Nature

Cherry in blossom

Our cherry tree blossom has come out in the last few days. I decided to draw it for our #bandofsketchers prompt today. The word was Nature. I’ve seen some bumble bees around the lovely flowers. Felt pen and black ink fine line pen. It would also fit if we had a Spring prompt.

Art for sale

A few paintings and some cards for sale at the cafe at Etruria Industrial Museum today. Its great to have another venue to show my work and as its open to people travelling along the canal I hope they will be seen more. I put in images based on nature but I may have the opportunity to place other works there soon. I’m obliged to my friend who is volunteering at the museum who invited me to take my work there.

Moss on our car

I haven’t bothered to wash the car for months. I hardly drive it unless we are going for a walk round Westport Lake and that’s only a few miles. Why?

Covid, keeping away from people.

Fuel costs, I’ve only filled it up about six times in a year.

Walking to the shops. I’m slow and shaky but the car is not needed.

My shaking arm, its uncomfortable to drive.

So I was deciding whether to wash it, but I found this little mound of moss. I think I will let it be. Let nature take its course. After all I can always get a bucket of water on it. Its old and hard to get parts, but it’s a good car.

A new chance to show my art

They say when one door closes another one opens. I’ve now got some of my work at Etruria Industrial Museum. I’m so pleased. It’s for three months and then it will be changed. I do hope I can sell some work. I have done so many paintings over the years. I will have to donate them to charity at this rate!

Can we buy your garden?

We were going out yesterday when a car pulled up outside the house. Is that your garden? The driver asked us. Yes we said. Oh great. Can we buy it? No, I said. It’s not for sale! The man looked disappointed. Why do you want it my hubby asked. We are thinking of buying the old pub across the road to turn into apartments. We would use it as a car park. A car park alongside our house? No way. People coming and going at all times of the day and night. Destroying our wildlife garden. Also we would need a large fence to keep people out who could just walk onto the carpark…? NO! I was polite but said no.

Tree fall?

Trees leaning over a lake. Perhaps they will fall if the ground becomes too wet or the wind blows too strongly. With global warming making the weather worse you can see how damage can increase.

Some efforts are being made to reduce the damage. In a few places there has been a reintroduction of beavers to lakes and rivers. It seems strange that an animal that actually fells trees could reduce flooding. But by building lodges (dams woven from tree branches that they live in) beavers slow the flow of water in rivers. The water pools behind them and so less water is released downstream. This can reduce the speed of water rising and so stop flooding.

So in some ways it’s good that the trees have been felled. But I guess the reintroduction has to be in a controlled way.