Summer is Over

Summer is over. I can’t say I’m sorry, since it’s been much of a nothing here. Brian and I feel better now that we don’t wake in anticipation of a bright, warm, sunny day, lazily stretching ahead of us, ending in a glorious sunset and balmy evening. Enough of that! It just never happened this year. So -here we are feeling Autumnal –and all the better for it.

We are still so busy working on the troll book that we haven’t had a chance to do much of anything else this week. The most exciting thing that happened was yesterday when Elfie caught a hedgehog. He’s done this before so you would think he’d remember -but no -he grabbed it and started running away with it before he realized that he had a mouth full of prickles. Brian and I spent the next fifteen minutes pulling them all out with tweezers. We now have a dog with a very sore mouth and a rather grumpy hedgehog somewhere in the garden.

We did recently grab an hour or two when the sun was shining to take a drive on the moor again. It changes so rapidly, from minute to minute, that there is always something new to see –or something familiar to see in a new way.  These three photos are all different parts of the moor. The heather and gorse are in full bloom right now and the hills are covered in purple and gold. The little valley, hidden away near the base of a huge tor, is like a forgotten world in miniature -green and lush and secret. And finally -a road that goes right through what must have been a stone circle or hut circle at one time. I love the way the stones flank the road. It feels as though you are driving through a magical gateway when driving between these stones.

Brian’s sketch of the week is a small pixie like being. Sometimes the seemingly insignificant ones hold the most importance. I have the feeling he may be one of these and what ever it is that he holds behind his back is of great value -if only we knew what it was.

From my desk -just a photo of me sculpting hands. When I teach -the moment we get to hands is usually stressful for my students! Personally, I LOVE sculpting hands and feet. I always have. I try to pass this enthusiasm on to the class, but their reaction is usually to panic. Oh well.

That’s it. Back to work under grey skies and high winds. We’re getting the last of the hurricane wind -but it’s gentle compared to what it was on the other side of the Atlantic. So -Autumn, central heating, warm socks and hot tea. That’s my day.