Walking in the woods #30DaysWild Day 3

Hi - thank you for your comments, it's lovely hearing from you :) Annie Cholewa and SaraJ  - you both mentioned your knees in your comments.

My knee is still 'incomplete' and will always be - I can not fully trust its stability nor ever will. I have recently taken to using Nordic style walking poles to great success - I am more stable on rough ground and can walk almost to the same standard as before my knee was injured - going up hill is now achievable and going down hill is bearable (whereas it was impossible before).

Now back to -

Walking in the woods....

Carstramon Woods to be precise.

Wall to wall blue.

Heavenly scented.

We arrived in a heavy summer shower 

which stopped as suddenly as it started.

Stepping into the woods

with dappled sun and twinkling foliage,

pure magic.

 As the bells warmed up

the air was filled with their scent.

A micro-adventure

in a woodland

all by ourselves 

Briefly we had company,

 Then she was gone.

Beautiful 

wild 

day.

#30DaysWild Days - you can do it too.

From sea to sky #30DaysWild Day 2

Auchencairn - 'field of stones'.

A small coastal village in Galloway we love dearly.

It has a broad and shallow bay 

which when it completely empties 

means you can walk out to Heston Island

that guards the mouth of the bay.

Eldest deep in thought.

We sat on the bay edge and ate our lunch and 

schemed a plan to walk out to the island.

Our access would be controlled by the tides and the weather.

A small island - so full of mystery and history yet so small.

we were very excited. 

That walk was for another day 

as it would take over an hour just to get to the coastline 

nearest to Heston before we could set off

across the rack of shells, shingle and stone 

bridging mainland to island. 

So today, we turned inland after we'd eaten

and walked up Screel Hill.

Not a huge ascent but certainly a rough and steep climb.

Once at the top - the views were most rewarding.

 Auchencairn and Heston Island in the far distance, 

with Robin Rigg wind farm on the horizon.

I felt as if I was right in the sky and it was exhilarating!

#30DaysWild Days - you can do it too.

Wild

We've been away, 

we've breathed sea air, 

climbed coastal cliffs, 

walked woodlands and lanes. 

We've watched the stars, 

dodged the rain 

and felt the magic of a wild holiday.

And there have been wall to wall bluebells - beautiful.

I have plenty of stories and a plethora of photos but they all need a little organising, so, if you'll excuse me, I am off to put the kettle on before I share - mine's a lemon tea fancy joining me?

Sunday walking

Last Sunday, the four of us planned a walk via a (new to us) bakery. 

It has a justly deserved reputation for making

oversized delicacies. 

We treated ourselves to a couple of custard slices 

and some vegetarian curry pasties

This 'little' gem took all four of us to finish it off! 

The second 'dainty' was eaten at the end of the walk. 

By then (several hours and many footsteps later) we were ready for it!

Along the way, Eldest spotted this hare leveret hiding in the undergrowth.

We were captivated. 

There is such wild beauty in the hare.

The walk was a brittle-cold one, 

the wind icy and cutting, 

not conducive to lingering and taking photos.

We finally returned to the car,

with our cheeks red and fingers stiff with cold.

And agreed, 

despite being very tired, 

that it had been a really good walk.

Unexpected

S'funny what you find in a Dales village when you come down off the hills....

Little hearts, fluttering. 

Unexpected strings of hearts

 Around the village

Stuffed, flat knitted, crocheted, sewn. 

 Decorated with bugle beads, ribbon, buttons.

Twinkling, sequinned, felt and felted. 

Made us smile :)

Knitting k.news

A couple of years ago, I knitted what we call the 'Iceland Hat' for Eldest, so called as it was taken on a school trip to Iceland. A soft grey merino knit that has been worn and worn and worn much to my delight.

Youngest, at the time decided that he wanted a rasta style slouchy beanie, 

which I knitted and he wore - may be once or twice...... 

He asked, a bit later, for a knitted scarf, 

which I did for him, in the colours he chose. 

He wore it....once or twice......

 

Now, Youngest has asked for a 'Iceland Hat' of his own.

Hmmm. Does, I ask myself, history repeat itself? 

This time just might be different. 

Why you ask? 

Well, his girlfriend has chosen the colours and pattern.... 

oh well, I'll keep you posted......

This and that and a little of the other.

I know I've been a little quiet on the blogging front - but it is about the only place where my life has been quiet recently.
Work has suddenly blown itself out like a thunderous summer storm and is temporarily sitting quietly waiting for the next front to fly in. We're all at sixes and sevens in an odd mixture of relief at the respite and the urgent need to use this window of calm to catch up with mounds of paperwork whilst squeezing in new projects and ideas.

No wonder when, by the time I get home, I flump on the settee and attempt to knit a row or two, sip lemon tea and fight to keep my eyelids open!

Bring on the weekend I say!

Although  a little cool today, we've had some cracking spring weather and as I sit here wrapped up wondering whether to light the fire, just looking at the pictures reminds me that there has actually been the most delicious spring days filled with sunshine.

One of my lunchtime walks happily provided me with both the above and below photos. 

The ewe and her lambs resting in the shade and a Mistle thrush fledgling pretending not to be real. 

I love it's whispery 'eyebrows' of left over fledgling fluff.

We had a small friend over for a week while his mum and dad were on holiday.

Youngest was besotted and they instantly became best friends.

We soon discovered that he liked to nap on the settee after a walk.....

Himself, completely out of character, 

allowed this small indiscretion 

and went around with a smile on his face every time he looked at the sleeping pup.

When he went back after his week with us - he was sorely missed.

We've done some decent walks recently. 

Almost with obsessive fervour, 

we've headed up onto the hills, 

using the wild air as antidote to normality. 

This discombobulated post has been a bit of an indulgence for me. There are quite a few stories twirling around in my head, I will share, they just need to get themselves sorted :) Speak soon x

Here's to Friday xxxxx

Two Good Reads

Hi there - a quick post to say a delighted

to Cathy from The House with the Blue Door  for nominating me in 'The two Good Reads' tag. Thank you Cathy - there are so many lovely bloggers out there that I feel privileged to have been chosen :) Cathy said she found it difficult to choose and I agree with her, there are so many inspiring and entertaining blogs out there.

My first choice is Going Gently - who's daily tirade can have me veering from hysterically laughing until I can barely breathe to quietly feeling saddened by his acutely observed vignettes of life. He is definitely worth a visit make sure you have a large mug of tea/coffee or any tipple of your choice and imbibe yourself in his life - it will be worth it!

My second choice is Sara from Sarajcrafts. Sara and I seemed to click and often email each other. A gentle blog with lovely photos of flowers, gardens and craft, days out and visits. She shares her life with a sports mad teenager and Smudge the cat. 

Thank you again Cathy for nominating me !

**My original first choice had been Threads through My Life - a private blog, so only accessible to a few (and I am one of the lucky ones) however I need her to know what wonderful words and stories she weaves of her daily life. Her photos and her crafting are amazing. She is someone who inspires me in both in the blogisphere as well as in my life - xx