Almost Christmas and we are in our shortest, darkest days in the UK.   It’s odd to think that in in 5 days time daylight will be slowly getting longer again.

We still really enjoy stepping out into the fields for our (mostly) daily walk navigating the mud, enjoying the watery sun and listening to the resident Canadian geese – the fresh air and big skies seem to recalibrate me for the rest of the day.  You can just about see a few in the photo but there are often around 300!

We seem to be on a flight path for the geese flying over to the small lake. Sometimes they fly really low over the house in huge numbers. It’s quite magical, and delightfully noisy as they honk away at each other.

We also had a good dollop of snow since I last wrote which was wonderful.

I’ve had a chesty lurg to contend with the last couple of weeks but that’s moving out of the way thankfully and I’m working away to finish my piece about rivers.  It’s getting towards the end now when I will need to neaten and back it.  It’s really hard to show it as one long piece but hopefully in the new year I can attempt a photo or two.  I just suddenly thought ‘that’s it, I’m done now’.   I hadn’t realised but it’s been keeping me company on and off since early August and it’s grown in length to about 5m.  Here are a couple more close-ups of it and a fat roll which is how I keep it behaving itself 😄

What’s next?  Well I’m working on a new nest and towards a couple of Spring exhibitions – some paintings and a textile piece.  My children have both requested a triptych from me for their living rooms and I hope to show you them once they been delivered and in situ. Me, tiny bit nervous? Not one bit… 🫣

All that remains is to wish you a Happy Christmas and New Year however you are spending it, and see you in 2025 for more arty malarky! 😁🎉