Alleyway to Summer
Elusive daisies! Protect the Hedgehogs!
Doesn’t that look inviting? The alleyway in the header picture is in the middle of the city of Bristol, and yet it looks very peaceful and as if it will lead you to oases of lush greenness, motionless lakes, and teeming wildlife.
(Actually, it just leads to the next street over, but I’ll keep the lush greenness in mind.)
I do love these little pinkish daisies — they grow in nooks and crannies all around the neighbourhood, except on my place — I’ve tried digging some up and transplanting — I’ve tried buying some in pots and planting — I’ve tried cuttings — but, no — they come and they go as they please and I will just have to contain myself in patience until they decide to grace my place with their presence.
We have some rather nice graffiti in this area — the hedgehog (above left) is near the Alleyway to Summer and encourages local people to watch out for hedgehogs, not drive too fast so they can get across roads unsquished, and not poison slugs and snails, thereby inadvertently poisoning the spiky little hedgepigs as well.
On the right above is the worldwide symbol for peace. If only.
Two flowers from a country childhood have appeared in my city neighbourhood — except they’re not the originals — above left is just like the dog-roses found in hedges, but these in the city are a new breed, I’m sure of it.
Above right are just like the lilac flowers that shared their scent so generously, but these are very long, as if numerous blossoms have been stuck together in one long trail of bloom.
Above right is a screenshot of the current state of my new webstore … Yep — I have barely any hair left. Last week’s storefront is on the left. Dog knows what it’ll be next week.
I’m setting up the webstore for my books, but dog art prints have their own space on there now, and yesterday I was asked for greeting cards, too, so I’ve started to add them.
Everything takes SUCH a long time!
Above is PupperJack’s disapproval last week of my cursing and swearing as I laboured over my computer, (also for not telling him about the squirrel), and on the right is his comment on the same thing this week (not the squirrel thing).
He’s going: “Blep!” (He hasn’t yet seen that he’s on the front page of the new store …)
I came across this fab poem: ‘In the Green Mountains’ by Jessie Belle Rittenhouse, and it reminded me of the painting I did some years ago (above).
I dare not look away From beauty such as this, Lest, while my glance should stray, Some loveliness I miss.
The trees might choose to print Their shadow on the lake; The windless air might glint With aspen leaves that shake.
Over the mountains there A thin blue veil might drift; Then in a moment rare This thin blue veil might lift.
Ah, I must pay good heed To beauty such as this, Lest, in some hour of need, Its loveliness I miss.
In the meantime, this pic above is called: ‘Come with me to the fields of sun’ — maybe the fields of sun are what I’d find at the other end of the Alleyway to Summer.
Dennett started the Photo-a-Day Challenge to help combat the pandemic blues. Since then many others kindly share their week with us:
Erika Burkhalter, Anne Bonfert, Tracy Aston, Lisa Bolin, Juan O. Aguilera, David Wade Chambers, June Nguyen, Mia Verita, LensAfield, Barbara Radisavljevic, Diana Lotti, Barb Dalton, Kim Zuch, K. Barrett, Penny Grubb, Ellie Jacobson, Shruthi Sundaram, Jillian Amatt — Artistic Voyages, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Ann James, Louise Peacock
(If your name should, or should not, be on this list, please let me know.)
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