There’s something about watching buildings go up and water flow and workmen work or wheels go past. Watching the world go by is what I do when I sit on benches and draw.
What to use for W? What to say about w’s chosen? When is an illustration finished? I wasn’t sure what to put or say but I’d decided this illustration would be perfect for W. I could choose all sorts of things Watching, Workmen, Water, Watercolour and Wheelchair then out of the blue as I put the illustration into the sun to take a photo the wonder of wildlife appeared.
I have grasshoppers in my front garden, rarely see them in the back and most of the gardens don’t have much grass so I’m a bit precious of the insects in the front yard when I see them. Each year I wonder if they’ve survived and use them as my excuse for leaving the front patch rather rough with clumps of grass left in case any grasshoppers show. I usually don’t see them till they’re almost adult but the shadow of this one made it very obvious on the page as I tried to get a suitable picture for you today.
It may not be the same as the camels or zebra shadows you see those classic images of but in it’s own way this recently emerged grasshopper is what makes me get up each day. The wonder of wildlife fills my heart and soul and I love that there’s a little bit of wonder in my unkempt front yard.
My theme for A to Z Blogging Challenge is my Bench Views Revisited illustrations done from benches in and around Peterborough UK which I started in September 2019. I drew No. 88 in February 2020 then lockdown hit. I restarted the series in August 2020 which meant almost half the series were drawn pre-covid lockdown and the rest of the 190 illustrations were done post COVID-19 lockdown.
lynnelives 
We like seeing grasshoppers. I think your picture of one is perfect. And your other picture is nice too.
Ludo from Georges Guinea Pig World
Hi Ludo, You’re looking wonderful, thank you for your comment. Your AtoZ posts are fab, I hope you’re enjoying it.
Appreciate ur keen eye…wonder of wild life well captured.
Dropping by from a to z “The Pensive”
Thanks, I was so glad to have noticed it.
I feel the same way about fireflies in my yard. And every year they come back in abundance.
ooh, that sounds wonderful.
I’ve seen maybe 3 grasshoppers in my 30 years living in Los Angeles. I used to see them all the time in the late summer and early fall in East Tennessee. When I was in high school I became so fascinated with grasshoppers that I started keeping some of them in a terrarium to observe their behavior. They are amazing little creatures. Glad they weren’t giant ones like the grasshopper specimens we used to dissect in biology class. I think they came from Brazil or somewhere like that. They were huge!
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
The grasshoppers we get here grow to about an inch or 2.5cm. Teeny things compared to those that come from South America I expect. There’s something about sitting in the grass and watching them isn’t there?