WALKING WITH JAYNE.

Yes, we are back in Oz and now that the jetlag has passed and we are nearly sorted with internet problems, I've decided it is about time to get back into posting on this poor little blog.
I am going to post about our holiday in 'bits'.  My small camera that I took with me is not a u-beaut one & the fact I dropped it at one point doesn't bode well either, so the photos are very light on this time.  A lot of our days were taken up by family gatherings & meetings, so I'll just tell about our small adventures, starting with this one.

THE LAKES DISTRICT.

Saturday morning of the 24th October, we packed the car & headed off, stopping on the way here-----

Yarndale.

I spent a lovely morning wandering, though being so crowded it was somewhat a bit hard for me to see a lot because I'm so short.  I did purchase a couple of patterns, which I'll tell about some other time.  It is a wonderful event if you've plenty of time, which I didn't have as we had to travel that afternoon.  I was disappointed that I didn't meet the wonderful Lucy from Attic 24.

On Sunday we drove and met up with the lovely Jayne, her husband & Daisy from The View from Bag End.  We gathered up some makings for lunch, then set off for a wonderful drive and walk, with just Jayne, as Daisy isn't all that fussed with travelling in the car.

THE WALK IN PHOTOS.

Passing a mossy stone wall.

The scree slopes, of which one of these treacherous looking places was being climbed by  people.  WHY?

A beautiful view.

Another beautiful view.

As I explained before, I just didn't take enough photos.  The climb was reasonable, but very achievable.  In some ways I would have liked to have kept walking.  It was lunchtime & hubby's foot had probably had enough anyway.  Lunch was eaten overlooking one the many lakes and was so peaceful & scenic.

After lunch it was time for a quick touristy bit.  First we had a stop at the Honister Pass Slate Quarry.

Honister.

Next we stopped at the Bowder Stone, which I climbed  via these steps.

Pity I don't have a photo of some people attempting to climb the rock face.

As we travelled, we passed pleasant spots like this.

Boats on the edge of a lake & mountains in the distance.

Lastly we drove down a very narrow road to the beautiful setting of Watendlath (hope that's right, though I know I'll be corrected if not).  This the most wonderful spot, where I'm sure many people walk, fish and just relax and drink in the scenery.

The charming old barn.

A babbling brook, which can be quite ferocious when in full flow, as witnessed by the rebuilding of the little bridge after the floods of last winter.  Hope they finish it before this winter sets in.

OK, that's my lot for today.  We had the most wonderful time with Jayne, finishing with a beautifully cooked meal, a tour of her lovely garden, patting Daisy & then heading back to the Motel, hoping we could do it all again some day.  Maybe!  A BIG thank you Jayne.

Take care all,  Susan.

SEPTEMBER SCAVENGER PHOTO HUNT - A Little Late!!!

Joining in with Hawthorn from I live, I love, I craft, although I am a bit late due to travel and then internet issues for most of September and also when we got home, but here we are, nevertheless.

1.  WEB.

From the archives and taken at our old house one misty morning.

2.  BLADE.

Now, a spade has a blade, but this huge.  Taken at Harlow Carr on my birthday this year whilst visiting UK.

3.  FILIGREE.

Also taken recently on the last morning of our trip.  It was a feature at The Vauxhall Inn, in Tonbridge where we were eating our breakfast.

4.  TRAVEL.

Taken from the plane window at the start of our recent trip.

5.  BRIGHT.

I thought this little fellow was cheery & bright.  Another photo from our trip, taken at Dungeness, near the miniature railway.

6.  ASLEEP.

OK, I've shown this before some years ago, but couldn't find anything else to fit this category & still suffering jetlag & brain fog. (or so I think)..
This young lady will be 20 next month.

7.  FLOAT.

The name says it all!  Another photo from our trip taken at Hebden Bridge.

8.  AUTUMN.

Again from the archives.  Our weeping cherry changing colour at our old house & gorgeous garden.

9.  FUR.

Taken recently at a Garden Centre in UK., I thought this very cute & realised it could be used for my fur category.
It is actually a loooong draught excluder. 

10. NEW.

Whilst in UK, everyone was talking about the new plastic five pound note and to our surprise, when we got home we have a new rather fancy $5 note too, although ours have been plastic for a long time now.  

OK,  that is a quick one from me and hopefully, I'll be able to do some posts in the near future about our trip and catch up on lots of other stuff too.
Take care all,  Susan.

A LITTLE SECRET.

Limited internet connection has meant that I've been very quiet, but here we go.
OK, no photos as yet,  but our going north for a holiday, was really going  VERY NORTH!
Tomorrow,  hubby I are going on a train trip.  Where from and to?   From Skipton, to Settle, over the Ribblehead Viaduct and onto Carlisle, where we will have lunch, then back again. 
On Friday, the plan is to visit the Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland, which we attempted 2 years ago, but it was closed.  We know better this time.
Most of our time since we arrived has been short outings and family catch ups.
One of the exciting things for me next week is meeting Hawthorn from the blog "I live, I love, I craft, I am me" and her mother from the blog "Jak's Tales".  I've also seen Jo from "Through the Keyhole" fleetingly, but will catch up with her again, I hope next week too.  Nearer the end of our  holiday I'll be seeing my friend Jayne again from "The View from Bag End" and hopefully going to Yarndale.  So exciting!!!!!
I hope to take lots of photos over the next few days, even though I came away with my small camera this time and it's doing my head in having no bigger lenses to capture long distance shots and all manner of other things.  I also have trouble loading them on this mini laptop, but hope to learn along the way.
After having a small break, I'm looking forward to a few short posts during our trip and hope to catch up with my blog list when do I have internet connection.
Off  to bed now for an early start.
Take care all and have a good week.
Susan.

AUGUST SCAVENGER PHOTO HUNT.

First, before I start on the above, I'd like to thank all who commented on my last post and sorry I did not reply, but was very busy and appreciated them.  So here we go.


This month has not been easy for photo-hunting, but as I enjoy it so much, I love to join in.  I find it challenging and  all very thought provoking as to how to interpret some words without it being the obvious choice.  Hope this published OK as I've done it before we went away.
1.  BLUE.

Forget-me-nots just starting to flower.

2.  EYE.

Bull's eye.  Hubby got this one straight off last week.  I don't do nearly as good.

3.  BUTTON.

Pretty buttons on a doll I made many years ago.

4.  FAVOURITE.

My granddaughter Missy Moo, used to love this photo of Hubby & his girlfriend.  She asked who the lady was, and we jokingly told her it was his girlfriend, to which she replied, she isn''t "real".

5.  FEET.

Where are they going?
Where have they been?
Who do they belong to?

6. GLASS.

A large perfume bottle (no, I don't use it), bought in Berry on the NSW south coast where I worked in the bank at one time.
There was a handmade glass shop across the road and I just couldn't resist this as it is so gorgeous.
It was a drawcard at times,but I resisted all but twice.

7.  GREEN.

Road signs in GREEN!
I thought this might be a giggle with some of our funny town names.
They are all in our area of Victoria.

8.  FLOOR.

Beautiful parquet at Castle Howard in Yorkshire.  I took this photo in 2014, as I thought it could make a good quilt block pattern.  

9.  KNITTED/CROCHETED.

The cupcake rug from Attic 24 coming along slowly.

10. MY OWN CHOICE.

I found this utterly awesome.  A crane manoeuvreing a narrow boat onto the canal marina at Stanley Ferry.  Notice the pushbike on the end.  You may have to click to enlarge.  (trip to UK in 2014).

OK, that is my lot for this month.
Enjoy, take care and September will with us before we know it.  Ah, Spring.
Susan.

TIME OFF.

A quick post before I take a short blog break.  As some of you will know already, I quite often suffer from anxiety, which has been just a tad too prevalent of late.  Hubby and I will head north for some warmth and hopefully come home refreshed and ready for summer.  I'm not sure whether I will have good internet access, so, if I'm quiet on the comments front you'll also know why.  I'd love to be able to do my Photo Scavenger Hunt and  may get the post ready, so I can just push "publish".  We'll see.
Now for a few odd photos lurking in my blog folder just waiting today.

QUILTING.

The quilt I designed for a jelly roll, which still awaits its border.

THE GARDEN.

A pot of Tete a Tete daffodils, which I'd forgotten all about.  If you leave bulbs in pots, quite often they won't flower again, but these decided to give it a go.

I thought this pot was actually empty and only supporting a covering of moss and now I have these.

Our lovely, but quite small magnolia, which is flowering, with  a few more buds to open.  It is called Susan.

The little lemon tree which was already here when we moved in and looked quite scraggy, but is now flourishing due to hubby taking time with watering and feeding.

My hydrangea is also showing plenty of new growth, so hope I get some flowers later in Spring.

Not a lot else has been happening here due to the rather cold and inclement weather, though we did have two lovely days (Wednesday & Thursday), but today has turned bitterly cold and wet.
I'll try and keep up with everyone when I can.
Take care all and  huggles,
Susan.

PRETTY IN PINK.

OK, yes I've been a bit quiet, not feeling 100% lately and stressed, but then, that's just me.  I'll settle soon.

As it is nearly Spring here in Oz, I though I'd share some "pink" photos I've snapped over the last few days.  As most of my followers know, it is my favourite colour.

On our way into town centre we pass these 2 beauties.

Prunus, which is one of many planted along a street, though some aren't even showing colour yet.

Gorgeous magnolia in a front garden.
Mine little one has a few buds, but not nearly open.

Next we have a selection from our garden.

One of 3 lovely heather plants.

One of two dark hellebores which we inherited.

A diosma.
  I don't really like the smell of these, but they are pretty when in flower.

A daphne in the front garden and although the flowers are nearly white, the buds are pink.

My camellia "Volunteer", which I brought with me from Ballarat.  It doesn't seem to have grown much but has a few more buds to come.

Now I digress from pink (only one).  These crocus can be so surprising.  Nothing one day and then, wham, flowers popping up.

Crocus.

Just a little post with a few of my favourite things, being flowers and pink.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.
Take care,  Susan.

SMITH'S BEACH.

Good name, she says,with tongue in cheek.

 On Sunday, being not as cold and quite sunny, we packed some lunch and headed off to Phillip Island.  Ate our lunch at San Remo, then over the bridge to the island.  We'd never been down to Smith's Beach, so that was our goal.  We parked in the parking area, then walked on down the board walk below.

The boardwalk down to the sands.

Looking right.

Looking left.

Along the beach we discovered lots of interesting things, which made me keep stopping to take photos.  I"d taken my small camera, as it easier to carry at times, but still takes a good photo.

Strange markings on these, reminding me of a heart on the right and a face with a gaping mouth on the left.

Different coloured rocks and stones in the shallows.

Slimy, velvety green seaweed covering a rock.

Looking out across the rocks to the breakers.

Now as I am having trouble with these photos having a mind of their own, I'll just put a few more on.

As we were leaving the beach we could here a not too far off rumbling.  Click!!!  The island's raceway must be in use today.  Off we went and were rewarded with some lovely classic cars, ie.  minis, mustangs, cortinas, triumphs, escorts and lots of others that hubby would know.  

Through the wire fence.

The galahs don't seem to mind the noise, as they didn't move, just kept on eating.

And one last photo with an "Anglia", which is the type of car my first ever boyfriend had.

OK, just a small post from the weekend just gone and hopefully my next one will behave as I add the photos.  It is again, quite a lovely day and hubby has been moving our letterbox from one side of the driveway to the other as it was very awkward near the caravan.  Hope the poor postie doesn't get too confused. (hee, hee).

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Take care,

Susan.