R's rue

 We have two major forest fires both east and west of us but not right here.  The skies however, have been really smoke filled and when we go out on the  hwy  overlooking the valley it's really dramatic.  It is however, much more dramatic closer to the fires and I've been seeing photos of both the El Dorado Fire near a favorite town of ours,  Oak Glen, which in fact, we were just there three days before the fire started and also there is the Bobcat Fire  west of us as you get closer to Los Angeles.   I started to do a quick sketch with pen and colored pencil and then continued on with some watercolor and by the time I got done its a fairly busy scribbly sketch.  But it does give the impression of what it looks like in California over the past month or so.  This is from an photo I saw recently near one of the fires. I think every Western state is having major fires.  Washington and Oregon are.  I have sons in both states that the are beautiful states.   Also of course, Central a...

Lovely music, I was listening to it  as I was flouring by bread  but the atmosphere feels rather sad Especially as a The Royal Albert Hall has had no Government help to survive  I don’t want to be brought down this weekend  I’ve had to turn over

I met my friend Nigel in Chester today We walked and talked and walked and ate Mr Whippy  ice cream and drank coffee by the river. On the way home I bought a large selection of picnic food and some beers in readiness for a beach picnic I have organised for the hospice staff tomorrow, luckily the Welsh government, unlike the English has not changed their guidelines that 30 people can meet outdoors  So tomorrow we hope to have games of rounders, beers and sandy sandwiches and there is an unwritten rule there will be no talk of the dying, of Covid of PPE and the like There was a bag of tomatoes left on the garden wall from someone unknown when I got home and a round robin letter stuck in the letterbox  from the Vicar warning that the church may well be closed soon due to lack of funds. Chic Eleanor left a message about meeting up with friends for dinner next weekend I am making sour dough bread tonight