Autumn at Peachcroft Farm

Autumn has arrived, and up at Peachcroft Farm the turkeys are looking sullen in spite of having loads of room to run and play, but the rain may not have helped,

(I might do a photo when they are looking happier. I think they may have been to a fortune teller. Not good.) but the displays are looking lovely.

Copper clocks

My daughter has received the clock I made her, so I can put the picture on here now. It's made of mainly copper, with copper birds overhead and a fox's head (driftwood) peeping out of one side and his tail (paintbrush) peeping out of the other end, and a paintbrush person looking out of one of the windows. Must get going on the papier mache one now. These are totally mad, but then, so am I.

Going home to Scotland

Got back the other day from a great visit to Scotland to visit brother, sister-in-law and niece.

This beautiful painting by Renoir, Woman with Parasol in a Garden, was one of my favourite paintings at the Impressionist Gardens exhibition at the National Gallery in Edinburgh,

- if my legs could have coped I could have stayed for hours. Monet's water lilies were a real eye-opener, you could see so much more than in the reproductions, how the lilies rested on the water, I could have looked at that one for ages and ages, and yet in postcards it looks nothing like the wonder it is.

Back at the house...

looking out of the window into the garden, I thought the apples on the table looked a bit impressionistic themselves.

Off to Glencoe!!! We were so lucky, it was sunny, so the contrasting lights and darks were strong.

Spending so much time looking up at the mountains it is easy to forget to look down....

and then up again....

Last view of Glencoe..

The next day we went to Aberfeldy to stay for a couple of nights. A little walk in the Birks of Aberfeldy was lovely, with the autumn colours just beginning, and the foaming river alongside.

Coming across the statue of Robert Burns busily writing his poem
was a little unsettling, particularly as that part of the woods was
a bit dark. There he was, scribbling away:

The braes ascend like lofty wa's,
The foaming stream, deep-roaring, fa's,
O'er hung wi' fragrant spreading shaws,

The birks of Aberfeldy.

In Aberfeldy we had coffee and cakes in The Watermill, but sadly the Gallery was closed as they were re-stocking a new collection. But there were some good books to try and resist...

A visit to Dunkeld the next day ....

where we saw salmon leaping in this river, but couldn't be quick enough to photograph it! It kept on trying and trying, poor thing.

Then, back to Edinburgh...

with a final trip to the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens, and a peep at the Shell House, with the Queen Mother's garden beyond.

It was raining as I finally got on the train for home....

JASSO exhibition 2010

This year I have decided to put a few items into the JASSO sale at Woodstock, and also am putting the goblet (not for sale) into it, as it has been put on the poster - see above.

Finished the boat clock!

Spent a bit of time finishing off the boat clock, and enjoyed doing the quirky details -

it is now finished, though I didn't get moving waves, but put one lot in front of another to make two rows of waves, with the person wearing a lifebelt bobbing about in the middle.

And had to laugh at the reflections of the hands...

It is now ready to post to grandson.

Buscot Park

Went to Buscot Park, home of Lord Faringdon, today with friend Hazel - must make use of my new membership of the National Trust before all the places close. Such perfect weather that we didn't bother with the house, but instead wandered round the beautiful gardens,

though slightly startled by these imperious gentlemen as we rounded a corner.

Everything in perfect order, symmetrical hedging, matching trees, and every now and then little statues.

We spent quite a long time wandering round in the peace and quiet, and having a 'ladies of a certain age' gentle swaying on the bench swings.


Then, at last, it was time for tea.....delicious cakes, portions large.

My clock says it's gin time

Had a busy day today, making clocks (out of scrap copper mainly) and of course as it's a clock it must be time to make damson gin. The jar on the left is the one I made yesterday, and the other ones I made about half an hour ago. Shame I have to wait before drinking them, months and months and long weary months....

This is the clock I am working on at the moment - the main part of the boat is from old copper scraps painted with enamel paint, the bunting is cut up coke cans, the people are paintbrushes and wire, and the lifebelts on the side of the boat are painted polos. The clock mechanism goes on the right where the hole is. And at the moment I'm trying to work out a way to get the second set of waves to move in front of the boat by means of wire, and possibly a miracle or two. Where are you Robert Race when I need your help?

Birthday time

On 29th August went to a lovely birthday party at my friend's house, where the new thatch
has just been finished. It was a sunny day, with only one downpour - when we were all safely in the marquee filling our faces....

The view from the kitchen window makes me envious, but don't tell anyone.

Ah, the uninvited guest has arrived....

And let's not forget the cake (as if).