…and just one more
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Some weekend crooning
End of the “Still life with eggs” challenge
Our first group art challenge is now over. Thank you to everyone who participated. We had great fun. Heather who I wrote about in a previous post was voted as the favorite.
My personal favorite painting was the one done by Vanessa.
Isn’t it beautiful!
We are now talking about our next challenge on our Facebook page. If any of you who do not have facebook would like to put in some suggestions as to what we should all be painting next please leave a comment on this post. Suggestions should just be whether you are interested in painting a landscape, still life, portrait, wildlife etc. Once we have finalised this we will be looking for specific pictures. Please post your suggestions.
Harvesting
Starting to eat more and more of my garden. I have the brassica blues though. I think they are all going to bolt without heads. Any tips?
Free range girls
After one and a half months of getting used to their new home Betty and the girls were ready to go free range this weekend. I had been dreading this because when I first got them they escaped and it took ages and a lot of trouble to get them back into their cage.
I was assured by Alf who gave me the chickens that after a month they would have settled down and I would not have a problem getting them back into their cage. So early on Saturday morning I released them into the wild to go foraging.
I noticed that they are no longer afraid of me and that they may even like me a bit now. In fact they come when I call and I can get them to follow me. I even took them to the compost heap to go scratching for worms. They followed me all in a row while I made chicken noises and scratching sounds.
Jackie the chicken whisperer 
Come sundown they walked nicely into their cage for me and hopped up onto their perch. I will be letting them out now when I am at home. Although Cleo just watches them and has made no moves to chase them she does get very jealous when I talk to them. I think if I leave her alone with them when I go out she may just try to show them who is boss.
A special Mother’s Day tribute
When I was 15 my mother died, leaving two angry teenagers to run the home.
When I was 16 my dad remarried a younger woman, who, at the age of 27 had to come into this home and take care of the above mentioned angry teenagers.
Needless to say there were sparks.
Today I pay tribute to a special woman who, after 30 years of being my step-mother has crept into my heart.
Dear Sheila
Thank you for sticking it out. Those early years must have been really hard for you too.
Thank you for your green fingers and for designing and planting about 5 of my gardens.
Thank you for my little sister and brother – they add a sparkle to my life.
Thank you for looking after Dad so well
Thank you for being there through thick and thin.
Happy Mother’s Day
With love
J
Photo pinched from my sister Dale
Motivation
When we started talking about our idea of setting up our art challenge, I had about thirty people say to me that they would be so keen to join in and paint with us. Once the challenge was launched, due to timing and various real world pressures many came back to me with apologies about not being able to join us this time. Although I understand these pressures and time restraints only too well, I have been a little disappointed that we only have about 8 people participating so far. So today I though I would post a picture of our latest participant, Heather. Heather has been an active participant on our Facebook page so far – egging (pun intended) us on and encouraging all the participants. She only started her picture yesterday. Like me she likes to leave things till the pressure is on.
Here she is about 1 and a half hours into her sketch
Heather you inspire me – and I hope that those reading this post will also be inspired to pick up their pencils and brushes, appreciate what they have and get cracking on their pictures!
Heather you are a star! Thank you for all your support and encouragement on our Facebook page. It would not be the same without you.
Painting challenge – Eggs: Update
If you would like to know more about our painting challenge please click here to read about it
Below you will see some of the pictures already submitted for our challenge. Some have done a quick colour study before starting their main painting and others have been submitting progress pictures as the go forward. Some of these artists have either never painted before or last picked up brushes many, many years ago.
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I would like to encourage those of you who have not started yet to pick up your brushes and get going. That includes me. I start in earnest tomorrow.
I have also heard via the grape-vine that my Dad MAY just pick up brushes for the first time and try this challenge. Wow – I would be so thrilled if he does. Come on Dad!!
Related articles
- Our first group art challenge is launched – Free Your Art (slowvelder.wordpress.com)
One of Hoedspruit’s best kept secrets
It was only after I had lived here for two and a half years that I was told about the restaurant on the Blyde Wildlife Estate. I thought that it would be handy for me as my guests at my B&B would not have to drive too far for a good restaurant meal. I decided to go and see what it was like.
It is situated just next to the sports clubhouse on the estate and has wonderful views of the mountains. The ambiance is marvelous and with a strong menu and really good cooking, this restaurant is a spot where you could spend many a lazy Sunday afternoon and evening and even watch the sunset over the mountains after a quick dip in the sparkling pool.
How many of you who live and work in Hoedspruit have been to this restaurant? It really is worth a visit.
Choking on grey water
This is my version of grey water usage. I have channeled all the water from my bathroom to water my bed of artichoke plants. It is quite an experiment. I hope it works.
How to grow artichokes
The artichoke, Cynara scolymus, can be grown almost everywhere except possibly where the summer is too hot (which may be my downfall). The ideal growing conditions are cool and moist summers and mild winters.
If you live in a cold climate your best bet is to start new plants each year. If you have a mild winter and mulch well, the artichokes may survive as perennials. Remember, it’s the artichoke’s roots that need protection.
Using transplants, you can grow artichokes as annuals in cold-winter climates with 90 to 100 frost-free days. .
Gardeners who are lucky enough to have the best growing conditions may be able to harvest artichokes throughout the year. For these people, it would not be unusual to harvest 30 artichokes per year per plant.
