November 2018 Photo Hunt

Once again it's time to show my photos but, better still, to see what you have all done.  Thanks to Hawthorn once again and please click here to see her photos (and everyone else's too!).

1  Post/mail box

At first you might think this is just a standard Royal Mail Post box but if you

look carefully is bears the cypher for Edward VIII.  He abdicated on

11 December 1936, less than a year after he became king.

Click here to read him.  Click here to read about these rare post boxes.

2   Decay

This year we had an excellent crop of pears from our single pear tree.  Sadly they did not keep very well so I was eating lots of pears before they rotted.  The pheasants, rabbits and other fauna that visit our garden enjoyed the pear feast!

Click here to see (I hope) a slideshow of the decay taken over days.  I've kept the slideshow frills-free!

Just in case it does not work for you, here are just 2 of the 15 pictures I took.

3   Secondhand

Let me introduce you to Lucy.  She was gifted to me by a friend who was downsizing!

Lucky me.  She has a view out of a window, looking at fields where there are sheep.

She seems happy in her new home.

4   Strand

I made this necklace from different STRANDS of yarn.

It is a Kumihimo braid, made on a disc rather than on my marudai stand.

Click here to see an earlier post about Kumihimo braids.

5   Fold

FOLDING thickish paper to make Christmas cards.  Not easy to do when my right

wrist, whilst free of its plaster cast, does not want to work like it used to!

So not a perfect example of paper folding but at least I managed it....

6   Own Choice

I 'don't do Christmas' ......  but I still like to see decorations, mostly in other people's houses!

I was at an Art Fair recently and saw this wreath hanging on the wall and

thought I could make that.   So I did, despite my wrist being awkward to use!!!!

I used my Kumihimo disc to make a simple braid and found bells in my stash.

My Beloved described it as AMAZING, since he was involved in

making a mandrel to help me obtain the same size cone each time.

Well that's it for this year.  I hope Hawthorn is able to provide words for January 2019.  I've really enjoyed taking part and looking at your photos.  Thanks Hawthorn for your time and patience!

I hope you all have the Christmas of your choice.

October 2018 Photo Hunt

Well, I'm still in plaster so am making an early start to this month's photo hunt!  I will not be beaten by a 'broken wing'...

Now I'm in pink plaster.  Well white plaster was a no-no and I did not fancy Royal Blue!

I was offered glitter but I politely declined!

The typing for each picture will be minimal apart from the last picture, as I'd prepared the text months ago (when I was able to type properly).  Now as I type, I have to backspace a lot!

1   Print

Learning to PRINT with my left hand .....

2   Leaves

My leaf pile (about 3 years' old) at the bottom of the garden.  No idea if I'll be able to add

more this year...

3   Spot

One of the different rabbits that visited our garden.  We called it Spot!

We've not seen it for ages.

4   Boundary

The boundary mark between our village and nearest town.

5   Flame

My worn-out little wellies (oh how I miss them) going up in flames!

6    Own choice

At the top is a picture of a postcard I bought in about 2000 ish or earlier.

There were no details about the quilt on the postcard but the postcard

came from a visit to the Bankfield Museum (Halifax).

Then in 2010 I decided  to make my version of it.  It is shown in 

the bottom of the above picture and I called it Twisted Star.

A few years ago I came across a book from a 

quilting exhibition (Quilt Art on Tour)

 and there was the quilt!  It was made by Deirdre Amsden 

and is about 1 m square.  It was one in a series she'd made 

in the mid 1990s.  Mine is about 1.82 m square.....  much bigger.

Click here to see another example in her series of Colourwash quilts.

In my quilt there are 11 blocks across and 11 down, ie 121 blocks in total.

Each block contains 4 different fabrics, colour graded and no fabric was repeated.

So that is a total of 484 different fabrics!

The black and white 'stars' form part of each block; each block was cut

(carefully) and then the appropriate white or black right-angled

fabric triangle sewn on.   Only then could all 121

blocks be sewn together and at last I could see if the 

black and white stars were there and in the right place.

It took 4 months to make and I had to be so organised to keep 

the blocks in the right place in the 11 x 11 grid; I even resorted to 

using Excel to help me plan it out.

I remember running out of dark fabrics and driving immediately 

to a local fabric shop to buy some more dark fabrics; sadly 

that lovely shop has closed.

So I hope you have enjoyed this weird assortment of pictures as I could not take photos of what I wanted to use (using my camera is not easy!!).

Thanks to Hawthorn once again and please click here to see her photos (and everyone else's too!).

September 2018 Photo Hunt

Once again we are going to have a few days of picture loveliness as we look at this month's collection from the photo hunt.  Can't wait to see what you have done with the words Hawthorn provided.  A couple had me stumped for a few days but then I had a few ideas.

1   Brightly coloured

I saw this at the recent Harrogate Quilt Show.  At the moment I seem to be going through

a 'rainbow period' and would have loved to have taken this home with me....

2   Upside down

Now this word was a bit of a problem.  I nearly had to resort to taking a picture of Beloved when he is bored; he says as a child he used to lie upside down in the chair......  then I had a better idea!

A nuthatch eating upside down.....

3  Ink

Years ago I did have some old red and green ink in lovely bottles but house move etc.......  after a discussion with Beloved and a search of his office, we came up with the goodies!

The ink bottle on the left contains ink for his barograph; the stopper

looks very cracked so I had to be careful not to touch it.

Don't know what a barograph is?  Click here to find out.

4   Bag

Ah, the happy memories associated with this bag.  We kept chickens 

from 1984 to 2014 ish.  We knew we would be moving in 2015

so I gave our few last chickens away.  I still miss them but I

do not miss the work that went with them!

5  Pattern

One of several visitors in March 2016, hoping we'd soon be up and open the door

to feed them!

6  Own choice - not really my own choice but something forced upon me by my own carelessness!

I was in the garden last Sunday and slipped on some mud.  

Fell backwards and hurt my wrist.  Off to Airedale A&E I was taken.  

Three hours later I left with my right arm in plaster!  I have a distal radius fracture.....  

Worst bit is I'm not allowed to drive.   

No pain to speak off but I've yet to see if I can crochet!

I can just about hold a ball f yarn......

Quilt making will not happen and there I was about to start one....

But I'm finding ways to do stuff.  Just managed to do some ironing now.

All part of life's rich tapestry!!!

I think I've waffled enough about my photos, especially the last one.  Once more thanks to Hawthorn for organising the Photo Hunt; long may it continue.  Click here to see what the other participants have done with her words!

August 2018 Photo Hunt

Here we go again!  I have to admit I liked the twist on this month's word list but I had to really stir up my brain cell to think of what photos I had to take or what I might already have.  Anyway I did it so here goes!  I decided to use both homophones too, so double the photos for you to look at......

Before I actually start here's a round of applause for Hawthorn for keeping us on our toes!  Long may it continue.

1   Tea/tee

What can I say other than I throw the used wipe into the bin and not down the toilet!

Beloved's T square......

2   Thyme/time

I don't have a thyme plant in the garden as I don't like thyme.  Nor do I have the dried stuff.

A friend uses it and took a photo for me and sent it to me; look how artistic she was.

Saved me the time driving to her home and taking a photo!

This is the church tower in Kildwick.  I went there recently to see

the cascade of poppies down the church tower.  They were gone!

But what a lovely clock showing the time.

Click here to see what I missed.

Apparently they will be on display at Yarndale so I plan to see them there.

3   Aisle/isle

A few weeks ago I was in a beautiful church in Haworth but did not think to take any photos...

But, brain in gear, I was in The Range recently and was granted permission to take a photo

of an aisle; I chose the 'paint' art one as I love the colours, the tubes, the coloured pencils

BUT I can't paint!  I can't even trace an outline but I can drool over all the lovely stuff.

Our friend's RIB; we had gone from Oban to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.

Not a good photo as it was taken on a film camera ages before I had a digital camera.

4   Fairy/ferry

Seen at a local garden centre I visited recently.  Not to my taste....

Once more we are in a RIB sailing near Oban when the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry

passed nearby.  Once we were sailing into Oban Harbour and the ferry was coming out.

It had to stop/slow down for us as otherwise its wake would have swamped us!!!!

5   Flour/flower

Tried to make my own flour but it did not work so 

I bought a bag.......

That's me....  bonkers as usual.....

I made these crochet pansy flowers back in 2012; I used florist's wire for the stems

and covered them in single crochet stitches.  These plus a few more live

in a vase.  Recently I went to a funeral of my ex-colleague's husband

and there was a request to wear bring clothes.  So I wore pink jeggings,

a bright blouse and these bunch of flowers in my hair.

I am retired so you can guess how old I am!

Next time I wear the flowers I must try to get them more central!

Beloved could have mentioned this as he took the photo....

I also wore them to meet up with some other ex-colleagues and it made

them smile!!!  I also got some funny looks but I don't care!

6  Own choice

Can you guess what my own choice will be this time???  Yes the ducklings.

They have been visiting for about 7 weeks now; what a treat for us.

Yes it is my feet and hands in the photos.

I took so many photos that it was very hard to select just 2 to complement

the photos showing theiir first and possibly last visit.

I have to admit that I might be obsessed with the ducklings...  they now seem to visit most days

on their own without Mrs D.  If you click here you can see them having their breakfast!

I wonder if any will return next year with ducklings of their own?

Well, that's my offerings for this month.  Thanks for taking the time to look and read my ramblings.

Click here to to to Hawthorn's photo hunt for this month to see who else has taken part.  Such fun to see all the many interpretations of the words.

PS I'm off to a quilt show at Harrowgate's Great Yorkshire Showground so I'll not be looking at any of your lovely photos and comments until I get home!  What a treat I'll have then.  Bye!

July 2018 Photo Hunt

Gosh, I nearly missed the deadline this month.  I had all my photos organised but forgot to edit them until a few days ago!  Anyway I made it and this is what I have to offer you.

1   Door

I had the opportunity to re-visit Parcevall Hall (click here to read about it) and re-called my

first visit back in 1984 ish; I was taken there and after we parked we walked up to

this door.  Once it was opened, it was magical.  Sadly on my visit recently 

it was a misty day but it was still a good day out!

2   11 am

All ready for my coffee; a bit later than usual but what the heck!  Should I read or crochet?

Certainly the Mars bar will be consumed.  This is my favourite seat, sitting on a chair

covered with a quilt I made years ago, overlooking the garden and waiting to

see what little birds come to the feeders.  Magic!

3  Texture

Stachys lanata aka Lambs Lugs!  A new plant for my new garden.  I have seen this plant

in many gardens and more recently when I visited Salts Mill.  There was a big border

planted up with this plant and there were loads of bees!  So one I had to buy

and buy I did from a charity stall at Skipton Church a few weeks ago.

4   Shadow(s)

We were out walking recently when Beloved pointed out the sheep were following

us (me and my shadow to be precise!

5   View

We paid a flying visit to Grimwith Resevoir recently and this is the stunning 

view from the earth dam top.  Click here to read more about

Grimwith Reservoir.  If you can go, I recommend it; a nice, gently walk,

no cafe but toilets and free parking!

6   Own Choice

Oh dear ...  how I hesitated about showing another duckling photo...  so apologies if you are sick of them but I just could not resist!

A few days ago Mrs D and 7 ducklings called in for a snack.  We gave them some

wheat outside and then we were busy at the other end of the kitchen.  I became aware of

'louder' duckling noises and we went to investigate.  Obviously we'd not

given them enough wheat and they had hopped over the patio

door threshold into the kitchen to inform us of the poor service

they were receiving!  After they went outside (without making a mess), more 

wheat was given to them.  I just happened to look at the kitchen clock

and it was 11 am.....

PS I shared this photo with a non-blogging friend and her comment was 

Open All Hours

Love it.

Well, that's it for another month.  Now I will and see Hawthorn's link page to see who else is joining in.  I check this page several times over the following week to ensure I see everyone.  Thanks to Hawthorn for organising us all!  Click here to see who else has joined in.

June 2018 Photo Hunt

Gosh, it's time for another joining-in with Hawthorn's photo hunt.  Can't believe where the time has gone!  Don't forget to visit her photo hunt pictures and see who else has joined it.  It is such a treat to see how everyone interprets her words.  Click here to see her photos.

It was not a difficult choice of words.  The difficulty for me was in which photos to use and which not to use!

So, off we jolly well go.

1   Yellow

Now, at this time of year there is a lot of yellow around.  I had at least 10 photos I could have used even before I looked at my archives but here is my choice!

Top - yellowish bee collecting yellow pollen from a yellow wild poppy.

Middle - the laburnum tree from our old house.

Bottom - a field full of buttercups (and some grass I'm sure!).

2   Starts with T

Do you recall the Disaster photo from last month's photo hunt?  Click here to see it.  Well I've spent hours digging a Trench; well actually 3.  They are not finished (been out of sorts with a cold/virus thing for weeks....).

Top - the water going where it thought it was best to go.

Bottom - one of my trenches, guiding the water where 

I want it to go.  It will be interesting to see this when

it has been raining for weeks and weeks....

3   Lilac

Another word that had lots of possibilities.  In the end I decided what I wanted and went to find it!

A wisteria over a lovely door.  Found this in Gigglewick.

4   Starts with G

This was an easy one!  G is for Greystones.  We moved here at the end of March 2015; the previous occupants were not gardeners....  so I have spent many hours since then trying to create a garden that I like and can manage as I get older as my knees and hips don't want to play very much!

Top - a area of the bramble infested banking with some daffodils;

also the wooden bridge is rotten.....

Bottom - no brambles, more daffodils and lots of foxgloves,

hardy geraniums, geums etc etc.  Yes the old bridge is

still there; I use it to hang on to as I step down into

the Zambezi (the stream that runs round the edge of the 

garden).  Beloved helped me move a big stone to

create a new bridge and I added steps to 

improve the access.  Still work to be done

but I know where I am going now!

5   Silver

Another one I had to hesitate over; so many choices, loads of photos but in the end a day out with a friend to Saltaire gave me what I wanted.

Left - a silver birch.

Right - silver Stachys lanata, full of bees so must get some for my garden.

6   Own Choice

At the last moment I changed my mind as I recalled (with delight) how you liked the ducklings from last month.

Standing at the bottom of my garden, looking down onto the beck I noticed this smallish

duckling.  It wanted some tasty morsel just out of its reach but it stretched itself up

as much as it could and finally it was rewarded.  What a joy to see.

Well, that's it for another month.  Now I will and see Hawthorn's link page to see who else is joining in.  I check this page several times over the following week to ensure I see everyone.

Bye!

May 2018 Photo Hunt

Once again it's time to join in with Hawthorn, contributing to her Photo Scavenger Hunt.  In the beginning (many moons ago) when I read the published list of words, I used to panic thinking I'd not find anything.  Now it is so much easier as I start to think as soon as I read the list and hey-presto I have photos....  it does take some thinking I can say.

Anyway, without any more waffling I will share my photos with you, but in a slightly different order to her list.

Disaster

We own several fields nearby and spend a lot of time 'playing' up there.  We don't have any livestock but it is a great place to go to (when the weather permits).  Back in February 2009 Beloved (and with some help from myself) planted some willow whips.  They have grown but there is a problem.  Cue photo!

Water from our neighbour's property runs all the time now through the wall and past the willows.

Beloved noticed some time ago that some of the willows are falling over because of this.

Something had to be done to avert a total disaster.

Cool

Now this is an interesting word with so many meanings.  I have decided to use the meaning of desirable, eg, that's a cool car.......

Here I am looking very cool.....  seems I am destined to be linked to mud!

The fields are still so very wet that we are unable to get Beloved's digger into the field 

and dig a trench for the water to use rather than flowing through the disaster willows.....  

So I set to with my border spade and dug a trench!

Here I am nearing the end of my second stint....  I decided to throw the gloves

away, well they were rather worn.

Yes, I nearly fell over once and my boots were nearly left in the mud

on several occasions!  What fun it was.  I like a challenge.

Movement

As I was making my trench and water started to flow in it, I noticed a collection of bubbles, swirling around and around; ah MOVEMENT I heard myself say.  I am hoping if you click here you will see a short video clip!

Fence/Fencing

Back at the previous house we kept chickens for about 30 years.  Sadly in our new house I've decided not to bother with them as I want less work!!!!  Anyway, I used to spend hours making covered runs for them, as I did not want cats etc to jump in with them nor did I want them to jump out and go and play in my garden.

In the top photo you can see an example of the fencing I used to do.

It did take several hours to dismantle the run, move it etc.

The chickens always loved their new run and would 

eagerly wait for me to finish the construction.  

The ground was very stoney so knocking in the uprights

was not easy!  When it snowed the top net would sag

and I'd have to go out and sort it out.

Then one day I had a brain wave.

Rather than make little runs and move them, I could extend the fencing upwards!

So I'd no longer need to use a top net!!!!

The bottom photo shows you the extended fencing 'reaching for the skies'.

Did it work???  Oh, yes, like a dream.

Wish I'd thought of this sooner....

Spiky/prickly

Back to the fields where we have a long hawthorn hedge, over 100 metres in length.  It is spiky and the spikiness varies from virtually no spikes to massive ones.  We hand cut it as I can't face the thought of Beloved zooming along with his petrol driven hedge cutter and leaving me to pick the bits up.  Did this once on a short section of hedge and never again!

I hope you can see the spikes!  Bottom right is the hedge and it

looks lovely now, despite my hands getting spiked!

Own Choice

At the end of March 2015, we moved to our current house and the vendors said ducklings should appear soon.  And indeed they did, coming to the garden with mum.  Since there, whilst we have had plenty of visiting ducks, we have had no ducklings.  Until the first week in May this year!

The fifth duckling in the top photo had just zoomed off somewhere.

It showed no sign of coming back and I was confident the others would

soon run off so I had to be content with this shot.

In the bottom photo is mum with her 5 little ones.  All having a siesta.  

I was amazed to see how fast the little ones can move.  

Even more amazing was to see a crane fly slowly move down the patio door window

and for a duckling to dash and catch it.  Yes it ate it in one....

Well I hope you like my photos and thanks for taking the time to look at them.  Don't forget to pop over to Hawthorn to see her photos and what other people have found.  It is great to see everyone's efforts.  As usual I will be saying 'Why didn't I think of that?'.

April 2018 Photo Hunt

I'm a bit later this month getting my photos sorted.....  I did find Hawthorn's words quite tricky!  So let me show you what I found.

1   Swirl

This was quite easy!  At a yarn show recently I espied all these swirling colours.

2  Rock

Near where we live is Earl Crag; click here to read more about it.

We visited one evening and there were some huge rocks to scramble over.

I particularly liked this one, with the water filled holes in the top.

3  Wood

Now this word caused me a lot of problems.  When you consider this word, there is such a wide range to objects to pick from.  I know I have taken loads of photos, secretly knowing I would not use them as they did not feel right.  Then the other late afternoon as we were driving in the Skipton/Embsay area we went past the ideal object.  Lucky for me we were passing that area 2 days later so Beloved kindly parked while I took my camera for a short walk.  I've also decided to keep the other photos I've rejected this month in case I can use them later!

I just love this old tree (oak I think) with the hole through it at the bottom.

4   Letter

Another tricky one for me this month; I was bemoaning to Hawthorn that I had nothing for this word when I had a lighbulb moment!  Problem sorted.

The letter M in the mud made by me!!!  We own several fields nearby and 'play' up there.

Since last autumn it has been very damp up there.  Sometimes we have a river running

down the long field!  So it was easy to find a patch of mud and make my mark.

I know this is a second photo for the category LETTER but I was just taking a photo of 

my recently finished crochet bag and suddenly saw the letter M in the handle...

5   Balance

Apologies for the wonky photos!  This is now an ornament

but Beloved used to use it when he was at school.

Very much pre-digital weighing scales.....

6  Own Choice

A cushion!!!!  Yes, made by me.  About 20 years ago I bought the

kit, looked at it and put it away.  When we moved here 3 years ago

I looked at it and put it away.  

Then early March this year I got it out as I realised it would 

complement the new sofa quilt.  It took me about 22 days

to finish it; I only spent up to a couple of hours each

day working on it.  I'm pleased with it and love 

the plump cushion it has become.

It is 14" square (35.5 cm if you prefer metric!).

Well, as they say that's all folks.  Thanks for taking the time to look at my photos.  If you havn't done so already, please click here to look at Hawthorn's photos and from there follow the links to other participants.  It is always so interesting to see what other people find.