Spring season

[SenoritaMama]

We all need a breath of fresh air and this season is a perfect time to enjoy nature as it is. Anyone here plans to travel and enjoy nature this time of year? I'm sure there are many ways to avoid crowded places even in this season! :)

 

[Jrasta111]

Was never big on this time of year and the biggest plans I have so far is a haircut as soon as is both possible and practical... Given the current state of affairs no doubt they'll be booked for about a month or two after they open at least so it's looking far more likely my hair is getting long once more but we live in hope. Also my mum's birthday is this time of year very soon so around about Easter. Here's a video of the card I made her last year which is indeed conveniently titled... Not sure what it'll be this year but this is a place called Aylesford Priory we visited what must be around about a year ago now. Tends to be a favourite so no doubt be returning there at some point soon hopefully at least.

 

[SenoritaMama]

You're so good at that, just wow!

 

[Jrasta111]

Cheers! Come to think of it it's a little over a year and a month since... Well let's just say I've found it's usually best just to be grateful to be able to do anything at all.

I don't usually stop to think all that much anymore, certainly not about that, at least not if it stops me doing. Which sadly most of the time it will if I let it but I played Shadow of the Tomb Raider all the way through just recently. Never really played Tomb Raider games at all before but what can I say? It's pretty good too.

Thanks again. Making the full videos is a fair amount of effort. I just like to do what I can to find ways to express things that may otherwise go unsaid. It's certainly nice when others appreciate them that way. When it's always the same stuff dressed up as different over and over it gets boring I find. Tedious if you will. It's my way of trying to break the monotony of it all. They call it art.

For me it's just trying to be.

This is a younger me with my Aunt, made it for her as a Christmas present some years back now, when she took me to visit America what will soon be 20 years ago... Can hardly believe how long that really is. I say don't let your best days be behind you. Keep going everyone!

 

[SenoritaMama]

20years ago? Those are some great memories you have right there! Btw, if anyone's looking for any road trip destinations this season, here are some of the best! Cheers! thebrokebackpacker.com/best-road-trips-usa/

 

[Jrasta111]

Well, the chances of me even leaving the country let alone to somewhere as far afield as returning to the US are fairly remote, at least any time soon... However I've been able recently to do a spot of local photography. The place below is one of if not my favourite place, a small town called Gravesend, the place I grew up. There is a fair amount of local historical significance but in recent centuries it has become fairly backwater although the pier here used to enjoy a fair amount of significance the town itself being something of a luxury holiday spot at least until traveling up the Thames in small boats became obsoleted by our modern mechanical beasts and the iron roads... You know road and rail. The church there is called St. Andrews though it has long ceased to serve that function and is now used as an 'Art Centre'.

You may recognise this second place below I visited once again today from the video above located on the sister river of the Thames sharing the same estuary the river Medway which is also closer to where I now reside. The visit was somewhat significant given the current situation and certain events occurring around Christmas I have been seemingly unable to enter any religious buildings since something always seeming to stand in the way which my better sense tells me not to circumvent as I surely could find many ways to do... But in any event I was able to pay one of the smaller shrine chapels located here a quick unimpeded visit which by comparison seems utterly insignificant but was nonetheless a much needed small comfort for me this Spring in particular.

 

[Jrasta111]

We managed a small trip to Norfolk for a few days this week. My other aunt began moving there last year but the pandemic madness hit at precisely the wrong moment for them and that but they've now managed to get relatively settled in. I have two aunts on that side, the other who was in the picture in the video above is the eldest in the family, but she lives further north in Leeds and things there are difficult at the moment even without the enduring madness we are facing. We haven't had any opportunity to get together since last year when we got together to remember my uncle who was the eldest boy in the family. He died about three years back now very suddenly which has been a major blow for everyone.



The first two photos here are near the lighthouse I sketched in my thread, a place called Hunstanton, we ended up here again as my mum wanted to visit the farmshop called Norfolk Lavender which I also sketched and is in that same GIF. She had wanted to get some of their specialty honey as well as some kind of gift for my sister who's birthday is coming up although she's away in Austria rather stuck there for now for obvious reasons. Sadly they did not have the honey for some reason at the moment but it is nearby Hunstanton and we visited the beach although it was not ideal weather. Can see how choppy the water is in the photos and it's rather windy but we found someone who was taking advantage nonetheless. Kite-surfing I believe this is called.

For the last photo there I was finally able to go and sit in a church properly for a bit where I did this little sketch which is something I've been missing a lot as of late. Hopefully it won't be the last I'm able to do in general but the weather has not been very friendly. It was a lovely day when we visited this cathedral but as I was trying to finish I noticed it seemed to be darkening and when I went back outside all of a sudden the sun had gone on break or something and had been very quickly replaced by grim grey clouds and a downpour. So no pictures of the outside. Good old England. There are two cathedrals in Norwich and this is the second smaller one known as the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. It is a catholic cathedral which is actually fairly rare in this country. Few more photos of the inside at least below.