







Ruth was away for a couple of weeks, so I was in charge. These are some of the photos I sent her as updates. The weird mixture of rain and drought has led to some giant plants, virtually no apples and an absolute glut of red roses. The Heron surplanted the usual crows and magpies. The cut and come again cauliflower is very successful. A change of location and regular watering brought a smile to the face of a sad fern.
In the beginning there was landscape, then came life, then life developed rituals (Dogs going round in circles before lying down, Elephants visiting the remains of dead relatives), then creatures made things and altered the landscape (nests, burrows, display sites), then humans started taking these things a lot further.
We have been altering the landscape and making art since pre-history. The sculpture park is a piece of altered landscape, that is a display site and a piece of show-off theatre, that is now also a place to see works of art.
I am just about to start giving Art and Landscape tours of the Park again. Here is the old document for the tour. A new one is on its way.
https://valleycreations.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/YSP-Talk.pdf
Thanks to Ruth, a couple of days away before an operation. For me a chance to paint and a bonus swim.
Although most of the leaves have now gone, some are still clinging on to green. The weather is cool and damp, rather than cold and the sun was so warm the other day that I couldn’t leave milk outside while we had a cup of coffee. There are quite a few flowers around, some early some late. There were seven female pheasants and one male in the garden at once one day.
The strange weather continues with some trees going into leaf drop routines early and others late, giving an extended display. We have a confused hazel that has green leaves and catkins, when most trees are now bare. Fungi all over the place, as usual and I improved a table top in time to match the Acers outside.
Like someone scratching an itch, I keep getting drawn back into chasing Samuel Scott. I have unearthed some more links to the story and have altered that part of the story:
A short trip to Ambleside Manor Vegetarian guest house. Some sketchesfor me, walks up big hills for Ruth and some lovely meals at Zeffirellis.