I am back in Corfu! Climbing up the hill behind the apartment.
The first time I go up to find the chickens they are still in the coop, but the next time they are roaming around under the trees. And there he is! The magnificent old cockerel, ‘The Golden Cockerel’! The same one that was here before.
I recognise the old olive trees I sketched before. One with a bendy branch that twists and turns, and tapers into a thin wispy line, it is still here, exactly the same, the fragile squiggle of branch still holding a few leaves, exactly the same, not snapped off or cut down or touched in any way it seems. It is poignant and wonderful to think of it standing there all this time, while we rush about with our lives busy going from this place to that, and all that has happened since I last saw these olive trees. They are still here, old and wise, shimmering grey green silent and peaceful.

My sister laughed about me sketching more trees, as that is all I ever seem to draw!
She said, how about some BIG chickens and really small olive trees! I explained that I was having trouble with the chickens as they keep on walking away,trees usually being much easier to draw as they stand still! Although there was one hen that seemed very curious and she came up to me closer and closer until she was almost in my lap! We eyed each other suspiciously, her beak seemed very big and sharp close too, but she didn’t peck me, just looked at my drawing intently. I don’t think she was impressed!