We sit and gaze at our landscape which is a constant source of joy and delight. From dramatic weather to changing seasons, there's always something to sit and marvel at over the hills of The Quantocks. But during the past few weeks we've started making changes to our own immediate landscape which is marginally more within our control ...
The workmen are back, and we're finally creating spaces outside that will make this summer doubly special - at last I will fulfil my dream of walking onto our terrace with bare feet!
We started by painting the old steel framework that will be the support for a new pergola. The diggers then moved in again to level the rough scalpings we've lived with as our terrace for two and a bit years. Now the flags are going down ... such a transformation!
We still have a way to go, but it'll be SO worth it!
Other changes to our landscape have involved more planting. Two hundred bare root hedge plants went in in February, and are already growing well despite the waterlogged ground. As I write, our ELEVENTH named storm of the season is sweeping through and we are being buffeted by severe wind and rain.
But the best landscapes of all we thankfully cannot alter. Our daily walks are so varied and we explore and discover new routes all the time. It's easy to gather too many landscape photographs, so I'm trying to keep them culled, but also I've started painting some of them too. I've joined a group led by the wonderful local landscape artist, Jenny Graham, who is helping to guide my somewhat inadequate talent in the right direction - Somerset's creativity is highly infectious!
So we continue to plough on through the list of jobs on the whiteboard, but making sure we make time to enjoy all that Somerset has to offer. Forever muddy and joining with the neighbours for local fare accompanied by cider and sea shanties. What could be better?!
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