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

27 September 2012

SHADES OF GREY


I refuse to allow a perfectly good phrase to be high-jacked so I'm going ahead and using it. Am feeling a bit like the skies we've had over the last few days but, funnily enough, their beauty can lift my spirits, so here they are. I noted recently that a previous post entitled 'Frisky Foal Number Two' has had SIGNIFICANTLY more hits than any other; almost double in fact. I fear this may be a depressing sign of the internet's primary use and I'll be interested to see if this one has a similar effect. Here are those skies.....











Hope they haven't depressed you too much. At least the torrential rain that comes with them runs off into the valleys and away from us. I really feel for those dealing with the flooding and other consequences of it.

Till next time.............a Snippet to cheer us up.



23 September 2012

LONE TREE GALLERY AND OTHER BITS AND PIECES


What a busy week what with Origami boy's swimming gala in the outside pool (they must be crazy), school meetings, including one about pending sex education and seemingly no time to blog or draw. Never mind - the rain is pouring down now, I have a STINKING cold and the house to myself for a couple of hours. Time to share what I've noticed is an expanding collection of pictures of lone trees on Dartmoor. These are just our local ones; I love their melancholy quality whilst often having a dramatic feel too. They are very often hawthorns but sometimes Rowan or strange hybrid willow in the marshy areas.








This last one was taken yesterday at about 7.30am before the sun burnt off the mist.

The other day I went our looking for the ponies as I hadn't seen them for a few days and I found them sheltering in a local farmer's field which borders the moor, to the disgust of the resident sheep. The wall is broken down and they had all dropped in for a visit. Very naughty and they looked a bit guilty when I popped my head up over the intact section of the wall.


Disgruntled sheep



Foals one and ten together



Whilst walking next to a piece of marsh another day, I noticed this amazing moss, whose length/height was staggering. I've never seen anything like it. Perhaps you have! At some points it was at least a foot high. 




And a few other things we've seen this week..........


Common Darter Dragonfly....I think


Betty in the sun


Lizzy too





Those ears again


The herd too far away to get to



The leek flowers are still going strong

Here's hoping for better weather tomorrow. Have a good week, until next time.......



17 September 2012

AN HOUR AND TEN MINUTES WITH SNIPPET


I took these pictures on a glorious walk with Snippet. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!







Those ears!



Rolling in something unpleasant...





The ponies on the horizon







As the grasses die, they go all curly 

Please excuse the moment when I nearly fall over during this film.....




I photographed the following in a boggy pool close to home; firstly a Southern Migrant Hawker  Dragonfly laying its eggs.....



......and secondly a  keeled Skimmer Dragonfly resting after a session doing the same



I love the casual way this Crane Fly is hanging on to the sedge


When we got back to the garden I noticed the first edible Autumn Raspberry....a crop at last!


Regarding the unidentified caterpillar in the last post, thanks for your suggestions. Whilst searching the net for it before giving up, I came across a fantastic blog that I think many of you would really enjoy. Caroline's photos of wildlife put mine to shame and she correctly identified the caterpillar as that of a Fox Moth. Do have a look at:


And finally, have a good rest of the week until next time....