New paintings and regular art updates.
I placed this skull inside a roll of sellotape to give an idea of scale. It’s sitting on an A6 sketchbook. I think we found it on a walk about ten years ago. I think it’s a rodents skull but the jaw is missing. I have it in my office room and use it when I want to do a still life (death)… A memento mori?
What is death, what happens when we die. To be left as just the bones. Oh sorry, getting a bit maudlin.
At this time of year wild birds need food. But sadly some of them are suffering from Bird Flu. It’s hard to know which ones are ill unless they display odd behaviour. I’m not sure what you should do, but we regularly go to our local Staffordshire Wildlife centre so I think it’s best to ask them for advice.
There are so many viruses around these days, including Swine Flu, Sars, Mers and other illnesses. I think if there is a vaccination against the ones that harm humans they should be used. Not just for rich countries, but for everyone. Rich or Poor. But we should also take care of wildlife. There is too much harm in the world. We need to find a balance.
Not a Triffid, more mobile and intelligent. The plants are spreading. Faster than a bird in flight. Trapping creatures and absorbing them. Think intelligent pitcher plant. The larger they grow the bigger their prey. Human victims have been caught out in the open, trapped in cars, trains and buses. Now the plants are surrounding our homes. Green walls with sinister intentions.
Against it? Nothing at the moment. Television and satellite signals have been cut. All countries are separate. Where the climate is warming the aliens grow faster. Only in the far north and south are possibilities of a fight back. Who will survive?
Today, for the first time in about three months I walked around the top of our hill (I drove up as I’m still nervous of putting pressure on my calf muscles).
It still had a little uphill section at the end (we walked downhill at the start). But I managed OK. I’d decided to go out early, before the sun set, and the sky still had some colour in it when we got down to the area of school playing fields that spread down into the Trent Valley.
On the walk we saw two dog walkers, one with a French bulldog and a Staffordshire bull terrier, the other with two beautiful golden retrievers. Both pairs of dogs wanted a fuss so that delayed us getting to see the sunset. It was only a couple of thousand steps but as I had already walked into town and back I at least got my 5000 steps in. On a cold breezy day it was good to blow the cobwebs away at last.
Hubby decided to put a Nasturtium seed in the pot of our Money plant upstairs, (it has round, coin like leaves). It grew, thin and etiolated (tall and thin, reaching for the light). It’s still there this November. It never flowered but maybe I will plant another one next year? I don’t think it will last through the winter, I think Nasturtiums are annual plants, only growing for one year. But it’s an interesting experiment. It would be good if it flowered and trailed down from the upstairs side window. Meanwhile the Money plant needs watering, it’s top heavy and has started pulling over to one side. I do like indoor plants. We have lots of Christmas cactuses. They need watering to get them to flower soon…
Golden eyes through the catflap.
Staring through a cat window
Looking for warmth
On a cold bright day.
Staying outside
Because another cat
Is staring out
Looking at the sunshine!
The Moon’s out
Quite low
Shining through branches
Broken into bits.
Misty clouds
Wrap it
In darkness
Then it escapes
It’s lighthouse beams
Shining out.
Lunacy of Selene
Glints on teeth
Ready to snap
Jumping up
A wolf abroad
This night…
One on my knee, one on the arm of the chair. My two boy cats sitting almost nose to nose. They are quite tolerant of each other, and this is the closest they have ever sat together. It asted half an hour, both snug and warm. This is not photoshopped they were about three inches apart. So pleased we got the outside cat to join the household especially at this cold time of year.
I’d better sweep up
The winds got up
And blown the leaves
All into weaves
The hedge is bare
And trees now dare
To share naked twigs
As branches do jigs
Dancing in the autumn air
Bright colours that dare
Descend to meet
Your slipping feet!
I am struggling to write since I hurt my wrist. If I hold a pen I get sharp pains shooting down from my thumb. The pressure I have to press down with is also making it hurt.
I’ve tried getting in the doctors but can’t get an appointment. I will try again. I looked the symptoms up on the Internet (not a good idea), I have an idea what might be causing it, but self diagnosis is not a good thing. I might be minimising or catastrophising…. Life is strange and interesting and can be confusing.
Mallaband-Brown