Spirit Animal Portraits
This Christmas I combined my love of animals with my love for the members of my family. I often associate a person I know well with an animal which exhibits characteristics that correspond with his/her personality. Since I've known most...
Autumn in Slovenia
What luck we had visiting this country that, a couple of months ago, I couldn't even find on the map! I always say to my non-EU friends and family that should they make the trip to Europe, I'd go wherever...
Scotland II
I, along with my nephew's wife Ellen (with whom I met up whilst on Skye), had been intrigued by the depictions of the Hebrides in the Peter May detective trilogy. Since I also have always longed to see the stark...
Scotland I
I managed to escape the terrible heat wave of 2022 by flying up to Scotland. I won't fill this post with commentary on the challenges of travel this summer; just acknowledging it here.The first thing I experienced was the prolonged...
Christmas in Cambridge MA
I hadn't been back to the States in 5 years, so I planned Christmas with family in Massachusetts for 2021.Despite, and perhaps because of all the Covid constraints, it was one of the best holidays I've had.I flew Lufthansa, leaving...
Bird Drama
May 6. It's been over a year since we first went into Covid lockdown, and I am currently still obliged to obtain most of my entertainment from within my apartment in Aix.Outside my window it is clearly springtime. The trees...
Linocut Birds
This second "Confinement" has given me an excellent opportunity to complete 2 sets of linogravure pieces. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have become interested in the specificity of birds—each species with its own perfect set of adapters—beak...
Confinement No. 2
Well, we're in it again...another lockdown ("Confinement"). It's less rigid, in that children go to school and people can go to work if they can't telecommute, but still—the same old "one hour, one kilometre, and don't go out without out...
Another Missive from the balcony
One day, I noticed two tiny sprouts growing amidst my petunias. Undoubtedly, they were the consequence of this winter's birdfeeding. Recognizing them as sunflowers, I transplanted them into a commodious flower pot, where they could attain their full size. They...
Elderflower Syrup
For the first time, and perhaps because of the recent confinement, when I tried out old-fashioned activities, I made a syrup from the flowers of the Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) bush.As is my wont, I looked up what there was to...
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