
Band of sketchers prompt, I decided to do something a bit dark and scary as it’s almost October. As usual using my Artrage app… Just a doodle.
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Band of sketchers prompt, I decided to do something a bit dark and scary as it’s almost October. As usual using my Artrage app… Just a doodle.

Darkness is needed for astronomy. We used to drive out at night to try and see meteor showers or comets, or stand in the garden under the shadow of the hedge and try and see Jupiter and it’s moons (we used a telescope) and even Saturn and it’s rings. We saw both planets. Once we drove under clouded skies to chase a massive meteor shower of up to 100 meteors an hour. But we never got out from under the layer of thin low cloud even though we drove at least 40 miles.
On another occasion we went out and drove into a wood so we could see a beautiful greenish comet. That was amazing.
Finally we recently saw the aurora borealis. An amazing thing to see in the UK.

It’s been a few months since the sun shone for any length of time. The colours of the trees was glorious in places, others blew away in strong winds.
Winter has been mostly grey and overcast, interspersed with storms that have swept across the country blowing over trees, damaging buildings, flooding farmland and towns and villages. We have had snow, hail and rain and dark days as well as nights. Spring won’t be here till March. So I think I’ll hibernate again

People were meeting for sunrise at Stonehenge this morning as today was the shortest day of the year in the northern Hemisphere. This is the Northern winter solstice.
Apparently the day was less that 8 hours long, although it was so cloudy and grey it might have been shorter for all I could tell.
Of course on the equator days and nights are pretty much of equal length and I presume the Southern Hemisphere had its longest day either yesterday or today. What will it be like in six months when it’s summer here again? Who knows.

The original photo I used for a previous collage.
I’ve been dozing, waiting for a visitor. I’ll get there late she said, but I wasn’t sure if it would be this late. It’s a long drive through the countryside and the forecast was for fog, so I’m trying to be patient.
She’s driving alone. I haven’t called her but just sent a text. I want to sleep but I’m pushing myself to keep awake. Fingers crossed she will be here soon.

I saw a weird thing tonight, I walked past a field and I saw, I think I saw? All the pumpkins were still in the field, but already carved. Each had a grotesque face, and light flickering within them. But the stems were still attached and no smoke or burning smells? Very odd.
Its Halloween and I felt crrreeeped out, but an hour later I quietly walked back. I had to know what was going on. It was only when I was on the path and walking in the opposite direction I saw what I’d missed before….
The sign saying
“Ready carved pumpkins, let us do the work, you take the credit” and “tealights included”.
I wished I’d gone to bed!

Looking out of the kitchen window this morning I saw blue sky amidst the white puffy clouds. The clouds were breaking up and merging. Reminding me of the song Cloud busting, by Kate Bush
It didn’t last, soon flat layers of cloud spread across the sky, then darker layers built up, piling up as the wind dragged them across the sky. We were on the edge of them, some yellowish light filtered through the upper clouds. So where are the photos? My phone was out of charge and when it was ready for a picture or two? The sun had set.

I know I’m being hypervigilant, but after the robbery a couple of weeks ago my sleep patterns are really disrupted. I still haven’t gone back to bed upstairs, I feel like a security guard, watching for movements. I thought I saw someone running along the alleyway next to our garden tonight. It worried me and we went out to look.
In the meantime my hubby has been ill for a few days and I need to make sure he’s OK. I don’t know if he’s still shocked by the robbery and he’s worked hard to secure the boundary hedge. Yesterday we were putting in spikey plants. He’s getting on and he’s probably overdoing things. Life is a pain sometimes. I just want us to feel safe again.

There are some verses in the Hobbit by JRR Tolkien “The Road goes ever on”….
I wish I could remember it. I could look it up, but basically I’m too tired! The photo I took last year, at the Dorothy Clive garden reminds me of the verse, the road or path winds off into the distance. Who knows where it will lead as it rises and falls, but there is the possibility of adventure and even danger. I guess it could also indicate what happens to us in life, the ups and downs, you can’t forecast what is round the corner, it could be something nice like an old friend, or someone jumping out at you with malice. The path isn’t always sunny and bright. But we have to live it the best way we can.

I close my eyes and wish
For sleep to kiss my cheek
Caress my tired neck
And let me rest my mind.
Instead I lie awake
Uncomfortable and sad
If I could ignore the world
Lose my thoughts
I would be glad.
Night ticks into day
Light blooms in my eyes
I want real sleep to stay
To end my tired gloom.