distractions

I've had a lovely, spur-of-the-moment two day visit from my daughter Charlie and her partner Lu,  which has meant a lot of eating and talking and lazing around, and not much work on my final pieces and materials.   We did go together to see the UWE degree shows, including the Fine Art BA at Spike Island (which I felt was very disappointing:  a lot of rather odd posturing, and very little art which made any sense to me) and a second look, for me but not for them, at the Drawing, Illustration, Photography and Printmaking at Bower Ashton, which was altogether very uplifting, interesting work, skilful drawing and printmaking, professionally exhibited.

Never mind, there are still a few days to go, and I am always best when working under the pressure of a looming deadline....

And meanwhile, since it didn't actually rain this morning, I had a couple of blissful hours on the allotment, planting my french beans...

and exalting in the fact that neither slugs, rain, wind nor rabbits have so far got at the runner beans (below) which I planted on Sunday.

Moira (who is helping with some of the gardening) has planted potatoes which are doing fine, even though they went in rather late.

And I had another go at strimming the grass paths, and generally tidying up.  It was good to be there: it is such a lovely peaceful site - and by the time I got home, the rain was just beginning, so I think I got the timing right and made best use of the best of the day.

So now, no more procrastinating, but back to work for the assessment and show next week.....

Feeling good, being adventurous

I'm feeling very pleased with myself this evening, as I've just been down to my allotment, and back, on my bike. To most people, this would be nothing exceptional. But I'm a very wobbly, new cyclist who has found it takes enormous courage and determination to get on my bike. So tonight I made the extra effort, and was pleased that the journey took ten minutes instead of twenty walking. It's a fraction over a mile. And while I was there, I did a bit more weeding of the raspberry patch, removing mares tails and bindweed while both are still small and not too invasive. 

I brought home yet another big bundle of rhubarb from this enormous patch... 

 And this post is another first.  Written laboriously with one finger on my i-phone, this is the first time I've blogged by phone. Now all I need to do is upload a photo from my phone and I think I will have earned some kind of milestone award! (The photos here were added from the computer, at home, later).