Sunday, December 31, 2017

Made this for Maggi, featuring lips and horseshoes which she makes in her bakery. And glitter. Glitter is good.


Saturday, December 30, 2017

The barber shop in Marshall got what it wished for, even if it was just a dusting.


Friday, December 29, 2017

Part of an incredible hand drawn picture I saw today. I stood looking at it for a long time, like a cathedral in Dickensian times. If I had had the $600 I would have bought it. It was hard to tear my eyes away, there was something very compelling about it.


Thursday, December 28, 2017

Because of the very low temperature today little Kota has spent nearly all day asleep. I kept the fire blazing for him and Rosie Lee so they could snooze without shivering.


Wednesday, December 27, 2017

I had a quick play with my new metal detector today but with the temperature below freezing and winds blowing I didn’t last long. Snowflakes so fine that they looked like glitter were twirling around. This was really a day to spend in front of a blazing fire!


Tuesday, December 26, 2017

The local hunt set off from Orlean today. The hounds stole the show and literally bowled me over with friendliness.


Monday, December 25, 2017

Kota and Rosie Lee had a wonderful dinner of prime rib, chicken and gravy. Rosie Lee left most of here, so Kota had to clean up.


Sunday, December 24, 2017

24th Dec 2017

Spent a lovely evening with the family of one of Steve’s friends. They all made me feel very welcome, as did their beautiful cat, Sophie, who spent some time sitting on the arm of my chair.


Saturday, December 23, 2017

Meeting Darth Vader at DC’s pop up Star Wars bar that Richard and I visited this evening.


Friday, December 22, 2017

Posing by the humongous Christmas tree at the Broad Run Brewery. Enjoyed an evening chatting with Steve and sipping on their superb Tangerine IPA.


Thursday, December 21, 2017

Another view of Marshall Main Street with the electrical poles and wires which will disappear when the ‘let’s look like Middleburg’ transformation begins, which is likely to start in spring. I will miss our little town’s rural old charm.


Wednesday, December 20, 2017

A pretty and clever Christmas tree at the framing shop in Marshall.


Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Kota asking me to follow him as we hiked through the woods on a lovely balmy and sunny afternoon.


Monday, December 18, 2017

We went to The Alamo to watch The Last Jedi this evening. This cinema shows magical old time clips relating to the feature show and tonight they didn’t disappoint. 


Sunday, December 17, 2017

Panic at the fire pit! But all was OK. Great fun afternoon with friends at Meadow House.


Saturday, December 16, 2017

There was a long line at the car wash for all our salt covered cars, but it had to be endured; Stanley was filthy.


15 Dec 2017

I have a string of clear balls on my branches which don’t look particularly interesting in daylight but at night time they come into a world of their own. With the tree light reflections they become beautiful.


Thursday, December 14, 2017

So many clients expect artwork they’ve taken from other sites to be recreated for free. Not happening. I’ll recreate it, and I’ll charge them.


Wednesday, December 13, 2017

My precious little man having a snooze in front of the fire after a big dinner.


Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Mum sent me, and 3 friends, this beautiful lamp. It’s water filled with glitter so it looks like snow is constantly falling. I’ve never seen one like it before, it’s beautiful.


Monday, December 11, 2017

A pretty house in Aldie, lit up for Christmas, that I pass on my work commute. 


Sunday, December 10, 2017

Kota taking his daily hike, being very careful not to step on any of that awful wet white stuff.


Saturday, December 9, 2017

A snowy evening spent in DC watching Gary Numan in concert with Richard. He was amazing, and nearly 60 years old. Great show man.


Friday, December 8, 2017

Chowing down on some pucker fodder at our work’s Christmas dinner. 


Thursday, December 7, 2017

Just an abstract image, created from looking through a colored glass vase and then throwing some filters on top of the image.


Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Lovely care package from Mum contains stuff to read, crisps, mint sauce and lots of Maltesers. Yum!


Tuesday, December 5, 2017

A lovely evening, catching up after a long absence, with Bill and Janice. Plans already made for future meet ups. Good to have them both back on the scene again. 


Monday, December 4, 2017

Gathering my supplies for Christmas. Very happy to share the nuts and mince pies but the Maltesers are strictly off limits. They’re for me and Kota.


Sunday, December 3, 2017

Kota looking very content as I headed out to an afternoon party. He hadn’t been able to get up here a few weeks ago, he’s certainly regained much of his energy since being on his heart medication. It’s a joy to watch him enjoying life again.


Saturday, December 2, 2017

While putting up a few Christmas decorations I tried to get Kota into a festive spirit. His expression very obviously says he wasn’t amused.


1 Dec 2017

Main Street, Marshall was very busy as I passed through on my way home from work. Christmas decorations we’re going up on both sides of the road.


Thursday, November 30, 2017

Couldn’t be worse, Cooter’s a great guy, on screen and off!


Wednesday, November 29, 2017

While Kota and I were on our afternoon hike, I spotted some pine trees that Brandon had trimmed, and which were now leaking sap. I hope they’ll be OK, will have to Google that.
Update: leaking sap is nature’s way of protecting the wounds from boring insects, so all’s good.


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

I came home to this package stuffed firmly into my mailbox with a very contrite note on top from my mail lady apologizing for ramming it in so tight and saying she’d try to get it back out later this evening and then she’d drop it off at my house. I had to leave her a note in return thanking her for ending my work day with a laugh and wondering who had the toughest time, her shoving the box in or me tugging it back out again.


Monday, November 27, 2017

An arty view of the electrician’s house in town, his home is understandably always the first to display holiday lights.


Sunday, November 26, 2017

A beautiful day for a hike. Another trek along the Appalachian Trail, this time from Front Royal. 


Saturday, November 25, 2017

I met two English friends I hadn’t seen for years and after an afternoon at a winery we ended up at The Hunter’s Head, loosely styled as a British pub. It was fun catching up, especially with no one checking phones for the whole time. Just like the old days!


Friday, November 24, 2017

Little Rosie Lee is all tuckered out after doing nothing all day. I wish I could sleep like a cat.


23 Nov, 2017

After a huge Thanksgiving lunch, I took Steve and Jason out to the woods close to the house for a hike.  They made me chuckle when they both concentrated really hard to take a photo of the rocks we’d climbed down from, as though they’d tackled Mount Everest.


Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Kota Kat sitting on his fleece, purring louder than a Harley, and dreaming of a big turkey dinner that he’s expecting tomorrow.


Tuesday, November 21, 2017

These horrendously ugly and warped ‘cat’ bottles of wine were on sale for $10. It didn’t look like many had left the shelf, I’d imagine any self respecting cat lover would have turned tail and scarpered in the opposite direction.


Monday, November 20, 2017

Poor little Kota tries to lift his head. He’s still sedated after having blood taken for a test that will hopefully yield great results tomorrow. The doctor said he looked amazing, so with some rest tonight, he’ll hopefully be up for his hike again tomorrow afternoon.


Saturday, November 18, 2017

Kind of a shame that, with a name of The Gathering Room, I was the only one who pushed a door open and went inside. There was a welcome screen behind me and these amazing chandeliers. The new Museum of the Bible is, in my eyes, a hit.


Friday, November 17, 2017

Had to pick up some meds at Kota’s doctors’ office and loved their slightly sinister Thanksgiving decor outside. I wonder how many of the dog patients stopped to bark at these?


Thursday, November 16, 2017

Rosie Lee pulls the funniest faces on camera, especially selfies, like this one. She always makes me laugh.


Wednesday, November 15, 2017

I like the way my light shade distorts the light bulb so it appears to be melting.


Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Our refurbished 7/11 in Marshall will hopefully soon be open, judging by the 7.11 gas price on the new sign, and I will be very happy. It’s been additional stress trying to find another gas station with low prices and I e often had to pay higher.


Monday, November 13, 2017

With the freezing cold evenings, snuggling on the sofa in front of the fire is a must. Little Rosie Lee takes it to the extreme and likes to be completely covered by fleeces. Well, almost.


Sunday, November 12, 2017

While it’s freezing cold outside we’re all happy to snuggle together on the sofa.


Saturday, November 11, 2017

An almost surreal evening. What started as a reception for artist Yuri Gorbachev in Middleburg ended up with myself, Emily and Margie having dinner at the gallery owner’s house, enjoying delicious food and champagne with other guests. An interesting experience!