, is having an exhibition on the theme of ‘Perspectives’. The show is at the New Victoria Theatre in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire. The exhibition starts on Monday 30th January 2023, and is on till the 25th of February. As the poster says, we are a diverse group, so it will be interesting to see what other people in the group are putting on display. After over a month of illness I’m really pleased to be involved with this. I’m looking forward to seeing it when it’s up. One of the group members is a volunteer at the theatre and its great to be able to show our work to a wider audience there.

Spode reflected view

Also on the easle today, my Spode reflected painting. I was at the Orme Art Group earlier and I took the painting with me to tidy up for an exhibition at the New Victoria theatre in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire. It is due to be hung on Monday. The painting is from 2019 and had been knocked on the corners so I got my black paint out and covered over the white patches where paint had flaked off. I would like to have the picture framed but as it’s about 2 1/2ft by 3ft I can’t really afford it. It will be for sale at the exhibition.

Finished beach painting?

I think this is done. It’s a beach and sea scene viewed from above. I decided to put some rocks in the bottom right corner, but do they look OK? This had Bern sitting on my easle since before Christmas and I have only just felt well enough to try and finish it. I hope the person who commissioned it likes it.

Car is home!

I have got my car back! Finally after a week of waiting for it I can breathe a sigh of relief. But among all of the hassle I realise how anti public transport I am. I think it’s because I’ve used buses and taxis in the past, and I don’t know the routes or timings for the buses, and often when I’ve ordered a taxi it hasn’t turned up. One time I had to walk home from hospital because there were non available. Also since the pandemic I try to avoid groups of people, so buses worry me.

Having a car is a freedom and a curse. I walk less and don’t cycle anymore because I have one. I don’t know what to do if we have to get rid of it. The car is very old and it’s like an old pair of shoes, if it needs repairing I have to pay out because I can’t afford to replace it with another (second hand) one. But at least by keeping it we are not wasting new resources.

Socks idea

Thursdays #bandofsketchers prompt was socks. I don’t know if these exist, so if they don’t this idea is my copyright ©. Canal and bottle oven socks. The ideal present for someone who loves industrial archaeology, is interested in the Trent and Mersey canal and needs to keep their feet warm!

Mascot

Mascot of some sort of Falcon seen on a motor trike last summer at a classic car show. Lovely chrome with orange eyes. The green paintwork was fabulous. You wouldn’t want to get into an argument with this bird.

I do like looking at things and sometimes I can get a good photo of objects with my little caeon my phone.. The trouble is its getting very full of images and I have to scroll through a lot of them to find things, so mostly I chose more recent images. Hope you like this one.