On the trail of the secret owls
There is a secret artist in our village who creates owls out of the natural features of a tree. They add beads for eyes and mark in beaks and feathers. They are in the woods and common, but also on trees in residential streets. They are delightful when you spot them; like receiving an unexpected gift. They are skilled, mysterious, humble, accessible, and perfect as a form of art. After the rains of Monday, and without practical footwear, my friend Imogen and I took our children out on Tuesday evening after tea for a mud stomping search for some of the more tucked away owls we knew were out there…
Twin-toowoo owls spotted on a village street
The thing is, these owls feel like they should be a bit mysterious. My intention had been to create a trail map with their locations on it, but as we walked around this began to feel wrong. I wasn’t even sure if I should take their photographs anymore … they all seem so individual, perhaps I should respect their privacy a bit more, ask them first? But I do love the idea of encouraging children out to look for them; it’s free, active, democratic fun. What we will probably do is a map that takes people on a route where they will stand a chance of seeing a fair few of them if they look around, without actually revealing exact locations. I hope this is still in the spirit of the thing …
Last weekend I was able to go down to St Leonard’s again - it’s the first seaside you come to if you are going by train, and so tends to be where I go. It’s quieter than Hastings, but you can still walk along that way if you feel like it. We have coffee at the Goatledge cafe and walk along the pier, stare at the turquoise green sea, spot some quirky corners off George Street, and eat lunch outside at Ye Olde Pump House, guarding our food against the divebombing seagulls, who once stole an ice cream cone from my hand.
Other highlights of the week; My daughter’s first choir practice at St Paul’s church. Coffee at Fine Grind at The Forum - I actually think this is the best coffee I’ve ever had. More coffee (there is never enough coffee) and homemade crumpets and lemon curd at Daily Bread one morning straight after the school drop-off when I felt like I needed to sit alone for a few minutes without seeing everything that needs to be done at home. Seeing how my friend Felicity’s glorious garden was flourishing. Spotting the new banner for my daughter’s school on the church centre fence. It was also the week when the last proofs of Rusthall Life magazine were signed off before going to print. My thoughts have now turned to start to plan content for the August issue of Langton Life.
That’s all for this week. Thank you for taking the time to read Village Diary, I really do appreciate it. You can click here if you would like to subscribe, or here if you would like to contact me. You can also follow me on Instagram here.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. I’ll be back again next Friday.
Jayne
