Popeye arms and new words

 It was a wet weekend but we can't complain as we have had a very hot and sunny summer so far. Unfortunately we don't have a garden - just a yard which doubles as a customer car park during the week. However, if you bung a paddling pool in the middle and add an heroic older man (the nine year old next-door neighbour, Lukas) it is enough to make a toddler very excited.

Elaine eyes Lukas' snack. Her forearm has taken on Popeye-like proportions here.

I don't think Elaine's vocabulary is as extensive as some of her peers because of the bilingual complication. But the words are starting to come thick and fast now.

 Since I drew these pages she's added quite a few new words (English and German) to her collection. 
Finally, if you ever wonder why my photos are so dodgy..I blame my assistant:

 

Rather random Scottish stuff...

...from my holiday in (ahem) July. Will have some more up to date(ish) stuff in the next post!

Strawberries in my parents garden (Elaine hat already eaten mst of the ripe ones).

An Orkney reed-backed chair in the house we rented with friends

The Skerray jetty. Billy Mac drove up in his Ford Transit, hauled up lobster pots from the side of the jetty for us to choose our victims. I was in the car with (sleeping Elaine) sketching from a distance. I was quite happy to avoid pointing the finger of death and even more happy not to be in the house when the lobster were quickly killed (before cooking). Tasted amazing! Yeah, I'm a hypocrite, I don't deny it!

Looking down to Ben Kilbreck in the distance. I can't tell you what a lovely view this is...and how disappointed I am at my poor effort. I just haven't mastered the light to dark background/foreground at all. It all went haywire. Maybe drinking gin at the same time wasn't the best idea.

The Aga

The poor stag's head in the snooker room. Wonder if deer also look a bit cross-eyed when alive?