Who are you?

I’m looking  at my stats and I’m confused. Over 1000 people have been looking at my posts today. Usually it’s more like 67, what’s going on. This week it seems to be mainly American and last week it was China.

I wonder if this is real or bots? I can’t imagine my ramblings are sufficiently interesting to attract this level of scrutiny. Has anyone else had this experience? Will this continue or gradually ebb away?

So many questions, so much puzzlement? If anyone can answer or have I bored everyone enough yet?

Watching

The world watches

ICE tendrils grip my heart

I could never visit this place

Antipathy to dictatorship

Not allowed now.

Colour matters

And causes fear and loathing.

Even the first settlers are abused.

Arrived before Europeans

And yet told to leave?

How many generations

Before you are allowed to stay?

All Glory to the Presiclown…?

No way.

Liberty

Scenery painting from a few years ago… I think I got the arms too long, the flame too small and the head too small too! But anyway it gives an impression of lady liberty. This was done for a pantomime just before or after the pandemic. I can’t remember.

And….. I think all that is happening in the USA at the moment has pantomime qualities. The two ugly sisters are obviously two billionaires. The fact that in a pantomime they would be men wearing drag is very ironic!

Who is Aladdin or the hero of this panto? Who can say, but it needs to be someone brave who will stand up to bullying! Maybe he should be a Robin Hood character instead, taking from the rich and giving to the poor?

Lady Liberty could be a Cinderella figure, she is there to support the huddled masses and the poor. She understands their situation as she is an immigrant from France.

Finally the whole thing is stage managed with boos and hisses… Evil takes control for a while but Good will triumph in the end. And the baddies will be banished!

My friends dog

Here’s the portrait I painted of my friends dog and a photo of him with it x.

I think I posted it a couple of weeks ago but it’s only just winged it’s way over to America. His owner is really pleased with it. It’s a watercolour painting. Quite small. I enjoyed doing it although it took me a few months because of everything going on in my life. Happy it’s arrived.

Size matters

I was just wondering how big the UK is relative to the USA. Turns out according to Google it’s 40 times smaller than the USA! (also 32 times smaller than Australia).

We can drive across the country in a day. I could drive for maybe two or three days North to South John O’groats to Lands end, although it has been done much faster. The direct distance is 603 miles, but the road distance is 837 miles. So driving over the limit at 83.7 mph you could drive it in ten hours. But if you drove at just 40mph you could do it in less than 24 hours!

Goodness knows how long it would take to drive across America and I guess it also depends where on the coasts you drive from. America is wider in the north than in the south?

American states?

I’m interested in the American states. A page on Facebook asks the contributors to add where their photo was taken, when, and a general description.

One country, America, above all, will say a town or city, then a couple of letters. Like Houston, Tx. But where is Tx? I guess it’s Texas, but others are more obscure? It’s weird, but sort of understandable I think? Obviously the residents of the states must know where they come from, and other states will learn the abbreviations. But I don’t think they realise that outsiders haven’t got a clue. For example is Wyoming Wy, or Wm or Wg?

Is Iowa Iw, Io or Ia? The question of the initials gives me an idea of where places are? North, South, East, West, Central states? I’m interested enough to ask.

Elections?

Votes early, vote often?

Reading a friends blog about the mid term elections in the USA it made me wonder about the whole thing. I posted this response to her post:

Interesting news on the ‘tinternet’ I keep seeing videos of what people are up to in different states but I saw one where republicans who include some ‘oath takers?’ will be guarding ballot boxes, especially between midnight and six am, to make sure no one tries to put lots of votes into the boxes… An extention of ‘stop the steal’? And they said they might carry guns!! Weird, is this democracy? No pun intended.

I seem to be getting more and more commentary about the elections, but in a way I’m quite interested, I know it’s none of my business, but there are so many world issues including war and global warming and climate change isn’t it about time the world’s largest democracies had a grown up and serious discussion about the whole world instead of soap opera style politics.

Card from a friend

I wasn’t expecting this lovely card from my friend Martha. (Women’s Wilderness Legend – living the Metaphor, marthakennedyblog.com) in Monte Vista near Denver (I hope I’ve got that right). I met her through WordPress and I really enjoy her blog. She is a writer and artist who lives with her two dogs. Reading her blog cheers me up. So interesting to see someone else’s point of view. It gives you a perspective on the world seeing another person’s point of view. Seeing those mountains in the background of the painting makes me realise how small (but very ancient) the hills and mountains of Britain are. We don’t get snow regularly like her mountains. I love this depiction of them.

Thank you friend

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This arrived in the post today from a friend in America. The stamps depicting mural are great too. I like real (snail) mail. I like the fact you can recieve something real and tangible.

I love my friends drawing of a fox carrying holly in its mouth. Very nice. No doubt I will reply in the near future. Thanking her for the kind message inside. I’ve got to get my act together and work towards those wise words.

Thank you ☓