painting of wet walk

Todays #bandofsketchersprompt was signage, and as I was walking home after a long, wet, cold walk I decided to take a photo with my very soggy camera, of the view. Since my college course has me doing observational images every day this fit the bill for both prompts.

Felt pens for the signs, a bit of underdrawing with a felt pen thats running out, and watercolours to give it a “wet” feel.

Apple a day

Apple found in our garden in December. I wrote about it in a blog about Wassails. We joined in a virtual Wassail at the weekend and drank too much cider. People posted photos of previous years Wassails when they walked about with flaming torches around the boundaries of the parish. No threats were made but there were so many of us we had to have a police escort and cars were stopped as we wandered down the road to the Penkhull apple tree. A few jolly hours to beat back the cold and the dark. In some places in the past they used to shoot shotguns at the trees to make them flower and bear fruit. There are other traditions where they beat the trunks of Walnut trees to get them to bear fruit. We’ve never had that problem with ours. The squirrels always find enough nuts and then we have to find places far away to plant the saplings, we’ve already got too many!

Walking tonight

Another evening, another walk. Up the hill and right instead of left. Expanding the distance slightly. Hubby slipped and almost fell on the icy pavement. The view over Stoke-on-Trent from the top of Penkhull, first photo, was like watercolour splashed against the sky. Streetlights reflecting off the cloud base.

Each day’s walking is making me tired but happy. And it’s good to see the world turn. Sunsets getting slightly later.

Today’s walk

Up the hill and round the bend to Penkhull…. Just over 3km but it is steeply up and down hill. We walked along the road towards the local high school too. The view over the Lyme Valley where it is set was in danger of being lost as there was a fight over hundreds of houses being built there. Hopefully that won’t happen. Cities need green Lungs…..

I came home then went for a second, shorter walk with a friend. I’m shattered!

Snowy walk home

A half mile from home along slippery, icy streets. The air was getting colder, falling below zero, ice crystals making Frost on the road surface. Not enough gritting? They were out later.

When you walk with someone with long strides and you only have little legs you have to move faster to keep up. That’s OK in normal weather, but in snow and ice its difficult. I got over it by holding hands and telling him not to pull me over! We got home safely.

Walking in the snow

Went for a walk locally with my hubby on the flat because I’m a bit nervous of falling over on the ice. I fell and pulled a hamstring a few years ago and it was very painful so I’m cautious on hills….

We walked 4.43 km in the wet snow and ice, equivalent to 2.75 miles. In my case that’s over 7000 steps. We did walk on the road for part of it because it was to slippy. I might try and find my snow chains for my shoes…. Photos of hubby and sunsets taken near the local allotments in Stoke.