Well this blog is often about not doing art at all, only thinking about it sometimes.
But me and Cosmo did actually create artwork yesterday. I know this may be debateable? We planted some wild flower seeds in the woods together.
A little more background info for you to explain this was part of the Wild Flowers Project in Margate seminar thing I went to. I was given a packet of indiginous wild flower seeds for Margate which I rather randomly spread over Margate in car parks, at the war memorial, randon peoples front gardens, planters, bus stops etc. Kind of geurilla gardening. And the other packet of seeds we were told to plant at home or wherever.
Me and Cosmo went up the woods and planted a circular ring of seeds around a lonley oak tree. It was in a cleared area of the woods. I scraped a furrow with the heel of my shoe and sprinkled the seeds in there. Then me and Cosmo sort of scuffed the soil back over the top. Cosmo is better at digging than scuffing soil back over the top.
I also planted a furrow of seeds on top of an earth bank, which formed the side of a medievil road which went straight through the woods to Canterbury. This road was called ‘The Radfall’.
I will look forward to passing these places in the future to see if anything really grows there.
Me and Cosmo been spending more time in the woods!
Why?
Because the fine weather, summer time and that means people have BBQ's on the beach. In Cosmo's world there is only one thing better that a dead fish on the beach and that is some hapless persons BBQ. Some people dont mind him steeling their sausages and laugh, others totally freek out. Its best to stay away.
Theres been alot of activity in the woods. I went on a 'guided walk' where people could see and have explained the changes going on there.
The areas of pine are being thinned and some areas totally cleared to create open meadow land, where indiginous plants will grow naturally. There will be no planting scheme and whats grows is because of natures way. Oak and silver birch trees have been left. The idea is to enable, mice, snakes, birds, berries, butterflies and plants to return, as the thick pine planting stopped foerest floor habbitats developing.
Here's the surprising bit! They are using great european forests as models to copy which have a kind of bison roaming around, and will instead introduce Highland Cattle and some kind of pony to munch the grass and maintain growth levels. If they munch loads then the animalised areas will increase in size so munching is managed. I wondered if plant goes in the animal and droppings come out, and this was a way of spreading seeds?
Now, I also had visions of stampedes caused by Cosmo, but chestnut trees are being cut down to provide fencing for these large cattle/pony areas.
Walking along the cliffs we wander into a natural chine type feature. In this place we find a small cave!
It was enough to shelter in and dark. Did it go further back than I could see? I was just about to roll into it to see if there was anything in there other than a drinks can, but I thought Cosmo's good at investigating things. I'll sit and watch him.
He did not go in at all, he was too nervous to just brazenly go in come what may. He sniffed at he corners of the entrance. Then he ran off and sniffed all over the vacinity. I thought he's not interested, but he came back went 2 steps further into the cave, gathered another load of sniffs and then ran off exploring the surounding area again. Returning again and again each time he went a little further in and on the forth time he scouted the entire cave.
The information he was getting (or not getting) either, smells outside matched or did'nt match. Connected or not conected was obviously enabling him to get deeper in with more confidence. Apart from the can the only other thing was a circular form natural or man made I was unable to tell. It was of no interest to Cosmo though.
Thought for the day:
'The straight line leads to the downfall of our civilization. It is an uncreative line'. Hundertwasser.
Its not often you take the dog out for a walk and end up with your name and address in a policemans note book!
Which is exactley what happened to me yesterday.
I climbed down a cliff expecting Cosmo to follow me down! He did'nt too steep. When I got to the bottom I saw a guy kind of lurking in the clefts within the cliff face. He was surprised to see me and ran off along the beach. I climbed back up the cliff as Cosmo was not able to make it down, when I got to the top there were a very agitated couple looking at me. Said nothing, and I carried on walking with cosmo towards the car. I was nearly at the car and two coppers in bullet proof vests walked up to me and asked, if I had seen a guy in a grey and white hoodey.
Yes I said, he ran along the beach with a bag on his back 10 minutes ago. They wrote my name and address down in a book.
I have no idea at all as to what was going on there I was a totally random intervention in some kind of robbery probably? who knows.
Oh, and by the way I was recently in the woods and I was acosted by the owner of an alleged 'Prize Wining Bantom' who called Cosmo a frienzied Chicken snatcher. He was joking I think, I laughed and said was everything Ok, because after years of carefull breading that must have been a shock. All is well and no harm done.
I have also just watched a film called Marley and Me and if you have a dog or a family you will enjoy it even though it may make you cry.
