A Hare and a Fox and the Sweet Blossoms in May

Back again, is it really a whole month later!?  I'm sure each time I say I'm going to blog more I actually end up blogging less which is a little weird?

We've had beautiful dry weather here in Wiltshire since April and many of the flowers are ahead blooming this year. In between working, the days have been spent soaking up May's heady perfume, and imprinting the song of blackbird robin, thrush and lark like a precious seal on my heart and soul. I'm sure the sounds are healing. I'm just waiting for a scientist to prove it sooner or later? 

Beautiful May.  Hawthorn decorates the hedgerows with sweet  frothy creamy (and sometimes pink) boughs. Oh but they go too soon when that impish west wind plays games for fairy weddings and summer snow showers, scattering the petals beneath to create scented carpets for wood mice.

"Tis like the birthday of the world,
When earth was born in bloom;
The light is made of many dyes,

The air is all perfume:

There's crimson buds, and white and blue, 
The very rainbow showers
have turned to blossoms where they fell,
And sown the earth with flowers"
~ Thomas Hood

The greening is all dressed up with lacy gowns along hedgerow and field. Here in the garden, the cow parsley is spreading nicely too. 

When the days have had a chill in the wind, I take my tea break in the greenhouse. Enjoying the warmth with the plants whilst they're busy growing. There is lots to plant out still and plenty of digging to be done. The ground has been very hard because of the lack of rain but the last two days have provided a few showers and refilled the water butts. 

I have a good view of goings on from my studio window. I can clearly see why all the peanuts have been disappearing so fast! ;)  Mrs squirrel doesn't mind me, but makes a swift run for it back up the plum tree when the cats spot her. 

The birds in the garden have been busy raising their young. I see them daily stocking up on food at the bird table and then they are off again. This precious soul found time to stop and serenade me with a spring song.

Here's some other wildlife captured on camera recently. The friendly chaffinch below I encountered on a walk yesterday near Avebury. The moth and may bug I found in the greenhouse and the heron and swans are a regular sight on the river. 

A couple of weeks back on the 1st of May there was definitely some 'Spring magic' in the air.  During a walk I encountered  5 hares, 2 foxes, and 2 deer.  But the best bit of all was seeing a fox and hare together. The fox walked through the hedge to the side of us then proceeded to walk down across a field past the hare. They looked at each other and the hare just stayed put and the fox just walked by glancing at the hare as he did so. Just seeing each animal on their own is a wonderful encounter at any time, but seeing 'both' well it felt as if it was my birthday or that Spring had gifted me a special moment. Here is the moment below, which I managed to capture very quickly. My camera is not the best at pictures from a distance but you can make out the hare and fox. :-)

And here are more hares.

Work wise this past month, I've been busy designing and turning work I've already done, into cards. these sets are both available in the shop. 

'Love the land and treasure the wild' and 'Love the Earth and all her creatures'

'May your dreams be filled with magic' and 'Believe in your dreams' 

I've also just finished these little 'Spring inspired' hangers.  

These will be going into the shop this Wednesday evening (17th May) at 7pm  (UK time)

Until next time, I shall leave you with a song from Lisa Knapp's brand new album, which has been my playlist daily for the merrie month of May and is just perfect I think. (link in my side bar to the whole album)

 Have a great week. x

The Well Earned Rest Of Plants and Trees

At the end of the old year, my yogi teabag shared with me some words of wisdom to begin the new one. I like these words. Perfect to begin again, letting go of the old that doesn't serve and opening yourself to the whole and the new. 

I don't really have any nuggets of wisdom from myself, but just hope this new year is filled with beautiful times, wonderful skies, happiness, flowers, good health, peace, lots of magic and creativity for all.

***

I have read quite a bit recently, of winters desolation. About the cold and loneliness and how everything has disappeared... It's strange as I don't see winter like this at all. I suppose I am one of the lucky ones that doesn't suffer from the lack of daylight hours. I love winter and savour it like every other season. Here, for me nothing has really disappeared. The blackbird is still pecking at the fallen crab apples that are composting and enriching the mossy ground beneath the branches. The wood pigeons still sit in their favourite places everyday. The blue tits, and finches are chasing each other around at the top of the hawthorn.  The jackdaws are as noisy as ever, sat upon the chimney pots and in and out of next doors roof. The rooks glossy indian ink coats, look glorious against the frosty landscape. And there are three robins in the garden now. At night the air is crisp, clean and clear. The sky is filled with stars and the early January moon is a silver sickle for Jack Frost to cut the frozen air. Venus below, sparkles, as if someone is holding a giant diamond and shining it to attract our attention a thousand years away...

In the early darkness the raspy bark of fox calls across the fields and a tawny owl sounds as if it is sat just outside the bathroom window. Inside I have found wasps sleeping in the folds of curtains and ladybirds in the window frame corners. In the shed there is a tortoiseshell butterfly dreaming of stretching it's wings on the first warm days. Everything is alive!
If you lift the old log, the woodlice are still there and so are the slugs and the snails and earthworms.   The trees and plants are enjoying their well earned rest, but if you are out and about each day you will see that not much else has really changed.

 Even the swans leave the pages of fairytales, just for a moment, to brighten the dark winter river. 

Happy New year!
X

The Alchemy of Autumn

 I sit on the stone ledge by the front door. A place I often sit in all seasons. The place to take my cup of tea or coffee and look at the garden. It is the afternoon and I have come outside to take a break and feel the last warmth of the early Autumn sun. Sunlight catches a cobweb, it's almost invisible thread stretches  from the rusted doorbell to the valerian plant below. A home connected to a home. 

A dragonfly darts about the garden, a shining fairy in disguise and the ivy flowers on the old shed are singing with a choir of honeybees. Sharing this feast are red admirals. Six of them. The red and white on their wings contrast against the bluest of sky, jewels of the garden, small treasures from heaven.

The Alchemy of Autumn has begun. It is visible of course all around us, but it is also a feeling felt in the stillness, the slowing down and in the bird song. A sensing of different energy and magic in the air, which to me is felt most strongly from now through to Winter.
The Autumn Equinox has passed and now the days begin to get shorter. It's time to get and do, what I call the the 'cosy things' or the hip or trendy term now seems to be 'hygge'  ;-)  Cosy socks, woolly tights, spiced tea, hot chocolate and soup. Time to light the fire inside or out, dig your hat and scarf out of the cupboard for long walks to look for mushrooms and toadstools. Time to light more candles now the evenings are darker and retrieve that half finished crochet that you begun last year. 

It's a time to gather and harvest and brew potions and wine, jams and jellies.  

 Have your ingredients ready, in this case blackberries. The other items are to help the spell. A magic wand comes in very handy if you are not so good at making Jam. Mine is made by a very talented young friend of mine and it's relatively new, so I wanted to test it and check it worked. ;-) (You can see more of her beautiful wands here)

Say the magic words and wave the wand.

Then.....'ta- dah'!  Blackberry Jam! ;-)

All there is to do now, is make a pretty label and pop it in your cupboard. 

                                                                               ~***~

'Alchemist: A person who transforms or creates something through a seemingly magical process'

On my desk a little Alchemy has been taking place.

Tiny paintings, treasures of Nature. I have used real gold to symbolise treasure and show that their importance is of equal value in the grand scheme of life. After all gold is 'nature's' treasure too, but we put so much more value on it than a flower or an animal and even water. (which I find scary sometimes)

                                                                'Between the Space of Golden Light

'Midnight's Treasure'

'Metamorphosis'

'I see the Golden Light that Surrounds You'

'In the Beginning' #2

'In the Beginning'#1

'Born of Gold'

"Here is all of life, all into one
 In moments such as this, all that lives and breathes under the sun is part of Heaven's kiss"

~ Crimson Skies. The Cinematic Orchestra

More gold on this Hare, this time not the real kind though, just paint. 

'Summer Gold'

'Night and her Magic'

'Night's Treasures'

'Hills of Home'

'Tor and Thorn'

'Tamarisk and Sea Holly'

'Sea Holly'

'Sea Holly Small'

'Magnificent Bee' (Pendants  #1 and #2)

After rather a lot of fiddly small painting I am having an urge to paint something bigger now. :-)

All of the above items will be added to my Etsy shop next Tuesday 27th September at 19.00 (7pm) UK time. 

Enjoy your weekend and fingers crossed the sun stays out for walks and gardening and whatever you are up to. 

Thanks for reading! x