Wish I was here ...

I think I've written too much so do feel free to scroll past the ramblings!

I started thinking about this challenge by looking for fences locally and was surprised to discover that there were very few that weren't totally covered by foliage, other than the sterile six foot high panels that appeal to some. So I went off in a different direction and ended up totally overwhelmed by the possibilities offered by political and emotional 'fences'.  Given that this was going on as we endured our second lockdown in England I wasn't able to find a way through the multitude of ideas that presented themselves.

Fortunately, having recently discovered Mylio I'd set myself the task of collating my various on-line photo collections, and whilst that task isn't complete (Will it ever be?) I found my fence as I worked through my holiday photos.

Several years ago we were delighted when my daughter and her husband invited us to join them and their children on their annual holiday in France. (And no, we're not there as free onsite babysitters, it really is a family holiday.) We've rarely travelled out of the UK for our holidays so this was a double adventure and I loved it. 

Until 2020 we've been away to France together every year since and I'm still enthralled by the experience. Spending extended time with the family, the warmth and sunshine, the food and the wine, visiting places I've read about but never thought I'd visit, the food and the wine, the evening sounds, the light, the food and the wine .... you get the idea.
Two things in particular will always stay with me - pinching myself as we walked along the causeway towards the iconic Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy thinking we're here, we're really here shortly after arriving and seeing the beach from the top of the dunes in Brittany which never loses its' appeal.  Time spent on the beach is pretty special and we can usually find somewhere quieter to visit. Our family love the water and beaches become extended sports grounds, why sunbathe when you can play games, fly kites, build castles and play in the waves?

So the photo I've used is typical of the fenced approach to the beaches we've visited. I enjoyed re-creating the image even though my machine has suddenly refused to stitch any more marram grass. I've painted, used Inktense pencils, acrylic paint sticks and stitch to re-create the picture in my head and had a wonderful time, just feeling the sun, listening to the sounds and remembering happy times with the family that I was missing so much.