Hello from Sunday night

Gosh it's been such a busy week and I'm extremely behind on commenting and visiting everyone. Come to think of it, it seems like that's the case with practically everyone out there. :D Are you all enjoying the last couple weeks of summer holidays? I hope so.Oxfordshire is so golden and beautiful in the late summer and it's so lovely to be here in the country rather than the city this time of year.Robert and I have been trying to get on top of major house and garden projects...like extending the garage and planning a conservatory...as well as getting out to enjoy our world.Work on the Land Rover is moving along at a snails pace mainly because we keep finding more engine or body work problems, but it's coming together. We're almost there for taking the Landi in for its MOT.I've been sanding, cleaning, patching and repairing the body like crazy, and finally got it to the point where I'm happy to paint it with a rust-proof primer.The primer has made a transformation! Now I can paint with the original Land Rover sandstone paint colour it should have been. Yay, progress! All so exciting.We've decided to keep the original face where the vintage tags are on the central panel. I like the little bit of history.Not much to report from the art department this week either.A little more work on the blackbirds. All three fireweeds (willow roseherb in the UK) are drawn in in black India ink and a first layer of colour is in some places. Loads of work left and I better get on with it if I want to show it in the village competition in two weeks.I've been doing a bit of linocuts and having fun with those, especially since I bought some easy to cut lino form a fantastic on-line company. Gosh, do you know how much I love the whole UK system of buying things on-line and then they come in the next day or two? The whole Royal Mail system is just dynamite!But the only other piece of art I managed this week is this little bullfinch. He's been stalking the garden these days. I put him on a page from that old 1918 dictionary with the words "splendid" and "splash". He is a little splash of splendid colour in the garden.We were going to take the mini racing this weekend, but the weather has turned rainy and cool. (Can't race in the rain) We did, however, find this magic crop tiny mushrooms all over the place. Well then, hello autumn?My time here in the UK seems so short now by comparison to when I came here late June and now it seems that I can actually feel the time drawing to an end. I hate feeling the pressure of having to change countries, of leaving Robbie, exactly the same feeling I have when I leave Vancouver and leave my children. Wish I could be in two places at the same time.Wow, this summer seems to just be flying by. I hate that. Is it just me, or does anyone else have that feeling? When time seems like that to me I have to make a conscious decision to slow down and live in the moment. Every moment. :D