Car Park Meadow

We have a meadow near us which edges a car park - nature's garden of subtle shades of green meadow grass - the hues lifted by early flowers of pink clover, blue ajuga and sorrel's red flowers towering over, interspersed with buttercups - shining like sunshine on the dullest day.

This meadow is cut several times throughout the year but each season will bring new colour from different plants to the verdant pasture.

An Inspiring Week

It’s been an inspiring and exciting week.  My niece Marie is staying for a week with her two boys Luke and Jacob.  I’d forgotten how boisterous and noisy young children could be and how much chocolate they could eat!

Marie and I went to the studio of Jerry Fresia; the well known Impressionist artist who lives in Lenno, for a presentation of his ‘style’ of painting.  It was a fascinating and stimulating morning.  He is an extremely good tutor and gave an interesting demonstration of the key stages to ‘create’ a painting. If you get the opportunity to study with him – do so. Marie was so inspired by Jerry, she has promised that her easel will come out as soon as she is home.

Today we wandered by the home of Fabrizio and his dog Scheila; admiring his wire cockerel which stands proudly crowing on one of his gateposts.  Fabrizio invited us in to see his work.  Intricate trellises made from green plastic wire, twisted into gentle shapes adorn his courtyard garden.  Other blank concrete walls are painted with local scenes.  An angel, wings outstretched watches over; at her feet Fabrizio has planted a creeping fig, used extensively in this area to cover unsightly concrete walls and buildings. In years to come this will cover her entire body with and evergreen foil.

The pleated mountain

I sit at my desk and view this mountain; so called because the deep valleys remind me of a loosely pleated skirt.

The mountain is a constant source of joy - it matters not which season it is.  Now it is 'greening-up' from the brownness of autumn and winter.  Tiny patches of snow remain where the sun doesn't quite reach.  There is very little 'green' during the winter, the trees, deciduous, are mostly chestnut, sycamore, wild cherry and larch.  Now the slopes are etched with frothy white patches of cherry blossom, giving the only colour.  Later a pale, chalky green will show the chestnuts are flowering.