Last post 2010

Here's best of friends on the sofa - their favourite place. The boy took his other best friend ice skating today; first time for the both of them and they decided they didn't like falling over all the time, but later on they considered the possibility of trying again one day. My wife however, compared to myself, looked like a pro, a vision of loveliness gliding on the ice!

The monster pictured managed to have another injury whilst walking, again! She has an attraction to barbed wire and she always comes off worse.

Wishing all my readers a new year of God's blessing and peace.

Dalek

My son has been interested in Doctor Who since he was far too young. Now he's five we actually let him watch some episodes, after we've vetted them, but I'm sure he doesn't understand half of what goes on. He likes the aliens/monsters/robots like any little boy does. Something to fill his nightmares with! I was particularly impressed by his drawing of a Dalek - it scares me!

As silly as a rook

"As silly as a rook." my wife said. I said, "What does that mean?" She said, "Its something people say." I said, "I never heard of that before!"

Are rooks silly? At dusk they congregate at the top of horse chestnuts near our house, numbering eighty, maybe a hundred, then, with an agreed squawking, they launch into the fading light all at once, across the fields and back again, breaking like the Red Arrows then regrouping. If you watch carefully you will see they fly in pairs, swirling around each other in a strange choreography, ballroom dancers of the air.

Buzzard

Christmas Eve. The boy is in bed (asleep I hope), my wife has hidden herself away with reams of wrapping paper and sticky tape; I'm not to disturb her at any cost. At last, a chance for a quick sketch. I didn't think I'd get to do today. My lad was disappointed we had no time for drawing together as we have done all week, "I haven't done anything creative today!" he argued shortly before a late bedtime.



But, buzzards, we have lots about in our wild corner. I watch them while I wash the dishes, circling up on the thermals. Five years ago we might see a single bird, or a pair briefly, but now, weather permitting, we can see them daily up to seven at a time. During the summer, while out in the garden, I'd hear them call to each other as they flew above our house. The increased amount of roadkill provides a rich pantry for them and for the rook and jackdaw colony and my long time favourite the magpies.



Our Pointer

The hairy monster that sleeps on the sofa.



In a stable

He asked me to post it up, so here it is:

My boy

My boy wants to be an artist. He shows talent and it is one of the things in my life that I enjoy seeing so much that it can, on occasion, bring a tear to my eye, like the birthday card he made me. Deep in my heart I don't want him to become an accountant - no offence to accountants! I want him to go where his heart leads and I will give him everything I know how to help him get there, even if he does decide he is passionate about accountancy (not sure that its possible to feel that way about adding up)!

A Sussex day

First post (I can hear the bugle!); not sure where all this might lead but let me begin by introducing myself. I used to think of myself as an artist, then an illustrator but as I don't make a living at either I guess it doesn't matter what I think of myself so I'll just be me.

My boy is home from school. He drew me a good picture and it went up on the fridge. We'd like it to snow a bit more - no snowman in the garden yet, we had both genders of snow people last winter! Our dog likes the snow, which brings me to the drawing I did...