Missing

I can't believe I've missed over a whole month on here and I really don't know what I've been doing! We've just come back from South Devon and it was Finn's second holiday. He was a good boy and we spent the days walking along the beautiful River Dart, sketching and just sitting taking in the wonderful British countryside at my favourite time of year. 

The start of new mini-adventures

I've been lost without a dog and it was so painful to lose Bill that I was unsure whether to get another one. But life was not the same and we had no companion to share our adventures with - then along came Finn. Last week we went over to East Sussex to walk part of the South Downs Way. It was a beautiful day - I get a real sense of freedom when walking in the countryside. We met a man who was out hunting with his Jack Russell and Harris Hawk, which Finn was really interested in. The bird would not move while he was around as another dog is apparently a threat to his pack - fascinating.

Still hanging on to Summer

Although there has been some rain, the lovely weather is still here amongst the odd shower. We've been on some beautiful walks along the coast, seen fields of sunflowers and wild flowers, spent time with a friend's new dog and visited the burial mounds at Kingley Vale on a beautiful evening - there was a scary atmosphere in the woods though!

Keeping busy

I'm trying to keep busy at the moment as being without Bill is proving to be even more difficult than I imagined. We are doing a lot of walking so hopefully I will soon be fit and svelte like!

Some instagram pics - beautiful tree, flowers, feathers and Alf!  These peonies from my sister were just lovely. Walks in the Spring countryside and a trip to London to see the Matisse cut-out exhibition at Tate Modern. No cameras allowed inside unfortunately and it was so very crowded - even on a Monday which spoiled my enjoyment a little. The pictures were brilliant but it was annoying to have to queue to see each one.

April

The days are flying by - this is my favourite time of year when everything starts changing and there is an amazing amount of colour which seems to suddenly arrive from nowhere.

The bluebells this weekend were beautiful, no photo ever does them justice. The rapeseed is turning all the fields vivid yellow and the sky has been an intense blue - apart from the odd murky day of course when we could only just make out the shape of Bill. He has had adventures of his own - chewing up a toilet roll tube and getting his top and bottom teeth stuck together! We tried for ages to free them and had to take an emergency trip to the vets, where they tried everything but with no luck. He has a bad heart murmur and I thought this would be the end of him as he was becoming quite agitated and trying to pant. Suddenly it just came unstuck and he trotted out as right as rain - I on the other hand had to go and have a lie down to recover from the stress! My sister now calls him 'Billy the Eternal'.

We also all had a trip to Boxgrove Priory - the ruins of a 12th Century Monastery on the outskirts of Chichester. 

October

Not bored with Instagram yet! Some pics from the past two weeks.

Autumny walks

 Great exhibition of Eduardo Paolozzi at the Pallant Gallery. 

I added My Jack Russell as he fitted in with the colours of the other photos. 

The sweetest public toilets I've seen, my favourite colours in hydrangea form, so much fruit and a different view of West Dean House.

The best eccles cakes ever from M&S - my latest addiction, lovely old wooded fruit box, nights drawing in and MJR again for the same reason as above.

Stop and stare 18

It's a long time since I had a 'stop and stare moment'. It happened on Sunday and I don't think words are needed to explain . . .

Smell

Sacred

Day 23 and the word for the August Break is sacred.  There are many places that feel sacred to me - they are always outside when I'm surrounded by nature and the elements. Even better if I'm with my JRT - Bill. The first pic is Pagham Harbour, the second is Start Point in Devon. 

Far Away

Love

Day 4 of August Break - LOVE -it has to be my JRT having a Sunday morning lie in!

And my love of walking - up on the South Downs in the sunshine - what could be better? Unfortunately we have to leave Bill behind now as he can't manage such long walks. 

relaxing

I've had some time off lately and have been making the most of the beautiful weather, relaxing and generally slowing down from the hectic pace of working life. Keeping away from my computer and enjoying the countryside, seaside and my garden.

Update

I've been very absent from here recently, helping my lovely mum celebrate her 80th birthday! As you can see from the recent pic in the middle she doesn't look anything like 80 years old - she is amazing. 
I won't say any more or she'll kill me. I made the cake - which was fun but I'm not a good cake maker and it was very dry! There were a series of parties because 2 of my friends had 'significant' birthdays that week too (frankly I'm exhausted). 

So I spent this weekend relaxing. I hadn't been to the Bishops Palace Gardens for ages so it was lovely to wander round, also did some early morning walks to see the English countryside at it's best.

Stop and stare 15

Couldn't resist it!

Stop and stare 14

It seemed as if time stood still when I saw this scene. I couldn't help but stop and stare, imagining what pastoral England might look like in the 1950s, not the 21st century. I hope to be doing this when I retire.

Stop and stare 13

Driving along the country lanes just south of the downs - I had to stop and stare, infact I nearly crashed the car as I steered round a corner and came face to face with this. An amazing sculpture by Peter Burke called Janus Head. I wonder if it causes many accidents!

Summer

Rain, tea and cake, steamy car, the archers, wet dog, smelly ....

We'd planned a walk on the South Downs last night with a picnic. The english summer had other ideas.

Easter Walk

Wow - 4 days away from my computer has been just what I needed.
These pictures are from exactly the same walk as this one but what a difference in atmosphere between spring and summer. I find it strange that I can take the same route many times but notice totally different things.

Also thanks to Shirley for sending me the Sunshine Award. Check out her blog - her illustrations are just wonderful.

Early morning

At last some lovely warm weather - got up early to do this walk I hadn't been on for ages. It was wonderful.

Wide

I'm definitely at my best in a landscape of wide open spaces.

This illustration for IF is a view from the village of Boisset in the Cantal region of France.