Welcome to the South Downs Way and day one of my third 106 mile adventure.
Friday 8th June, Winchester to Exton, 13 miles.
It is always exciting to be at the start of a long walk, as well as being a little intimidating.
 Both Dawn and myself had been feeling a little nervous so it was good to actually stop thinking about it and do it.  As it was day one we were both fairly full of energy and it didn't seem long till we had a chocolate break on top of Old Winchester Hill'

This was followed by a beer break at The Milburys, where we were all made to feel quite unwelcome by the unsmiling landlord, before an afternoons walk to Exton.  Here we had a beer, wine and food break at 'The Shoe', which was as welcoming as 'The Milburys' had been unwelcoming.  Last year we stayed here to eat, and all during the afternoon both Dawn and I were hoping there was still the felafel
dish still on the menu, served with sweet potato fries.  And yes, there was, with the tasteful addition of some decorative violas.  Day one successfully completed.  One down, eight more to go.

Saturday, Exton to Queen Elizabeth Country Park, 12 miles'
Today I was very much looking forward to walking down Butser Hill, instead of climbing up it!
The views are spectacular everyday, but I was particularly delighted to find sheep that were also doubling as works of art.

I wouldn't say that I was 'delighted' to see this sign. Although it was good to see that we were now 22 miles away from Winchester, I could have done without being reminded that there were still 78 miles to go before we reached Eastbourne.  At least we were still going the right way!

It was good to reach Queen Elizabeth Country Park, and even better to discover that the cafe sold small bottles of wine, red, white and rose.  (Soft drinks were available too.)
After 12 hot miles, a  glass of chilled rose certainly hit the spot.

Sunday, Queen Elizabeth Country Park to Cocking, 12 miles.
It was a long, hot uphill slog before we actually left the park.  After that, it was lovely to be in more open countryside.  When we got to Harting Down we had a delicious and nutritious lunch before deciding whether we would go over or round Beacon Hill.
Surely only a very careless walker would lose a boot.......

We felt quite brave after vegetable sticks and hummus, and decided to tackle the steep ascent.
  This is the view from almost at the top.  Stopping to take photos is a very good way of taking a break without actually appearing too!

The start of the day involved a long trudge upwards, and the end of the day became a very long trudge downwards.  It was also becoming a painful trudge as I developed what all walkers dread, a blister!  After a quick stop to apply a Compeed plaster, it was downhill all the very long way to the coach at Cocking.  Happy birthday Sam!

Monday, Cocking to Whiteways, 9 miles.
Thank goodness for a shorter day, and Compeed plasters.  I was not actually in a pain-free position, but it was bearable.  Last year on the final day, Dawn and I had packed our bag with sandals, a summers dress and make-up which we then donned for the after-walk party.  Dawn wondered today what she would bring to wear this year, and I wondered whether I would actually get as far as the last day!  I did keep those thoughts very much to myself, and decided the best way forward would be to treat this walk as 'one day at a time'.  I must have been feeling a bit miserable as I didn't take many pictures at all.
 This one is from the end of the day where we leave the South Downs to walk about a mile on an overgrown and nettley path towards the cafe at Whiteways.  Not the best day I have ever had.

Tuesday, Whiteways to Washington, 9 miles.
Today proceeded at a spanking pace, perhaps a little too spanking for my left foot!
Dawn teaches yoga on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and had not been able to find someone to cover the Tuesday classes.  So today we had to catch an earlier bus which meant we couldn't hang around.  This did not mean we didn't stop to take photos, and this was a stunning view at the start of the day.

The next time we paused to look around us it was to find that the poppy field was now far behind us, hurrah!  It was with great sadness that we heard in the morning that the lovely pub in Washington, The Frankland Arms, was now closed.  It was always such a treat to end the walk there, especially as we usually got a voucher for a free packet of crisps.  The team worked hard to cheer us up, however, and when we reached Washington, supplied us with barley water and fig rolls.  What more could a weary walker want, apart from a pint of bitter and a packet of cheese and onion, of course.

Wednesday, Washington to Devil's Dyke, 12 miles.
Back to a longer walk today, but one of many parts.  My foot is still hurting, but I am able to get through the day.  Perhaps it is still a bit too early to plan my party gear.  A beautiful start to the day, past Chanctonbury Ring, then the middle of the walk finds us walking past fields of pigs.  Here I pause to take a photograph of a bowser for Mr Cooper, bowser being one of his favourite words.
In the afternoon we have a longish pause for a pot of tea and a Twix at the Truleigh Hill Youth Hostel.  After that it is a bit of a shock to see the pub at Devil's Dyke on the horizon, but a very distant horizon.  We got there in the end, but it felt like we had walked a very long way to get there.
However there was no queue at the bar, and there was just time to consume a rapid pint, hurrah!

Friday, Devil's Dyke to Newmarket Inn, 12 miles.
This was indeed a very interesting day, as we started the walk in the rain and strong winds.  It wasn't long before we reached Pyecombe church, however, where they were supplying tea and cakes to wet walkers.  Last year we had eaten our cakes in the churchyard in hot sunshine. This year we were huddled together in the shelter of the church as it began to rain even harder.  The church has one toilet, and Dawn spent thirty minutes in the toilet queue and I spent thirty minutes eating ginger cake and forlornly dripping in a pew.  The good thing about our protracted stay was that the rain had ceased by the time we left, to be replaced with a very low covering of cloud.
We had views like this for the next two hours!

We made extremely good progress during this misty time, as there was really was nothing else to do!  After marching for two hours the cloud cleared and we stopped to re-fuel.  I think Dawn was a little envious of my apparel, as she stopped to photograph what surely will become a 'new look', gaiters worn with shorts.  At least I think Dawn was envious.......what do you think?

The day ended happily at The Newmarket Inn, with a pint in the sunshine.  Altogether quite an interesting experience.

Friday, Newmarket to Alfirston, 14 miles.
There is no disguising the fact that today is the longest day!  My foot was now pain-free, thanks to Compeed during the day and Sudocrem at night, and I was ready for the challenge.  I did learn something today, and that was that lots of people are scared of cows.  Luckily I am not, and managed to help a few people safely through this grazing group.

We paced ourselves well today, and discussed our party-frock situation, as it seemed very probable that we would both complete the walk.  As well as this, we made sure to make time to enjoy the views, as they were stunning.
A very pleasant end to the day was to enjoy a pint in one of the many pubs in Alfriston, before joining the coach for our now lengthy journey home, tonight's journey taking two hours.
There was a treat waiting for me at home as Mr Cooper had returned from the Lake District, where him and Kevin had gone to walk, and to climb Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain.  It took them 6 hours to do the round trip, after which they were proper knackered.  Then there was another treat, as we went to collect an Indian takeaway, so no cooking or washing-up, hurrah!

Saturday, Alfriston to Eastbourne, 11 miles.
When we were on the coach this morning, we heard a couple of newbies say that they were looking forward to the day, as they had got the hardest one out of the way!  How we chortled at their innocence.  The day starts pretty much like any other, with stunning views and rolling countryside.
After a while you begin to climb until you reach a stone wall.

When you look over the wall you are not at all sure what you will see, and it really is the most amazing sight.  Goodbye rolling countryside and hello Cuckmere Haven, a beautiful place to pause for a while before embarking on those unfriendly and  brutal hills, 'The Seven Sisters'.

We managed to get to sister number two before Dawn announced that she had had enough.  Luckily as soon as you have completed the seventh sister you are at the Birling Gap, where tea and toilets await.  The trouble is that you are really only halfway through the clifftop endurance test, with Beachy Head still to go till you reach the end.
I have spoken to many people who think walking the South Downs Way sounds like a doddle.
I think some of these photos help to make it look like it is, a challenging walk.......

........as well as an extremely beautiful one.

But what these pictures fail to capture is the really strong and chilly wind that accompanies these stunning views.

The end is in sight!  Just a steep descent then off to the public loos for a transformation.

I can't think why me and Dawn feel the need to smarten ourselves up, can you?
Of all the signposts I have taken photos of, this one is the most welcome sight of them all.
We did it! 

Our party was lovely, at Brighton University, and we managed to eat enough sandwiches so there could be another evening of no food preparation.  It was really good to stop, but I am already looking forward to starting all over again, next year.

When we were walking over Beachy Head, our thoughts and talk turned to the awfulness of the plight of people who choose to end their life there.  Not only the awfulness of thinking there is no way forward, but also as to what a frightening and brutal way to go.  Just as I was nearing the end of this blog, Mr Cooper came to tell me that only this morning, Monday 18th June, the bodies of a young mother and her five year old child had been found at the bottom of Beachy Head.

Please pause to spare a thought or a prayer for this mother and her child, and the awfulness of feeling that jumping is the only way forward.

Please be kind to others on their journeys, and spare time to listen and help if required.  The world is not a happy place for many people, and after 9 days of experiencing some of the most beautiful and uplifting sights, it is very 'grounding' to be told of the tragedies that exist alongside.  So very sad.

Being outside and especially in the countryside does work to lift the spirits,  so find your boots and perhaps a friend, and be mindful of your own mental well-being.

There has been no blog for a little while, and now I have so many images that there are to be two, or rather one in two parts.  This way, you can skip the one devoted to The South Downs Annual Walk if you wish, but some of the photos are definitely worth looking it.  Not sure about the writing yet, as it is still in my head at this point!  It never rains but it pours, or words to that effect.

As the day for the start of the South Downs Annual Walk got ever closer, so I aimed to increase my training for it.  But long walks take up a lot of time, which I didn't have much of, as events around me were eating into what little spare time I had, not even enough spare to write my blog in!
So let's draw breath now, and reflect upon those events that have left me busy but not as walking-fit as I would have liked.
In my last blog I showed you the artwork that was destined for The Tate Modern, and here it is, actually at The Tate!  Look on the right hand side of the boat, about halfway up, and you will see my small cubes of drawings and prose.

Here they are again, now on the upper side.  Sadly I was not there to see them in situ, as I was having to work to make up for three weeks without earning partnered with a rather large garage bill.  When you don't earn much money, all is well until it isn't well, and then the wolves come very quickly to the door! 

Many things in life are free though, such as walking in the countryside.
Mr Cooper planned a lovely walk for us both, which was so lovely that I would gladly do it again.  It ended up being a little longer than planned, however.  He also arranged for a lovely hot day, perhaps a little too hot for walking if I am to be critical (something that I almost never am, as those of you who know me well would not believe!) After eight hot miles, I was a little apprehensive about the 106 I had yet to come, with the shortest walk being 9 miles one day, and the longest being 14!  Oh well, let's just take one day at a time, or try to.
Part of the walk took us into a shady wood where we had deciduous trees to our right.......

.........but slightly menacing pine trees to our left.  Look at all the undergrowth that you have with the deciduous trees, as compared to the pines.  It reminded me very much of a Rupert Bear story from many years ago, where Gaffer Jarge was extremely worried about the way the pine trees were creeping ever closer to Nutwood.  Luckily the tree sprites all had a jolly good fight about it, with the native tree sprites being victorious, of course.  Mrs Bear gave Rupert a jolly good tea at the end of it all, whilst Mr Bear relaxed in his armchair smoking a pipe.  As my Mum would say (and she says it quite a lot) 'They were happier, simpler times then.'

Another thing that is free is spending time with your friends.  I travelled to Southsea on the train ( a small charge incurred here) then onto Eastney, to Janeeses' beach hut for a picnic.  It was lovely to catch up with everyone whilst drinking Prosecco and eating first-class picnic food.  And in true seaside picnic tradition, we were nestled in deckchairs and covered with blankets.  The beach at Eastney is magical, and rivals Dungeness for 'beach garden beauty'.

Everything comes to an end, even English picnics.  I know I will see my friends before too long, but when I gave in my notice at Mind in Andover and Trinity in Winchester, I knew I would be saying a big goodbye to people I had worked with for two years, many of whom had become my friends.
Here is the last ever project drying on the line, I think blue is a rather good reflection of how I was feeling about leaving.

Back to 'happier, busier times......'  It was lovely to pay Mum a visit at the weekend before my long walk.  Last year I did three practise walks on the weekend before.  This year I seemed to be stocking up on carbs instead.
On Saturday Mum and I drove to Wisbech to visit Peckover House.  I had not been there since before my children were born, and there was much more to see.  The house is not very large, being a merchant's town house, but it an absolute poppet.  The crowning glory has to be the gardens though, which are just exquisite.  You will have to take my word for it as I took very few photos, being too busy drinking it all in.  Here is one of a tulip tree, and its blossom.  Tulip trees are not very common, and this one was not only large, rare and beautiful, but extremely fragrant too.

I took a picture of these blue flowers as I am starting to gather ideas for my next garden.  It is to be divided into several parts, with herbs being closest to the house, followed by flowery borders and raised beds for vegetables.  Then tucked away at the bottom of the garden will be my new studio/shed surrounded by more mysterious and medicinal plants.  There will be a little fence keeping this area separate, as some of the plants will be poisonous.  These ones below will not be found around my shed, but nearer the house where the plants will be pretty or edible or both.

When we got back from Wisbech we were joined by Mark and George, with Ella.  And although Mum and I had taken the edge off our appetites by sharing a cream tea at Peckover House, we were looking forward to a night of dining at Matonni's.  What better way to end the evening than with an Espresso Martini.  I do wish that Mum and Ella would stop texting each other and just have a proper conversation, though!

The walk starts on Friday the 8th June, and Sam has his 27th birthday on the 10th June.  He had one birthday request and that was for a Battenberg cake but without the marzipan.  I have had stranger requests in my time.  'Lurid green' was Sam's requested colour choice for the icing.
With this in mind I turned up the colour volume in the cakes.

Here is the finished product.  When I gave it to Sam he was thrilled, and said it looked a lot better than he thought it would.  And I agreed with him entirely.

It must be time for another picture of Dilly.  Here she is, with the first part getting towards completion.  Clover and scabious flowers and leaves need to be completed, and then it will be time to start all over again to the right of the door.  I am really enjoying this project.  It may be time-consuming but the results are worth it.  And it must be good for your back, having to sit up straight for 7 hours, with your legs straight out and under the caravan!

Whilst I was in Peterborough, Mr Cooper was in Suffolk, spending time with Susie and Werner.  Sadly we were so busy that we couldn't each manage to do both.  In fact it was so long since we had seen them  that we were using that weekend to also exchange Christmas gifts.  When John returned with the gifts I was overjoyed, as they would ensure that my walking week would be a lot better. 
Mr Cooper was not to be my support crew this time, as he would be away with Kevin in the Lake District.  And when Mr Cooper goes away, so does the sound system.  But no longer!  Now we are the proud possessors of a 'Wonderboom', we both can have music wherever we go.  As well as a jolly good gin and tonic at the end of a hard days walk, hurrah!

So this is where I must leave you now, to pack my rucksack with Compeed plasters, waterproofs, gaiters and sun hats.  Plus sustaining snacks and a large bottle of water.
I hope you will need sun hats in the week ahead, whilst you enjoy delicious sustainable snacks.
Don't forget to drink plenty of water too, even if you are sitting down all day, either on a chair or in a dog bed.  Make sure you look out for the next blog, it is really not very far behind.  I have just got to write it, that's all.

Now where do I begin, after another long absence?  Well, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start......only, let's just fast forward a few years, 56 to be precise, and look at what's been occurring just over the past three to four weeks or so.
When I was at primary school, we used to be given a card with a picture on it and a set of facts relating to it, and then we had to write a 'comprehension' about it. The more you did, the harder they got, and they were colour-coded.  I think purple was one of the hardest, but I loved getting to that level as it was also a colour I really loved, and still do.  I think you will find elements of that comprehension process creeping into today's long-overdue blog, as I will be looking at pictures taken from four to one weeks ago, and giving you a hopefully witty precis of the facts related to that image.  These facts are stored somewhere in my head, and to make matters even more complicated for me, material for my next blog is already in my head too, and jostling for position.
But here goes, lets get those facts lining up in the right order.
I spent three weeks looking after Mum, firstly in her own home, then in my home, and then again back to her own home when she was restored to far better health.  Part of the 'recovery process' involved trips out to lunch, and Mum visited The Chequered Skipper in Ashton three times in all, accompanied by all three of her offspring in various combinations.  I won, as I was there twice, with Si and Mark coming a joint second with just the one visit.
If you have never been, add it to your 'to do' list, nearish the top, and definitely above cutting the hedge and cleaning the car.   http://www.chequeredskipper.co.uk/

And after the first visit, Mum developed an extreme liking for their fig tart, served with pistachio ice cream, and it became a treat she enjoyed all three times.  If it is still on the menu, she will be enjoying it a fourth time as we hope to return next Sunday for lunch.  Which reminds me, it is down to me to book it.....
I had to break off then to make a call to the Chequered Skipper.  All booked for Sunday 3rd, I didn't want to leave it any longer in case I had to tell Mum that there would be no fig tart on Sunday as it was already fully booked!

The pistachio ice cream with it is a delight.  If you enjoy a good ice cream, as I do, just order two scoops of their white chocolate ice cream.  After that, all you want to do is sit on the green in the sunshine and gaze at any passing peacocks.  In fact, sitting and gazing is just about all you feel capable of, in a very pleasant, full-up sort of way.  I can also really recommend their mushroom 'burger' served with sweet potato chips and coleslaw......

Whilst we were dining, then gazing, we left Felix in charge at home, where he also did his fair share of gazing.  He was enthralled by the sight of many passing farm animals, plus a few cheeky additions.
Felix accompanied me on my last trip, as Si was joining us, and he is Felix's rightful owner.  Sadly, not everyone loves Felix as Simon and I do, some people describe him as 'dirty' or 'grubby', and think he should have been left, eyeless, in the charity shop.  But Si bought him and restored his sight, and now he lives with me where he is loved and stroked.  You have to stroke him from back to front however, because he was made with his fur going the wrong way.  Another reason why he needs a safe, loving and understanding environment in his declining years.  Some people actually shudder when they spy Felix, but after nearly 30 years of having a son who has caused many people to shudder at times, I am very much on the side of Felix.  I have often describe son John as being like Marmite.  You will either 'get' him, or not at all.
 And for those who do, your life will be a lot richer, and full of flavour.

Here he is, packed and ready to go home, along with Snowy, his travelling companion.  You can see from this picture just how successful Si was in restoring his sight.  His vision looks to be more powerful now than that of a bird of prey!  Perhaps his gaze does unsettle some people slightly, rather like two beams of light from a lighthouse.

When I was making one of the many journeys to Mum's home, this time to deliver a restored female parent, I noticed my car was making a new sound, but not a very desirable one.  A long time ago, in an effort to save money, we had pared down the benefits of our AA membership.  After experiencing 170 miles of a strange whine, I made a quick call to put back a previously abandoned aspect of it.
 I was assured that it would come into effect after 24 hours, and it most certainly did.  28 hours later, on our return home, the whining ceased as it was replaced by a bang, and we limped the last mile to seek solace in The Stratton Arms.  If you have to break down, there are far worse places.  Chris from the AA came very promptly and found the fault, a broken alternator.  As it was Bank Holiday Sunday, he was unable to get the part, although he did try.  Instead, he made the journey to West Sussex with my car,  after having first taken us to pick up a free hire car for 3 days.  Good job I made that call!

The whole event put us back by only 2 hours, and here we are, overtaking Chris pulling my car.
 We are in a modern Clio, which was definitely OK, but I am not going to be buying one.
The consequence of the car breaking down was to have a far-reaching effect, as was having had 3 weeks away from paid employment, but more of that to come.......

The following day, me and Mr Cooper, as we are 'well old', thought that the best thing to do on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday would be to go for a long walk, to start and finish in Selbourne.  As I am not only 'well old' but probably boring too, the walk we chose was one I have walked many times before, and is one of my very favourites.  I have walked it with Mr Cooper, and also alone.  That's totes boring and sad, isn't it?
And when it came to stopping for a chocolate break, me and Mr Cooper had very little trouble deciding who should eat which bar.  The only thing I would say is that one of them should have been Kingsize, with the would 'very' added to it!

I am becoming aware that although I have featured animals, birds and events, there has been no sighting of an actual person.  To rectify this, I decided to take a photo of Mr Cooper, when we reached the top of Noar Hill.  Each time I go there I am always hopeful of running into Bill Bryson, as it is one of his most favourite places.  This time I was conscious that I couldn't share any homemade flapjack with him, and that he would have to settle to sharing the remaining 'grouchy' bar with Mr Cooper, probably whilst I tucked into the one that says 'beautiful and intelligent'.
One can always dream......
But this is not a dream, this actually is Mr Cooper, looking as if he has just eaten one called 'In My Sixties But Still Intrepid!'.  Perhaps I should contact whoever manufactures Snickers, and offer to work in their ideas department for one day a week.  That might actually solve a lot of problems!

It was a beautiful day for a beautiful walk, and we saw just masses of wild garlic.  For those of you who can't even begin to imagine what masses of wild garlic actually looks like, here is a big clue.

The next week saw me able to return to work again, in both a voluntary capacity, and for money.
Very sadly, one of the outcomes of the previous events had forced me to hand in my resignation to both Andover Mind, and Trinity in Winchester.  I could have coped with not working for 3 weeks, or having my car fixed and MOTd, but the two together put me into a very precarious financial position, and it was with extreme sadness that I had to tell Mind, and Ali, of my decision.
Previously, Trinity had been working with Winchester School of Art, to make art that would be included in their boat sculpture, that was to be exhibited at The Tate.
  Here is my contribution, the four cardboard cubes featuring an autobiographical piece about me and son John entitled 'Almost Naked And Surrounded By Life' and some writing I did at the time when parts of my life were very much out of my control.  These are the boxes just prior to them being handed over, before their journey to The Tate.

Sadly, I was unable to join in with the trip to see them there, which was really the event of a lifetime.  But at least I can say 'When I was exhibiting at The Tate....'   There was no choice but that I had to be working, Mr Cooper had just paid for a full structural survey on our intended new property, and we were both properly stuffed on the financial front.  However, Ali took loads of photos and I will ask him for some, to show both you and me what it looked like in situ!
Happily, some of my work is really enjoyable at the moment, which is good as I am having to do a lot more of it! Painting Dilly comes under the 'really enjoyable' heading. She is a vintage caravan, and I am giving her a wild flower frieze.  This is the first quarter of it, having just received its undercoat.  There will be lots more photos to follow, as colour is added.  In fact I am off to paint again this Monday. If it is sunny, it will be a lovely way to spend the Bank Holiday, especially if Mr Cooper provides a delicious festive feast for when I return.
Dilly can be seen at many events this summer, with her proud owners Rose and Paul.  Rose is a wonderful herbalist, and you can discover more by exploring the link below. 
https://www.facebook.com/herbsmagickpath

Just before I go, I thought I would show you the whole image 'Almost Naked And Surrounded By Life', parts of which were exhibited at The Tate. I won't add the written work, as it is too personal, and involves details of lives other than my own.

  Strangely enough, it wasn't accepted for the Jerwood Drawing Prize competition. This year is the first one for ages that I haven't completed an autobiographical drawing to enter for it, but I now have the idea for one, so it will be not one but two years in the making.
Here is the progress that has been made so far, so you can see there is still a little way to go!

Let's continue to look to the future now and not the past.  A future where skies are blue, the sun is shining, and fields of dandelions positively glow.
 These are the things you see when walking in the right places.
 What you don't tend to see, however, is Bill Bryson, and I really would like to.
 Are you reading this, Bill?

I hope you have a week ahead when you are able to do some walking in the right places, places of your own choosing.  Sometimes part of our journey is against our actual wishes and inclinations, but the journey will become a lot easier when we sometimes stop struggling against things, and look around to appreciate what is actually there, and not what we would wish to be there.
Have a happy Bank Holiday Weekend, and  enjoy what it brings, requested or otherwise.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon.

 You must bear with me for a little while because although this blog was started just after Easter, I have only just got round to completing it, as I will explain a little later.
So don't worry, I have not completely lost the plot.
Now just sit comfortably, travel back in time a little way and, hopefully, enjoy........

I am safely back at work now, after a festive family time.  As always, it was really good fun, if tiring.  The last two words are more a reflection on my advanced age, rather than any weariness produced by tiresome people.  There are no tiresome people in my family.  And talking of people, tiresome or otherwise, I do intend to introduce into this weeks' blog more glimpses of actual people.
In my last blog, I was starting to learn about the complexities of my new camera, if not photography in general!  Here I am taking copious notes in an effort to change my photographic life forever, and here you can see Barry's copious notes and numbers, in his effort to aid me on this path.
The journey has started, but is having to jostle for place with numerous other important projects.

 Easter was spent at Mum's, with my brothers and a good selection of partners, nieces and nephews.  No sons with me, as one was working and the other still taking things easy.
You should now be seeing a picture of the chocolate Easter bunny sitting on its green grass jelly, but I managed to take the photo of it on my 'broken' phone that I thought had 'mended' itself.  I thought wrong, so the image may be lost forever!  It was a much more defined bunny than last time, and also two-coloured.  When you are pouring the blancmange into a mould and your elderly mother tells you to 'be careful' and you ignore such advice, the mould has a tendency to lose its balance and spill some of its contents.  As you are then in a situation where you are in the presence of more fastidious family members, you are then unable to scrape the spilt blacmange up from the table and back into the bunny.  You have to wait till what is left in it has set, then top it up with a lovely stripe of raspberry flavoured blancmange.  It was a good photo, very lurid, but one you shall just have to imagine ( I told you my photography journey was proceeding slowly, didn't I?)

When at Mum's, we were remarking on the carpet being very 'seventies', which is not surprising, as it was purchased then.  Mum said that it was very good quality and expensive, but she has never liked it, and it was chosen as it would 'hide the dirt'.  Here is a photograph taken by Simon demonstrating that not only can it do that, but it can also 'hide' small toy cats called Chantelle.  Simon is dead clever, and he changed his settings to take this in black and white.  I am looking forward to those days!

 Whilst at Mum's I had a short and enjoyable escape where I went to visit my best friend from years ago, and to meet her husband too.  As we had been out of touch for some years, I had not yet met Martyn, and it was really lovely to to so.  It is also really lovely to know that we will not lose touch with each other again.  Whilst I was there, Deborah gave me an Easter present, of my favourite sort.  Something to do with eggs but not to do with chocolate.  What else could it be but egg cups, and even better, of my most favourite sort!  Here they are, having a chat on a table I decorated years ago.  I think the bunny cup is communing with his new bunny biscuit friends.
This was a table that I painted and decoupaged at least fifteen years ago, so if you are at all hesitant about commissioning me to create a painted table top for you, fear not.   The design is varnished to be very hard-wearing and long-lasting, and my prices are fairly reasonable too.

Here is one I was commissioned to make, for my friend Janeese.  Another benefit of you wanting one done is that it is also a job that I very much like to do, so we would all be happy.  Plus, I can always do with more earnings, particularly art-based ones!

 After  Easter, we travelled back to something approaching normal on the Monday.  It was far better than normal life, however.  I went to work for just the lunchtime shift on Tuesday (9am-4pm) avoiding having also to do the evening shift (6pm-11pm) as my bro Mark was coming over that evening with his partner George and big-boy Jem.  Sam was also coming over with his partner Molly.  Following a question from Sam earlier that day, I explained that Mark's partner was not trans-gender but was called George, short for Georgina.  That saved having any awkward conversations that may have started with 'And how far have you got in the process?'
The next image might not include any people, but it gives you many clues as to who was visiting.  The flowers on the left were from Mark and George, and those on the right from Sam and Molly.  What excellent taste they all have, and how well they know me!
Little Snowy, who belongs to me, is very happy to be with his cousin Big Snowy, who lives with Jem.  Not only is Jem rather partial to variety packs as fodder, but also their boxes as sculptures.

 There is a soft-toy theme running throughout, and just over a week ago I was asked to mend a green teddy, who had been assaulted in a pub by non-Irish rugby fans, and was in a bad way.

 Each month I attend a crafty morning in Southbourne, where you bring along projects and share ideas.  It seemed just the place to take Green Ted, so I gently parcelled him up ready for the operation to come.  You will be pleased to know that it was a complete success, and I will show you a picture of him, when he has fully recovered from the anaesthetic.

In between working, producing studies for an important commission and mending bears, me and Mr Cooper are striving to do a substantial walk every week.  We studied the forecast carefully and picked a rare day when it was not raining in the south of England, and set forth.
I had previously adjusted the white balance and the saturation on my camera, and it was my intention to capture moments from our walk, and also to include a picture of Mr Cooper having fun.
We set off from the Pub With No Name after a swift half (Mr Cooper had fun in there, but no photos were taken) and headed across beautiful countryside, towards Happersnapper Hanger.
Here was my first photo opportunity, freshly cut yews in The Warren.
Mr Cooper kept suggesting many other subjects for me to photograph, and I kindly suggested that he would be able to take all those pictures, were he to buy his own camera.

A little later, we were visiting again the two elderly Massey 35 tractors.  The moss is really flourishing, and it won't be long before all traces of red have turned to green.  We saw a difference since last year.  It always seems so sad to see two old faithful work-horses just abandoned.

Then came the hardest part of the walk.  In fact, it was the hardest part of the actual day, the ascent of ....Hanger.  It should really be called the 'I can't believe that I'm actually doing this' Hanger.
And if you look very very carefully, you can see Mr Cooper enjoying the ascent.

As my camera has an amazing zoom, I was able to zoom in more closely, to make the tiny speck turn into a climbing upwards Mr Cooper.  I'm sure if I had zoomed in once more, we would have been able to see his sunny smile as he enjoyed the steep ascent!  At the end of the day, we decided to do this walk of our own free will.  Perhaps we are losing the plot, after all.

I love being in the countryside, especially between the showers, and just lately I have been bringing the countryside into my shed, as I have been working to produce a detailed drawing of wildflowers, to form a frieze to be painted around a charming vintage caravan.
The eight wild flowers were chosen for me, and I spent a rainy but happy Sunday in my shed, sketching away, aided by Radio 4, starting with my Sunday favourite, The Archers Omnibus.
I was also greatly aided by a fantastic wild flower book, featured below.
Although I was fairly pleased with the outcome, I knew that it was not me that had to like it, and as ever, with a potential commission, I spent a lot of time thinking about why the drawing might not work, and what I could do it to improve it.

After all the mental stresses of being an artist, it was time to turn to another book, and seek solace with beautiful food.  Another link to the countryside here, as the recipe I was making was from plants only, and it was delicious.  Mr Cooper really enjoyed it on Saturday night, and enjoyed it again on Monday night, but perhaps a little less as he was then in charge of the chopping and shredding, as I was enduring my Monday evening spinning class.  If only it were with fleece, and not cycles!

Here is Green Ted, upright and up-together once again.  Let's hope he can put that upsetting afternoon behind him now, and move on to a brighter future.

My future is much brighter now, as the past two weeks have been spent looking after my elderly mum, who became very ill very quickly and is now becoming well again, but a little less quickly!  I know she is a lot better as the need to have the last word has re-surfaced, and having a glass of wine with a meal has replaced the desire to have no meal at all!  So that explains why blogs have remained un-written and work has been cancelled.  Thanks all the Greyhound chefs  for your kindness and understanding, and I am looking forward to returning to work the week after next.  I dare say that I will wonder why I was looking forward to it when I am actually doing it, but it will be great to know that I am returning as my poor nursing skills are no longer needed!
On another bright note, my wildflower design has met with approval and although the start of the job has been delayed, all the materials and myself are now raring to go.
And on a final bright note, I now have a new-to-me phone, courtesy of Mark's fab partner, George.  And as well as that, in the process of learning more about phones, I learnt that I could still use my phone without its Sim card and was able to send myself the rabbit photo from it.
Looking at the actual image, and the way its head is apparently detaching itself from the body, I think the bright note here is that I learnt a new process, not that I created a splendid bi-coloured rabbit.
However, you must judge that for yourself!

Let's hope your week ahead contains many bright notes, particularly if you have been having a bit of a grey time recently.  May your problems be those of a short duration, and may your decorative blancmanges leave their moulds in one piece.  And if you weren't planning to make a decorative blancmange, why don't you find or buy a properly funky mould, and make one for your friends to enjoy with you.  By the time jelly has been made and flowers added, the world will indeed seem a much brighter and happier place.  Especially if you also add a glass or two of bubbles.
Looking forward to seeing you all again very soon.  Until then, take care of yourselves and have fun!