UK TRIP (Part Two).

YORKSHIRE.
My posts of our trip away, could be a little top heavy with photos.  Sorry.
Ah, here we are now in Yorkshire & some lovely photos from a day at Bolton Abbey.

        A view towards the Abbey from the terrace of the cafe, where we had a morning cuppa.

                               A walk along the path above the river netted me these photos.

                                                                          Wildflowers.

                                  A stile plus a little hole for maybe wildlife, a dog or even a child.

The monument along the path after we'd crossed the river & no, to those who know the area, not on the stepping stones, but the bridge further upstream.

Another view of the Abbey from the above path showing the river with it's sandy type edges and so many people enjoying a great day out.

 Looking over beautiful lawns to the lovely.................Um, not sure whether it is a hotel, reception centre or just a house, but it is beautiful.  Maybe someone could help me with this one?

                                              The pretty black face sheep, that I truly love.

                                        For me, such a quintessentially English looking scene.

THE LAKES DISTRICT.
A few days away in the Lakes with my brother & sister-in-law saw us take them to places we've visited, but they haven't.  Odd!!! 
Again just some photos of where we went, my happy snaps & trying to remember where they were taken.😖

 Driving in such beautiful countryside.  Not a great deal of luck taking photos this particular day due to dreary weather & not being able to stop, with so much traffic on the roads.

 Honister Slate Mine, a place my friend Jayne introduced us to in 2016.  The in-laws were well taken with it and thanked us for taking them there.  I do find it fascinating too.

                                            One of the little engines towing a lump of slate.

From the parking area of the mine, you can see this creek (or should that be beck or stream), flowing down the hillside and forming a waterfall.  Gorgeous!!!!

Another stop was Castle Rigg and as there were a lot of people around, I didn't take many photos.  I do have some good ones I took back in either 2014 or 16.  This is part of the remarkable view you see from this lovely spot.

The day after A&J had departed, DH & I took ourselves for a drive and ended up at Lake Windemere.
Again, way too many people about for many photos, but we did see this...................

A simulator for a motor bike ride.  Our grandson Master L. would have been blown away.  He is a big Guy Martin fan, (as are we, lol).  We didn't partake, but photos are worth remembering.

            On our last day in Keswick, overnight rain had made the river run very high.  Quite scary.

OK, I am catching up & will definitely do a couple more through the week, as I need to start getting my butt into gear with more happenings both here and on the crafting front.
Hope you enjoy some of our adventures (more to come) and thanks for visiting.
Take care all & huggles from Susan.
BTW.  Weather wise, here in southern Victoria, it is cold, wet, windy and oh so miserable.  Not a bit like late Spring, even snow on Mt. Donna Buang (not far from the outer suburbs of Melbourne) & Mt. Baw Baw, just north of us.The big thing is, that I'd like to send some of our rain north, as they are in severe drought and ravished by bushfires.  Such a difference in weather patterns in our large country and I'm feeling for them.
xxxxxxxxxxx

FAVOURITE FINISH FOR OCTOBER 2019

Joining in with 

Cheryl from Meadow Mist Designs for our favourite finish for the month.

Crystal Geese.

I designed this quilt last year some time in my Quilt Wizard program and decided earlier this year it would be my project for the Christmas raffle where my younger brother participates at the Sheltered Workshop.  I started it in May and am on the home straight, hand sewing the binding.

Most of the fabrics were in my stash except for the background fabric which I purchased at Amitie Textiles last summer.  It is quilted with a pattern called Blooming Stars by Beany Girls.

Having a slight problem with blogger today, so will leave it at that and join the link.

Take care all and huggles.

Susan.

OCTOBER PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT.

 Once again linking with the lovely Kate at I live, I love, I craft for a photo hunt to go with the words she has chosen.

Now how we go...................

1.  UMBRELLA.

Pretty umbrellas hanging in the glasshouse at the Ballarat Botanic Gardens.  I snapped this many years ago & may have shown it before.

2.  WET.

Taken on a dismal day in August whilst holidaying in the UK.  We intended to walk down the steps beside the 5 Rise at Bingley, find another crossing place and walk up the other side.  It didn't happen, as it was pouring down, but we spent a nice half hour chatting to the folks from The Rivers & Canal Trust.  Notice the very 'wet' dog on the left.  This is the very top of the locks, where we also watched a narrowboat navigating said lock.

3.  PUDDLES.

After spending a few days with our son & grandies in Canberra at the beginning of this month, we traveled further along to see my BFF in Orange.  Whilst there we decided to drive to the top of Mt. Canobolus ( the highest point between Sydney & Perth) to enjoy the view.  It was amazing, 360° of countryside, but most of NSW & other states are in severe drought at the moment, so where did this puddle come from.  Well, there had been a few scattered showers over the past days & left this little legacy, but nowhere near enough to combat the need for proper rain, to boost our dam levels, green our pastures for livestock & beat out some the bushfires already burning in parts of Australia.

4.  OVERFLOWING.

A large pot on the paving out the back, just "overflowing" with a pretty pink flowered plant.  I've forgotten what it is called.

5.  SPLASH.

Last year in August, we made our way to Queensland to see all our children, gathered from around Oz & UK.  Whilst staying at the caravan park, they had lots of facilities that could be used by patrons visitors, so our family took advantage one day.  This splashing by the grandies, playing "Marco Polo" in the pool.  This about all I can ever show of my grandchildren for security reasons.  They did have fun in the pool, on the bouncing pillow, playing mini golf, having a game of tennis with Nana and watching the bird feeding.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.

Out for a walk on Wednesday, around our block, I actually took the camera to snap for my nephew, how our town is growing rapidly and noticed this in one of the gardens, done for Halloween.  Lucky I took the camera!!  I though you might all get a laugh.
That's my lot for this month & as we have a very hectic schedule for the weekend, with our car club rally, I'll be off.  Enjoy the weekend, wherever you may be.
Take care all & huggles.
Susan.                                 

UK TRIP (Part One)

After arriving safely early on Monday morning (29/7), we picked up our hire car and made for our pre-booked self catering unit in Christchurch,  Dorset.  We were very fortunate that we'd found somewhere so nice to stay.  Over the next 2 days we did what we had planned and some.
Our first day was a visit to The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.  On the way we stopped in  the small village of Sway, where I picked up an interesting brochure about some of attractions of the area, but alas, time restraints meant we didn't see any.

BEAULIEU.

Not the best pic, but this is the only one we have (taken on DH's phone), as I'd misplaced the small lens for my camera and only had the lens cap on my big camera.  I was cranky with myself.  We did have a great day, saw the museum, house and abbey ruins.

BUCKLER'S HARD.
On arriving back at the car, I did find my lens, which I'd left in my ordinary handbag when I changed over to my little backpack.  On the way home we saw a sign for Buckler's Hard and decided to pay a visit.  What a gorgeous place.

This is on the Beaulieu River and ever so lovely & interesting.

I'm not going to bombard everyone with too many snaps, but just sort of catching up on where we went whilst away.

CHRISTCHURCH,
Again not too many pics as I'd not taken my camera into town, when we went in for a few provisions.
DH once again used his phone for me.

 A few photos of where we walked around the town.  It was well worth taking the time to see a little of the south which I've not been to before.
Next morning it was time to start travelling towards Northampton for our next few nights.  On the way we planned to go to Kingston Lacey, a National Trust property and it certainly didn't disappoint.

WIMBORNE MINSTER.
We passed through this lovely town & had a walk to find a coffee.  Another that captured me.

                                                     A stroll down one of the streets.

                                                         This sign "tickled" my fancy.

                  Sounded very interesting and if time had allowed would have been fun to see.

KINGSTON LACY.

                                                                  The house front.

                                                                   An amazing tree.
      Of course I can't go past a spectacular or strangely shaped tree without wanting to take a photo.
                                                    I'm sure I could do a book on trees.😊

                                         Oh, and this owl couldn't escape the camera either.

                                                 Espaliered trees against a beautiful wall.

   I also love the sumptuous hanging baskets you see in so many places.  Just a bit envious of these.

After leaving this wonderful place, we headed on to our next destination.  We were staying in Northampton for a few nights, so I could go to this..............................

I met up with another blogger & her friend & had a lovely day at the show. They took me to meet another friend who was actually working on a stand and to my amazement I knew this company very well as they are always at the Australian shows.  It happens they hail from New Zealand.  After wandering around & thinking about leaving to catch our train back to Northampton, we stopped off to say goodbye to the friend, when I suddenly went rushing up to a lady, whom had just noticed me too & as we gave each other a big hug, said in unison,"OMG, what are you doing here".  M just happens to live in the next suburb to us and used to have her own Quilt Shop, but runs it on line now, as well as doing the shows in Melbourne.......how amazing was that?

OK, enough of my rambling for today.  I'll be back on Friday with my photo hunt & hopefully next week a few more posts about UK, before getting back into some "ordinary" blogging stuff.
Thanks to those for taking the time to pop in after my few techy mishaps.
Take care all & huggles.
Susan.

WHERE TO START?

What with internet issues, (emails bouncing, blog comments on other blogs disappearing into thin air,
stuffing my own blog looking for a way of fixing being a "no-reply blogger" ), feeling low still, weather being absolutely crazy in as far as 2° one morning & only 10° during the day and now a couple of days later it is sunny, hot & 33°  (3.30pm Thursday).  I'm just a little perplexed or maybe just old & silly!!!!  I've so much to catch up on, I don't where to start.
A few quick photos, then over the next few weeks will try to sort all out and do several posts of trip to UK & a week spent away here in Oz during the grandies school holidays.

Craft.

This little quilt & baby jacket will be winging their way to UK next week for friends of my nephew who are expecting their first little bundle.  I showed the quilt a while back & the wool/pattern I bought at Morley Markets whilst away.

Garden.
A few snaps from the garden here in our variable Spring weather 😖.

Our many freesias which come up all over.

The Wonga Vine which has suddenly taken off & flowered.
Amazing.

Our time away in both UK and here has made me realise that I need to appreciate where I live & where I can visit.
As a child of the 50s & 60s we quite often recited this poem & on the odd occasion it comes to mind.
You'll see why at the end.  This particular verse (No.2 of 6) is the one we always used.
                                                                 MY COUNTRY
                                                                               by Dorothea Mackellar.
                                  I love a sunburnt country,
                                     A land of sweeping plains,
                                  Of ragged mountain ranges,
                                     Of droughts and flooding rains.
                                  I love her far horizons,
                                      I lover her jewel sea,
                                  Her beauty and her terror ----
                                      The

                                                                                                   for me.
The above photo was taken at the Arboretum in Canberra.
Although I do love UK, I've got to make sure I love my own country too, so that is my lot for today,
but, I'll be back now that I've sorted some of these technical & personal issues & hope to post lots of holiday snaps, crafty bits from both of us & join in the photo hunt next Friday.
Thanks to anyone who does pop in for a look, take care all and huggles.
Susan.

SEPTEMBER PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT.

The end of September already & joining in with I live, I love, I craft for the "Hunt".
I wasn't going to participate, but the weather here is dark, overcast, blowing a hooley & looks like rain, so I came inside to hunker down & got thinking about photos & feeling so low at the moment.
I think I know what's wrong, so I'll leave it at that & throw myself into getting this done.
Kate's words were a little more geared to Autumn, so I really had to think outside the box & I had looked  at some snaps just after she posted the list & was a bit perplexed.  Well,  hear goes with mine.

1.  COSY.

A display of tea cosies at Mont de Lancy an old house & garden that are open to the public by way of a local council not far from Melbourne.

2.  CHANGING FOLIAGE.

The tree in the back corner of our yard, just displaying it's Spring finery & leaf buds.  I love calling it's flowers, tassels.😊

3.  SCARF.

A scarf I knitted some years ago for our eldest granddaughter, which she loved.  I wonder if it is still used now that she is an adult?

4.  BAKING.

Not my baking!!!  Although I do cook, it doesn't really ever look as good as this.  A cuppa we had at the David Austen Rose Nursery, which I took a photo of because of the beautiful china.  Believe it or not, but that catalogue was actually free!!!!

5.  COBWEB.

 This was my first choice, as I couldn't find anything other than the one I showed for our last cobweb.
I took this photo many years ago at Harlow Carr in Yorkshire, when visiting.

Then looking for something else DH & I had been talking about, I stumbled across this photo taken whilst in Canberra, out on a walk with our son & his family in a nature reserve.  I do remember it being an awfully cold morning, so maybe it has frost or dew on it.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.

Bolton Abbey.

The cause of my woes at the moment.  Not being able to walk in the Dales or on the Moors.  This photo was taken at the beginning of August & although it was very busy, it was still very peaceful.
I'll try and get myself together to do some catch up posts of our holiday.  Really.............
OK, enough from me & a big thank you to Kate for hosting this.
Take care all and huggles.
Susan.

AUGUST PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT....................LATE!!!

Better than never, as the saying goes.  I took some of these pics whilst in UK, but couldn't download them onto my tablet, then we also had so many issues with internet services.  Thanks to Kate from,
 I live, I love, I craft blog for hosting this, but I'm not in the link-up this time. Feeling very flat since we got back & even pondering whether to keep on blogging or not.  Maybe just this one?
Now for the words & photos.

1.  MARK.

Bookmarks I made from paint colour chips for Xmas presents to put into greeting cards.

The beautiful gum leaf bookmark DH fashioned for me, that I have shown before.

2.  DUCK/S.

                  Found hiding in the foliage of a park, beside the stream that flows through
                                                    Thornton-le-dale in North Yorkshire.

3.  WINDOW.

Ancient stone window surround.

This was also taken on our trip.  A lovely few hours spent walking through countryside to & around Wharram Percy Medieval Village, which I found absolutely fascinating.

4.  ARM.

Not very exciting, but here is my long "arm" quilting machine.  Sorry for the lousy photo, I should have found another one.

5.  STRAW.
I've gone slightly overboard with this one.  Whilst driving in the beautiful English countryside, I kept spotting "straw" photos, in colour & texture.  Sometimes we just couldn't stop (which irked me), but here a few I thought would fit the bill, so 3 made the cut.

            Straw coloured grain waiting to be harvested, again on our visit to Wharram Percy.

Straw bales for sitting on, spreading on the garden as mulch or even feed for animals.  This photo                                                was taken in the large barns at Great Dixter.

                               A very large haystack which always makes me think...... STRAW.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.

                 The beautifully laid out garden in front of the house at Kingston Lacey in Dorset.
My lot done and hopefully some one may notice & I've not posted for nothing.
Have a good week all, take care & huggles.
Susan.