birds & bees in the garden

walk in gloomy woods last thursday

bumblebees are very busy in this birdhouse, they are pretty messy, or perhaps it isn't quite as messy indoors as it is on the outside; they're pretty territorial and defensive as I have most recently experienced first hand: I was drilling a shelf unit to the lean-to which itself it attached to the studio and I can only assume that the drilling tremors were cause for their watchmen to search me out as I was ruthlessly targeted and got stung just below my left eye; I never knew bumble bees could sting...there you go, serves me right for being so ignorant; luckily the swelling wasn't too bad and with a generous dollop of arnica I lived to tell the tale

 many drop dead on the path, they differ in size and I suppose in function, I don't really know that much about bees so cannot tell you more; two other birdhouses are occupied by actual bird families, on the studio wall a tomtit family and in the other box a great tit family, this box is arguably not in the best place, however it was meant as a temporary measure. By the time I did get round to screwing it back onto a wall I discovered the family had already moved in; the mums and dads are working over-time keeping the young ones fed, you can hear the chicks tweeting non-stop

 I too have been busy in the garden, as per usual several projects all at once, I won't bother you with all of them (today at least, maybe I'll change my mind later)
have sown many different kinds of seeds in the front and back garden and so far not a lot has emerged, the optimist in me recommends waiting patiently, the impatient part of me has decided more seeds need to be sown and so it was I ordered woad and tea herbs a week ago; amongst the most recent endeavours this pot with the woad seeds and in the earth just next to the new deck, on the southfacing side; fingers crossed I'll one day be using my own plants for blue dyes*....on the other side of the deck some of the tea herbs will hopefully appear one Summer morning, offering colours and scents as one sits bleary eyed sipping one's first cup of coffee. I have started another garden diary, detailing what was sown when and where; if this sounds organised do not be fooled, for many earlier attempts have petered out after initial enthusiastic beginnings
* which reminds me, I still have to find out how to use the tara powder as a mordant for plant fibres!

painting again! the eastfacing wall on our new deck; after encouragement from our eldest son and a dear friend I decided I would indeed and so bought tester pots of wall paint and several large brushes; my friend suggested I paint what I would 'normally' paint on a much smaller scale: tree dog hare bird and so it begins

 this may not look like a big deal, but it so is; I will explain, I had kind of lost interest in this large cloth, I felt uninspired and so stuck I couldn't even begin a new piece or finish anything else, all I could manage was the sewing together of the two layers....which is done now, bar a few spots; how to proceed? many ideas came and went and if I can't remember something it probably wasn't worthwhile, duh. Today I was thinking of printing with the lino cuts or drawing on it, but that just didn't feel right; all of a sudden I did see what I had to do: sketch with thread, tada, so now I know how to continue

a cool evening walk was very pleasant after a hot and humid day