THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

14 October 2014

CHRISTMAS CARDS, LIGHTING STRIKES AGAIN AND THE GOLDEN PLOVERS ARE BACK


Many apologies for my absence; we had ANOTHER lightning strike last Wednesday and have had no internet until last night. How depressingly reliant I am on it. I felt panicky, isolated and desperate. But I'm back and have picked these four favourite snowy scenes for Christmas cards but need to know how many of you are interested this year. After last year's financial loss due to my forgetting Etsy's commission, I've had to build that in this time and am wondering if eBay might be a better bet. Your opinions would be appreciated as well as any definite orders as I'll have to talk to the printer as soon as possible. I thought a pack of eight 12x12cm cards, two of each design and MUCH better quality than last year having discovered my lovely printers in Cornwall. The company supports the Woodland Trust and only uses carbon captured papers which are sustainably sourced. £6.00 for eight plus £1.30 postage in the UK. I'll have to check outside the UK. I think two packs would still be okay at £1.30 P&P as I will pack them flat like last year, but more than that could move out of the 'large letter' format. Do let me know if you're interested.




For the last few weeks we have had a builder in hacking the render off the house as it was falling off all over the place.....too much sand in the mix. This is what it looked like when he'd done half of it; what looks like lovely granite blocks revealed on the left are actually horrible concrete ones, hence the render.


He has put polystyrene insulation all over the wall before the render goes on:


The rains came then......update soon I hope.

The Golden Plover flock is back. I was so delighted when I heard their distinctive call overhead the other day. They fly round and round for half an hour at a time.........










................before landing and pottering about on the same patch of ground every day. I'm hoping to get some better shots than this soon but Jack is NOT helping matters as you can imagine. I think their markings are just beautiful. 




I don't know this foal or its mother but it's very sweet:




Rainbow cow:


View through the Beech and wall:


Shelter belt rainbows:



The Long Stone or Three Boys as it's known. It marks the boundary of three parishes:



Bronze age hut circle with a view:


It's good to be back in the cyber-world. Birthdays are coming up and I was beginning to panic. OB goes on his residential week in Brixham next Monday and there were things I wanted to bid on on eBay. Never mind. I'm labeling EVERYTHING, even his socks. I find a biro is good for writing on clothes. It never comes out and is much cheaper than a so called laundry marker. My tip for the day. So, until next time, hope you've had a good week - I'm about to go and attempt to find out from all those of you who write blogs - and here are the boys in the browning grass of Autumn. Don't forget to let me know about those cards.......thank you!


49 comments:

  1. Rainbow cow completely melted my heart...utterly. I'm sure a vegetarian/vegan cafe/ restaurant/book store would love that image for prints or cards.
    Jane x

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    1. I had to move around to make sure I got the rainbow behind her whicj is why she's giving me a hard stare I think! x

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  2. It made me smile, the rainbow cow : )

    I'm up for c/cards. Fleabay would suit me fine as I can use Paypal then. Or if you would rather, I can send you a cheque and do the transaction the old fashioned way (just to annoy the blardy bank!)

    FABULOUS photos as always, and those Golden Plovers are gorgeous. I don't think we get them round here, but then we are down from the moorland so I could be wrong.

    I see "Next Door" has had some attention - new windows . . . It needed a lot of new, from memory!

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    1. She painted those windows in order to make it more appealing to buyers but the rotten windows remain underneath. Very nice woman has bought it but is gradually realising what she's taken on!

      Regarding cards, not a lot of interest so far so it may not be a goer! I need at least eight takers to make it worthwhile so we'll see.....xx

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  3. Cool catching the rainbow where it hit the ground... did you find the pot of gold?
    I'm glad your internet is back.

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    1. The dogs ran through it and my dreams of gold were shattered. I'm glad the internet is back too!

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  4. Lovely series again Em, so much fun to see these scenes of Dartmoor. I love that first photo with the tree and if I could get a set of those I would love it. Put me down for a box and let me know how I can pay for them. I don't mind sending you a check in advance of receiving them if that helps.

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    1. Thanks so much Denise...that's two lots. As I said to BB, I need eight takers to make it worth it so will keep you posted.

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    2. Okay Em, keeping my fingers crossed :)

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  5. Fab shots! Boy you inspire me!

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  6. The 17th pic (bird) is my favorite. They are all great!

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    1. I had to count down with my tongue inadvertently poking out of the corner of my mouth. Not a good look when you realise one of the builders is right outside the window!

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  7. Your plovers make lovely patterns in the sky.

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    1. They're definitely up to something up there, swapping around with who is leading the formation. I watched them for ages yesterday and they kind of look like they're having fun, if that's not too anthropomorphic an idea.

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  8. Beautiful pictures! Love the birds and the ponies. So pretty! Thanks for sharing :-).

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  9. You live in a most beautiful place.
    The Plovers are lovely. I have never seen such markings, they look like leaves on a vine.
    I would like some cards but I don't want you to have to send them all the way across the pond.
    I gave last years as a gift.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Don;t you think those markings would make a lovely fabric design?

      I know it's difficult with the stupid postage over the pond and I'm not expecting a lot of US or Canadian takers!

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  10. Great post - I love the house with a view - hard to imagine what it would have been like to be their when the hut was in its prime.

    Feel free to link the Plovers to Wild Bird Wednesday on my photo-blog!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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    1. I'll link the Plovers when I get a better shot of them.....I'm a bit embarrassed by these!

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  11. Em, I am so sorry - I posted my order for cards off to Traidcraft yesterday - otherwise any single one
    of your photographs on your post would have been ideal.

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    1. Never mind Pat - it looks like I may have left it too late this year. I just forgot!

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  12. Would be interested in a couple of packs....as your photography is just amazing. Always thoroughly reading your blog.
    Love Jane xxxx

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    1. That's great - thanks Jane....I'll see how many more people say yes! x

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  13. **** sorry meant to include*** enjoy reading your blog.. xxxx

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    1. I liked the idea of you reading it very thoroughly! x

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  14. The Rainbow Cow pic is perfect ! And Em thank you for your kind words always xxx

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    1. Thanks Cindy and I hope you're feeling better today. xx

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  15. So much to say!! Love the pictures that you chose for your cards, sadly I won't order as I still have so many handmade ones that I made several years ago that I am trying to use up! I love the pictures of the plovers as well, they are amazing aren't they. I hope that all goes well with the builders and the repairs, I know how important this is, as you know I know! At least now the hacking the old stuff off is done that is the worst of it finished isn't it. I wish that I had thought of getting our builders to add extra insulation, that will make your house so much warmer and snugger won't it! Good luck with the cards, I really hope that you get some more takers and can make a profit. xx

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    1. Oh, and I forgot - because I have so much to say! - I hope that OB has a good week away too. xx

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  16. I love those Golden Plover photos! I really got a sense of them twisting and turning in flight and coming closer then moving away, just like a real flock. They are strictly seashore birds in Australia so it's strange to perceive them as birds of the upland moors as well, but I did see them in similar habitat in Norway.

    I'm not a huge Christmas person myself so I don't have much use for cards I'm afraid. Those snowy scenes are gorgeous though, I wish snow was still a feature of my life once in a while. Surprisingly they have had five inches of snow in the Blue Mountains this week, just over an hour west of Sydney! This time last year, they had temps of 30C as a massive bush fire engulfed half the place - crazy!

    Hope OB enjoys his time away and that you catch up with the internet! :)

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    1. The Plovers seems to be having a great time, picking up little groups of stragglers until they're all at it. I wonder what it is that makes them land eventually?

      I really would miss the snow here. If it's really cold and raining at lower altitude, it will be snowing up here!

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  17. Love rainbow cow!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. She looks very pleased with herself doesn't she?

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  18. Hi Em, you can always put me down for some cards. Love the Golden Plovers, and your photos, they used to come to the downs above Bath, and the sound early morning as they took flight from the grass was magical.

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    1. Great - I'll put you on the tally list and see how many we have. It's a beautiful sound, if a little screechy, isn't it?

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  19. I absolutely love rainbow cow, that's a real winner Em. Very interesting about the Golden Plover flock as I saw a flock of about 60+ on Tuesday heading for the coast at about 6.30pm as I was driving to Paignton. They flew over Newton Abbot as I was leaving and our paths crossed two more times, near Totnes and Paignton near Goodrington heading in the direction of Berry Head.

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    1. They seem pretty settled here and are ALWAYS there around lunchtime. They obviously travel more than I thought!

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  20. So glad you are back on the internet - the photos are gorgeous. I especially love the rainbow and cow picture - stunning :)

    Well done on getting the Golden Plover photos - there's a field near me where they occasionally put in a brief appearance at this time of year, I really must try and get over there one day.

    I would have loved some of the Christmas cards but unfortunately I have loads left over from last year and these days I don't send many.

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    1. I've left it a bit late I know. So much going on, I just forgot. Never mind - it looks like there might be enough to make it worth it.

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  21. Dear Em, absolutely amazing bird pictures!
    I mean all the photos are excellent as ever but the birds in flight particularly amazing!

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  22. I wonder if the Golden Plovers are what we saw last week? They were wheeling in a flock over the moor, and Wolf Boy was convinced they were starlings. They were not starlings, but I couldn't tell him what they were. Oh Goodness - I haven't even started packing for Brixham :/

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    1. HIGHLY likely. M and I spent almost ten years trying to identify them from a distance and it's only having a decent zoom that allowed me to be sure!

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  23. I'm afraid I do Flossy cards at Christmas (as you might well imagine), and I don't send that many any more as it is just so expensive with the cost of postage. But your photgographs are lovely. You really are very good and I am sure your work should be with a picture library where they could earn some money. I've never seen a golden plover so I was really interested in those pix. Glad you are up and running again on the internet. Lily xxx

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    1. Of course you do! I'm very much hoping to receive one. I did Snippet cards last year but I think I'll order enough of these this time. The school used to do a thing where the children did a design which you could then order as a card....I'm sure you've seen them....but unfortunately they stopped doing it and the pressure was on.

      I'm not sure what picture library would be interested - I've been out of the game too long! xx

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  24. Hello Em! Please would you put me down for a couple of packs of your Christmas cards - they would be ideal for me as I also live on the Moor - but Bodmin Moor not Dartmoor now. Not sure how to contact you with email and address, etc. as I don't have a Blog. I have ticked the 'Notify me' box for starters!

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    1. Of course I will and I think you've just made it viable! I need to count up who has said yes and get ordering. You can contact me at emparko@gmail.com if you need to. Do you know, I've never walked on Bodmin....shameful given how close we are! We just cruise past on the A30 on the way to the sea....I'm blushing.

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment. It's great to read them and I will always try to reply.