Friday 5 September 2008

A sniff of Autumn

AS MY FLU ABATES and my nose begins to work again, I detect a hint of brown leaves on the wind. Autumn is tiptoeing slyly in between the rain showers and half remembered sunbeams, and our truck is getting splendider by the day. Yesterday Tui took me out into the air for the first time in 6 days, and we parked the Bedford up the road in a heathery sheepy spot where we lit a fire and made tea and eggs on toast and read books. There is now a lovely wooden ceiling in the truck (with skylights above where my desk will be), a skeleton of a kitchen with sink and cooker and cupboards, and a door handle and a lock! Even the wood and green of our wheeled home blend in with the windy brown grey hills, and the smoke curls out of the chimney past a brand new chimney rain hat.

Back in the house.. I have been able once more to put pencil and paintbrush to the next circle of wood that is to be Once Upon O'Clock number four. It is dark indoors, and any brief chink of sunlight that breaks through the days of rain showers is welcome indeed. We sit in the house planning travels, impatient to have our house finished, and imagining waking parked in Other Places, where the light is different and where the grass is crisp with frozen dew...



23 comments:

tut-tut said...

I'd say where it's parked now is close to perfect!

Vinara said...

Wow, fabulous scenery :D. Glad you're feeling better!

Enelya +++

Acornmoon said...

Glad to hear your on the mend. What lovely colours, the heather, bracken and wood.

Anonymous said...

That heather looks beautiful! Good to hear you're on the mend. It sounds as though you're going to have a magical place to work in soon. I'm very impressed with the notion of skylights, you and Tui really have thought of everything -it's going to be fantastic.x

Elva Undine said...

You live a storybook life. Are you sure you're a real person? Maybe you're an illustration come to life. :)

Anonymous said...

rima, you - your face, your hair, your truck, your artwork, your surroundings - all so so beautiful. i wish to sit next to you on a rainy day and sip lots and lots of hot tea.
the air smells of dead leaves here as well. i'm listening to cicadas as i write this, and looking out acros the beautiful mountains. fall comes soon. xo

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

What an idyllic spot you found to spend an afternoon. I wish Edward and I could have joined you. We could have read aloud our favorite passages from Jonathan Strange!

So glad you are feeling better!

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Glad you are feeling better !!! Not sure which is nicer the Bedford for the purple, green, Sheepy landscape.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back to the land of the well! Especially with that landscape to inspire you.

Ciara Brehony said...

What a wonderful place for your comeback! So glad you're well again Rima. The wanderly-wagon glows with the magic you two infuse with it! I just love seeing it's progress. Why do I always hear this (Vashti Bunyan) song in my ear?
"Jog along Bess hop along May
Squeak along Blue it's a walk along day
It's a long road and weary are we
Bubble on kettle and make us all some tea".

I think you know why...

:-)

Shelley Noble said...

Scrumptious. So glad you're mending. Caugh'--You are living inside one of your amazing drawings!

tlchang said...

Surreally lovely - soon-to-be-home, landscape, prose, and all. Glad you are on the mend. As always looking forward to more of your magical adventures.

Yoli said...

Girl I envy your view. I envy your freedom too!

Yoli said...

PS: Glad you are feeling better. Any clues as to what the next clock will be?

shadows and clouds said...

hello there, how exciting to find your blog, i happened upon it by accident, and it's such a lovely haven of a place, it feels cosy like coming home looking through your photos, spectacular illustrations and work! i have to go make chutney now but i will be back to read with more glee! thanks! and i hope your flu is now all gone!

Suse said...

What an amazing home on wheels you are making.

I'm glad your flu is abating.

mama p said...

Can't stop grinning :))) & feel sort of like a kid: when do we go? when do we go? Meaning "we" all who gather round your web-glow and AH! It's just too exciting to bear. Lovely setting! Glad you could enjoy it today.

Curious Art said...

I'm so glad you're feeling better, but I must say that sickbed looked pretty darn cozy & inviting! Of course, your rambling house looks lovelier by the day.

Sorry I've been out of the loop in the blog world lately, taking care of my grandmother in her computerless house. I must say it feels rather strange to be "unplugged" for so long.

Can't wait to see that new clock!

Ruthie Redden said...

Hello Rima, i came to visit and stayed a much longer while. I found you took me back to my childhood and returned to me a huge, lost part of myself. thank you. thank you for your beautiful story and for illustrations that conjour so perfectly. I am spellbound.

herhimnbryn said...

As Pa Larkin would say that looks "just perfic, perfic."!

valonia said...

From the bow of my boat I sense the change in season too, as I sit with a mug of hot tea and watch the leaves turn and the rain fall.

Autumn is also my faourite time of year. It always has been and I think it always will be.

It's good that you are on the mend. There is nothing like a cat and a good book to cheer the soul and cleanse your ailments.

Much love,

x V.

Griffin said...

I too was born in Autumn (November) and love its colours, especially the reds and golds. I'd say take a drive to the Pembrokeshire coast. You might even come across three ginger cats on the prowl...!

Tracy M. said...

Oh that is beautiful, I so want to go to Scotland someday!
Thank you for the lovely pictures,
Tracy