Painting with Tony

This is my brother Tony about to start work. We were painting a field of vines and a row of pines.My effort is shown below. Tony's painting was so much better than mine, perhaps he will put it on his web site! Tony lives at Pinet in Languedoc-Roussillon, France so the strong light in the south of France was very different to the light at home in Scotland.

Tony about to start painting.

These vines and pines were the subject

Speed Loving Dog

The Gerry Active 2012 Tour de France Cycling team was overtaken by this motor cycling trio. Was it imagination, or is that a superior smile on this speed happy hot dog?
 It reminded me of the cartoon Dick Dastardly and Mutley. Anybody remember them?

The Gerry Active team are quite used to being overtaken, even by walkers! But this is the first time by a dog on a motorcycle!

The Gerry Active Tour de France 2012

Lourdes. Invalids visiting The Grotto

The Gerry Active Tour de France started at Saintes with a puncture. I notice my rear tyre had a puncture just before loading onto The Bike Bus. 24 hours later I was mending this while the other four loaded their bikes. We set off in the direction of Royan where we caught the ferry across The Girronde river to Le Verdon Sur Mer then on to Montelivet for our first camp site. Spent two days here recuperating from the long bus journey and first days ride.

Then next day on to Le Porge where we spent two days holed up in a hotel due to extreme weather.This was definitely not supposed to happen, we could get this in England! The next day was not anticipated either! Miserable day, rain and lots of traffic as we negotiated the Archachon Basin towards Salle where we got thoroughly soaked pitching our tents. The next days were spent cycling to Bazas and Nerac and on the 14th the weather decided to agree with our dreams and it turned hot. We stayed at the lovely farm site near Nerac for two days enjoying the sun. The farm site had a swimming pool and restaurant and the owners were very nice. Then in scorching heat we cycled to Mirande where we again spent two nights. The next day the weather changed abruptly again and we continued to Lourdes via Tarbes. Just after arriving at Lourdes and the campsite we had a terrific thunderstorm. John and I were sitting with the rain dripping down our upturned hoods ( Can't remember where the other three were ) when a French family brought us some sandwiches and a bottle of wine. They must have thought we were too old to be camping in the rain and I must admit we were coming to that point of view ourselves. Anyway this kind act lifted our spirits. Poor John had gout and was talking of going home early. Lourdes is amazing, a mixture of tackiness and something genuine. Much to my surprise my cynical friends were impressed. I sat in the enormous church by myself for quite a long time and watched the procession of invalids being wheeled into the grotto by the nuns. Peter and the two Rogers left our tour here on the 21st June. John and I continued. My prayers for his gout were answered ( or was it that stuff from the pharmacy? ) and we caught the train to Toulous.


We planned to overnight in Toulous and then ride The Canal du Midi all the way to Agde. With this in mind we checked into a two star hotel close to the railway station only realizing when we ventured out for our evening meal at we were in what seemed to be a red light district. There was a ' Private Club ' just across the road with black girls hanging out of windows clearly looking for business! The canal du Midi is some 240 Kilometres long. The real Tour de France would have done it in one day but we didn't want to compete and it took us four days, not all of it on the canal as long sections were difficult to cycle with tree roots, rocks and uneven ground. We stayed at Castelnaudary where the site manager Karim spoke perfect English having worked at The Red Lion Hotel in Burnsall, Yorkshire. he was amazed that I knew it and I was amazed he knew Osmotherley where I had my business for ten years! Then to Carcassonne with it's amazing old city high above the new town, see photo below. That night I watched Spain beat France in the camp bar. Lots of glum French faces. Spain went on to win the European cup. Next day on to Pouzols Minervois ( off the canal ) and finally to Villneuve les Beziers almost at the end of the canal. Leaving the canal at Agde we cycled to Frontignan via Sete where we had a couple of days lazing by The Med.

Drum Band at Toulouse

We had unbroken sunshine since leaving Toulous so we enjoyed swimming very much. I left John here as he was due to return to England from Montpellier on the 1st July and cycled on to Pinet to stay with my brother Tony and his wife Erna. It was a strange tour this year and we all agreed in retrospect that all in all we prefered the mountains even though the cycling is much harder. The question is will we be strong enough to tackle them next year? Well if Bradley Wiggins can do it!

Canal du Midi.

The Old City. Carcassonne

Tour de France 2012. The Gerry Active Team.

The Gerry Active 2012 Tour de France starts on Tuesday. There will be five of us this year and as you can see from the photo of four previous participants, there will be no sprint finish!

This will be my fourth year with my good friends John, Peter, Roger and a friend of Roger's I have still to meet.

This is a fantastic retreat from the complexities of modern life and domestic responsibilities.Dropping the misery of the news and current events, information overload, computers, tweets, social networks and texts this is a great opportunity to open up to the big picture, what is important in life, reevaluate one's future direction etc. Less is definitely more! We have four weeks of gentle cycling and camping followed for me by another two weeks based at my brothers residence near Montpellier. Our route takes us from Saintes down the west coast and then to Lourdes where some catch the bus home. John and I then continue to Montpellier. We don't have a fixed route or itinerary and we may stumble across local fetes such as the one pictured in St. Ambroix last year. I am looking forward to it and no doubt after six weeks camping will look forward again to a comfortable bed!

Heated Beer Garden!

The Kings Arms in Hawkshead proudly boasts a heated beer garden! This week however a bigger draw was the shade and maybe air conditioning would have been more appropriate.

So the Japanese Lake District week came to an end in the same way as it started, with clear blue skies and hot sunshine. I wonder what odds the bookies would have given?

Everybody had a good time and The Lake District has gained new fans and they want to come back. I just hope they don't expect wall to wall sunshine on the next visit!

The reason The Lakes are so beautiful and green is that there is lots of RAIN.

Cat Bells. Derwent Water.

Clare

 Some of the Japanese chose to paddle in Derwent Water but the rest came to the top of this much used view point above the lake. Yet ANOTHER sunny day! Most guests do not believe it rains here! Cat Bells is a sharp steep little hill and as you can see from the state of the path, very popular, not surprising given the magnificent view of Derwent Water and Keswick.
The name Cat Bells comes from a corruption of the old Norse language meaning Home of The Wildcat.

Masami

Kunie

Castle Rigg Stone Circle.

We took the Japanese to Castlerigg Stone Circle just outside Keswick. Although not very high the circle affords a superb 360 degree view of many Lakeland mountains.

The stones were erected about 4500 years ago by prehistoric farming communities.

Naturally our Japanese friends took LOTS of photos.

Wood near Hawkshead. The Lake District.

I sat and painted this picture in the beautiful spring wood we walked through on the first day.

Meanwhile the main party of Japanese visitors opted for a gentle day after the strenuous effort of the previous day. They took a boat trip across Coniston to visit Brantwood which was the home of John Ruskin. From the adjoining restaurant terrace there is a magnificent view down to Coniston Water.

My day was quite solitary and in two hours of painting only one man with his dog ventured past along the path in the painting.

Over six million visitors visit The English Lake District every year and yet it is still quite possible to be alone.

Tomorrow we will have the obligatory trip to Hilltop the home of Beatrix Potter now owned by the National Trust. We will definitely not be alone. It will be swarming with Japanese coach parties! They are bused into Bowness take a boat over Lake Windermere visit Hilltop and return. That is all most see of this amazing National Park. Our group will feel quite smug as they have already seen more than most tourists.

A Hard walk. Weatherlam.

 The luck of the Japanese continues with the third day of glorious sunshine.

The whole party climbed Weatherlam from Coniston. It is a hard walk especially going down but we had rewarding views of Langdale valley, Windermere Lake, Coniston Water among other things. Two ladies were very tired but all but one made it all the way to the top.

Afterwards we had tea, cakes and ice creams in Coniston and boy did it taste good.



First Walk. On Latterbarrow.

More than Beatrix Potter.

First Walk. Latterbarrow and Bluebell woods.

 Our Japanese visitors took so many photos on this glorious first day. As you can see these woods are so delightful. It has been such a cold wet spring but the upside is that wonderful spring green has been prolonged.

I don't think any of us expected to wake to such a day, after all yesterday was cold with a cutting northerly wind. However this is The English Lake District and days like this when they come have a special flavour.

This first days walk is relatively gentle as Latterbarrow although a really excellent viewpoint is not too high. We have a gentle walk to test the walking caperbilities of our guests as later walks will be more demanding. From the top of Latterbarrow there are good views of Lake Windemere, Englands longest lake, actually only about 10 miles.

Lake District Japanese Week

So here we are again, the sixth annual Lake District house party. We are eleven, eight Japanese and three Brits.

The intention is to show Japanese visitors that there is a Lake District beyond Beatrix Potter and Hilltop, That the Lake District needs more than one day to appreciate it's beauty.

This picture is on top of Latterbarrow near Hawkshead where we are based, and no I have NOT doctored the photo, that REALLY is sunshine. Can you spot the Brits?

Glen Affric. Finished

So this is probably the finished painting ( if there is such a thing as we artists can't resist fiddling ) and thank you for the suggestions everybody. Thank you Graham, the change to the area in front of the loch was spot on. I am not happy with the pine tree but no point in trying to change it now.


I am now in The English Lake District and it is JUST BEAUTIFUL, the spring greens are stunning. So now I am stretching paper for another painting.

Glen Affric Scotland painting

 I have worked a bit more on this painting. I have added another Birch tree on the right and a few pine trees just below the first ridge.

It has been pointed out to me that the tree on the left is too strong for the trees on the right? I kind of agree but it could be like yin and yang? the softness of the Birches complimenting the power of the Pine.


Someone else said it would make two pictures?

So leaving the physical picture whole I have digitally separated the painting. What do you think the pine tree only or the birch trees only.

Actually separating the two halves has shown me something else which could be improved!

Clear Vision

After days of relentless rain, grey skies and cold I woke this morning to a cloudless blue sky.

One of the objectives of Buddhism is to see things as they really are. However how do you know what is reality?

Good question; if you accept we all create our own reality by the quality of our mind then we are all seeing things differently are we not?

This morning I went to the meditation sanctuary at The Findhorn Community to attend a Thich Nat Hann meditation group. The meditations were wonderful, sitting meditation, walking meditation and then sitting meditation again. As the day was so superb with amazing clarity the walking meditation in the original garden was especially penetrating. The blossom on the fruit trees, the flowers, the bark and moss on the tree trunks stabbed me into awareness.

However after the meditations John the leader read out the five training principals. Now I am aware of the five precepts but have never heard them expressed in such a way before. I have read many of Thich Nat Hann's books and found them to be gentle and inspiring. John explained that some people at Plum Village (The Thich Nat Hann community in France ) had decided to apply these precepts to contemporary life. For me and several others in the group these precepts in this form closed down the expansive liberation which was originally intended.

As an artist I love to look at things closely and I know that since taking up art after my business career I find myself really looking at everything in a new way. That is my reality but is it the ultimate reality? I don't have the answer but I would say if someone else is trying to impose their reality on you and it does not feel comfortable it is not the right reality for you.

Glen Affric. Scotland

Advice needed from all you experienced and amateur artists.

This is stage one of my painting of Glen Affric, one of my favourite Scottish Glens. I am not sure the colours in the foreground work with the middle distance towards the Loch. It can easily be changed. My feeling is that the foreground should be more blue and the middle distance a lighter blue green tinge.

What do you think?

Barton Turf. Norfolk Broads.

This is a little corner called Barton Turf just off Barton Broad.( Broad is a type of Lake which was formed by human peat digging. The Broads lie in an area of wetlands fed by four rivers and is an area of outstanding natural beauty.)

On my recent trip to Norfolk I visited to lay down a sketch to paint. When I was a lad, many years ago, I used to fish here. I was delighted to find it looked just the same, a sort of time warp. I was taken back to that magical time. Watching my fishing float on the tranquil water was a meditation. It was a connection with the unseen reality beneath the opaque water, another world and the pregnant possibility that I could connect with it. In those innocent days everything was fresh and new and that little world was full of life, rustles in the reeds, splashes, plops and busy Moorhens and Ducks gliding by.

However of course nothing does stay the same. The two workmen in the foreground were busy renewing rotten staging. At least I was outlasting the staging but if it is true that all cells in our bodies are completely changed every seven years then I have been renewed at least seven times since being here.
It was raining so no painting but it was so peaceful I was happy to be there.

Maybe this scene can be the basis for a painting although it is a bit fuzzy.

What Men Need. Part Two

This is my friend Jeff. He hasn't got a shed ( see previous post ) but he does have this nice little conservatory where he likes to sit and have a quiet smoke.

I am not sure if it is an escape or banishment! The rest of the house is non smoking.

The plants look amazingly healthy don't they?

What Men Need

Apparently what men need is- space- somewhere to go that is entirely their domain. According to a survey ( who on earth commissions these ) the most popular place to get this space is the humble garden shed!

I really don't know if this is true but I do remember as a small boy gathering with friends in a neighbours garden shed. We would sit round a candle smoking cigarettes made from a type of weed. They tasted TERRIBLE but we thought we were awfully daring.

Recently I visited my family in Norfolk and I saw the shed in the photo and thought it did look quite enticing, dressed in green paint with a neat corrugated roof. I thought if I did fancy escaping to a shed one like this would be nice!

Do you know anyone who uses their shed for - space? 

Blue chicken with tomatoes

This is a fun painting to cheer up a large cottage kitchen. It is quite large being 39cm x 27 cm in a ivory mount with a black lined edge. The frame is in natural wood and measures 62cm x 51cm. The background is watercolour and the details in acrylic. You can buy this original painting on line for £200.00 post free by going to my web site. www.chrisgauntartist.co.uk

The English Lake District

I had a good day out in The Lake District with John Rickard. John manages my art web site and we have become good friends. He also guides for us during the annual Japanese Lake District week which Kunie hosts.
We climbed Harter Fell ( pictured ) from Eskdale descending to Hardknott Pass where we watched cyclists trying to cycle up without dismounting. Some of them were real athletes and were probably training for the up and coming tough round Lake District cycle race. Hardknott Pass is INCREDIBLY steep and very narrow. Some cars barely made it up and going down is hair raising.
On the way down we stopped to look at Hardknott Castle a high and exposed Roman Fort. It was built about the same time as Hadrian's Hall to the north. It is very exposed and I wouldn't have liked to be a Roman Soldier stationed there! If you are interested in learning more about this Roman Fort here is a link to Roman Britain.

Blue Moon

This is my second version of this scene. This is much larger than the other and is more blue. I used Windsor Blue and Paynes Grey only. It was an exercise in water colour washes. Oh and a touch of Titanium White Acrylic. The stars were depicted by splashing masking fluid onto the paper before applying the blue wash.

The size is 39cm x 30cm and is for sale fully mounted and framed for £200.00.

Does this price seem reasonable? Edvard Munch's The Scream has just sold for $119.9 million! You may feel more peaceful with my picture on your wall?

If you would like to look at some more of my affordable art for sale go to www.chrisgauntartist.co.uk 

Exit Life

After Simon Yate's lecture mentioned in the previous blog, John and I were chatting about the risky nature of his (Simon's) life. From that we talked about our own lives and the part risk played in defining our most ' alive ' moments. Here is the poem ( or is it prose? ) that John shared with me. I suspect this is quite an old poem from the ' stiff upper lip ' period as now it is quite fashionable to show emotion and sentiment. However it contains the truth. Also from a Buddhist perspective it is the refusal to accept that life is changing and flowing that causes suffering. So I say take a risk and live.

RISK

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their love.

To love is to risk being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But the greatest hazard in all life is to risk nothing.

The one who risks nothing, does nothing and has nothing - and finally is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrows,

But he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.

Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited freedom.

Only one who risks is free.

Author Unknown.



The Void

On Friday I went with my friend John to Inverness to hear a lecture by Simon Yates. Simon Yates has explored and climbed in some of the most remote and hostile environments on earth. He also is notorious for making the horrific decision to cut the rope supporting his fellow climber Joe Simpson who had fallen and was dragging Simon to the edge of the cliff on a South American peak.
Joe survived against all odds and the story inspired a book and film called 'Touching the Void '

On the way home we discussed this and our points of view.
John yesterday gave me a poem entitled ' Risk ' which I think sums up our talk and I will publish it in my next post.

Island Escape Update

Further to my previous blog here is a clip of the amazing Mr. Grimshaw from the programme ' Indian Ocean ' shown on BBC 2 a short while ago. Actually he is 86 not 81 as I thought. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17857239
Do give it a look.

Island Escape

Here is a nice story. It is an antidote to my previous blog.

In 1972 Brendon Grimshaw from Yorkshire ( what a splendid Yorkshire name ) bought a small island in the Seyschelles called Moyenne for £8000.00.

When Brendon ( now 81 and still a picture of health ) bought the island it was so overgrown as to be impenetrable. Over the years he has transformed the island into a 22 acre nature reserve. He cleared the scrub, built a wooden house, planted Palm trees, Mango and Paw Paw. He piped water, electricity and phone line from the nearby island of Mahe. He introduced wildlife and has 120 giant Tortoises.

The island is now a national park so is protected when he dies. In addition to the tortoises the island has a range of wildlife and 40 species of Palm trees.

Brendon is not a recluse and welcomes day visitors from nearby Mahe for £10.00 a visit, but does not allow overnight stays. After his mother died his father came out from England and lived on the island until he died. Brendon says they had a wonderful few years together.

He is living the dream and will leave the world a better place.

The programme ' Indian Ocean ' ( BBC 2 on Sunday ) presented by Simon Reeves will feature Brendon.
( The programme has now been shown so here is a clip from it. Do give it a look.)  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17857239

The Dog of Democracy.

Am I alone in thinking that democracy in it's present form has had it's day?

Here in Scotland we are in the midst of local council elections. I am inundated by leaflets by candidates all promising to work hard to increase jobs and services, to make everyone's life better etc. No one has the honesty to say the limit of money that can be raised by taxes or borrowing was reached years ago and therefore we cannot promise a better standard of living.

The French election is producing a backlash from voters who feel betrayed by the promises made but depressingly only seem to be prepared to elect another president who is making unattainable promises.

Democratically elected governments have for years been promising more and more to get elected and then in trying to meet the expectations raised by spending more and more borrowed money. Now it is no longer possible to kick that can further down the road. Certainly banks were culpable in this crisis but governments connived in the recklessness as long as the tax on bank profits kept coming in.

We got the governments we deserved, they appealed to our greed and we too turned a blind eye, voting for the promises. Would we have elected governments promising reality as an alternative? I don't think so. We also have to ask the question; have we failed democracy? It is, in a way a reflection on us, the electorate, if politicians have to make unrealistic promises if that is the only way they will get elected!

So this has proved to be the fundamental flaw in modern democracy. It does seem to be approaching a death spiral ( at least in Europe ) and one can only hope it doesn't lead to a resurgence of totalitarianism of the right or left.

Does anyone have a solution ? I suppose the first step has to be a recognition that democracy as we know it has failed.

Ghost of Tomorrow

Another poem by Phil Cornelius from his book Shadowlands.

Ghost of tomorrow.

I am known here among the stones and bones of this soulless place.

I am the shiver in the wind; the tremble of panic in the wild bird's cry.

I am the silence when the mist rokes in; the shadows in a cloudless sky.

I am the shaft of light as the storm clouds clear.

The rustle in the heather that draws you near.

I am the smoke of past fires hung low on the breeze.

The sound of the ocean coming down from the trees.

I am the one behind who's never there,

Unseen echoes in the cold night air.

I am the spite in the rain when the East winds squall.

A glimpse of tomorrow through a hole in the wall.

To learn more about Phil Cornelius's work go to www.philcornelius.co.uk 

Living without money.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17762033  This is a very interesting story about a man living without money since 2000. Could you do it too? Two questions though, he has a blog and seems to ride a rather nice bicycle. How does he pay for the internet and buy the bike? His story is being made into a book and while it is true he is not the author, maybe, just maybe, some money might flow his way.
However there is a message here, maybe the Buddha's middle way?

Glowing Flowers

Yesterday I worked in Findhorn Foundation's Cluny Garden.
It was quite cold with persistent rain but with spirits undampened I worked with three other gardeners cutting up tree branches.
As a volunteer I am offered a choice of jobs ( nothing is compulsory ) and then having chosen simply get on with it. I love this, as absolved from the responsibility of future planning, my mind is free and open.
Yesterday with this empty mind I was at one with the beauty of nature. The flowers were glowing with, throbbing with, life. The tree buds were celebrating the rain, seemingly opening before my eyes with joy at the nourishment falling from the sky. Blackbirds danced over the lawn to feed on the worms surfacing in the rain. I felt connected to this wonderful energy but at the same time was reminded of my own transience in all of this.

As True Today

Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying;

' Seven things in this world that lead to violence: Wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice and politics without principle.'

I am not sure it is entirely true to say sacrifice is essential for worship but I couldn't agree more with the other six.

Scottish Cycle Ride

I have just spent four days researching a route for The Gerry Active September Scottish ride. The weather was indifferent but the ride has everything, mountains, moor and coast. I have booked all the accommodation and am sure my comrades will enjoy it. There will be five of us.

Gate of Understanding

On Saturday I helped with the registration for a workshop entitled Christ Consciousness at the Findhorn Foundation. For this mornings work I was given a free pass to one session of this workshop.

The speaker for this session was Jeddha Mali and very inspiring it was too. She had studied in India with many spiritual masters including the Dalai Lama.

In essence her message was no matter how much you have studied, how many books you have read and how many hours you meditate, unless you connect with the power within you will never go through the gate to actual experience. Without this experience you will only have an intellectual understanding of spirit. This is but a pale shadow of the real thing.

By all means use the tools of teachers, books, meditations and exercise but don't give your power away.

Rock Star

Another painting dabble by me.

Can you guess who?

If not I suppose it's not so good.

Panda Panic

Who would want to be a male Panda? You spend 363 days a year peacefully chewing Bamboo and then suddenly you have little more than 24 hours to impregnate a female Panda!

Just imagine the pressure? After spending 363 days in solitary confinement suddenly you are pushed into a ' love tunnel ' with a girl you don't know. Not only that but there are photographers and zoo keepers watching!

Now I know some red blooded men may think it is a dream come true to be given ' a bride ' after a long period of abstinence, but come on, with the worlds press watching!

I am of course referring to the two Giant Pandas given to Edinburgh Zoo by China. Yang Guang (Sunshine ) and Tian Tian ( Sweetie ) are the Pandas in question. Tian Tian the female is ovulating right now ( it happens only once a year for two days ) and is said to be fired up for it. Yang Guang on the other hand has so far failed his task after a couple of attempts. Time is running out even though keepers are on hand with a long pole to move Tian Tian's tail to one side. Apparently this was a bit of a problem in an earlier attempt.

Come on Yang Guang just a few more hours, a little more effort and then you can go back to eating Bamboo. Remember all the men in the world are rooting for you.

India. Just a Minute.

Thank God for Radio 4.

A previous post giving thanks for Radio 4 recorded a very interesting talk on Shintoism and today while painting I listened to two fascinating talks.
One was about France with interviews with French people about how they thought other nations saw France.
This was illuminating but what really caught my attention was a programme on ' Just a Minute ' now 45 years old with the same host Nicholas Parsons. Nicholas was in India where Just a Minute has been taken up and adapted by Indians. Very striking was the enthusiasm, intelligence and humour of the people, mostly students taking part in the programme. Also the sheer energy of the new dynamic India came through and I was filled with admiration. We have much to learn from India.

P.S. In case anyone is not familiar with Just a Minute, players have to try to speak for just a minute without hesitation, deviation or repetition. Not as easy as it sounds.

Grey

A cold wind moves the grey pines

My heart whispers grey like the air

The illusion of independence vanishing

Crushed on the grey rocks of reality

The shattered dust of delusion
Reforming in glorious yellow

Oh Dear!

They say practise makes perfect!

However it is obvious I need more practise to get this painting right.

Ghosts of love

Ghosts of lovers past

Stalk my mind and dreams.

Golden haze of memories

Moments of passion.

Floating on clouds of infatuation

Dissolving into tender love.

Gratefully I carry my ghosts

With enduring love and gratitude.

Horse Wisdom

In the field next to our house there are three horses, a stallion and two mares. After my morning meditation I was watching them and words from Kahil Gibran's book The Prophet came to mind. The horses display affection to each other by licking and gentle pushing with their noses.

They also usually graze quite close to each other but when resting on the ground there is usually some comfortable space between them, although still close.

They reminded me of the words from the section on marriage." Let there be spaces in your togetherness. And let the winds of heaven dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls "

Edinburgh Galleries and Botanic Gardens

Just spent a couple of days in Edinburgh. I had a good look round the galleries on Dundas street. I was amazed at the prices some galleries were charging for work that I didn't find very good and again how modest some prices were for excellent work. I know art is subjective but it did seem those artists with lots of letters and maybe an OBE behind their name could charge up to £36000.00 for a very ordinary splashy painting. I admit I don't have an educated eye but I know what I like as they say!
It was also my first visit to The Botanical Gardens and I wasn't disappointed. Again I do not know a lot about plants but I felt the wonderful energy of the trees and the whole beautiful garden with birds and squirels. Vibrant and bursting with life.
Edinburgh itself is full of little cafes, bars  restaurants, all full with no discernable lack of money.