Our wild chicken coop

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Last Saturday it was 21 days since one of our hens has been incubating... so you can well imagine that these days there's a bit of excitement going around our chicken coop. We expect, if we are lucky, some little chicks to come out soon! I must say I don't take care of the chickens unless my husband is not around, but these last weeks I've been going over twice a day at least to check on the hen, and now, to see if there's some activity around. So far we haven't been lucky, as we only found an egg with a dead little chick... but there are still 4 to be born, and we keep our fingers crossed!

Today, as I went to check, I stayed a bit longer to draw again the chicken coop... which is, yes, in a quite wild state... 

Usual paths

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I pass by this little hut quite often, during runs or when going out with my dog, but I never stopped to draw it before, for reasons you might imagine ;) Today, both my husband and I were with the dog, so I proposed him to continue with the walk and come back for me in their way back so I could stay there drawing. And, oh, I enjoyed it so much. Drawing in the forest, under the leaves' changing shades, with the sound of birds and other insects. I told myself I should do it more often.

This is a little hut in the little forest path that joins Crozet with La Source de l'Allondon, a beautiful spot where the river Allondon is born, and where we usually take our dog for a bit of swimming. Behind the hut there's a little bee farm, that maybe I'll get to draw some other day.

I do not learn. Sketching with my dog

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Yes, I do not learn. Because despite all my plans and hopes, my dog is not a great companion for when I go sketching. He can be, but only if he's extra super tired and if it is real real hot. Otherwise, any interruption in what in his regard is HIS walk, is totally unfair. And yes, I know this, since a long time.

But today I thought, well, we've been in the mountains, so maybe he will welcome some rest. The day is beautiful, and I have just finished the first complete draft of the project I am working on right now, so I took today off. Part of the plan was, after the mountains in the morning, go out to draw in the afternoon. I wasn't initially planning on taking him, but all my wisdom vanished when he looked at me with this hope that he always has when I am going out. So I thought, well, why not, let's try, maybe after the mountain...

Well, the minute I stopped, I must say in a nice shade for both of us, and started unfolding my stool... the poor dog was so so disappointed, he has started moaning and moaning, finally half accepting the situation - oh yes she's really stopping here. Then after two minutes a moaning session again, then acceptation, then moaning. So even if I had almost 2 hours before having to be at school to pick up my children, I did my sketch in 10 minutes that seemed like an hour, and then walked in the fields for an hour more with my dog. Now it may read frustrating, but not really, as it is always good practice to sketch real fast, and I also enjoyed a lot the walk in the fields :)

My sketch at the top, and a picture of the poor victim, looking away with frustration here below:

If he doesn't mind, neither do I

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Having a dog has changed my life in so many great ways. I would say one of the most important changes has been in my relationship with nature. Not only my dog has brought me to have a much more active life, but also to really enjoy Nature as it comes. Because, if he doesn't mind, neither do I.