The bicycle is a great way to find subjects to paint. Don't however try to cycle and enjoy the view at the same time, stop and pull in frequently and keep to your own side of road. I have an interest in sketching vernacular buildings many of which are unoccupied and can be easily observed from the roadside, others are not and require permission from landowners before you head across the fields and set up gear. Occupied buildings can be equally appealing. Sitting with my back against the sheltered side of a stone wall I'm inclined to agreed with the view that rather than enclosing stock, a crucial function of the walls is to give shelter and help to dry out damp sheep as the wind passes through. The wind, which is more dependable than the sun was also drying a line of washing hanging outside a whitewashed cottage. The woman of the house was coming in and out leaving the windows and front door open to air the place. I wanted to make a sketch of the scene, now the way to approach this depends entirely on your personality. If you are happy knocking doors and announcing that you are an artist and would like to do a painting of the house, then do just that. I doubt if you will be chased and you might even get a commission. I usually prefer to try and record a scene unannounced, so in addition to drying out sheep, the walls also provide good cover. With the sketch completed I'll happily introduce myself and explain what I was doing, even so you can get some funny looks sketching someone's washing line on a windy day. I'm sure if the house is burgled I will be the prime suspect.