5am

IMG_20180808_151928

The dawn chorus has started. There is a blackbird singing outside. It’s melody riding and falling. The wind is moaning through gaps in the window. But I don’t mind it, at least I don’t live in a totally sealed box.

I’ve been up for an hour. Stomach pains, nothing serious, just annoying and I couldn’t sleep. The cat rubbed round my ankles then decided to go and sleep on the back of the sofa. She must be a mind reader, she just came back to see me! Little purring cat always cheers me. Oh now the other one is awake. Now we will have catch chase. Like children playing they run up and down. Pouncing on each other, play fighting. Must be to do with terratorial issues. Sometimes I have to tell them off when they get too boisterous.

Well I’d better try and get some sleep. It’s cold in here and I want to snuggle under the duvet. It’s been a cold dry spring so far.

See ya!

X

Decisions, #writephoto prompt

p1190223

For Sue Vincent’s Thursday#writephoto challenge

She hated getting lost. But she wouldn’t use satnav and or Google maps. She preferred old paper maps, the folding type or the atlas style ones for driving. She would memorise a good part of the route. Try and remember road numbers, like the A53 or A34.

She had been distracted by satnav so gave up on it, and although  she would look at Google maps before she went somewhere she would not switch her mobile on in her car, too dangerous.

When she was young she was navigating for her mother as they drove through the countryside. She took them down the wrong road, and had to admit that she had got them  lost. She also got completely bemused in a group of terraced houses near her home when she was really young, so she decided to look for landmarks like shops or trees, train stations, pubs. She also remembered trying to work out where the sun was in the sky. 

Coming up to a sign post like this, with a choice of two routes, she would try and check her map. She looked out for telephone poles because they tend to be on roads. She wanted an idea where the closest village or hamlet was.

The signpost was no use. It was so weathered and old that the words had completely disappeared. No use at all. She could see on the map that it was feilds for miles around. She could retrace her steps. Give up. Or plunge on, decisions.

Left, towards the sun which was starting to go down. Or right into increasing darkness. That was her dilemma.

 

More stuff

I like drawing digitally. I need to get my computer fixed (I’ve been saying that for a couple of years) the trouble is that I got a tablet, now I’ve got a smart phone. I can do so much without having to sit in a cold bedroom in winter. But in some ways I am limited. I can’t draw on this device like I had learned to on my old PC. I’m just worried I won’t be able to upgrade without losing thousands of saved images. I imaging the inside of my computer going rusty or with spiders inhabiting it!

Cheerio for now

X

Stag attack

DSC_1824

Did he come in from the countryside? Race across the garden centre. Stand at bay in the middle of the mahonias and fatsia plants? Did he knock them like skittles across the patio? Did he roar a challenge to the bamboo ducks sitting on the bridge? A woman walks past and does not hear his challenge. A cat, out of shot, creeps past incase he disturbs the scene. Agapanthus are ready to grow. Perennials are sprouting. This metallic majesty sparkles in the sun. Windswept and tangled in plants he stands up head high, massive antlers shaking in the windy April air.

Waiting

FB_IMG_1555114044510

Waiting

I’ll be there this afternoon.

Waiting

I’ll be there soon.

Waiting

I’m on my way…

Waiting

I’ll be there today

Waiting

Or maybe tomorrow

Waiting

If the weather holds.

Waiting

He’s prone to colds.

Waiting

I’m in a rage

Waiting

It’s been an age.

Waiting

Well now he’s late

Waiting

Choose a new date.

Waiting

Watching paint dry

Waiting

I might just die!

Moonlight

DSC_1830_optimized (7)

Fly me to the moon was Stella’s favourite song. She’d heard it as a child and whenever she saw the moon she would either sing that, or sometimes twinkle twinkle little star.

It was 3am and the moon was a half circle, flying high, dancing in and out of broken clouds. A few moonbeams made it into the kitchen as she switched on the kettle and waited for it to boil. She was careful to pour the liquid into her coffee mug. In the dim light she didn’t want to spill it onto her toes.

There was a flash, she looked around and saw, nothing. The world looked the same.

There was another bright flash. This time she was a meteor streaking across the sky. Far brighter than a normal shooting star. And there was another. These are fireballs, she thought. They must be high up. The shadows they cast shot across the kitchen rapidly. One particular one was so bright she thought it was going to hit the house. It made the windows rattle.

Then it just stopped. She waited minutes for another one. Nothing. No sound, no wind, no huge explosion. What had they been? In the morning none of her neighbours had heard or seen anything. She went to work, came home, made a coffee.

Turning on the six o’clock news.

“seven space vehicles have landed near Washington” “no response from them” “civilians are warned to keep away”.

She wondered what would happen next?

Timothy Trow memorial day

Timothy Trow was  a tram conductor who tried to save a young girl who had fallen in a local canal, he drowned while trying to save her. He is recognised as a local hero. Today, 13th April  is the anniversary of his death.

I sang with two choirs to commemorate his death by the Memorial stone laid near to where he died on London Road, in the West End area of Stoke on Trent. Singing a song about his life by a local song writer. We then had went over to the local Methodist church, a decendant of the girl who was saved read a piece about the incident. The choirs then sang three more songs.

There were images selected by the local archives department on display inside the church. In all it was a very poignant day.

Thirst

sketch-1555108539530

I need a drink

Cola

No

Cocoa

No

Coffee

No

Gin

No

Beer

No

Cider

No

Milk

No

Whiskey

No

Tea

No

Orange Juice

No

Water

Yes

Cold

Yes

With ice

Yes

Sparkling

Yes

Tap water

YES.

why spend money on water if you can get it out of the tap?  We are very lucky in my country to be able to have freshly piped water. In a lot of the World this does not happen.

But we still buy water in bottles! And when we have bought our bottles water the plastic bottle it usually comes in gets thrown away and Sent to landfill or ends up floating in the ocean and destroying the sea life. Meanwhile many people in the world have to drink filthy water and maybe carry it for miles before they can drink or use it. Maybe we should care more about people who are really thirsty. My choice of drinks is almost unlimited. The world must try and be fairer.

Save the world, drink tap water if you can!

A few more….

Digital, digita, digit, digit, digit, dig, dug

What fun I had drawing these. From faces to flowers, plates and jugs. Lace and mandelbrot, eyes, patterns and rocks. I like trying to draw anything. 

The jug is a drawing of a Clarice Cliff designed pot by the way.

All drawn at the now defunct Sketchfu website.

X