Follow the yellow brick road....

Follow the yellow brick road...., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Tin man. Lion. Wizard. Scarecrow.

Tin man. Lion. Wizard. Scarecrow., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

I saw a grown man dressed as a scarecrow today. He was part of the local garden centre's carnival entry....the Wizard of Oz. They all looked brilliant.

Sunflower

Sunflower, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

We ve worked hard on things for the garden party this weekend. Our legs, arms and backs are aching but its a good sort of aching. Today we built an outside toilet (men only) .... as you do. A few posts.... some tarpaulin... and a hole dug out next to a hazel tree. Perfect. Hand gel will be provided!!!
We have been putting up support sticks for the scarecrows. Sending out emails. Making lists and sub lists. Working out where all the campers will be camping. Ordered the sausages and beer.
Someone said to me recently.... "Dont worry Jill, I had a party for 20 once and it was all fine". We are looking at between 80 and 90 guests!!!!
Lets all look at the photo of the sunflower to stay calm!!!!

Mary Fedden RA. Sheep

Mary Fedden RA. Sheep, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

"Charity" by Damien Hirst.

"Charity" by Damien Hirst., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Jannine

Jannine, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

I only met my cousin Jannine once. It was Christmas 1985 in Australia and we were both 14. She was so pretty and full of life...and we got on really well. After the holiday we would write letters to each other... I still have them in a box.

Auntie Angela rang on Sunday to say she and Miabella had planted a rose bush last week to celebrate what would have been Jannines 40th birthday.

I miss Jannine and Gavin ...even though we only met once. I wish they were still with us x

Party for 2

Test run, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

We decided to have a party test run last night.... to make sure things like outdoor power, lights etc are working.... and to look at any problem areas.
Things are coming together but theres still a lot to do.

The best bit last night though....was spotting 2 glow worms amongst the grass in the field.
AMAZING.

Steve Winwood - Back In The High Life Again

Jumping the fence

Jumping the fence, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

"The most important thing in communication is to listen to what isnt being said"

A big part of my job is to listen.

If I ask a question such as "how do you feel about that?"... then I really have to listen to the answer. Its very important to work out what the answer really means.

I try very hard not to say...."dont worry, it ll be okay".

I think more and more that we all just want to be heard....to off load our stuff...and to be listened to.

My sweet peas are flowering.

My sweet peas are flowering., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Lucas II. 1987. Chuck Close.

Lucas II. 1987. Chuck Close., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

"In the high voltage Lucas II, the forces of exact description and radical abstraction are in uneasy equilibrium. The mesmerising face is a circle within many circles that incorporate hair, beard and moustache. The face becomes a turbulent energy field."

The woods

The woods, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Windows

Windows, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Today we went for a short walk in the woods....met next doors new chickens and fed them by hand....worked on the summerhouse.... cleaned the old dusty windows we are going to put in... and gave away our old mountain bike for free to a young girl in the village.
There was also good news on the party front... I think I ll have to send out another email!!!!

Lovely clear photo.

Lovely clear photo., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Birds and their nests. Illustrated by Ludek Manasek 1965

Birds and their nests. Illustrated by Ludek Manasek 1965, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Fern and bracken as tall as me

Fern and bracken as tall as me, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

It is very "tropical rain forest" at the top of the field at the moment. The bracken and ferns have gone wild. The mower is booked for this friday so we ll be able to cut most of it down. Maybe we ll leave an area un mown as it is beautiful.
I bought this "horsey" bodywarmer from a charity shop for £1.... thinking it would look good on my scarecrow. But I quite like it.... just call me Lucinda??

Bumps

Bumps, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Velvety antlers

Velvety antlers, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

These 2 beautiful stags came into the garden last night.... one with big antlers and the other with little bumps where his antlers will grow.

"Deer can adapt well to just about any habitat. they prefer to live on the "edge" of habitats...for instance woods or croplands. They will use the woodlands for cover and shelter and the open land to graze in. Deer have a great sense of hearing and an excellent sense of smell. "

It is always exciting when the deer pass through our garden or field and I still reach for the camera even though I have taken hundreds of shots since we moved here. It will be great when the summerhouse is finished ... we should get some great deer shots up there. It ll be a bit like a hide.

All action Tel x

All action Tel x, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Today we strimmed, carried, chopped, watered, scythed and then collapsed in a heap. We are exhausted.

Sade - Nothing Can Come Between Us

Bailing Hay by Sean D Rasmussen

"Woke early in the morning

it was time to bail hay.

Put on the ragged clothes

lots of work to do today.

Off to the field

and to work we go.

The bales are waiting

all lined up in rows.

Back to the field

for another load.

Looking like scarecrows

with hay all over our clothes."

Hay... not to be confused with straw.

Hay... not to be confused with straw., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Hay is grass and other herbaceous plants...cut, dried and stored.
Straw is the dry stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff has been removed.

In the dark

In the dark, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

This group of 3 deer didnt seem bothered about the camera flash.... they just kept on eating the bird food from the feeder and from the floor. Spooky eyes.

Cool

Cool, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

So I am now slightly obsessed with scarecrows.... Its great.

A bit odd... but I like it

A bit odd... but I like it, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Big stag in the garden in the rain.

Big stag in the garden in the rain., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

A 5 star hug

A 5 star hug, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

"You accumulate certain life experiences that you react to and interpret.

The result is a set of beliefs about yourself: judgements about competency, worth, lovability, acceptability, and strength and power.

Based on that self evaluation you adopt a consistent persona that you present to the world.

Every success or failure, every result in terms of love, money, achievement, recognition, peace and harmony, flows from that self determined identity"

Through the trees....

Through the trees...., a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

Wigan 26 v 24 Leeds

Wigan 26 v 24 Leeds, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

I drove up to Ros and Roys on Friday afternoon....it was a flying visit but lovely to see them x
Jesse Lee and her boyfriend Jacob were over here for a 2 week stay and we had arranged to meet up at the game. Malc had very kindly arranged 3 tickets for us in The Springfield Stand.
It was lovely to see Jesse Lee again... she is a lovely young lady... and just like her mum Julie. I hope next time she is over she can come and spend some time with us here.
Being at the match with her reminded me of all the times I went to watch Wigan with Julie and John. x

Music

Music, a photo by Jillian DIxon on Flickr.

I drove back from Wigan on Saturday morning.... and later on we went down to a small music festival in the village. It was really good... the bands were great. The weather was good and everyone was enjoying themselves.

Sunday

Yesterday was chopping wood day.

We battled against the flies and the heat to cut up a fallen tree at the top of the field ... and barrow it all down onto the track. It was really hard work.

I took a tumble on my last trip down the hill...when I lost control of the wheelbarrow and had to jump out of the way. I sort of did a forward roll and back flip at the same time. Tel found it all very funny!!!