A Conkers Art Installation

Great, I went walking today and I saw some conkers, a bit later than last year, but the weather has been different. I decided to do an art installation as I have just being reading about the Turner Prize in The Times.

It's the fifth pic, but it needs a bit of explanation.

I love conkers for their superb shiny shapes, like polished maghogany. It is the sort of texture that you would expect to see in one of the sideboards at the Savoy after being polished by beeswax many times by the maids, but these are left lying about on the grass, their shine polished and burnished by the sun. They are also very round, and this is also pleasing. They end up growing into one of the huge Horse Chestnut trees pictured, which is amazing. This is like the acorn into the oak, but I think the conker is more aesthetically pleasing, better than an acorn. You can also play a kid's game with them by putting a string through them and hitting the other person's conker until the hardest one wins, and we used to have whole bags full of them sitting under the stairs.

Third pic, you always get these little sycamores attached to the big trees, like a barnacles round a whale. We had a sycamore in our garden and it was very vigorous and ended up quite a large tree, though it was coming through a crack in the paving. It is like the botantical version of the grey squirrel.

First pic ('Conkers Art Installation') I didn't need any help to do this. Unlike Damion Hirst, I did not need a lot of helpers to construct my artwork, as I found it where it fell, composed by the sun and wind. This conker is not unlike a large brown seed pearl, resting on a bed of green. Next to it is its very own clasp, from which it has escaped, like a pearl from a necklace during an autumn dance of the leaves. With all this energy around it's no wonder they can light it all and make a bonfire. Like diamonds they have a huge compressed energy, which, when caught by the sun makes the shaft of light, or, if they fall in the right place, makes the tree. They are like the diamond, hard but beautiful.

Wish Fulfillment

I was only just moaning the other day about the damage that ugly yellow lines were doing to my photos. So I was pleased to see this photo on the front page of my today's Times. It has the graffiti artist Banksy making a flower out of some double yellow lines. Not only is this environmentally friendly (he has made a bit of nature out of the by-products of anti-environment road users) but he has obviously given a new spin to the term pavement artists. Off the wall!

An accident waiting to happen

Today I spent some time scrubbing the carpet after spilling some tea on the it. What happened is that everyone was watching 'Top Gear' on Sunday and 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' was on. I walked in and heard Jeremy Clarkson say that the star who was going to drive round the race track as fast as possible was a member of The Rolling Stones. From the build-up I thought it must be Keith Richards and in my haste to get in front of the TV set spilt all my tea. It turned out to be Ronnie Woods. I didn't clean the carpet yesterday as the kids were still off school and I was still looking after them.

Spooky Faces in Things

Seeing as it's near to Halloween I thought I would do a spooky posting. In fact this posting is so spooky that I nearly freaked myself out, so if you are of a nervous disposition, look away now.

It is inspired by 'Diane Clancy Art Blog', who did an art work and poem about how ghosts are all around you in the shapes that you see.

A lot of them speak for themselves, and frankly I am too scared to write about them. I have tried to put a nice picture of a cat's face in a plate as an antidote. Of particular note is the alien in our carpet, the monkey face at the top of the Scarborough building and a face in a dog's paw print. Argggh!!!!!

Two Things Challenge Poetic/Prosaic

When I was taking pics today I got a bit fed up about the number of my scenic pics that were spoiled by rubbishy, prosaic things. In the last post I couldn't take a proper pic of a pretty cobbled street because it had massive double yellow lines down it.

Here is another case in point. A poetic coastal scene through an archway messed up by somebody leaving a prosaic metal fence and various other rubbishy items. In the distance can be seen three white pyramids, an arresting sight in the bay. It is actually the 'Sea Life Centre' where you can take a closer look at some of the marine life swimming in the sea .

Scarborough

I went to Scarborough today. I wish I had been here before the elegant/gaudy challenge as if anything sums that up it is this seaside town on the Yorkshire coast. It has two horse-shoe coves, combining gaudy amusements and rides with elegant hotels and buildings.

I like this planter made out of a lobster net. You will often find this wherever you go that people make diffierent planters according to whatever is to hand.

Fourth pic, open air ball room used for many a film set. Seventh pic, Hook's House, (adding to my house names collection) where the pirate Captain Hook may have lived. I tend to believe this as it has hooks incorporated into its lettering. Next door was 'Sarah's House', who may have been his friend.

Eighth pic, this is the grave of Anne Bronte, one of the Bronte sisters of Haworth, and writers of 'Jane Eyre', among other things. Poignant story behind this grave. As Anne Bronte didn't have much longer to live they took her to Scarborough to enjoy her last days. Such was the transport in those days that it took several days and many changes of transportation to get there. It was apparently the first time she had seen the sea and she marvelled at the waves, but was worried about the donkies on the beach and wondered whether they were being treated properly (they are still there).

"when my foot was on the sands and my face toward the broad, bright bay, no language can describe the effect of the deep, clear azure of the sky and ocean..." taken from 'Agnes Grey' by Anne Bronte

Saturday's Haiku

I have been on the site Haiku For You and might start submitting to their site as I enjoy it. I like the way they use pictures (which is something I thought of doing independently) and the way they have fun contemporary references. They are very easy to do with a picture in front of you. Whether they are any good I don't mind as I just enjoy doing them.

(There is a little seat and den at the side of this allotment shed)

Secret Hideyhole

In my allotment

Contemplating my patch and

Garden of Eden

Ready to Start the Day

Fur like unmade bed

Peeping under the covers

Waiting for your walk

Library

One story building

But between the covers

Story of the world

Gypsy Men or You Can Spin My Waltzer Anytime

His blue eyes meet mine

As he turns the spinning car

Faster and faster

English Cactus

On my windowsill

An English garden beyond

Desert flowers bloom

Bell End

As I walk about on my dog walks I often stop to look at people's houses and notice the names they have given them. I might start collecting these as a new hobby. I like this one. It is near to the vicarage and is redolent of church bells.

Haiku Mania

Writing simple Haiku-like poems is very enjoyable as I found out yesterday. I only did one because it was short and I didn't have the time to try to write a proper poem ! So I thought I'd try a few more, inspired by some unused pics in my collection.

Pubs

Laughter and voices

The froth of beer from the tap

Escape from the world

The Lottery

I wish this was mine

As I admire the facade

But I need to win

Flowerbed in Summer

The flowers draw us

To sit and talk in the sun

The circle of life

Meadow

Through the arch of leaves

The light of the buttercups
A new world beyond

He Sees His Mum In The Audience

My school assembly

I walked in and saw your hair

I like you Mum

Frances has kindly given me a link which I will look at to see how you do it properly and then I might do some more tomorrow.

Autumn Survivors

I like dog walks. They are the most therapeutic activity, combining exercise, fresh air and watching funny dogs whose only desire is to have a good romp with the next dog, and who don't appear to have any other worries. Today I took some pics on my afternoon walk.

The morns are meeker than they were

The nuts are getting brown

The berry's cheek is plumper

The rose is out of town
The maple wears a gayer scarf

The field a scarlet gown

Lest I should be old-fashioned

I'll put a trinket on

Emily Dickinson

Today I had the best of both worlds as along with the compensatory autumnal colours of the berries and the leaves (as though nature is getting dressed up in its finest as a sartorial challenge to encroaching winter) there are quite a few summer flowers around blooming in all their glory, in spite of the definite nip in the air. The rose is not out of this town as there are roses blooming, and I've taken a picture of a rose bud today, a new flower life, against the grey autumnal skies, and a patch of daisies.

These flowers are definite survivors as four months ago they were submerged under water for about a week when this area flooded, and you can see that re-building work is still going on.

Also a pic of some little catkin thingies. Love 'em. Thought these just came out in April and always wait for the ones on our bush. These are thin ones, but ours are plump and fluffy, like little easter bunnies.

Seeing as its Poetry Wednesday here is my own Haiku poem called 'Rose Bud':

A single rosebud

Offers up its young challenge

To the greying skies

runescape

Runescape is a games for kids. U r in an old fash in place /town wee u can meet friends it is intoractive so i can meet my school m8s on it. My best friend on it is a boy called iampure2006.
Holly has a file called sweatypie555 but it is supposed 2 say sweetypie555 lol.
When im on and iampure2006 we always play hide nd seek in the town ( im always it rofl)
Iim like on it all the time i think its addicting well naaaaaaaaa course it is.
There is a town called lumbridge and 1 called varrock and another called
falador I luv that game u could try looking it up .
There is a girl on it and she lives in cornwall, another livs in germany WOW thats far away. We usully meet up in the after noon but my dad has banned me from it coz im on it 24/7.
My other friend is called ronnoc793 and he lives in scotland ,hes a boy and before i new he lived in scotland he said he wore a skirt. At first i dint no wot the heck he was on about but then when he told me i got it lol. It was a kilt! Theres something new on runescape and it is a hallaween event it is blooming scary!!! U have to go through a portall and when i did there was a grim reeper stood in frount of me it freeked me out. U had to go through a doorway and there was 2 statues and they sed" were watching u " god that was scary. Next u had to jump over these holes i thought i had gone through but u landed in snot and a boy said " sorry my nose is a bit runny" 4 a joke and i sed " a bit !" coz u was in a great big pool of it ,ew!!!

ell's idea!!!

Hello people of the world i have some edvise for all u bloggers out there. This will tell u how to make the perfect blog.
1) It has to coulerful, if it is not coulerful it will not be accteractive!
2)The writing must be intaresting!
3)The must just be WOW!!! T o suck ur readers into the acctoin, or for the calm blogger try a cool romance storey.
4)The most important thing about a blog is also the comments, if there is no comments there will be no contact or friendlyness.

this blog was posted by eleanor

Two Things Challenge - Gaudy/Elegant

This is a picture of the oldest sweet shop in England taken in Pateley Bridge, Yorkshire. I have been all over the South and seen the Cotswold thatched cottages but I don't think you can beat an honest to goodness Yorkshire village with the stout stones bearing the weight of centuries, garlanded with flowers and hanging baskets in the summer.

Note the beautiful shop frontage with the elegant glass vials of sweets in the window. It has got tiny carousel in it, and I was going originally going to put a pic of a carousel in my challenge for gaudy, and it looks like the management thinks it will blend in with the sweets. One of them contains handmade sugary pink fluffy puff balls. They may be handmade, but with the best will in the world, they are gaudy.

Budgie!

This is genuinely true. I feel I have to say this because some people have been doubting the veracity of my previous postings.lol

Once we had a Budgie called 'Kelly', whom we named after the Kojak character Kelly Salvalas, because he was bald when we got him. He had apparently been picked on and pecked by the other young birds, because he was smaller than them or at any rate a bit different. I always thought he was a very clever budgie, and I have posted a sphere representing the brilliant phantasmagora of what may have been going on Kelly's budgie head.

Of course he could talk from the banal 'Who's a pretty boy then' to 'Comment t'appelle tu?' and, for some unaccountable reason, 'Bof!'. He could also make a ringing noise like a bell and also picked up wild bird noises from sitting on the windowsill so sometimes he could sound like a blackbird. He could also say 'Wee!' which we taught him to do when we used to give him rides round the room on a toy tennis racket. We used to make it go up and down like a roller coaster and Kelly used to enter into the spirit of the thing by bobbing his body up and down along with the motion.

He used to perch on the lampshades and then do sudden swooping Dam Buster diving raids down to the carpet, leaving a slip stream of air and making a intense flapping noise like a plane engine. Actually my Mum had to put a cloth over a tall cabinet containing a fine Indian tea service brought back from a great uncle stationed in India during the war so Kelly wouldn't fly into it. It must have looked mysterious looking in from the outside and once some kids asked me what was behind the cloth.

He was dicing with death in more ways than one when he did this because once he was on the carpet and our dog picked him up in her mouth. On seeing the blue budgie form in my dog's mouth me and my sister both screamed in unison which fortunately shocked the dog so much that she dropped him and he was able to run away unscathed. Actually some dogs must have very gentle mouths, if they can hold a creature as delicate as a Faberge egg and leave him unharmed.

To satisfy his intellectual curiosity he used to perch on people's glasses and look upside down at them through them. He also used to perch on magazines while people were reading them and leave a line of holes on them along the top. Maybe, in his own way, he wanted to read and this was the best he could do.

After a long and happy life he sadly passed on and was replaced by a normal budgie called Robinson whom I can't remember much about.